Rifle Scopes Burris xtr ii or bushnell hdmr ii

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Adam4pt6

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Minuteman
Feb 21, 2013
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Fort Campbell, KY
#1
So I'm in the market for a new optic. Itll be going on a 6.5creedmoor bolt gun and so far I've narrowed it down to these two. Things I'm looking for is horus reticle, 20x or more magnification, reliable tracking, front focal plane, and a budget of under 2 grand(new). Are there other options I missed? How do these two compare to one another? I currently own an athlon helos btr and a vortex gen 2 pst in 5-25. How do these two options compare to those?

Unfortunately I'm away for work for the next few months so u wont be able to get my hands on anything any time soon. Thanks guys
 
#2
I have handled the XTR ii, and DMR ii/HDMR ii quite a bit. I own an older Bushnell Elite Tactical and I think for a budget under 2k I'd look at the Athlon Cronus BTR. I live mine. Contact @gr8fuldoug doug at cameralandny if you go Athlon. That's where I got my Cronus BTR. Also, @jram might agree as well as he shoots with me and owns the xtr ii and DMR ii. If you absolutely want horus, go with the Bushnell though for resolution and durability. You might be able to get an XRS ii in your price range as well. The XRS ii as well as the Cronus BTR are excellent in that price range.
 
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#4
I've currently got a Steiner T5xi and had a HDMR II before that. I don't really have anything bad to say about the HDMR II, I just like the reticle and turrets better on the Steiner. The HDMR II did have a bit of a blue tint, but nothing terrible.

If I was buying new I'd get a Athlon Cronus, Ares ETR or a Leupold MK 5. I think the Leupold MK 5 would be my current pick. There are deals to be had on used scopes. I watched a couple XTR II 4-20 Horus H591 reticle scopes sell for right around $700 on ebay recently. You can also find the Steiner T5xi scopes for $1k-$1,400 on the used market.
 
#5
Cool thanks for the replies. I'm pretty stuck on the horus reticle, or else I would definitely be looking at the higher model athlons. I will check out the xrs ii right now and add it the the list of options. And Ebay, I haven't even thought to look there
 
#6
If you're looking at the XTR II 4-20x50 vs the HDMR II 3.5-21x50 you might be surprised to know that the Burris actually has a wider FOV at 4x (25.8') than the HDMR does at 3.5x (25.3'), also, the Burris can focus down to 50y while the HDMR only 75y, the Burris is also lighter than the HDMR. What the HDMR has going for it is it's size - it is pretty short, but you're putting it on a bolt gun so that shouldn't matter to you. The Burris is also priced quite a bit cheaper right now because it is older and has been around a while (maybe an upgrade to XTR III on the horizon???). My first Burris XTR II had issues optically, but they have apparently fixed that aberration with the 4-20 as I just picked up another recently and it does much better than my first version, others have indicated the same with recent versions of the scope. Considering you're application I would probably steer you towards the XTR II for the above reasons, that being said, I've also owned the DMR II and it is a great scope as well. I also own the PST II 5-25 and I'd have to say that optically the PST II is a bit better than the XTR II and the DMR II, but I've heard from others who would disagree (though the PST II did take more effort to dial in the diopter appropriately than other scopes). Remember that scope advice is usually just that - advice, the only one who will know for sure is you, I realize you may not have opportunity to look through these scopes in person, but that is the best way to decide for yourself.
 
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#13
I have a 3-15 XTR II and a few bushnells. I really like bushnell’s G3 reticle and have basically “standardized” to it.

I picked up a Bushnell DMR2 while my XTRii was at Burris for a warranty repair, their customer service was excellent but while it was away I was blown away with how much better the bushnell DMR2 was optically.

It was stated above that the DMR2 only focuses to 75y, but mine goes to 50y. My DMR2 does have a fair amount of tunneling below 5x so I really don’t use it below 5x. My XTR2 has no tunneling. Since picking up the DMR2 I bought an XRS2. The XRS2 can probably be bought in your price range with the Horus reticle if you look and is VERY nice.

Panhandle Precision has the only reviews I’ve seen online for the XRS2 and they are worth checking out. You can find brighter glass if you get a larger objective lens, and the XRS2 only focuses to a minimum of 75y but if those aren’t deal breakers to you I doubt you will find something you prefer at just about any price.

If you do decide to go with either of the bushnells, you will need to get either Aadmount or Tenebreax lens caps because Butler Creek doesn’t really make a good fit for either, the Burris XTRii comes with decent caps.
 
#17
OP I'm in the same boat as you. I'm looking for something for my new 6.5 Creedmoor AR build and want the Horus reticle. I just looked at the Mark 5 and saw that it has a Tremor 3 option, saw a video on that and it's interesting how those wind dots work. Have you considered a mount as well? There's always the SPUHR if you've got the dough...
 
#18
Yea, the mount is already accounted for in the budget. I actually need to buy 2 sets of rings/mouts right now, one for this and one for another project, but both of those orders are waiting until I'm home, have all the items, and can measure before I pick a size
 
#20
I'd go with the HDMR2 or leupold Mk5. You get a very solid peace of mind with the bushnell KNOWING it's going to track. I've had four Cronus's. (2 old style 2 BTR's) and one of them didn't track correctly and got sent in. (8% failure @ 10mil) They're an awesome optic with great features I just can't say I have that much faith in them.
 
#21
The hdmr2 is looking really good right now. Currently going through reviews, watching some videos, etc ut also looks like bushnell has a pretty good mil discount too, so it might be even more affordable than I originally thought
 
#23
My experience with the XTR II has been very positive, it's a good fit for that range of budget.

I like shooting with anything Horus to allow for the easier holdover option if needed. Optically, for it's class its pretty good. Tracking is spot on, clicks don't feel mushy like my Bushnell did. Only reason I have mine up for sale in the Optics section is because i wanted to move up a level to a Minox. :p
 
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#25
For those of you with the Burris XTR II, what is the diameter of the outside objective lens housing WITH lens cap on?

Burris site says 58mm but doesn't indicate with or without the cap.

I'm trying to figure out if I can get away with using a 32mm high mount (64mm) with a 6mil/20 MOA angle or have to use something higher.
LR-308 AR platform with JP tubular handguard, no rail on top of handguard so have some extra clearance there for tilt.

Thanks.
 
#27
pugnado said:
For those of you with the Burris XTR II, what is the diameter of the outside objective lens housing WITH lens cap on?

Burris site says 58mm but doesn't indicate with or without the cap.

I'm trying to figure out if I can get away with using a 32mm high mount (64mm) with a 6mil/20 MOA angle or have to use something higher.
LR-308 AR platform with JP tubular handguard, no rail on top of handguard so have some extra clearance there for tilt.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

That's going to be pretty close. Generally an AR platform scope mount needs to be a little higher than what "high" rings provide. Extra high or AR high is more likely to be what you need. Or simply going with a one piece AR mount so you can use the cantilever to get the scope further forward.


This isn't a great angle, but you can see there isn't a ton of clearance here using an XTR II and probably the same JP handguard you have. That's with an American Defense mount.

cNGyLqS.jpg
 
#28
Ah can' see the pic, but I was thinking of one of the cantilever 34 or 38mm SPUHR mounts, one that'll allow a good position for my eye while allowing the objective bell to hang a bit lower than the upper receiver rail.

This one:
https://spuhrwebshop.com/en/isms/sp/34/6/sp-4616.html (38mm high, 6mil/20MOA)
or
https://spuhrwebshop.com/en/isms/sp/34/sp-4026.html (32 mm high, 0mil/0 MOA)
or
Maybe just get the Burris AR-PEPR mount and save some money for ammo.

Seems like the 32 mm high one would accommodate up to a 64 mm total diameter objective.
(have been using: http://www.mil-rad.com/scope_ring_calculator)

It's nice to see that SPUHR also has a 35mm mount for the Leupold MK5... but I'm still not sure if I want 'divorce class glass' or not :)

Guess I just need to pick a scope, then mounts :)
 
#29
Hey pug, you do not "need" a cantilever mount for a large frame AR. The top shows a S&B Ultra Short 5-20 in an ERA-TAC mount and you can see it is actually set back from the upper and not fully forward. The bottom image shows a Burris XTR II 4-20x50 in an ARC M10 QD-L mount that is one or two notches back from being fully forward on the upper and I could have moved it back further and set the scope forward more in the mount if I wanted. I am pretty certain that M10 QD-L was the 35mm high version.
20160402_PROOF_FD_65CM_0002.jpg
 
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#30
wjm308 said:
Hey pug, you do not "need" a cantilever mount for a large frame AR. The top shows a S&B Ultra Short 5-20 in an ERA-TAC mount and you can see it is actually set back from the upper and not fully forward. The bottom image shows a Burris XTR II 4-20x50 in an ARC M10 QD-L mount that is one or two notches back from being fully forward on the upper and I could have moved it back further and set the scope forward more in the mount if I wanted. I am pretty certain that M10 QD-L was the 35mm high version.
Click to expand...

Thanks Bill! That's exactly the kind of thing I'm looking for. Seems like 34-35mm is the way to go and 32mm is probably too short.
The 'recommended' AR-PEPR mount from Burris is 34.29 mm.
 
#39
OpticsPlanet has the XTR II Horus H591 on sale and just posted a %10 off stuff deal. I picked one up with the AR PEPR mount for $1237 shipped. There’s one left. :)
 
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#41
Hello, I kindly ask to bare with my very elementary question, upon the type of reticle that I have. I am fairly new to PRS, and although I am new to this venture, I am having so much fun. My Burris XTR2 has the HORUS H591 reticle and I like it. I am still learning this reticle, but as I look up certain questions, I see two different results or titles that show up, there is the H951 and the H95. Both look the same to me, from the graphics on the laptop screen, and beings I do not have another unit to personally compare them side by side. I kindly ask, what is the difference between the H951 and the H95 reticle? will it be okay to learn articles that are titled H95, even though my Burris is titled H951? Thank you very much. Please note, do not fear that you might insult me or my intelligence, please feel free to speak as if you were talking to a person who is just beginning and wishes to learn all the small details that most of you likely already know and use as a second nature function. If any further info is required of me, to hone the question I am asking, I would gladly fill in the blanks. lastly, This website is amazing. I have only been a member for a month or so, but, I really enjoy what so many of your folks have compiled. Priceless.
 
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