Nikko Sterling Diamond 4-12x56 30mm

jase kaye

Well-Known Member
Has anyone had any experience of these scopes? Seen one at my local gun shop ,only had a quick look through one and it seemed quite good for the money especially as it had an illuminated ret with side rehostat.Any views would be appreciated.
Jase.
 
I'll jump in if no one else is willing to express an opinion and you are keen to have some sort of response. In my personal opinion save your money and buy something better or you will only be dissapointed in the long run. A friend was tempted by the price and bought one and returned it after his first outing, enough said.
 
Whilst Nikko Sterling used to be well made to a budget price they're now all made in China an quality is scrappy to downright poor. The importers Highland Outdoors are not very helpful when you have an issue with your new scope. This I found out the hard way. In fact the boss man told me that all scopes with fast focus eyepieces are made so loose that the eye bell can be wobbled up and down in the body tube so the reticle dances about :eek:. Funny thing when checked an older Japanese made NS Platinum 4x40 it didn't do this, neither did the S&B or Meopta.

For the quality they are vastly over priced and your playing the lottery as to IF ............................. IF you get one that is actually put together properly. So do you feel Lucky?
 
Whilst Nikko Sterling used to be well made to a budget price they're now all made in China an quality is scrappy to downright poor. The importers Highland Outdoors are not very helpful when you have an issue with your new scope. This I found out the hard way. In fact the boss man told me that all scopes with fast focus eyepieces are made so loose that the eye bell can be wobbled up and down in the body tube so the reticle dances about :eek:. Funny thing when checked an older Japanese made NS Platinum 4x40 it didn't do this, neither did the S&B or Meopta.

For the quality they are vastly over priced and your playing the lottery as to IF ............................. IF you get one that is actually put together properly. So do you feel Lucky?
No I don't feel luky ,I never am,I think I'll pass.
 
jase don't bother mate.

seen one last night i would have it on my 22lr, but i never got it,

say a lot.

i have a 1980's nikko sterling platenum on my 17 hmr, 4/12x50 with the red front lens, black gloss etc. and the glass is cracking, but thats from the 80's

bob.
 
jase don't bother mate.

seen one last night i would have it on my 22lr, but i never got it,

say a lot.

i have a 1980's nikko sterling platenum on my 17 hmr, 4/12x50 with the red front lens, black gloss etc. and the glass is cracking, but thats from the 80's

bob.

Cheers Bob ,I'm not going to mate,I wanted an opinion on it and I think I got one or two:D.
 
I have a Nikko Stirling on my .22 it's o.k. for that but I certainly wouldn't put a modern one on a stalking rifle. I've also owned fixed power Nikko Stirling scopes long ago when I first started shooting, they did the job at the time but I think that they were probably better made and of course my eyes were younger then.
 
I have an old one, late 80's, on my 22lr and it is fine, as previously mentioned they were made better then.
 
Had a Nikko Sterling Platinum on an air rifle (TX 200 so not exactly heavy recoil) a few years ago. Sent 3 back in 18 months to get fixed or replaced. Pesrsonally i think they are useless and would spend the money on a simmons or save up a bit more and get something better.
 
I had one of them on a theoben scirroco..early 90s..cracking scopes for the price...looking for something for a
the .22lr

jase don't bother mate.

seen one last night i would have it on my 22lr, but i never got it,

say a lot.

i have a 1980's nikko sterling platenum on my 17 hmr, 4/12x50 with the red front lens, black gloss etc. and the glass is cracking, but thats from the 80's

bob.
 
cheap high zoom scopes are usually chocolate and lose all optical integrity when on high power
I am a big Nikko fan but would buy one brand new

They only made decent scopes on the sub 20 year period between the 1960's and 1980's
and even then only the fixed mags were much cop

I wouldn't heisitate to put one of the old breed on a stalking rifle, in fact my .222 is sporting an 8x50 now
When I blew the reticule on a Schmidt and Bender I needed a back up scope for a forthcoming stalking trip, I put another 8x50 nikko on it.....that was an unmoderated 300WM. Put 300+ rounds through it without so much as a squeak of zero shift
 
I was persuaded to try a Nikko Sterling by my local firearms dealer instead of lashing out for a used German scope. He promised to buy it back at full price if I didn't like it, that was 25 years ago and I am still using it on my .243 Steyr. It clearly isn't in the same class as Swaro, Zeiss, S&B, Karl Kapps etc., but it is a very decent scope and has served me well. They're a bit like Minox binos, obviously not quite as good as the best but in terms of what they cost it's hard to justify the very significant extra cost of the best. I accept that mine is of the vintage that Brewsher considers OK and that more recent examples might not be as well made but mine is a vari-power and I've never had an issue with it it terms of quality, its light gathering power is also very good. I remember walking out of a wood when it seemed too dark to shoot to meet up with the late Roger Buss at the edge of a field and we could hear a deer moving through the barley, we could not see it with binos but a look through the Nikko revealed a decent buck.
 
Agree old ones were very good: my FAC daystate wears a N-S MRE scope and has done so for more than a decade, came from the dreaded Litts at Newport was in the sale as they were just too expensive when they originally came out.

I can't fault it and lovely fine reticule(s) which suits my.177 just fine.

D
 
I have a Nikko Sterling scope on my .243 and I certainly wouldn't bother again. To be honest, it's just fulfilling a function 'til I can afford something better.
I can remember years ago N-S were reckoned pretty good, but the one I've got, bought new a year or two back, is poorly made - sharp edges, badly cut threads on turrets, soft alloy caps etc. The illuminated reticle is rubbish - even on the lowest setting it's so bright it glares into your eyes so you can't see a thing down the scope. The parrallax adjustment only seems to have any effect up to about 50 metres, so why it's callibrated up to '000s of yards I really don't know! It also lost zero rather alarmingly after a 600 mile round trip in the car - not aware of having bashed it en route, but when checked it was about 4" out at 100 yards.

Having said all that, it did me proud on my DSC1 shooting test, with all shots scoring at the first attempt, so can't be all bad...!
Also, they are (apparently) centrefire rated, so better than nothing at the price (mine was about £58 new).
 
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Hi

I still have a N-S 3-9x44, 30mm tubed Diamond, admittedly from 15+yrs ago and made in Japan, would not hesitate to recommend this vintage of product.

Used in all weathers/low light and not found wanting,even to my older eyes - hanging onto as a spare should the need aise.

L
 
I have an old Gold Crown on my .270 and its fine for the shooting I have done so far, holds its zero and no problems, have thought about upgrading and may well one day. I would not put a new one on a centre fire.
 
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