Does any one out there have experiences, good or bad, with Nikon scopes?  I was thinking of picking up one of their 3.5-10x50.  Its cheeper than the Leupold and looks very clear.

NIKON scopes are very good.
When I got my first Leupold, I was extremely impressed with the scope and the packaging.
I avoided Leupold for a long time, but got some good deals on a few.  I think they are one of the best investments I've made in this hobby.
The NIKON equipment I have is excellent stuff, too.  It doesn't have the same 'feel' as the Leupolds, though.  
The NIKON stuff feels a little more specialized and delicate.
The Leupolds feel 'American', if that means anything.
Just an observation.
I like my NIKON scopes and binoculars and spotting scope just fine.
Get the Monarch or ATB types if you go NIKON.

Nikon makes a very good scope.That said I too prefer Leupold.But I wouldn't turn down a good deal on a Nikon! YMMV.

I own several nikon scopes and love them I think they are the best scopes for the money. I am planing on buying another one soon. Leupold scopes are also excellent I dont own any but have shot over several. I guess it comes down to your personal preferance and which optic has the features you want.

I have many different brands of scopes. In a comparison of scope brightness, image clarity and color, they rank as follows.
Nightforce
Nikon
Leupold
Burris
Swarovski (yellow image)
Simmons
Russian
Bushnell
Tasco
Red Chinese

My opinion is similar to DnPRK. With the exception of Nightforce, which I've never owned. I would also put Baush and Lomb near the top. However I think they are now marketed as Bushnell Elites. Nikon is one of my favorites and thier binoculars are outstanding in the ATB Monarch line.