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Pros - Engineered for large-caliber rifles - Excellent accuracy - Very durable Cons - Difficult-to-adjust eye relief - No scope rings included - Slightly heavy

Hi there, and welcome to my review of the Nikon M-308 SF 4-16x42mm Riflescope. Nikon is well known for its sport optics, and I always enjoy testing out their rifle scopes. This scope is designed for the 308 7.62mm cartridge 168 grain HPBT match round, but it also works with many other loads and calibers. How well does it work, though? Let’s find out.

What Are the Scope’s Dimensions?

This scope features a 42mm objective lens for plenty of light transmission, and measures 13.5 inches. It’s a bit weighty, unfortunately, at 19 ounces. It might be a bit too big for your AR-15, but it works perfectly on an AR-10.

The M-308 scope features eye relief ranging from 3.7 to 4 inches. I found it a bit challenging at times to find the “sweet spot,” which decreased my enjoyment of the scope somewhat. Once you get used to it, though, the eyebox is very generous.

If you’re curious about the scope’s exit pupil, it ranges from 2.6mm to 10.5mm, depending on your magnification.

How Much Magnification Do I Get From the Nikon M-308?

This accessory offers adjustable magnification from 4X to 16X, and offers a crisp, clear image at all powers. The adjustable side focus knob makes it quite simple to get a sharp picture of your target in a flash, and the Nikoplex duplex reticle allows you to quickly adjust your elevation based on the range to your target.

Parallax is adjustable from 50 yards to infinity, allowing you to get the most accurate shots possible from your long distance shooting.

How is the Optics Quality on the Riflescope?

The optics on the Nikon M-308 Riflescope are fully multicoated, providing for 95 percent light transmission through the 42mm objective lens. The Ultra ClearCoat Optical System used by Nikon on this scope is one of the best multicoating applications I’ve come across, providing you with an image that is almost HD quality.

What’s the Light Gathering Capability Like on the Scope?

With its 95 percent light transmission, this scope’s transmittance is quite outstanding. You’ll get a sharp, clear image no matter what time of day it is, allowing you to use the scope from dawn to dusk quite comfortably. The only problem I’ve run into is that the reticle isn’t illuminated.

How Wide is the Field of View?

You won’t get a very generous field of view from this scope, since it ranges only 6.3 feet at 16X magnification to 25.2 feet at 4X magnification, from 100 yards.

How Easy is the Scope to Mount?

After you unbox it, it’ll be time to mount your scope. This is a pretty easy thing to do, but you’re going to be disappointed to hear that Nikon no longer includes rings with the scope. The box used to come with an M-308 mounting system, but that’s no longer the case. With that said, any standard 1-inch rings will work fine with the M-308 scope.

Any Tricks or Tips About Mounting the Scope?

Nope, there’s nothing out of the ordinary here. Mounting the scope is easy as pie, once you have the rings.

How Easy is the Nikon M-308 Riflescope to Sight In?

Sighting in your scope will be a simple and enjoyable process. Make sure you start off by using a laser bore-sighting tool, then get out to the range and fine-tune your shot. The tactical windage and elevation turrets are easy to adjust, and both feature a zero-reset capability for quickly changing your sight-in. Once you have the scope sighted in, though, you shouldn’t need to adjust it unless you change weapons or loads. It stays zeroed in almost forever.

How Durable is the Scope?

Nikon has built this puppy to last. The optics chamber is nitrogen-purged, and the lenses are sealed with O-rings. This gives you a scope that is both waterproof and fogproof. On top of that, the rugged design utilizes aircraft-grade aluminum for maximum durability and shock absorption. Simply put, this scope is almost bulletproof.