Japanese lens

Message Topic Search Topic Options Post Reply Create New Topic Printable Version Translate Topic

   Ran into the rep for nightforce at the gunshow and he was being grilled by a benchrest shooter back from Japan.The shooter claimed he had visited the two factories in Japan that turn out the lens for Nightforce,Hakko, lynx,Nikon,Nikko,Leupold? and a heap more scopes.
The deal was that the lens for lynx and nightforce came off the same line to the same specs at about 50 per cent the price.Hakko was also the same spec at the other factory.All multi coated and same light passing.
The rep argued but had trouble when the shooter pulled out a series of photos showing the lens being boxed with the brand names in the same factory.
I looked at the high end hakko tacticals the other day and was damned if I could see any differnce in clarity when compared with NF/.I am going to purchase one and put it to the test against my leupolds and a couple of Kahles and swarvoskis at the club.Have a good one macca.

Author	Message Topic Search Topic Options Post Reply Create New Topic Printable Version Translate Topic
macca Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List .416 Rigby AKA The Thunder From DownUnder Joined: 10 June 2003 Location: Australia Status: Offline Points: 1149	Topic: Japanese lens Posted: 09 August 2003 at 21:22
	Ran into the rep for nightforce at the gunshow and he was being grilled by a benchrest shooter back from Japan.The shooter claimed he had visited the two factories in Japan that turn out the lens for Nightforce,Hakko, lynx,Nikon,Nikko,Leupold? and a heap more scopes. The deal was that the lens for lynx and nightforce came off the same line to the same specs at about 50 per cent the price.Hakko was also the same spec at the other factory.All multi coated and same light passing. The rep argued but had trouble when the shooter pulled out a series of photos showing the lens being boxed with the brand names in the same factory. I looked at the high end hakko tacticals the other day and was damned if I could see any differnce in clarity when compared with NF/.I am going to purchase one and put it to the test against my leupolds and a couple of Kahles and swarvoskis at the club.Have a good one macca.
	don't let the bastards grind you down.

jayrando Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List .375 Holland & Holland Magnum Joined: 12 July 2003 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 741	Posted: 10 August 2003 at 08:59
	Good to see someone is doing their research. I mentioned the same thing that most good to great glass is OEM' by someone for someone else. A good eg is the bush 3200 elite 10x42 mil dot made in JAPAN by Hakko who makes sniper scopes for various other companies as well. I have tried the 3200 against other scopes and have others look at it too no one saw any difference in clarity or light transmisson. BTW the low light on these scopes is excellent.

dakotasin Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Administrator a TRUE brother-in-arms! Joined: 10 June 2003 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 4099	Posted: 10 August 2003 at 12:32
	macca- this could get very interesting very fast. please keep the board posted on your findings. the other thing i wanted to mention, regarding optics (and this post is very likely to be my last post re: rifle scopes...) is that the lenses are only part of the system... the rest being weight (even br shooters have to make weight breaks), eye-relief, warranty, etc. brightness and clarity is just the beginning... anyway, i really want to see your findings, especially if you can compare to nightforce (approx $1500 locally). Edited by dakotasin
	Hunting is not a matter of life or death; it is much more important than that.

pocketnavy Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List .375 Holland & Holland Magnum Joined: 12 June 2003 Location: Antarctica Status: Offline Points: 612	Posted: 13 August 2003 at 02:46
	Of course I can't provide "evidence," but, over the years I have remembered many comments and articles about optics. Some products are just not of US origin. Some countries, such as Japan, have specialized in various products, and they are dang good at it. That is true of Japan and their optics, telescopes, cameras, etc. And once they are set up to produce something well, what profit is there in ANY company, including Leupold, to "tool-up" to produce something they probably couldn't do as well as some Japanese company. It is interesting to put optics in your search engine and look up Japanese companies. It is an eye-opener. Burris, Leupold, and on-and-on, all get their lenses from Japan. There are still some German companies, and I believe, somebody remind me, that they manufacture some lenses in the United States. I forget now. But, as you all know, most of our "scopes" come from Asia: Japan, Korea, Philippines, and even China [grind my teeth!]. How well I remember a BSA exec telling me that HE would use a Leupold [instead of a BSA] if he was taking that special trip to Alaska . . . and adding . . . thet the BSA was a good scope . . . for the money . . spell that "cheap." But, now I am worried . . . Leupold marketing "cheap" scopes: Rifleman? That has me worried. This speaks of a trend that may make Leupold just "another" scope company. Strikes me they are cutting their own throat. Weaver seems to hold the line on their prices and, at least, admit they are made in Japan. Seems to me, from all the posts I have read on Shooters and BSB and HuntingAmerica, and on and on, that there are some scopes that satisfy people just as much as Leupold: Bushnell Elites, Burris, Weaver Grand Slams, and Sightron . . . to name a few . . . made in Japan . . . although Bushnell has quite a few scopes made in Korea. I know that Hakko scopes are widely sold in other parts of the world, Tikka scopes are made by Hakko, I THINK that Cabela's first line of scopes are made by Hakko . . . although their cheap scopes are made in China. You have to beat Cabela's with a stick to get them to even talk about it! More tight-lipped than the State Department. Wonder why? It strikes me that Leupold would do well to loosen up and be proud of where they buy their optics. They buy them from a very fine company. Weatherbys used to be made by Howa . . . an equally fine company. Heh heh . . . had to add that. Edited by pocketnavy

NH_Hunter Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List .416 Rigby aka The Kid Joined: 13 June 2003 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 3508	Posted: 16 August 2003 at 13:01
	Pocketnavy, if Howa was such a good company, than why did Weatherby move their Mark 5 production back to the US? NH_Hunter
	Leverguns make me smile Proud Left Handed Shooter

Rob1 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List .416 Rigby The Walnut Whisperer Joined: 10 June 2003 Location: Vatican City State Status: Offline Points: 3413	Posted: 16 August 2003 at 17:33
	NH Follow the money......

pocketnavy Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List .375 Holland & Holland Magnum Joined: 12 June 2003 Location: Antarctica Status: Offline Points: 612	Posted: 20 August 2003 at 03:46
	Geez . . . here we go again! NH . . . Weatherby brought production back to the United States because of Yen/Dollar problems . . . cost of production . . . they even said so. Howa had been making Weatherbys since 1970. Doubt if Weatherby was ever disappointed with quality. They had the same problem with the Mark/Dollar problems when they moved from Germany to Japan. As you were told . . . "follow the money!" The only transfer of production that I can't find a reason for is why Weatherby moved production from SACO Defense in Maine to Acrometal in Minnesota. But . . . just a guess . . . I bet cost of production was the issue. An interesting thought . . . there were so few SACO Weatherbys produced they might have some collectors value someday . . . just a guess. "Follow the money." That may happen to Ruger someday. It may be closer than you think. Also, please note that Weatherby still has their Vanguards produced by Howa . . . and they have been . . . except for a two or three year hiatus . . . since 1970.