Burris XTR2-best scope option for around 500 bucks?

Shootinsurveyor

Shootinsurveyor

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#1
Seen some XTR2s around for a little over 500. To me, a old flagship scope is better than a (insert internet brand superscope).

Is the anything 500-600 that can compete? I’d love to know some other options.

I run one on my 22lr and really enjoy it. Contemplating getting a couple more.
 
#2
Yeah, it's literally right at the top of the page in the big banner right above your post... Just look up... ^^^^^^^^

And owning 3 of the XTR-II 5-25x50's and 2 of the DNT's, I can say that the DNT has better glass than the XTR-II at that price point.

Screenshot 2025-02-16 at 9.15.31 PM.png
 
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#3
Well if you have 3, I trust your assessment. Has the market changed so much where a ten year old “flagship”scope has a hard time keeping up with “budget” scopes? And have the true top of the line scopes changed that much for the better as well?
 
#8
The Burris xtr II is still a solid option and has a very good reputation of being reliable. I still have two 3-15 models. I’ve also owned the 1-8, 4-20 and 5-25. The 3-15 are on my lmt MWS and tikka ctr 308.

The 4-20 isn’t terrible but the 5-25 glass suffers a lot on the upper end. At least mine did

If you’re going with a 5-25 there’s probably better options out there. Even the DNT may be worth a look. I haven’t shot mine yet but seems solid overall

If I’m looking in that 3-15 range though and wanting a budget option the XTRII 3-15 is a solid choice and is the sweet spot for glass on this optic. My upgrade from this optic will likely be a NF 4-16 atacr.

I prefer proven reliability over top tier glass as well. Tough to say where all the newest scopes will be in a few years.

Also hard to judge based on reviews when new stuff comes out. So many people shilling these days.

I dabble with the new stuff like Arken and DNT for my .22s. But for more serious stuff I prefer track records for reliability. Burris on the cheap, NF on the upper end
 
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#12
wvfarrier said:
I have a couple XTR II's but they are both 1-8's. I like them a lot.
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This was a different scope. Crazy that it didn't stick around.

These were made by LOW in Japan and were incredibly good value. I have two of them and will never let go of them.

The Phillipines XTRIIs are built like a tank. I've had a dozen of them that I have used for hunting, PRS, 3 Gun etc going on 13 years. I've never broken one or had one fail on me in any way. And the glass has always been sufficient to the task. That includes some difficult targets in over a decade of avid PRS.
 
#13
Birddog6424 said:
This was a different scope. Crazy that it didn't stick around.

These were made by LOW in Japan and were incredibly good value. I have two of them and will never let go of them.
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Yup they were! Great scope. I sold mine because it made my DDM4V11 I had at the time very top heavy. I’d buy one of these in a heartbeat even over many of today’s offerings.

They’re RT6 is one of my favorite lpvo still as well for the money
 
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#14
hafejd30 said:
Yup they were! Great scope. I sold mine because it made my DDM4V11 I had at the time very top heavy. I’d buy one of these in a heartbeat even over many of today’s offerings.

They’re RT6 is one of my favorite lpvo still as well for the money
Click to expand...

That RT-6 has been a huge hit for Burris. I just bought one in the PEPR mount Fastfire red dot combo. Unbeatable value.
 
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#15
I have an XTRII 3-15 that has been on 3-4 rifles of mine. I like the glass for what I paid for it (on sale for ~$650 in 2017). Very comparable to the Bushnell DMRII. It now resides on the .308 that I put together for my dad. Reliability was 100%.

I still run an XTRII 1-8 on my 5.56 that hangs out by the backdoor of the house. It has also seen ~500 miles on a SxS across the ranch. It is still dead nuts reliable, but the glass does fisheye a lot at 1x. I like the glass of my Viper PST II a lot more. Still not getting rid of the 1-8 though, I can't force myself to replace stuff that is 100% reliable.

If you get one for $500, you might not be the cool kid at the range...but you shouldn't be the one walking back to put your rifle up because the scope gave out on you either. Glass will be serviceable, but not exceptional.

FWIW, the only Burris that has ever given me an issue was their flagship XTR Pro. In 3-4 weeks though I got it back and it has been 100% since.
 
#16
fdkay said:
The xtr 2 was never known for good glass. It competed with the original PST.
Both made in the Philippines. PST had better glass, shim style zero stop.
XTR built like a tank, real zero stop. Serviceable glass. Decent in the 2-10 and 3-15, struggled in the 4-20 and not very good in the 5-25.
Click to expand...
The newer XTR-II scopes have decent glass, the originals sucked. And I damn sure wouldn't call it a "flagship scope"... To me, the XTR-III and XTR-Pro were the flagships. My XTR-III 5.5-30x56 has absolutely insanely good glass. Not sure if it's a good lemon from the factory, but it's glass is on par with my Razor Gen3 and Zeiss S3...Maybe slightly better than the Zeiss S3, honestly... It's one of the sharpest IQ scopes I have in my safe. Like I said, maybe I got a freak of nature, but it is what it is...And I'm not complaining. 😂

That shim style zero stop vortex used to use sucked ass. It was spongy and non-definitive. There was no "wall". That was one of the main things I hated about my HS-T scopes, along with the 5 MIL turrets... Other than that, good glass in the PST/HST.
 
#17
FuhQ said:
The newer XTR-II scopes have decent glass, the originals sucked. And I damn sure wouldn't call it a "flagship scope"... To me, the XTR-III and XTR-Pro were the flagships. My XTR-III 5.5-30x56 has absolutely insanely good glass. Not sure if it's a good lemon from the factory, but it's glass is on par with my Razor Gen3 and Zeiss S3...Maybe slightly better than the Zeiss S3, honestly... It's one of the sharpest IQ scopes I have in my safe. Like I said, maybe I got a freak of nature, but it is what it is...And I'm not complaining. 😂

That shim style zero stop vortex used to use sucked ass. It was spongy and non-definitive. There was no "wall". That was one of the main things I hated about my HS-T scopes, along with the 5 MIL turrets... Other than that, good glass in the PST/HST.
Click to expand...

You got a freak! I have 2 of the US made 5.5-30 and love them, but was shooting one back to back with 2 G3 Razors over the weekend, and... not the same class - nor should they be given they were half the price.
 
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#18
Chickentoast said:
You got a freak! I have 2 of the US made 5.5-30 and love them, but was shooting one back to back with 2 G3 Razors over the weekend, and... not the same class - nor should they be given they were half the price.
Click to expand...

I too have one of the excellent 5.5-30 XTR IIIs that were US made. It absolutely punches above the $1,100 I paid for it.

But it isn't G3 razor glass by an easily noticeable margin. We are in agreement there.
 
#19
diggler1833 said:
I too have one of the excellent 5.5-30 XTR IIIs that were US made. It absolutely punches above the $1,100 I paid for it.

But it isn't G3 razor glass by an easily noticeable margin. We are in agreement there.
Click to expand...
I never said they were all that way, just said mine seems to be. Everyone who's looked through it has been hypnotized how clear it is. When I tell them it's a Burris, they just look at me like a cow staring at a new gate. Once again, my XTR-II's are nowhere remotely close to my XTR-III's glass. The DNT's I have have sharper glass than my XTR-II's, but the XTR-II's still hold their own in the sub-$600 category. I would absolutely buy another XTR-II 5-25x50 SCR scope over another Arken EP5 5-25x56 scope any day of the week. My XTR-II's are why I pulled my EP5 off and sold it to a buddy of mine. Same with my Strike Eagle 5-25x56 EBR-7C.

I won't pretend to understand why there's such a variance in glass in my XTR-III compared to what others report, maybe it's just ground perfectly for my eyes? But swear to God, through my eyes, it's on-par with my Razor Gen3, and Zeiss S3. It will absolutely blow your mind. And my NF ATACR F1 5-25x56 is a $2000 MSRP scope, tops! They shouldn't be anywhere remotely near $3,100... The Kahles K series scopes get a bad wrap from the very old Gen1 versions, but have since improved drastically. They are some of the best Austrian SCHOTT glass you can get at that price point. Swaro is excellent glass, but their scopes are overrated unless you're strictly hunting with it. Zeiss is top-tier glass in all of its respective price point categories. Just my opinions based on my experiences...
 
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#20
FuhQ said:
I never said they were all that way, just said mine seems to be. Everyone who's looked through it has been hypnotized how clear it is. When I tell them it's a Burris, they just look at me like a cow staring at a new gate. Once again, my XTR-II's are nowhere remotely close to my XTR-III's glass. The DNT's I have have sharper glass than my XTR-II's, but the XTR-II's still hold their own in the sub-$600 category. I would absolutely buy another XTR-II 5-25x50 SCR scope over another Arken EP5 5-25x56 scope any day of the week. My XTR-II's are why I pulled my EP5 off and sold it to a buddy of mine. Same with my Strike Eagle 5-25x56 EBR-7C.

I won't pretend to understand why there's such a variance in glass in my XTR-III compared to what others report, maybe it's just ground perfectly for my eyes? But swear to God, through my eyes, it's on-par with my Razor Gen3, and Zeiss S3. It will absolutely blow your mind. And my NF ATACR F1 5-25x56 is a $2000 MSRP scope, tops! They shouldn't be anywhere remotely near $3,100... The Kahles K series scopes get a bad wrap from the very old Gen1 versions, but have since improved drastically. They are some of the best Austrian SCHOTT glass you can get at that price point. Swaro is excellent glass, but their scopes are overrated unless you're strictly hunting with it. Zeiss is top-tier glass in all of its respective price point categories. Just my opinions based on my experiences...
Click to expand...
And that is exactly why the "how good is the glass" questions are useless.
What I see through the scope isn't at all what you see and vice versa.
I don't doubt for a moment what you say.
I suffered from a mixed astigmatism in my right eye (part of my eye was near sighted, part far sighted), partially corrected through LASIK, but my right eye has never been good. It is the eye I shoot with, even though I am left eye dominant.
What looks good to me, frequently doesn't look as good to other folks.
 
#22
FuhQ said:
The newer XTR-II scopes have decent glass, the originals sucked. And I damn sure wouldn't call it a "flagship scope"... To me, the XTR-III and XTR-Pro were the flagships. My XTR-III 5.5-30x56 has absolutely insanely good glass. Not sure if it's a good lemon from the factory, but it's glass is on par with my Razor Gen3 and Zeiss S3...Maybe slightly better than the Zeiss S3, honestly... It's one of the sharpest IQ scopes I have in my safe. Like I said, maybe I got a freak of nature, but it is what it is...And I'm not complaining. 😂

That shim style zero stop vortex used to use sucked ass. It was spongy and non-definitive. There was no "wall". That was one of the main things I hated about my HS-T scopes, along with the 5 MIL turrets... Other than that, good glass in the PST/HST.
Click to expand...
The xtr2 was their top of the line scope when it and dropped and it literally put burris on the map, and remains one of the very few dopes that has hardly changed in a decade while still remains competitive feature wise. Ya, I'd say it was their flagship scope. Although had some of the orginal xtr scopes. Lol. We are getting in the way back machine there though.
 
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#23
If you can make sure you're getting a newer example that'd be important because when these first came out I wouldn't put the IQ in the ones I looked through up there as even mediocre. My old SWFA 3-15 had better IQ which is mediocre and my cheap G1 Athlon Argos had better IQ than my SWFA 3-15 did. I had tried to like Burris at the time and this XTR2 was to be the one I tried next which didn't pan out.

Later at some point Burris improved the IQ so getting into a later version for $500 should be okay but I wouldn't chance it unless you can trace serial numbers and dates.

I had a Burris XTR2 1-8 FFP at one time(sorry I don't mean to antagonistic). But also not great IQ, and I didn't keep it for but a year before I lost heart with it. Every time I looked through it I noticed the fisheye and IQ was bothering me more and more for mid distance shooting on 8x. The Athlon Helos 1-10 I got after that was worse though for my eyes above 5x so I was getting discouraged with LPVO's right about then. I had to step up to March 1-10 DFP before I was mostly getting what I was looking for in a LPVO.

Personally I think you should sell some stuff and/or save some more $, and upgrade to a higher level, or try out that DNT 7-35. I say that because it's a newer design and people are having decent luck with it.

If you want to be done for a while then buy a used Cronus G2 4.5-29 because you'd need to spend a fair amount of money more to get marginal improvements. Many consider it the budget scope to buy. It's made at LOW Japan and has a good rep. These can be had for $800 to $1000 used and have a good warranty.
 
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#25
supercorndogs said:
The xtr2 was their top of the line scope when it and dropped and it literally put burris on the map, and remains one of the very few dopes that has hardly changed in a decade while still remains competitive feature wise. Ya, I'd say it was their flagship scope. Although had some of the orginal xtr scopes. Lol. We are getting in the way back machine there though.
Click to expand...
No doubt, the XTR II was a game-changer for Burris. The fact that it's still competitive without major redesigns It’s impressive how well it’s held up over the years.
 
#26
I had 2 XTR2's and an XTR3 after reading all the hype here. I bought a Vortex strike eagle for my sons rifle. I found the FOV and low light to be much better. I sold the XTR's and bought a couple strike eagles to replace them
 
#27
steve123 said:
If you can make sure you're getting a newer example that'd be important because when these first came out I wouldn't put the IQ in the ones I looked through up there as even mediocre. My old SWFA 3-15 had better IQ which is mediocre and my cheap G1 Athlon Argos had better IQ than my SWFA 3-15 did. I had tried to like Burris at the time and this XTR2 was to be the one I tried next which didn't pan out.

Later at some point Burris improved the IQ so getting into a later version for $500 should be okay but I wouldn't chance it unless you can trace serial numbers and dates.

I had a Burris XTR2 1-8 FFP at one time(sorry I don't mean to antagonistic). But also not great IQ, and I didn't keep it for but a year before I lost heart with it. Every time I looked through it I noticed the fisheye and IQ was bothering me more and more for mid distance shooting on 8x. The Athlon Helos 1-10 I got after that was worse though for my eyes above 5x so I was getting discouraged with LPVO's right about then. I had to step up to March 1-10 DFP before I was mostly getting what I was looking for in a LPVO.

Personally I think you should sell some stuff and/or save some more $, and upgrade to a higher level, or try out that DNT 7-35. I say that because it's a newer design and people are having decent luck with it.

If you want to be done for a while then buy a used Cronus G2 4.5-29 because you'd need to spend a fair amount of money more to get marginal improvements. Many consider it the budget scope to buy. It's made at LOW Japan and has a good rep. These can be had for $800 to $1000 used and have a good warranty.
Click to expand...
You don't have to trace serial numbers to spot a new one... The new ones have the silver ring around the ocular, and have 10 MIL turrets. The old ones (with the shitty glass) were solid black (no ring) and only 8 MIL turrets. Pretty easy to spot the new from old, if you know what to look for.
 
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#28
Punkur67 said:
I had 2 XTR2's and an XTR3 after reading all the hype here. I bought a Vortex strike eagle for my sons rifle. I found the FOV and low light to be much better. I sold the XTR's and bought a couple strike eagles to replace them
Click to expand...
I've owned both, and there's no way in hell a Strike Eagle even comes remotely close to competing with an XTR-III...Unless you just got a lemon.
 
#29
FuhQ said:
I've owned both, and there's no way in hell a Strike Eagle even comes remotely close to competing with an XTR-III...Unless you just got a lemon.
Click to expand...
Don't know. I just know we tested them side by side at dusk light and the strike eagle was definitely brighter. The wider fov (we actually measured using fence boards) is probably because the low power on the strike eagle is 3x and the xtr was 3.3x. I liked the XTR's, the strike eagles just fit the bill better. I'm a bit of a glass snob on my other guns and I have 3 ZCO'S but I sure was not going to put a ZCO on a 7 year olds rifle.
 
#30
I have 5 XTR IIs. A 1.5-5, two 4-20 and two 5-25. The glass is equivalent to the Athlon Helos 2-12 that I have. I have zero complaints with the XTRIIs. The 5-25s have a tight eyebox and darken a bit above 20 but if you’re not in low light situations it’s a nonissue. I bought my XTR IIs in 2019 and the most I paid for any of them was $550.
 
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