Being a natural born procrastinator, I didn't get around to sending the Nikon scope in for repairs until March of this year. Because I didn't have the warranty card or proof of purchase receipt, I fully expected to pay whatever repair charges were assessed by Nikon.

An email from Nikon in mid-March informed me that, unfortunately, the scope could not be repaired. Dang, there goes $400 down the drain, or so I thought. Two days later, I received another email from Nikon. They were going to replace the scope with one of equal value at no charge, because the Monarch had a lifetime warranty, despite the fact that I did not have my warranty card or proof of purchase. When Nikon says Lifetime Warranty, they mean it!

On the 14 April 2014 I received a phone call from the Nikon Sport Optics Repair department. Yep, an actual phone call from a real person. The lady informed me that they were replacing my Monarch with a Monarch3 Side Focus. I looked up the MSRP of the replacement scope and it was $439.95. I was, and still am, amazed. For those readers who think Nikon Monarch scopes are somewhat expensive; well, they are. However, given their quality and warranty, they are worth the investment.

Now for the review of our new Nikon Monarch3. Everything about this scope is first-class. It is built on a one-piece main tube with a satin black external finish and tasteful gold lettering. The fully multi-coated optics optics are bright, clear, contrasty and sharp across all magnification settings. Edge sharpness is good, as is color rendition. Flare and distortion and well controlled.

The spring-loaded 1/4 MOA click windage and elevation adjustments, range calibrated side focus knob and zoom ring are smooth in operation, yet positive in their adjustments. The eye relief is adequate for most magnum caliber rifles up to at least .375 caliber. (You would not want a 12x variable on a dangerous game rifle, anyway. -Editor.)

In fact, there is absolutely nothing left to be desired in this scope. It has it all and the one inch diameter main tube means that mounting rings are available almost everywhere. As you read through the specifications, the only change that some readers might want is a different reticle, which is available. However, the standard Nikoplex is a very good, all-around hunting reticle. The instruction manual is 226 pages long, printed in 16 different languages. That should give you an idea of the appeal and wide distribution of Nikon riflescopes.