Nickel spotting scopes question??

caorach

Well-Known Member
As you might have noticed I'm a big fan of Nickel telescopic sights and think that they are probably the best in optical quality.

However, recently I've been thinking about a straight draw telescope to use for some long range spotting and I notice that Nickel 15 - 60 telescopes occasionally come up for sale on this forum for reasonable money and so thought to ask if they are actually any good? Assuming a decent rest can you see anything at all out of them or are you just as well off with a decent set of binos? Also what is the actual usable magnification out of them? I'd guess at 60X the image must be pretty dark in all but the best light.

The majority of my stalking is in forestry and so I'm not really intending to use the scope for stalking as such but I have a few areas where you can sit and watch the edge of the trees to maybe 1500 yards or more and I thought it might be fun on a quiet afternoon to lie up and see if there are any deer moving and binos just don't have the magnification to see deer over this sort of distance. Given this I can't justify more than the sort of money Nickel scopes make but I don't want to attempt to buy the next one to appear in the classifieds only to find that in the real world the image is so bad that my binos would do a better job.
 
The only way for you to really know is try one. Sadly you not near me or you could borrow mine for a while.
 
The only way for you to really know is try one. Sadly you not near me or you could borrow mine for a while.

Thank you BH, out of interest what do you think of the one you have? could you use it for lying up and watching the edge of forestry, for example, to see if anything is moving or are the optics such that all it is good enough for is a quick look to see what the head is like on a deer spotted in the binos? I'm interested in the practical experiences people have with them as my experience is that if everyone is saying it isn't worth the effort then, usually, it isn't no matter how good an idea it might seem to me right now.
 
I have the Nickel Supra 15-60x draw tube telescope, if that is the one you are considering. It only has a 60mm objective, so there are limitations as the light fails. Within those limitations, the optics are good enough. I tend to use mine on the lowest 15x setting, but it needs a good rest as the field of view is quite small. Mine has tripod bushings for both sizes of screw fitting within the main casting, so fitting it onto a unipod or tripod is no problem. Mine is finished in good quality enamelling, in black, and has a neat leather tube and strap for carrying it.
 
Well I have used my Nickel scope for evaluating heads and antlers but not for some years now. My lasts serious use of it for this was back in 2003 when i found it very useful on my Whitetail hunting trip. Since then i ahve used it for wildlife watching in general and range use on occasions.

I acquired it from a Stalking chap in Scotland funnily enough so it's seen use on the hill. However as I said the only way for you to know if you like them or feel they are up to what your wanting is to try one in the field.

Mine has speckling on the lens so really needs a service and re-furb. Something I have in mind but it's on the back burner for now.
 
Thank you BH, that is useful info. I've been in touch with John regarding his post and might acquire one on the basis that they seem to be fairly static in price terms so it should be possible to sell it again at not much of a loss if I don't get on with it.
 
Thanks for the offer sws but I don't think I want to spend that sort of money on something that is only for casual use and also the Zeiss, although I've no doubts that its optics are likely to be a lot better than the traditional Greys or Nickel spotting scopes, is rather short and so would not be easily rested in the field.
 
To be honest the reason I will sell it is that I dont rate the optics in it at all. I want it for sexing my CWD with, and at 100m I cant. Granted I'm looking for canines at a decent distance, but am highly dissapointed in it!
 
I really am surprised at that sws as I would generally rate Zeiss as top of the pile for glass among the "big marketing budget" names. In saying that I've only looked through a small proportion of the products from any of the big names so my experience and knowledge is very limited indeed and quality might vary between products. I was always of the view that Zeiss were about the only big name optics company that had nothing to fear from a scientific and measurement approach to the assessment of optics. While we see lots of reviews in the magazines based on subjective views, and usually opposite a full page advert from the maker of the item being reviewed, I think it very telling that we never see any reviews based on objective and properly calibrated measurement.
 
Mine has speckling on the lens so really needs a service and re-furb. Something I have in mind but it's on the back burner for now.

Do you know who might do refurb work on them BH? Do they have to go back to Nickel or is there someone in the UK who might look at them?
 
I have the Swarovski CT85 with the variable magnifcation and for the type of spotting you are talking of it's very good, I got mine very cheap secondhand because the previous owner though it was a single draw scope not a double and couldn't get it to focus he bought a pair of binos and asked shop to hold it and see if they could get any offers on it so I made one.
 
Caorach. I thought similar, but honestly it's useless. Thinking it was just me I have let five other people use it now when we've been out and the general consensus has been that it's garbage.
There doesnt seem to be the resolution that you would expect. It's fine for making something out across a hill but for seeing detail at relatively short range its shocking!
I've only heard great things about the Swarovski ATS 65 so will try that instead.
 
Dickie - I'm sure the swaro is a great job but even second hand I'd be looking at £1000 whereas I'm looking to spend around £100 which is what very good Nickel scopes seem to make. The difference would pay for a few days at hinds and a day at stags this coming year and I'd much rather spend the cash on stalking :)

sws - I'm really amazed at Zeiss selling something that bad but, on the other hand maybe they built it down to a price in the hope that the name alone would sell it. I think optics can be a lot like hi-fi in the sense that I know a lot of people who can hear that the more expensive stuff with the big magazine adverts is clearly so much better, but only when they know what it has cost and who makes it - until that point they all shuffle about nervously not making any big statements just in case they happen to show approval for something that only cost a few hundred quid and was made by someone they've never heard of.
 
Have a look at Cley Spy website. lots of secondhand spotting scopes on there at the moment including a Nickel Supra and an Optylyth single draw. All look fair prices to me and they are a great company to deal with.
 
Do you know who might do refurb work on them BH? Do they have to go back to Nickel or is there someone in the UK who might look at them?

Caorach you should talk to Paul Burke (Phone him on 0121 788 1050) he is very good & will tell you up front what he'd charge. I recently had a Pecar scope repaired by him -EXCELLENT service!

Ian
 
Sorry been busy outside.

Somewhere................. will have to do a search for it I have Nickels contact details and I was told they still service these scopes.

Mine was a right swine to get opened up, extended, in the cold until I found the seals had dried out :oops:. A tiny drop of silicon lube and it's good now.
 
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