At first glance, this scope may look like any other, but anyone who knows what they are doing will quickly figure out that this isn’t your average scope. While it has all the same styles of settings as other scopes on the market, it has greater clarity and accuracy than any others. The mounting process is about the most basic this scope gets, and even that isn’t truly basic.
While it is a little more complicated to mount than most that we have reviewed, the simplicity of how exactly it works takes all the extra issues out of the process. It is mounted using three screws ant the turret, each made to adjust to where you feel it is most comfortable, and once mounted it is one of the best scopes for accuracy that you can buy. It has everything ready to use instantly and is easy to perfectly set the target and won’t let you down.

Want options? This scope has them in overload.

Instead of having to settle with one or two base models, Nikon has given you at least twelve different options for this model. There are two different basic choices of 4-16x50, and 6-24x50, the additional options to either of these being illuminated or non-illuminated and the final choices of MOA or Mil adjustments. You can combine these options in any way you see fit that gives you your perfect fit.

Very few scopes out there have that many choices from the start, and each one changes how your scope will perform for you. With our review, we took the time to look over each, but for the mainline, we went with the more commonly purchased base of the 6-24x50, illuminated and with mil measurements. This was simply the most desired version and had more to research so we could tell you how well it performed.

Before we go further, we should explain what each option means so that you know which version is best suited for your needs. The last number in a line is the diameter, in the case, 50mm. The other variables are 6 and 24 where 6 is the smallest magnification while the 24 is the largest magnification range.
The second option is illuminated or non-illuminated. An illuminated scope shows the red dot on a target that is present whether it is dark or light out, this gives a great advantage when attempting to hunt or aim during low light time periods. The non-illuminated provides the same point but doesn’t use light and therefore you only have the advantage during the daytime.

There are downsides to the illuminated version, one of the main ones being the weight increase. This can be a major downside to some hunters, especially if the scope itself is already heavy. The only other downside tends to be the price increase.

Finally, you have the choice of how you want to measure distance, either by MOA or Mil. These are two types of measurements with Mil being the larger of the two. Many would automatically go with the MOA measurement simply to have a more exact distance for the shot but having what most are used to may actually be better for newer hunters.

This particular design, no matter how you decide to put it together, definitely offers great clarity of sight for when you are using it. This has a lot to do with the water/fog proofing as well. In order to see if this scope held up like previous models from the company, some of the more skeptical buyers even tested it out through what is called a freeze test.

What is a freeze test? Well, one wipes down the scope to get it damp/wet and then places it into a freezer to allow the moisture to freeze to the scope. They leave it in for several hours then take it out and test to see if the water or fog created by freezing it leaves the site unmarred.

Those who dared to test there’s this way admit that they found it to hold up to their tests and they could still clearly see through it and hit a target without any issues.

Another test of clarity comes with setting the scope to all of its magnification and looking for a loss of vision. Does the object they are looking at jump insight, or seem to blur out? Does this change to a red glare if the scope is illuminated?

According to those who tested the version we looked at said the clarity remained much truer, and the ability to stay on target didn’t lose much in magnification, especially since the scope allowed you to make appropriate adjustments based on the magnification levels. The first sign of issues was at max magnification, but even then, it wasn’t enough to make you miss your mark. In the end, this scope passed with flying colors on all clarity checks.

This scope was tested and proved to be good with any number of uses, from gun range shooting to hunting wildlife. Because its magnification settings are so steady and clear, as well as having a greatly accurate targeting system, whether illuminated or not, you can hunt both big and small game easily. The illuminated site is the most highly recommended though, due to keeping you on the ready no matter how low of light you find yourself in.

The main use of any scope is to make sure that, no matter what you are aiming at, you can easily target and hit it. With Nikon, they have proven, yet again, that they are one of the best out there to rely on for this task. Though it may have taken a bit for them to re-evaluate their product line for the newer technologies available, they’ve proven that sometimes being the best is not being first- but assuring that your use of what is available is as perfect as you can get.

This is definitely one of those things that this company pushes heavily with their products. Not only do they provide the best they can in quality, but they try to make sure that your equipment works correctly and won’t fail you unexpectedly. To make doubly sure that you don’t end up getting something faulty, or through an accident end up with an unreliable piece, they even offer a no-fault lifetime warranty.

After testing its survival via the freeze test and mounting processes, those who wanted to see just how much they could rely on lasting value continued to come back and relate how their scope continued to perform. Even after months, even a year out, everyone found the quality of their product remained the same as day one. This leaves us saying that we feel you can be secure in your purchase of this particular model of Nikon scope.

Mounting this particular model is easy, though shifting your parallax can be a little tricky. This is built for the higher caliber at the longer-range when it comes to guns, though we couldn’t find an exact list. The fact is that the mount requires some bit of work to get just right, and with the range, this thing has for movement, you may find yourself adjusting it a few times to find your comfort zone.

It is suggested though, that when setting your parallax you do so in a steady area where you aren’t rushed, because it is done by adjusting 3 screws on the scope, and while you aren’t supposed to take any of them all the way out at any point, accidents happen- and they are small enough to easily lose on the field. Of course, if this does happen to you, the company seems to be highly reliable and you might be able to call on them for a replacement.

Don’t expect this to be an ongoing backup, though. It is always best to be safe and follow instructions to avoid being put in a position where you need to keep replacing the same part over and over. No company is going to keep being friendly when it becomes obvious that instructions are not being followed.

The body of this particular piece of equipment is impressively built and holds up to a great deal of abuse you can expect to need to on the field. Not only that, but the warranty makes it so the only things you really have to worry about is if the unthinkable happens and you somehow lose it or have it stolen. There is, of course, the obvious void to warranty as well by purposely seeking to damage the product as well, but we don’t think there are a lot of people willing to break something this expensive on purpose.

The turret is impressive as well, and it has a zero-stop in elevation which makes many older models seem instantly obsolete. Between that and the precision placement with it to give you perfect aim, this is definitely something to make you not need anything else to keep your game at utter perfection.

The particular version we researched for this model actually sits at about 24.5oz, but that is due to having an illuminated site, which as mentioned makes it heavier. At the minimal weight, this scope comes in at about 23.3oz which isn’t bad for everything that it offers. It's well worth the extra ounces when you know that your scope is likely outperforming the rest of the competition.

Even if all you change is to go with the 4-16x50 with the illumination and MOA measurements you can lose nearly an ounce in weight. This is impressive since really you still get most of the features and only sacrifice in some range. Depending on what you plan to use it for, this can be a great alternative.

The price of this model and brand is unsurprisingly expensive. Given their reputation for products that stand up to time and use, you can’t really expect them to be one of the cheapest on the market. Add this knowledge to the quality of the scope itself and all of its options and you can quickly realize that it is worth every penny to be considering it.

Although you may be paying $624USD for the exact model we dug up the information on, it does come with the bonus of knowing you are covered with that no-fault lifetime warranty that means you don’t have to worry about anything going wrong. In the end, this scope seems to pay for itself with all it can do, not making you have to pay for extra’s or needing to switch out scopes for a better view.

-A lot of options
-Durable
-Reliable
-Company reputation
-No-fault lifetime warranty
-Steady and clear
-Extreme parallax flexibility

We found a true scope worth bragging about when we pulled up onto this one. We definitely feel you can put your money down and not be disappointed with the FX1000. Nikon has come roaring back and continues to raise standards.