# Nikon Buckmaster 4.5X14X40 Scope



## syonker (May 7, 2004)

Looking for the best price source for a Nikon Buckmaster 4.5X14 rifle scope.

It can be a retail store or online source.

Thanks!


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## kammern (Sep 26, 2007)

I have always had really good luck with Optics Planet.


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## syonker (May 7, 2004)

kammern said:


> I have always had really good luck with Optics Planet.


Prices at Optics Planet are exactly as those listed online for Cabela's 

Does Nikon fix the retail price point so no matter where you go the price won't change?

(Lowest listing on FeeBay new/not factory reconditioned is $255 no tax & free shipping)


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## Swamp Monster (Jan 11, 2002)

syonker said:


> Does Nikon fix the retail price point so no matter where you go the price won't change?
> 
> )


Yes, they do. You might get lucky and find a close out or a sale but Nikon pricing is pretty much set accross the board, at least on product lines that are not being changed or phased out. 

Try www.natchezss.com or www.bearbasin.com. Sometimes they have shipping specials or include extras etc.


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## mike the pike (Mar 11, 2008)

How about a Leupold??? Lifetime warranty and made in America


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## ajmorell (Apr 27, 2007)

mike the pike said:


> How about a Leupold??? Lifetime warranty and made in America


I'm not saying the Leupold isn't nice, but dollar for dollar the Nikon wins hands down.


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## mike the pike (Mar 11, 2008)

I used my buddys rifle up north and he had a Winchester .308 with a Nikon bdc 3x9x50 on it. Nice looking scope until it fogged up on me and i missed an 8 point. I settled for a doe while kicking myself all the way home looking at everybodys RACK sticking out of the trucks. 

Made in America with a lifetime warranty for a few xtra bucks or Made in Japan with a 90 day warranty that you'll end up replacing ....hmmmmm


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## hunt-n-fool (Oct 10, 2006)

mike the pike said:


> I used my buddys rifle up north and he had a Winchester .308 with a Nikon bdc 3x9x50 on it. Nice looking scope until it fogged up on me and i missed an 8 point. I settled for a doe while kicking myself all the way home looking at everybodys RACK sticking out of the trucks.
> 
> Made in America with a lifetime warranty for a few xtra bucks or Made in Japan with a 90 day warranty that you'll end up replacing ....hmmmmm


 
Sounds like a Ford  (Fogged On Rack Day)


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## ENCORE (Sep 19, 2005)

Why pay retail prices at Cabela's?? They're higher than heck, its just that they have just about everything. In some cases, they're higher than the manufacturer's listed retail price!

I'm not sure about Nikon "fixing" prices but...... I bought two (2) NEW Nikon Monarchs, 2.5-10x50 for about $100 cheaper (each) than I could have got them from Cabela's. Didn't have to pay high shipping costs either. Cabela's current catalog shows them at $469.99 plus shipping. I bought them from Ray for $365 each.

If you don't mind a road trip and would like to have a discussion with one hell of a nice guy, call: Ray's New & Used Guns in Hillman and see if he's got what you'd like and its price.... 989-742-4226


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## Swamp Monster (Jan 11, 2002)

ENCORE said:


> I'm not sure about Nikon "fixing" prices but...... I bought two (2) NEW Nikon Monarchs, 2.5-10x50 for about $100 cheaper (each) than I could have got them from Cabela's. Didn't have to pay high shipping costs either. Cabela's current catalog shows them at $469.99 plus shipping. I bought them from Ray for $365 each.
> 
> If you don't mind a road trip and would like to have a discussion with one hell of a nice guy, call: Ray's New & Used Guns in Hillman and see if he's got what you'd like and its price.... 989-742-4226



Thats a great price! Nikon doesn't fix the price, but like Leupold, they hold those that sell their products to a tight selling (or advertised) price at or near a certain price point for each model. Bushnell does this as well on their Elite line of optics. I know Natchez used to sel Bushnell Elite at pretty hefty discounts compared to competitors but they could not advertise the price in the catalog, you had to call. With Leupold, Natchez throws in free stuff with their Leupold scopes to gain an advantage. 

In the last couple of years, both Nikon and Leupold have improved their upper end lines and you can still find some non current models (still excelent quality) at really good prices.


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## SuperSeal110 (Dec 6, 2003)

mike the pike said:


> I used my buddys rifle up north and he had a Winchester .308 with a Nikon bdc 3x9x50 on it. Nice looking scope until it fogged up on me and i missed an 8 point. I settled for a doe while kicking myself all the way home looking at everybodys RACK sticking out of the trucks.
> 
> Made in America with a lifetime warranty for a few xtra bucks or Made in Japan with a 90 day warranty that you'll end up replacing ....hmmmmm



90 day warranty, where did you hear that? They have Life time warranty, as far as I know. I'm not a huge fan of Nikon, since I had a HUGE problem in the past with their CS on a Nikon 4-16 tactical scope. Took 9 months for a replacement...

I have two BM 4.5-14, but I couldn't get warmed up to them. Glass was decent, but the FOV sucked, IMO. It looked like looking through a empty paper towel roll.

I've since dumped the Nikon's and bought some more Leupolds.


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## rjg30 (Apr 17, 2007)

Have you considered the Burris Fullfield II? I think you can get it in 4.5x14x40 for under $ 400


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## syonker (May 7, 2004)

Thanks to all for the input so far.

Based on your input, I'm reaccessing my optics choice.

I'm keenly aware of the advice not to skimp on rifle optics, but at some point you need to have a budget & mine is to try & keep the scope around $300. (Rings not included)

This forum has provided me with 3 options, the 4X12 Bushnell Elite 3200, the 4X12 Leupold VX-I, & the 4.5X14 Nikon Buckmaster. All 3 of these scopes have an advertised retail price point right around the $300 mark. 

The Bushnell & Nikon are advertised with lifetime warranties while the Leupold is advertised with a limited lifetime warranty.

The Bushnell has the largest FOV @ 100 yards followed by the Nikon, & then the Leupold. 

The Leupold is the shortest in length & lightest in weight followed by the Bushnell, & then the Nikon.

It looks like the only way I'm going to confidently make a definitive decision is to find a retailer that carries 2 or 3 of my optic choices & do a side-by-side live comparison. Luckily, Michigan firearm deer season is 5 months away.


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## syonker (May 7, 2004)

mike the pike said:


> How about a Leupold??? Lifetime warranty and made in America


I don't know what this means, but Leupold has a limited lifetime warranty while Nikon has a lifetime warranty.

The discussion of American made vs. foreign made is a confusing topic in itself as somethimes claims of American made are in reality just American assembled products. Heck, my 1970 Chevy Biscayne engine was built in Canada & now Toyotas are manufactured in the USA, so I'm a bit skeptical on manuafacturer claims of American made.

Can anyone be sure that something is 100% American made? If Leupold advertised 100% American made, then it would be a value to consider IMHO.

(In my driveway is a Ford, a GM, & a Chrysler, so I do support American products)


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## UPHuntr (Feb 24, 2009)

I just had this same dicussion and went with Leupold. I own two Nikon Monarch scopes and was leaning that way again because I have had no problems with them. But like stated earlier Nikon replacement/repair on a buddies scope took 6 months he almost did not have a scope for deer season. My dad had a low end Leupold that he had issues with, he sent it direct to Leupold in Oregon and had a new replacement in a week. So I went Leupold this time just becasue of that. Funny the old guy that works the optics counter at Bass Pro gave me the same advice about the two. He said both are great glass but if you should have a problem you can send the scope direct to Leupold where as Nikon wants you to send it through a dealer and it will take forever. An yes Leupold are made in American you can even tour the plant in Oregon if you would like.


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## Swamp Monster (Jan 11, 2002)

Leupold Gold Ring products are American Made. There CS is top notch and their warranty is as solid as any. I have nothing against Nikon, I like them but I'd take a similar Leupold first almost everytime. If you find something you like in your price from Leupold, Nikon, Bushnell Elite, or Burris you be hard pressed to make a wrong decision to be honest. 

Check out the Redfield 4-12x40mm as well. Made by Leupold in the USA with some imported parts. They run about $200. Worth checking out for the price.


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## mike the pike (Mar 11, 2008)

syonker said:


> If Leupold advertised 100% American made, then it would be a value to consider IMHO.


My scope said right on the box and the address is in Oregon

My problem is we as american send way too much $$$ oversea's for foreign goods when the technology and quality are here. Why would you buy something from another country (some products are only made oversea's) when you can help keep you and your neighbor employed . Sounds like a no brainer. Ask a wwII vet if he'll buy anything from Japan


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## syonker (May 7, 2004)

mike the pike said:


> My scope said right on the box and the address is in Oregon
> 
> My problem is we as american send way too much $$$ oversea's for foreign goods when the technology and quality are here. Why would you buy something from another country (some products are only made oversea's) when you can help keep you and your neighbor employed . Sounds like a no brainer. Ask a wwII vet if he'll buy anything from Japan


Your post has some merit.

In a world economy though, how can anyone be sure of the origin of every component in an item? It's getting tougher to find goods that are 100% of American origin whether it's the raw materials, the manufacturing of components or the final assembly of the item.

Is the fuel in our vehicles coming from US produced wells or is it a foreign import? Probably a 75% chance that it's imported, so at each fill up are we putting a US oil worker out of a job?

If your refrigerator is like mine, I'm betting during the course of the year it contains food items that are grown outside the US which are also grown here. So long fresh oranges, strawberries, grapes, etc in the winter that come from south of the boarder.

I believe those same WWII veterans you mentioned & those that came before them also made sacrifices so that we could make choices without fear of retribution or censorship.

If you are suggesting that we should be more aware of where our goods are produced & support those items which are locally produced/US owned, then I am in total agreement with you, but with increasing frequency, consumers have no clue as to the country of origin an item is really from.


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## Enigma (Jan 30, 2006)

I use swarovski PH 30mm tube scopes and zeiss diavari vm/v 30mm tube scopes my self now, but before that I use nikon monarch scopes I had leupold scopes vx-III had problems with those scopes so I went to nikon monarch no problems with them I did once own a burris black diamond with a 30mm tube never had a problem with it but the mili dots seem to small for me.You get what you pay for my next scope will be a schmidt bender. These scope really shine in the early morning and evening.I do like the nikon monarch for the money.You can't beat europeon glass.I do like nikon my son has a buck masters scope on his 7mm-08 a 3-9x40 and he shoots 300 yards very well with it he's only 12 year old but I'm selling it to get him a nikon monarch 4-16x50.


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## GrtWhtHntr (Dec 2, 2003)

I bought that same scope much cheaper than Cabelas price at Franks Sporting goods in Morley. Give them a call and ask for Vic. He should be able to save you some money. 231-856-7778 The Buckmaster is a great scope, I've had mine for a few years now.


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