Nikon P-223 3×32 Matte BDC Carbine Riflescope Review

Nikon P-223 3×32

At one time if you wanted a dependable scope, you could only count on the reliability and durability of a fixed power variant. Technology and construction of rifle scopes has greatly changed for the better over the years and this is mostly an outdated way of thinking. Yet, fixed power scopes still bring a lot to the table, especially when designed with a bullet drop compensator. Nikon’s P-223 3×32 version is no exception.

Designed for the popular 223 Remington/ 5.56 NATO round found on most Modern Sporting Rifles such as the AR-15, Ruger Mini-14 and others by Sig Sauer; this scope is quite the performer in tactical, 3-gun shooting and most hunting applications. The sub $200 price tag makes this offering from Nikon extremely attractive.

The real benefit of a fixed 3X scope is the larger field of view that it offers as opposed to that of higher magnification. Faster target acquisition comes with a greater field of view (35’ 6” at 100 yards) and if most of your shooting is done within 300 yards, this scope will prove to meet all of your shooting needs.

The scope is packaged in a clamshell type of display with a cardboard backing instead of a cardboard box. It comes with a pair of lens caps on a string and a lens cloth to keep the lenses clean. I typically replace these with the ever convenient Butler Creek flip up caps.

The matte finish goes well with the same black anodizing found on the typical AR-15 these days and will allow any AR-15 dedicated for hunting purposes to maintain a “tactical look”. It appears that its surface will act as a primer for any Duracoat or Krylon camouflage finish, as well.

The fixed power Nikon P 223 3×32 is equipped with a Bullet Drop Compensator (BDC) calibrated for the 223 Remington round. The BDC lets the shooter adjust the scope to engage targets at different ranges because it compensates for the strike of the round as the bullet travels through its arc. The 223 Remington round does not have the same point of impact at 200 yards as it does at 600 yards.

There is a download available on the Nikon website called Spot On, so a shooter can research and calibrate the BDC for their pet loads. Because the scope is factory calibrated for 200 yards and the magnification is a fixed 3-power, it will limit the long range effectiveness. Yet for the competitive sports, tactical and hunting applications for which it was designed; this is completely satisfactory.

The reticle is etched with 2 additional markings below the crosshairs for use at different ranges and once you know what you are doing, you can easily transition to these known distances without referring to the software.

The high quality lenses that are put to use by Nikon are made in Japan, but the scope is assembled at their plant in the Philippines. They apparently know what they are doing as the transmission of light through these lenses puts them on par with the 30mm scopes of rival manufacturers. The scope is parallax free at 100 yards.

Another great feature on a scope at this price point is the tactical target style knobs for windage and elevation adjustments. The shooter needs to merely twist and click to change ¼ MOA with each positive click. An added bonus is the “return to zero” capability. After you dial in your windage and elevation, you simply pull up on the caps and return them to the zero position, allowing for minute adjustments once you have your rifle sighted in.

The only downside to a scope such as this for some shooters may be the inability to use “back up iron sights”. An alternative may be to mount a back up reflex-type or red dot sight on the forend rail of the rifle if the rifle is to serve a tactical role and the shooter is concerned with potential damage to the scope. Internet Price: $129.95
Normal Price: $216.95

If you are looking for high level performance in a compact package for use on an AR-15 or similar rifle with a barrel length of less than 18”, this may be exactly what you are looking for. Nikon’s excellent lifetime warranty applies to all of their scopes in case it should fail for any reason.

By the way, if you’re in the market for a P-223 scope check out the Nikon P-223 3-9×40 Matte BDC 600 review.

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