The Takeaway:

1. Our Pick: Trijicon ACOG 4×32 Scope

2. Runner-Up: Nikon Prostaff 3-9×40 Rifle Scope

3. Also Great: FSI Sniper 6-24x50mm Rifle Scope

What is the best .308 scope? First, let’s look at what a .308 is. When it comes to hunting for medium to large games, the one cartridge that stands out worldwide is the .308 Winchester. This round is pushing towards seventy years on the market, and it shows no sign of being replaced as a champion for hunting anytime soon.

It is very similar to the 7.62x51mm NATO cartridge, and although it sometimes says you can interchange these, please refer to your rifle manufacturer before doing so.

This is the round that is very commonly used for whitetail in the Midwest and often used for pronghorn and mule deer. It is said it is fully capable of bringing down an elk.

The range that this round is capable of and its hitting power make this a perfect hunting round. However, using a scope will increase your accuracy and ensure you hit where you want so that the trophy comes home with you. Thus, let’s look at some of the best 308 optics.

Our Pick: Trijicon ACOG 4×32 Scope with .308 Ballistic Reticle

The Trijicon ACOG 4 X 32 Full Illuminated Crosshair .308 Ballistic Reticle is our Top Pick for the best .308 scope. It is a little pricier than the other scopes on our list, but what you get for the money is a tough one to beat. These optics are designed with the field in mind. Toughness is the real deal: it is waterproof to 100′ (yes, underwater). That doesn’t mean they meant you to go SCUBA diving with it (necessarily), but those unexpected mishaps when your .308 would survive, but most scopes wouldn’t, are covered with what truly is one of the best 308 scopes.

The illuminated red crosshair is made with tritium, so you don’t even have to buy batteries for it. It will light up for at least 15 years while, during the day, the reticle is black. It does have a BDC and is also made out of military grade aluminum, making it real tough. This scope is fog proof and is coated with scope coat to keep the dust and moisture off, along with preventing scratches. You will be able to deliver that round to the target with accuracy out to 875 yards. So, this one leaves little to the imagination as to why this is one of the best .308 optics.

Manufacturer Support

Runner-Up: Nikon Prostaff 3-9×40 Rifle Scope

The Nikon ProStaff 3-9 x 40 (BDC) compact riflescope with fully multicoated optic will allow up to 98% of available light to pass through. That alone makes this a great all day out in the field scope for your .308. The 3.6-inch eye relief and quick focus help out immensely with those awkward shots that feel as though you may as well be shooting over your shoulder.

Being waterproof and fog proof means those hunting trips that start out as cold early mornings and then warm up quickly as the sun comes over the horizon won’t cause you any problems, as you will still be able to see the target. It also has a BDC (bullet drop compensator) reticle that will help you stay on target and bring home the big buck.

Manufacturer Support

Also Great: FSI Sniper 6-24x50mm Rifle Scope With Front AO Adjustment

The FSI Sniper 6-24x50mm Scope with front AO adjustment and Red/Blue/green mil-dot reticle is a tough scope tested on .50cal for assurance that it is shockproof, which means it can easily handle the recoil of the .308. It also comes with Mil-Dot reticle that has blue, green, and red illumination. This is an inexpensive, good-quality scope that has superb optics and light pass-through. 

There is a small drawback to this scope in that it weighs 2.5 pounds, but it has a great price as well as locking elevation and windage knobs. This keeps the windage knobs in place, making sure they don’t move after a couple of shots, which would require having it zeroed again. 

It also comes with a good-sized sun shield to help with a glare, so you don’t miss your trophy, even if it’s pushing well over 600 yards. That is why this inexpensive, super tough scope comes in as one of the best .308 scopes for the money out there.

Nikon M-308 4-16×42 Rifle Scope With BDC 800 Reticle

The Nikon M-308 4-16X42 BDC 800 Reticle Rifle Scope’s quick eye focus and long-range capability make this one of the best optics for the .308. It is a Nikon, an excellent optics company that has delivered a shockproof, fog-proof, and waterproof scope that will help in bringing your trophy home year after year.

This product was designed for the .308, which means that it will, of course, also work great on an AR-10. It can take the pounding without having to zero it every few rounds. The BDC 800 reticle will help you at the long ranges, making it easy to work for the .308.

It has multicoated optics, perfect for light acquisition, especially during those times when illumination is becoming an issue. That way, when you’re out on the hunt, you don’t just get to tell the stories; you get to show them what the story is about. This scope is one of the very best .308 or AR-10 scopes for hunting, making it a great value for the money.

Manufacturer Support

What Is the Best .308 Scope in 2024?

The .308 has become one of the world’s best hunting calibers, being used all over North America, Europe, Africa, and in military applications. It has always proved to literally bring home the bacon. Of course, it relies on the shooter’s abilities and the quality of its equipment, such as the optics. 

When choosing the right optics for your .308, ones designed specifically for the use is what really counts. A person goes hunting in hopes of bringing home the big one and stories. Let your stories be those of success by getting one of the best .308 scopes for hunting. As always, though, we do have an obligation to our readers to pick what we think is the overall best product within our final lists. In this case, we selected the Trijicon ACOG as the scope that would go with our .308.

References & Resources