Athlon ETR @$875 or Cronus/XTR3 @$1350 ??

[ncpilot]

Unlike "some" others , I'm going to actually use and put this scope on my Vudoo primarily for PRS22, maybe occasional benchrest, and general paper punching.

I currently have a Midas Tac, and I can see .22 holes at 100 yds on paper with no problem. Generally ok with the scope, but more lately I may be experiencing some eye fatigue.

DLO in his video comparing the cronus to etr said that for good light the etr is fine, I won't be shooting in "challenging" light situations.

Are the Cronus or Burris XTRiii $500 better than the ETR? I don't necessarily have a budget, but don't want go overspend on a retired income (lulz, says the owner of a Vudoo... point taken). If Cronus/XTR3 prices drop for black friday, that would make a decision easier...

 

[hafejd30]

Looking through both ETR and Cronus Gen 1 I think the Cronus had better glass. The ETR if I remember had a locking windage. It’s China vs Japan and I’d buy Japan as a preference

That said the ETR will probably be excellent for your use and have $$ left for ammo

 

[cypriss32]

Think about a used XTR3 pro. Much better then the regular XTR3.

 

[Kiba]

Rather than spending $875 for a new ETR I'd be looking for a used cronus BTR gen 1 for about $850ish if you want to keep your spending reasonable.

I've had 2 of them and they were good scopes. The gen 1 BTR has less pronounced clicks on the turrets than a gen 2 but they still work fine and track perfect, and you can pick them up for quite a bit less than the gen 2 models.

Regarding eye fatigue, I know everyone is different but I had my cronus BTR on a PCP air rifle I use for ground squirrel blasting in orchards and I never had eye fatigue issues using it 8-10 hours a day.

You can sometimes pick up a cronus new for not much more than the used price if you are eligible for le/mil/vet discounts.

Think about a used XTR3 pro. Much better then the regular XTR3.

I like the XTR Pro as well; I replaced the cronus BTR on my PCP squirrel blaster with an XTR Pro earlier this year, and it's also a good scope with a much easier to read elevation turret and wider FOV than the cronus BTR. IMO the XTR Pro also has the edge in glass quality, but it's not dramatically better than the glass in the cronus BTR.

While I prefer the XTR Pro to the Cronus BTR, you'll spend quite a bit more for a used XTR Pro than a used Cronus BTR. If you don't mind spending a little more, I'd get an XTR Pro.

At the next price point up from there I'd be looking at a razor G3 or Zeiss S3.