Nikon M308 VS P308 [Which One is The Right Optic For You!]

Nikon is a well-known lens and camera maker that has been making wonderful lenses for over a century. With their reputation and reliability, when they entered the sight making for guns, everyone was looking forward to it.

Nikon has released a lot of scopes for your guns over time. One of their most known scopes is Prostaff 5. I am sure you have heard of that by now. But that’s not the point. The point is Nikon makes good stuff. It’s always hard to choose from two good things.

But what if you had to make that decision? The next best thing is to ask someone else to make that decision for you. Well, welcome to my humble adobe. Let’s talk about two scopes made by Nikon that quite literally took a portion of the community by storm. That’s right, I am talking about Nikon M 308 vs P308.

Two riflescopes that look almost identical. What’s the difference? Let’s find out.

Nikon M-308 & P308: Key Differences

• M-308 is slightly heavier than m308.
• P308 offers higher adjustments than m308.
• P308 offers a bigger objective lens.
• M-308 also has lower magnification.
• At @100 yards, the M308 offers a better field of view.

Related Articles: Strike Eagle & Primary Arms

Head To Head: Nikon M-308 & P308

Magnification

Nikon M308: Just like P, the base magnification of M308 is also 4x. 4x is the ideal magnification for a tactical sight. The maximum magnification here is 16x. That’s higher than most mid-range scopes you will find on the market right now. You can do some long-range shooting with the scope as well.

Nikon P308: Base magnification is 4x and max magnification is 12x. Despite belonging to the tactical family lineup this thing has monstrous magnification. 12x zoom is nothing to laugh about. You can shoot the moon with that. Well maybe you can’t, but you get what I am saying. There is no distortion at full magnification either. Which is an excellent thing to have in high magnification scope.

For magnification alone, M308 is the obvious choice. It has higher magnification and it doesn’t have motion blur or distortion at high magnification either.

Lens

Nikon M308: The lenses on M 308 are fully multi-coated. Like all other brands Nikon didn’t disclose the chemicals used for coatings. But that doesn’t matter. What matters is the lenses are scratch-resistant and vibrant. They gather plenty of light to generate clear and clean images. The reticle is glass-etched as well. meaning it won’t move away from shocks or drops.

Nikon P308: The lenses on P 308 are also fully multi-coated. It’s the same lens that was used in M308. I mean, they don’t feel any different at all. Sure, it has more magnification. But that’s a different topic. The lenses are vibrant and colorful. Color accuracy is good enough to take pictures or scout terrains without any issues.

Both of these use the same lens, so there is no better option between the two. Both lenses are good for the job.

Durability

Nikon M-308: Like most other Nikon sights, this one is also constructed from CNC-machined aluminum. The tube has sealings that prevent water from going inside the scope. Making it water and fogproof. The housing is durable enough to withstand any kind of recoils as well.

Nikon P-308: Nikon used aircraft-grade aluminum here as well. Rest assured, the durability of this scope is insanely good. P308 is also water, fog, and shockproof. The coating around the scope can withstand some scratches as well. That doesn’t mean you have my permission to throw it under the bus. But in theory, you can.

In terms of durability; though both are very durable I would go with the Nikon p308. Again, the Nikon m-308 is just good.

Performance

Nikon M-308: The performance of Nikon M-308 is astonishing, to say the least. It was made with tactical shooters in mind. While it still performs more than good enough in hunting. As it’s a tactical shooting scope, the accuracy of this scope is scarily high. In a controlled environment, it’s not possible to miss a shot with this sight. Of course, in a natural environment, the outcome might be different. But won’t be drastically different.

Nikon P-308: P308 is quite similar to the M308. Which means, they perform nearly the same as well. While packing the same construction and lens, this performs equally as well as a M-308. That’s good for sure. You can squeeze out good performance from this with the right calibration and using med-range targets instead of long ones.

Both of these scopes perform flawlessly. They are some of the best scopes for the job in this price range as well.

Weight

Nikon M308: The weight of M308 is around 19oz. Which converts to roughly 539 grams. For a scope this big? That weight is quite tame. Of course, it’s not the lightest scope by any means. No one is saying it’s a lightweight scope either. But for such a huge construction, it’s pretty lightweight.

Nikon P308: this weighs less than M308. Not by a huge margin whatsoever. The weight of P308 is 17oz. That is around 481 grams. Yes, the difference is there. Is it noticeable? Yes, it’s quite noticeable. The lighter scope does play well with most guns. Lighter scope is also preferred by hunters and tactical shooters.

As Nikon P308 is almost 2 Oz lighter than m-308; that’s why you might get comfortable with P308. but 2 Oz isn’t that much, right?

Summary

While you face a hard time finding the M308 in constant stock, the P308 can certainly take care of your needs if that’s the case. Both of these sights are fabulous for the money and they do an excellent job in their respective categories.

Nikon M 308 Vs P308 may have an indecisive winner in your book, but in mine, I will consider P308 as it’s more readily available.