# Anyone on here have the Nikon M-223?



## flyfisher117 (Jun 29, 2009)

http://www.nikonhunting.com/products/riflescopes/m-223/3-12x42SF_Rapid_Action_Turret_Nikoplex/8488

Looking at one for my .223 just curious what others think about them. Anyone shot one side by side with a Leupold Mark AR? I like the turrets on the M-223 but the other day when i was at cabelas the Leupold seemed quite a bit clearer than the Nikon but that might be because of the poor fake lighting in the store.

I wanted to get Sightron Sii but i cant find any in Matte black. And i wont be able to live with a satin black scope on a matte black gun.


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## reb8600 (Sep 8, 2007)

I dont have one but have read a lot of comments. The only complaint I have heard about the M223 is the turrets. They tend to turn real easy. Many have commented about the elevation turret turning in the case or when brushed by something. You just need to make sure you look at it each time you use it so that you know where it is set.


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## flyfisher117 (Jun 29, 2009)

The turrets turning is the only thing I have read as well. But when I was looking at them they felt fairly stiff, maybe its just because the scope was new but even if they did turn I dont think it would be a whole lot.

Im just not sure I've never really been a fan of Nikon scopes, I really want to give the turrets a try but I dont want to end up getting stuck with a scope I dont like.


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## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

I love nice optics just as much as the next guy, but sometimes I think these optics are more than the average Joe really needs. 

Just out of curiosity, what will be the intended use of your .223? Targets and pdogs, or hunting predators? 

I don't know that this would be a great option for hunting (unless you are able to take time to set up your shot)

Did you end up with an ARlike you were talking about on PM?


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## flyfisher117 (Jun 29, 2009)

Nope No AR, im going to hold off and buy a "custom" one from Specialized Dynamics and get one that is exactly what I want.

It will be going on my bolt gun. And right now its my everything gun. Ground squirrels, coyotes, milk jugs, paper, rocks on the hill side, and/or anything else that ends up down range.

Im just running out of options as to scopes that fit my budget and have some of the features that I want. I want paralax adjustments. Even though I usually set mine to around 100 yards and never touch it again its nice to have. I also want at least target turrets, doesnt need to be fully exposed like the M-223 but I would at least like the scope to have them maybe like the Mark AR scope. And lastly it must be matte black. I have an OCD with my guns and i like them to match. The gun is Matte black so I want a Matte black scope so it matches. A gloss black or even a Satin black will drive me crazy.

Only scopes that really fall into what im wanting are the:
Leupold Mark AR 4-12
Nikon M-223 4-12
Nikon Monarch 4-16
Sightron Sii 4-16 (cant find one in Matte black though i can find a 6-24 in matte but not a 4-16)

And then theres the Nikon Buckmaster like i was looking at before but i wasnt too impressed with them the last time i saw one and looked through it


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## reb8600 (Sep 8, 2007)

You will be happy with an AR from Scott (Specialized Dynamics). I hunted with him for 3 days in February and shot some of his rifles. I have a 6.5 Grendel with a side charge upper on order from him. He had a problem with his barrel supplier and had to find another one. That is what is holding mine up.


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## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

Sound like you have thought out your optics options. But I am curious if you have considered Vortex Optics? Lots of guys love them, and they are pretty affordable. Huge29 recently bought a scope for his AR, maybe he could weigh in?


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## flyfisher117 (Jun 29, 2009)

I've glanced at them but their price is just over my budget by a little bit


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## Huge29 (Sep 17, 2007)

Bax* said:


> Sound like you have thought out your optics options. But I am curious if you have considered Vortex Optics? Lots of guys love them, and they are pretty affordable. Huge29 recently bought a scope for his AR, maybe he could weigh in?


I got the Diamondback on my R15 and I really like it. If features are close to another option the Vortex warranty should break the tie easily, but I don't see Vortex listed in his narrowed down list. We had a recent little thread survey on scopes in this price range and the Diamondback did win the poll. 
Do you have a scope with turrets on it currently? I have two and they drive me crazy, granted, they are both rimfires, so the application is a little different. I prefer the marks on the reticle that go by many different names over the turrets. It just seems like too much motion and delay in a time sensitive situation compared to just holding the rifle a little higher to the next mark on the reticle. Just my $0.02.


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## Huge29 (Sep 17, 2007)

flyfisher117 said:


> I've glanced at them but their price is just over my budget by a little bit


The M223 starts at $329 from Cabela's while the Vortex include the Diamondback at only $200 and the Viper is about $400.

PS-here are the reviews from Cabela's on the M223


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## flyfisher117 (Jun 29, 2009)

Might have to check that 4-12 Viper out. I must have been looking at a website that was selling them for MSRP because the vipers i looked at were in the $500-$600 range.

Found a company selling my sightrons in matte black might end up getting my sightron after all, as long as they dont sell out by the time i get a chance to order it. The standard plex is $360 is the mil dot reticle worth paying $411 for? I want mil dots to play around with but that $50 i save could go towards upgrading my scope base to a nice Leupold 1 piece or something similar.


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## flyfisher117 (Jun 29, 2009)

Huge29 said:


> Do you have a scope with turrets on it currently?


Only my dads sightron sii but it has the target turrets that are covered by caps.


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## Huge29 (Sep 17, 2007)

I just ask because it is a very different concept; I can see it being nice for a long range big game shot, but I don't like it for the smaller game with a possibly quick shot.


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## flyfisher117 (Jun 29, 2009)

and thats what sucks is im trying to make my .223 into a "do everything" gun. I might hold off on the M-223 for now and just get my Sightron. Use the gun and scope for a while and then someday when i get my AR ill move the sightron to my AR and use it as my main coyote rig then put something like an M-223 on my Remington and turn it into my dedicated squirrel/target gun ... someday lol


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## svmoose (Feb 28, 2008)

This is the scope I have on my Savage .204. I have been pleased with it. I'm not sure if it is beyond your price range or not. I think I paid around 250 for it when I bought it a few years ago.

http://www.nikonhunting.com/products/ri ... oplex/6456


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## reb8600 (Sep 8, 2007)

The M-223 is a good hunting scope but if you are wanting to shoot target you may want to look at something with a cross hair. The circles are not going to be as accurate on paper.


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## flyfisher117 (Jun 29, 2009)

I was considering a buck masters here a while ago but when I went and saw Thames in person I just wasn't impressed


Circles? The m223 comes with either the BDC (wouldn't ever buy a BDC reticle scope) and the standard nikoplex with the rapid action turrets. The turrets are calibrated but all I would need to do is shoot it with my hunting load and see how many clicks above or below the factory setting I really needed


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## reb8600 (Sep 8, 2007)

For some reason I thought you were talking about the one with the BDC. That is the one most people talk about when they are after one for hunting. The one with the Nikoplex and turrets will work for target shooting. Doesnt the one with the BDC also have the turrets? It has been a while since I looked at one.


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## flyfisher117 (Jun 29, 2009)

grrr sorry for the late reply... my email must hate UWN because im constantly not getting an email when people reply.

The EDC has turrets but they are not marked out for the distances, they just have regular old hashmarks. 

But im going to hold off on the M-223 for a while, ive got a Nikon Monarch 4-16x42 on the way. Ill shoot it for a while and if i end up sticking with target shooting then i might get an AR like ive wanted and put the monarch on it and get an M-223 for my bolt gun. But we will see


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## Al Hansen (Sep 7, 2007)

You'll love that Monarch.


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