Anyone get the Nikon m-308 yet? Says available 10/23/12

[OpticsPlanet]

each reticle has a purpose. I'm lucky enough to sell them all and get to test them out out. If youre a shooter and a hunter, you have plenty of different scopes with different reticles for different styles.

Duplex/nikoplex/multi-x/ etc.. Great reticle for a basic hunter. usually shooting closer ranges, under 400 yards, but perfect for drawing your eye into the center. If you're diligent you will know where your holdovers are for that reticle with practice. that style still works for well for its purpose.

BDC. Ive used this reticle quite a bit. Nikon put a nice package together and kept them at great prices. If you know your distance or have a rangefinder, this is a good choice for that budget. Many shooters shoot at known ranges or can range them electronically. I've used the BDC on a few hunts and it worked well for me. Literally wrote and printed my dope on paper, taped it to my stock, and had it for easy access. I hate moving my turrets on a HUNTING setup, so they BDC is nice for me for that SPECIFIC purpose.

Ranging reticles Mil Dot, TMR, MLR, EBR, G2DMR, Horus, etc. These are great for target shooters who are extending their shooting distances or are shooting at the unknown ranges. I've been out before, no rangefinder, and just picking targets out after Ive set them up. These reticles are needed for that. As long as you know how to use them correctly. its great to have one and practice fundamentals as well. Its a skill that becomes lost with current technology.

Bottom line is that there are many different styles of reticles out, many scopes or various price ranges, many options for you. There is not one reticle that I would use for everything. I have a 1895M marlin and sure as hell not putting a G2DMR on it. I have a German #4 thats perfect for it and its purpose for me.

I have a tarhunt RSG slug gun that has a Duplex style crosshair in it's glass. I'm shooting within 200 yards, that is what I like on that setup and it works extremely well for me. Lots of racks to prove it. Also have a M&P 15/22 with a nikoplex on there. I'm not gong crazy with it, but thats all I need and its fun.

I have a MOA PST that I love. On an AR platform, and its a nail driver. Targets get shreded. Unknown distance doesnt bother me at all. Also have a M223 BDC on another one. Coyotes pay the price for it. Works perfectly for that setup, for me.

Sorry for the long winded response as well. Just want to chime in and say there are purposes for everything if its what you like and need.

Trevor B.

[Mbiker_101]

Anyone get one yet?

[Mbiker_101]

Nobody on this forum have one in their hands yet, surprising. Does anyone know what stores may have one of these in stock so I can take a look down the glass like many others suggested? Thanks

[XtK]

I just got mine, but it's missing the supplied mount. What a bummer! I was hoping to go out and use it this weekend.

[ADAM]

bushnell hdmr g2 and you wont look back

[sdkevin]

I was hell bent on putting glass on my M1A and was able to find one after weeks of searching, and watching Nikon delivery deadlines pass by. I missed the Nikon promo on this scope but got a pretty good deal so I sat it on a Sadlak Airborne mount.

This was my first real scope; now I see the "chainlink" comment and agree Nikon should stick with the standard MOA system and truer rangefinding would be nice. The 20 MOA mount on top of the Sadlak makes for a challenging cheek weld solution -- that's a whole 'nother animal.

This scope will only be used on .308, the build and optics are pretty good so for the $450 price tag I'm happy, I didn't get to play with the parallax setting yet.

Nikon cust service is as convoluted as any, just try to find a manual for the BDC 800, three extended calls and a few emails... nothing yet.

FYI: The 40mm objective with the Sadlak let me use the irons if I want/need to.

[bman940]

Kevin, Send me a PM with your name and address, I'll make sure you get a manual. Hopefully it'll be up on the web site soon.

[joefrank64k]

Not quite a necro-bump...

Has anyone got the M-308 and care to comment on it?

I'm bouncing between an M-308 and Leupold MK4 4.5-14x40. It's going on an LR-308 SASS that'll be used solely for target shooting off the bench, between 300-600 meters.

[SoCalXD]

Those two scopes you mention are pretty distant in price points. A BDC rectical is a bad choice for known distance target shooting at a range, period. Scratch the M308 off your list.

You should either dial for the known range, or hold over with mil or moa stadia.

BTW, I think your usage model needs a bit of review. an LR308 in an SASS configuration has a lot of capabilities, but it sounds like you are not planning on optimizing them based upon your scope selection. If you truly have no intention of using that as a personal defensive rifle, in which range estimation via reticle could be a lifesaver, fine. If you truly have no intention of shooting past 600 meters, even though the rifle can go to 900m, fine. So, you spent an extra $1000 on a 308 range rifle, to get a semi auto, when you could have just bought a bolt gun with better accuracy, fine. If you are fine with all those assumptions, then don't bother to spend money on first focal plane or a Mil/Mil solution.

If it was me, and I had $750-$900 to spend on a Mark 4, I wouldn't buy one. I'd buy a Bushnell 3-12 FFP G2, or a Vortex PST FFP Mil, depending upon how much I felt I needed the illumination, the option to go 24x and a "kinda" zero stop of the Vortex. You'll note that the veteran Calguns shooters (vs. collectors) above have also suggested these solutions... with good reason: experience!

But for your stated use model of 300-600 meters, known distance range use, I'd suggest saving a whole bunch of money and going with a Bushnell 5-15x40mm, a Nikon Buckmaster 6-18x40mm, or maybe even a fixed power Bushnell 10x Mil/Mil (depending upon what you define as a "target" (Type E targets vs. precision bulls-eye). My rule of thumb on magnification is a min. of 1x per 100m/y for Type E, 3x per 100m/y for precision; YMMV.

[joefrank64k]

Those two scopes you mention are pretty distant in price points. A BDC rectical is a bad choice for known distance target shooting at a range, period. Scratch the M308 off your list.

You should either dial for the known range, or hold over with mil or moa stadia.

BTW, I think your usage model needs a bit of review. an LR308 in an SASS configuration has a lot of capabilities, but it sounds like you are not planning on optimizing them based upon your scope selection. If you truly have no intention of using that as a personal defensive rifle, in which range estimation via reticle could be a lifesaver, fine. If you truly have no intention of shooting past 600 meters, even though the rifle can go to 900m, fine. So, you spent an extra $1000 on a 308 range rifle, to get a semi auto, when you could have just bought a bolt gun with better accuracy, fine. If you are fine with all those assumptions, then don't bother to spend money on first focal plane or a Mil/Mil solution.

If it was me, and I had $750-$900 to spend on a Mark 4, I wouldn't buy one. I'd buy a Bushnell 3-12 FFP G2, or a Vortex PST FFP Mil, depending upon how much I felt I needed the illumination, the option to go 24x and a "kinda" zero stop of the Vortex. You'll note that the veteran Calguns shooters (vs. collectors) above have also suggested these solutions... with good reason: experience!

But for your stated use model of 300-600 meters, known distance range use, I'd suggest saving a whole bunch of money and going with a Bushnell 5-15x40mm, a Nikon Buckmaster 6-18x40mm, or maybe even a fixed power Bushnell 10x Mil/Mil (depending upon what you define as a "target" (Type E targets vs. precision bulls-eye). My rule of thumb on magnification is a min. of 1x per 100m/y for Type E, 3x per 100m/y for precision; YMMV.

Thanks for the input! So you don't have an M-308?

If I go M-308, it would be the Nikoplex reticle, I'm sorry I should've made that more clear. I wanted to hear from an actual owner if the M-308 was as good in reality as it looks on paper. It seems like a good value, especially as it comes with a 1-piece mount/rings. But it's a bad value if the optics aren't up-to-snuff.

I'm not following you though when you say my 'usage model' needs review? I wanted an AR-pattern .308. When I looked at the various ways I could put one together, I decided I liked the DPMS SASS. So starting last November, I ordered (backordered is more like it! ) all the parts I would need. The SASS barrel was the last piece of the puzzle and it finally arrived this week. So now it's time to put it all together, and I'll need some glass for it. The gun club I belong to has a rifle range that goes out to 600 meters. So that's what I have to work with.

Yes, I have ZERO intention of using it as a personal defensive rifle. It'll be in the safe, then in the truck, then on the bench at the range to punch holes in paper, then back in the truck, then back in the safe. Will I ever go past 600 meters? Maybe, if my gun club decides to make a longer-range rifle bay, and if they do, then I'll buy upgraded glass. I've got all sorts of guns that can be used for personal defense, this rifle is going to be used purely for recreational target shooting.

I already have a longer-range bolt action, a Rem 700PSS in .300WM, with the aluminum-bedded stock, big-a** glass, free float, etc, etc, plus a few milsurp bolt actions that hold their own in the 300-600 range (K-11, K-31, Swedish Mauser, Finn 28/76) and another Rem 700 in .308. Like I said, I wanted an AR-pattern .308, NOT another bolt action. I've got plenty of those!

My eyes aren't what they used to be, so I would like a scope with as much GOOD magnification as possible. I'm concerned that if I go too low on the quality scale, then I'm going to be frustrated as heck. It's sort of like in photography. A 300mm f/2.8 lens costs a bunch and is suited for the most demanding professionals. A 300mm f/4.0 costs a whole lot less, yet delivers the same results under ideal conditions. But a 100-300 f/4.5-5.6 starts to lose some image quality, even under ideal conditions.

So while I would love a USO LR-17 (just from the technical virtuosity aspect), a lot of the $$$ is going to Type-III anodizing, extreme weather sealing, tungsten detents on the turrets, etc. What I want is nearly equivalent image quality...under ideal conditions. I'm not going to be trying to hit a moving target, at dusk, in a 20mph cross-wind, at 20 degrees f, from a moving boat, from 850 meters.

I am going for bulls-eye targets, so your "3x for 100 meters" rule makes some sense. I may need to look for more magnification on top. That will push me in the direction of a MK4 6.5x20 or equivalent. The great thing about this hobby, you can try something out and if you don't like it, sell it and get something else!

Again, thanks for the input!

[jocww]

How does this compare to their Monarch series bdc? I have a couple of them and love them. I also have a range finder. I am building a lr308 and was going to put a tr22-2g on it, but my cousin brought over a m308 for me to try. This is just a pig/ranch gun for me.

[bman940]

I have a M-308 on my DPMS LR-308 and one on my Remington 700 AAC in .308. Great glass, easy to use and backed by Nikon's outstanding warranty.
I like the BDC reticle because I use both rifles for hunting and shot's of 500+ yards are possible. I also dialed in my scope, rifle and ammo using Nikon's Spot On Ballistic Program to maximize your accuracy. I have also used the Nikonplex reticle scope that has the Rapid Action Turret dialed in for the .308, 168 gr bullet at 2680 fps.

Drop me a note with any questions about this scope. It has quickly become one of my favorite scopes from Nikon.

http://i1216.photobucket.com/albums/dd363/bman940/M-308/spotonm-3084-16.jpg

[bman940]

Here's a pic of the Nikon M-308 BDC 800 on my bolt action Remington. Pretty darn good shooting rig. My buddy managed that 5 shot group 3 weeks ago. Not to shabby!

http://i1216.photobucket.com/albums/dd363/bman940/308andrew.jpg