Rifle Scopes Burris XTR III 3.3-18x50 mini review and comparison to Nightforce NX8 2.5-20x50

[headwind]

Bill is right. There are a lot of rules surrounding a Made in the USA moniker. I'm pretty sure that Burris could have gotten away with it, Leupold has for years. They toyed with putting Made in Colorado tags on them, but also decided against that as well.

The American made XTRIII/Pro are VERY largely American made. There are some bulk screws that are outsourced that go in lots of different scopes and optics. The glass is sourced from Japan and the reticles are laser etched in Greeley. Everything else is made from scratch in Greeley. I've been through the plant and watched A to Z scope production on XTR Pros. Leupold operates the same way.

Wow, awesome pictures. I didn't know they milled out the tubes from such heavy stock. That's a lot of material.

 

[Birddog6424]

Wow, awesome pictures. I didn't know they milled out the tubes from such heavy stock. That's a lot of material.

No kidding! A solid aluminum bar turned down to a scope tube. There's a LOT of material hitting the floor.

Luckily they gather it all back up and recycle it.

It was very cool watching them assemble the optics in the clean room. It's an assembly line process where it goes from one technician to the next, everyone adding a component. The last stop is the pic with the heat lamps, that person glues the objective into place, checks the optical performance through an open window, and places them under a heat lamp.

It's fun to watch the process.

 

[jb0311]

@Glassaholic I see a 2017ish review on the bushnell dmrII, wondering if you’ve had the DMRIII and if so thoughts vs the Xtr III? I really like the G4P reticle on the bushnell, just wish the center dot was illum. Otherwise the two seem pretty close in specs and price.

 

[Glassaholic]

@Glassaholic I see a 2017ish review on the bushnell dmrII, wondering if you’ve had the DMRIII and if so thoughts vs the Xtr III? I really like the G4P reticle on the bushnell, just wish the center dot was illum. Otherwise the two seem pretty close in specs and price.

I have not had the DMR III or Pro, the FOV is very limited on the DMR series and for that reason I began to lose interest in them as an option, I think they are great scopes otherwise, but they could use an optical formula update with a wider angle eyepiece to really benefit. Many 4x (at bottom mag) scopes have wider FOV and even some 4.5x scopes. For the price, I think the XTR IIIi 3.3-18x50 offers a better design as the DMR wasn't particularly spectacular at high magnification I feel the greater FOV of the XTR IIIi more than makes up for this, but you have to like the reticles that Burris offers. My first XTR III was lacking optically and I sent it back in, the replacement Burris sent was stellar even at 18x so I would say if you get an XTR III that you feel doesn't perform really well then it might be worth a trip to Greeley.

EDIT: For clarity, when I mention DMR III or Pro above, I meant the DMR Pro and not the XTR Pro.

 

[jb0311]

I have not had the DMR III or Pro, the FOV is very limited on the DMR series and for that reason I began to lose interest in them as an option, I think they are great scopes otherwise, but they could use an optical formula update with a wider angle eyepiece to really benefit. Many 4x (at bottom mag) scopes have wider FOV and even some 4.5x scopes. For the price, I think the XTR IIIi 3.3-18x50 offers a better design as the DMR wasn't particularly spectacular at high magnification I feel the greater FOV of the XTR IIIi more than makes up for this, but you have to like the reticles that Burris offers. My first XTR III was lacking optically and I sent it back in, the replacement Burris sent was stellar even at 18x so I would say if you get an XTR III that you feel doesn't perform really well then it might be worth a trip to Greeley.

always appreciated

 

[R_A_W]

The Pro is so close to the clarity of the ATACR glass it's hard to pick a winner. And has a larger eyebox than the NX8, more forgiving parallax and DOF. Better glass and features. Better value for your money.

This was surprising to read. How does the Pro handle mirage beyond 1,000yds?

eta - at 15x, 20x, 25x?

 

[Birddog6424]

This was surprising to read. How does the Pro handle mirage beyond 1,000yds?

eta - at 15x, 20x, 25x?

That's the strength of the Pro. The clarity in mirage is quite good. Thats where it leaves the MK5 and the NX8 in the dust. Same for the GenIII Razor. Compare them on a day with no mirage and I give the nod to the Razor. Get them out in mirage and they are sixes.

The depth of field on the Pro is dialed in just right.

 

[R_A_W]

That's the strength of the Pro. The clarity in mirage is quite good. Thats where it leaves the MK5 and the NX8 in the dust. Same for the GenIII Razor. Compare them on a day with no mirage and I give the nod to the Razor. Get them out in mirage and they are sixes.

Haha the Gen3 Razor part even more surprising to me - I really like the quality of glass the Gen3 Razor has, although I've only used once (<300yds). It hasn't heated up enough to get a feel for how the XTR3 will handle mirage, but I think the NX8 may have a slight edge @ higher magnification. TBD.

Guess I'll need to get behind a Pro at some point. Very cool behind the scenes pics, btw.

 

[Birddog6424]

Haha the Gen3 Razor part even more surprising to me - I really like the quality of glass the Gen3 Razor has, although I've only used once (<300yds). It hasn't heated up enough to get a feel for how the XTR3 will handle mirage, but I think the NX8 may have a slight edge @ higher magnification. TBD.

Guess I'll need to get behind a Pro at some point. Very cool behind the scenes pics, btw.

I also like the GIII Razor. They did a good job with it.

I've been able to side by side with a handful of them now. I do think the Razor really nailed the clarity on that glass. It does take some mirage for the Pro to draw even with it.

 

[supercorndogs]

No kidding! A solid aluminum bar turned down to a scope tube. There's a LOT of material hitting the floor.

Luckily they gather it all back up and recycle it.

It was very cool watching them assemble the optics in the clean room. It's an assembly line process where it goes from one technician to the next, everyone adding a component. The last stop is the pic with the heat lamps, that person glues the objective into place, checks the optical performance through an open window, and places them under a heat lamp.

It's fun to watch the process.

I have a picture of the window where they checked the first XTRIIs.

 

[Birddog6424]

I have a picture of the window where they checked the first XTRIIs.

Gave a whole new meaning to "being in spec"

 

[Itsadryheat]

Based on this review I picked up a XTR iii 3-18 scr2 with illumination for a Larue 6.5 should be a good combo

 

[Birddog6424]

Based on this review I picked up a XTR iii 3-18 scr2 with illumination for a Larue 6.5 should be a good combo

That⁰ll treat you great. I have an 18x on my 6.5 gasser..

 

[Jnull]

I’m hoping @Glassaholic woudlnt mind sharing his opinion as he has experience with all of these. I’m looking for a crossover but mostly hunting, can be woods or open fields/woods with shots from 10-500 yards.

These are the scopes I’m considering
-XTR3i 3.3-18 SCR2
-NX8 2.5-20 MIL-C or MIL-XT
-March FX shuriken 4.5-28x52 TR1 or PDKI

I get none of these are even close cost wise with the March being 3x the cost of the XTR3 street price (Liberty), I’m not real worried about that. My biggest concern is usable reticles at the lowest magnification, is the thicker SCR2 illuminated usable at 3.3x? I really like the March TR1 but marches website pictures on low power make me think like it’s not a good option where the PDKI looks like it would be fine on 4.5x. The NX8 is in last place, I have a 4-32 MIL-XT and it’s fine for what it is but the March and Burris are probably better options. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[R_A_W]

I’m hoping @Glassaholic woudlnt mind sharing his opinion as he has experience with all of these. I’m looking for a crossover but mostly hunting, can be woods or open fields/woods with shots from 10-500 yards.

These are the scopes I’m considering
-XTR3i 3.3-18 SCR2
-NX8 2.5-20 MIL-C or MIL-XT
-March FX shuriken 4.5-28x52 TR1 or PDKI

You ought to take a look at the NF 4-16x42mm ATACR

 

[Birddog6424]

I’m hoping @Glassaholic woudlnt mind sharing his opinion as he has experience with all of these. I’m looking for a crossover but mostly hunting, can be woods or open fields/woods with shots from 10-500 yards.

These are the scopes I’m considering
-XTR3i 3.3-18 SCR2
-NX8 2.5-20 MIL-C or MIL-XT
-March FX shuriken 4.5-28x52 TR1 or PDKI

I get none of these are even close cost wise with the March being 3x the cost of the XTR3 street price (Liberty), I’m not real worried about that. My biggest concern is usable reticles at the lowest magnification, is the thicker SCR2 illuminated usable at 3.3x? I really like the March TR1 but marches website pictures on low power make me think like it’s not a good option where the PDKI looks like it would be fine on 4.5x. The NX8 is in last place, I have a 4-32 MIL-XT and it’s fine for what it is but the March and Burris are probably better options. Any help would be appreciated.

You can take me with a grain of salt, I am the Burris fanboi. But I'm also the guy who spends a LOT of time in the field with these optics.

I hunted big game all last fall over illuminated XTRIIIs. I have both an 18x and 30x. I spent a ton of time on the 30x on my 300 Norma for big game. It pretty much eliminates all the weaknesses of its non-illuminated predecessor. I never needed illumination, I doubt I'll ever need it. But it's there just in case, and a thicker reticle definitely changes the usability of the SCR2.

I carried the 30x all through October and November. Then had the 18x out on some late hunts helping buddies get their late season elk while I carried a rifle in hopes of tagging a bear, lion, or wolf.

The illuminated XTRIII is now a fantastic crossover option.

 

[koshkin]

I have the illuminated XTR3i 3.3-18x50 and XTR Pro 5.5-30x56 at the moment.
It takes me a good amount of time to start releasing impressions, but I am pretty much getting there not that I have spent some time with both.
I think Burris did very well with these.

ILya

 

[Jnull]

How usable would you guys say the SCR2 is on 3.3x?

 

[Itsadryheat]

That⁰ll treat you great. I have an 18x on my 6.5 gasser..

I have it installed, been doing some comparison between a ATACR 4-16 and the XTRiii 3-18, I don’t know about durability or tracking of the optic but for the price point it’s impressive. I have one gripe and that’s the parallax knob is pretty stiff, maybe it will work in a bit after some use. I should be able to take it out and sight it in this Sunday.

 

[FuhQ]

@Glassaholic and @koshkin what are your thoughts on the new production Burris XTR-II 5-25x50 SCR FFP reticle with the 34mm tube?

EuroOptic has them on sale for $650 right now, and I bought 2 of them to replace some cheaper quality scopes, like the Arkens and Vortex HS-T's in my lineup. How is the glass and CA, and what would you say it's comparable to? I haven't looked through a Burris scope in years, so I have no idea on the new stuff. Just curious yall's thoughts. If they're good quality, I will probably buy more to replace most of the other inexpensive scopes and start selling off the cheaper stuff just to get rid of it.

 

[Faronth]

This thread might be worth a read.

Rifle Scopes - Burris XTR II

I talked a friend of mine into buying his first rifle, he got a new RPR in 6.5 creed, and he's looking to me for advice on a scope. His budget is around 1k, most of my stuff is top tier, so I don't have a lot of experience with scopes in the price range he has to spend. My research has me...

www.snipershide.com

 

[Jnull]

This thread might be worth a read.

Rifle Scopes - Burris XTR II

I talked a friend of mine into buying his first rifle, he got a new RPR in 6.5 creed, and he's looking to me for advice on a scope. His budget is around 1k, most of my stuff is top tier, so I don't have a lot of experience with scopes in the price range he has to spend. My research has me...

www.snipershide.com

The last post in that thread was in 2017, years before the XTR III came out.

 

[Faronth]

If you look I believe FhuQ was asking about XTR II's. Was trying to help him out with some info.

 

[Jnull]

If you look I believe FhuQ was asking about XTR II's. Was trying to help him out with some info.

The village idiot is on my ignore list so I don’t see or care about what his dumbass posts.

 

[koshkin]

@Glassaholic and @koshkin what are your thoughts on the new production Burris XTR-II 5-25x50 SCR FFP reticle with the 34mm tube?

EuroOptic has them on sale for $650 right now, and I bought 2 of them to replace some cheaper quality scopes, like the Arkens and Vortex HS-T's in my lineup. How is the glass and CA, and what would you say it's comparable to? I haven't looked through a Burris scope in years, so I have no idea on the new stuff. Just curious yall's thoughts. If they're good quality, I will probably buy more to replace most of the other inexpensive scopes and start selling off the cheaper stuff just to get rid of it.

If you already bought them, why are you asking? you should be able to look and decide if they are appropriate for your use.

ILya

 

[hellzna]

@Glassaholic and @koshkin what are your thoughts on the new production Burris XTR-II 5-25x50 SCR FFP reticle with the 34mm tube?

EuroOptic has them on sale for $650 right now, and I bought 2 of them to replace some cheaper quality scopes, like the Arkens and Vortex HS-T's in my lineup. How is the glass and CA, and what would you say it's comparable to? I haven't looked through a Burris scope in years, so I have no idea on the new stuff. Just curious yall's thoughts. If they're good quality, I will probably buy more to replace most of the other inexpensive scopes and start selling off the cheaper stuff just to get rid of it.

I’ve used Xtr2’s for years (SCR and h59)

Recently bought some xtr3’s and the glass is much better in all aspects.

For sub $700, I still think xtr2’s are a deal, but I’m glad I upgraded.

 

[Lightning8]

@Glassaholic and @koshkin what are your thoughts on the new production Burris XTR-II 5-25x50 SCR FFP reticle with the 34mm tube?

EuroOptic has them on sale for $650 right now, and I bought 2 of them to replace some cheaper quality scopes, like the Arkens and Vortex HS-T's in my lineup. How is the glass and CA, and what would you say it's comparable to? I haven't looked through a Burris scope in years, so I have no idea on the new stuff. Just curious yall's thoughts. If they're good quality, I will probably buy more to replace most of the other inexpensive scopes and start selling off the cheaper stuff just to get rid of it.

Dvor has been running the "sand camo" Burris XTRII 5-25x50 SCR (MIL) for $600ish for almost 2 years - they pop up and then disappear only to reappear. I have four of these XTRII 525 on my 223 trainer and backup rifles. They are fully functional and have been mechanically reliable. Easy to set zero. Glass is OK - used them on my PRS rifle to 1200 yards until about 6 months ago I upgraded to XTRIII (non-illuminated) on my primary PRS rifle. The XTRIII glass is significantly better than the XTRII. For me it becomes a price point issue - I think the XTRII is a good buy at $600ish because it is reliable. I sent one XTRII back to Burris because I was dissatisfied with the parallax adjustment and they promptly sent me a replacement.

 

[FuhQ]

If you already bought them, why are you asking? you should be able to look and decide if they are appropriate for your use.

ILya

Way to be a dick for no reason. I know how to evaluate them and find their ideal use in my lineup. I was simply asking your thoughts and opinions, because up until this post, I respected your thoughts and opinions. I was trying to get an idea of what to expect. But never mind. I'll figure it out.

 

[koshkin]

Way to be a dick for no reason. I know how to evaluate them and find their ideal use in my lineup. I was simply asking your thoughts and opinions, because up until this post, I respected your thoughts and opinions. I was trying to get an idea of what to expect. But never mind. I'll figure it out.

Interesting reaction. A little thin skinned, but that's the internet for you. I usually get asked about scopes before people buy them or if they run into an issue.

While I am deeply wounded by you no longer respecting my thoughts and opinions, I'll do my best to move on with life.

ILya

 

[Birddog6424]

How usable would you guys say the SCR2 is on 3.3x?

It's perfectly usable as a cross hair. I've run mine on the lowest magnification to shoot whistle pigs (a kind of ground squirrel out west). So they're a small target.

You can't use the grid, but if you're on 3.3x, you won't need it.

I have it installed, been doing some comparison between a ATACR 4-16 and the XTRiii 3-18, I don’t know about durability or tracking of the optic but for the price point it’s impressive. I have one gripe and that’s the parallax knob is pretty stiff, maybe it will work in a bit after some use. I should be able to take it out and sight it in this Sunday.

My 30x parallax was a little stiff. My 18x is good.

I havent really noticed it in my 30x while shooting or hunting. I just grab it and twist it. So maybe it's broken in, or when you're in the field you just don't notice.

 

[Jnull]

It's perfectly usable as a cross hair. I've run mine on the lowest magnification to shoot whistle pigs (a kind of ground squirrel out west). So they're a small target.

You can't use the grid, but if you're on 3.3x, you won't need it.



My 30x parallax was a little stiff. My 18x is good.

I havent really noticed it in my 30x while shooting or hunting. I just grab it and twist it. So maybe it's broken in, or when you're in the field you just don't notice.

On 3.3x all I need is a usable crosshair for closer shots, thanks for the info.

 

[Birddog6424]

I have the illuminated XTR3i 3.3-18x50 and XTR Pro 5.5-30x56 at the moment.
It takes me a good amount of time to start releasing impressions, but I am pretty much getting there not that I have spent some time with both.
I think Burris did very well with these.

ILya

I've been wanting to hear your thoughts on these optics for some time. I'm glad you finally have then in hand.

Looking forward to seeing your review.

 

[koshkin]

I've been wanting to hear your thoughts on these optics for some time. I'm glad you finally have then in hand.

Looking forward to seeing your review.

I like them so far. As is usually the case, there are no miracles in this world, but these are exceptionally good for the money.

ILya

 

[Birddog6424]

I like them so far. As is usually the case, there are no miracles in this world, but these are exceptionally good for the money.

ILya

That's encouraging. We all know Burris isn't trying to compete with TT and ZCO.

Exceptionally good for the money is the much more realistic standard they strive for.

 

[Jaydee1445]

I have the illuminated XTR3i 3.3-18x50 and XTR Pro 5.5-30x56 at the moment.
It takes me a good amount of time to start releasing impressions, but I am pretty much getting there not that I have spent some time with both.
I think Burris did very well with these.

ILya

I also look forward to your reviews. Currently I have the Pro 30X w/ T5 and my order is in on the 18x SCR.

Son and I did an amateurish comparison of the XTR Pro and a Mark5 5-25x56 out the kitchen window using printed 8.5x11 camera testing images grabbed off the web at 120ish yd. The image quality was comparable with the Leuplod taking a slight advantage. The Pro had to go to 30X to resolve numbers as well as the MK5 at 25x and the Pro had a slight purple hue on the solid black areas of the images. MK5 has a more forgiving eybox. Given the $750 price difference and smaller foot print I would buy the pro again.

 

[Cagey-platpus]

I am currently considering a Burris xtr iii 3.3-18 or a nightforce NSX 5.5-22. I know one is ffp and the other is sfp and I am okay with that. Anyone have any idea how the glass compares between these two scopes ?

 

[D_TROS]

I am currently considering a Burris xtr iii 3.3-18 or a nightforce NSX 5.5-22. I know one is ffp and the other is sfp and I am okay with that. Anyone have any idea how the glass compares between these two scopes ?

SOLID scope both choices. I have both. I will let wife look through both tonight and let her pick which she like slooking through better,..

IIRC they should be similiar with the 3 having waaaaybetter FOV. again will check tonight.

the 3 is lighter and shorter as well.

 

[Cagey-platpus]

I am curious what she thinks about them? I know they are very different, part of me wants the NSX just cause it's an Nxs but it would be hard to pass on the xtr if it's far superior .

I see eurooptic has them on sale, the price is all over the place, the lowest price ones are 849. Are all of the Burris xtriii made in the US ?

 

[D_TROS]

I am curious what she thinks about them? I know they are very different, part of me wants the NSX just cause it's an Nxs but it would be hard to pass on the xtr if it's far superior .

I see eurooptic has them on sale, the price is all over the place, the lowest price ones are 849. Are all of the Burris xtriii made in the US ?

THE XTR3 is not far superior. you will be perfectly hapy with either for sure. the 3 has many small quirks that I believe make it a better scope like FOV, target turrets, and size, but far from FAR superior.

honestly if I was you id pick the one that is FFP and get the scope with the retc you like.

either of those scopes at 850 is a steal for whats offered.

not all the xtr3 are USA made. I believe all the NON-illuminated ones are and none of the iluminated ones are USA made. not 100% on that tho...

 

[renegadeGDI]

View attachment 7189814

Backstory

The Burris XTR II has been the top of the line offering from the Greeley, CO sport optics company for many years now. Initial manufacture of these scopes had some issues optically, but Burris was able to rectify those over time and the latest XTR II is a pretty well refined scope for the $1,000 class. Everyone expected that when Burris comes out with an XTR III it would be a replacement of the aging XTR II line, but instead Burris came out with a completely new scope design and a brand-new optical formula, but to the surprise of many, it also came with a price tag almost double of what the XTR II came in at. They also changed their magnification range and instead of offering a 2-10x42, 3-15x50, a 4-20x50 and a 5-25x50 the XTR III line currently only offers two models: a 3.3-18x50 and a 5.5-30x56. I’m sure Burris felt the 3.3-18x50 killed two birds with one stone as the range almost covers the 3-15 and 4-20 put together, and the 5.5-30x56 also gets a boost in objective size with 56mm vs 50mm which will be a welcome addition for 5-25x50 XTR II owners who complained the image darkened quite a bit in the upper magnification range. The new magnification is up from 5x to 5.46x but with a full 7x erector, there has been some rumors as to why Burris chose to downsize the magnification but nothing concrete, but one nice addition to the new design is the extremely wide FOV these new scopes offer, in fact, they exhibit some of the widest FOV I’ve seen out of scopes available today. Even with the upgrade in optics and a new optical formula the question most will ask is whether or not the XTR III justifies the increased price that it commands at release. One other thing Burris must battle is competition, specifically from the recently released Nightforce NX8 2.5-20x50 and 4-32x50 scopes. I recently purchased and reviewed the NX8 2.5-20x50 and will attempt to compare the XTR III 3.3-18x50 as price points and design are pretty close. Even though price difference is extreme I will also make comparisons to the Kahles K318i which I used for over a year and reigned as my favorite ultra short scope until the ZCO ZC420 was released. If money is of no consequence for you, the ZCO ZC420, Schmidt & Bender Ultra Short’s and Kahles K318i still reign supreme as the best Ultra Short scopes available today.

Here is the link to the Nightforce NX8 2.5-20x50 review: https://www.snipershide.com/shooting/threads/nightforce-nx8-2-5-20x50-initial-thoughts.6958517/

One final comment, the first XTR III 3.3-18x50 I purchased suffered from low IQ above 12x, so much so that I decided to send the XTR III back to Burris to be inspected. To the credit of Burris’ warranty department, they sent me a pre-paid shipping label and sent me back a brand new scope in less than a week; however, I live in the same state and their website did say 4-5 weeks is average turn around time so I would say I was far short of the average. The new scope performs much better but there are a few other differences between the two scopes that I will point out below.

View attachment 7189811

Build Quality and Ergo

The build quality of the main tube is superb, it appears to be a nice and solid design with rounded angles anywhere there is a transition in size. The length of the design of the 3.3-18 is not “ultra” short like the Kahles or the Nightforce NX8 but is still a short design making it ideal for covert style rifles as well as AR platforms. Of course, there is nothing wrong with putting an ultra short scope on a long bolt action rifle, in fact, I tend to prefer shorter scopes just from an aesthetics point of view. Another important aspect to point out is the fact that while the parts are made elsewhere, everything is assembled in the USA. Whereas the Vortex AMG is the only 100% sourced and made in the USA (except for the reticle) scope, it is nice to know that Burris is using American workers to assemble this new scope line. Not only that but warranty service is also performed in the USA. If I were to have one criticism with the build of the scope it would be the turrets which are very tight to turn (not much chance of getting bumped out of settings accidentally) but also have some play, but the clicks are distinct so for those who prefer feel they will welcome this new design. The turret anodization also needs a little better quality control (QC) as the first scope I had was pretty black but the second scope has a purplish hue to it, this is not that big of a deal, but it may bother some.

Compared to the Nightforce NX8 and Kahles K318 I would say the K318i easily has the best overall build and ergo and between the NX8 and XTR III I’d have to give a slight edge to the NX8 in lieu of the aforementioned turret situation. I should mention that the NX8 is based off a 30mm tube and the XTR III has a 34mm tube but even with a longer body and thicker tube the XTR III is only 1.5 oz heavier than the NX8 and just slips in under 30 oz total at 29.8oz. A couple areas where the XTR III does have the upper hand over the NX8 is with regard to the turret housing location, the NX8 is moved far forward and limits mount position, likewise the NX8 does not use a fast focus diopter whereas the XTR III does which means less turning to get the diopter set properly. Both have locking diopters which is a nice touch and both offer caps in the box but Nightforce includes Tenebraex caps that lay slightly flatter than the Burris made caps.

View attachment 7189815

View attachment 7189816

View attachment 7189817

View attachment 7189818

Magnification

The very first thing that drew me toward the XTR II 4-20x50 was its magnification range, for me personally, this is ideal as it offers adequate FOV at the bottom end but also sufficient magnification at the top end. I’m not sure why Burris ultimately chose to go with 5.46x magnification out of a 7x erector or why they chose 3.3-18, but I would have preferred they chose something along the lines of 3.6-20 instead as a lot of my shooting tends to be in the 12-20x range; however, a well-executed 18x with superb image quality (IQ) can more than make up for the final 2x at the top end, such was the case with the Kahles K318i as IQ at 18x was superb and even slightly out-resolved the Schmidt Ultra Short 3-20.

Nightforce chose to go with an 8x erector and therefore offers less magnification at the bottom (2.5x vs 3.3x) and more magnification at the top end (20x vs. 18x) but if you read my review of the NX8 2.5-20 you’ll find that using 8x in their optical design came with drawbacks, specifically with distortion, edge sharpness, DOF/Parallax. FOV is pretty comparable at like for like magnification settings between the NX8 and XTR III which means both offer some of the best FOV for their respective magnification ranges; however, due to the distortion exhibited in the NX8 the actual usable FOV is lowered which puts the XTR III on top in this category. The XTR III absolutely crushes the Kahles in FOV which is the weak point of the K318i.

Turrets

Others have mentioned the stiffness of the turrets on the XTR III and mine is no exception, the first copy I had was very stiff while the second copy is less so but still hard. In my review of the XTR II years ago I referred to the knurling on the turrets as cheese graters, if you were to scrape your hand across them I’m sure they would take off skin, with the XTR III the knurling is not quite as bad but I’d still consider it a dull cheese grater. Probably perfect for grip with gloves on but the tightness of the turret along with the knurling does cause it to dig in somewhat when turning. It’s nothing that is going to cause injury but I would prefer the turrets to be a tad lighter with the force required to turn it. One other thing to mention is that there is some play back and forth, so turret purists will find fault there; however, the clicks are distinct and there is no question when you’ve clicked .1 mil. If you spin the turrets faster the tension seems to lighten up and the sound of the click is more distinct in the CCW direction than it is in the CW direction. The turrets on the XTR III are translatable which means they turret house rises or falls when you spin, my preference is for non-translatable which hold the same location because the more the turret rises the harder it is to identify which click you’re on compared to the index marker. The windage is capped but in the box is an exposed windage knob you can replace the cap with if you so desire – this is a great feature to offer as the user gets to choose which they prefer. I should also mention that Burris is offering a competition elevation turret they call a “race dial”; however, at this time this item is not yet available for purchase.

The turrets between the NX8 and the XTR III couldn’t be more different, where the XTR III are tight with distinct clicks the NX8 are mushy with little report of each click, but where the XTR III has a bit of play the NX8 turrets had less. I envision that some will hate a particular turret while others will love it which is why turrets are very much personal preference, the question I ask for any new scope is more about repeatability and accuracy than it is for feel, that being said, when you feel a good turret it is noticeable. Compared to the Kahles, both the XTR III and NX8 are inferior, Kahles has excellent feel and tension.

View attachment 7189820

View attachment 7189821

View attachment 7189905

Great review, I am 100% convinced I want an XTR III for my MK12 / SHTF build.

Now I am torn between a non-illuminated (USA) for SCR $849 or the illuminated (Philippines) SCR2 for $1114.

Is the SCR2 and illumination really worth $265 more dollars?

 

[FuhQ]

Great review, I am 100% convinced I want an XTR III for my MK12 / SHTF build.

Now I am torn between a non-illuminated (USA) for SCR $849 or the illuminated (Philippines) SCR2 for $1114.

Is the SCR2 and illumination really worth $265 more dollars?

I have been told the Philippines illuminated model is actually optically and mechanically an upgrade over the USA production model. Never compared them both side-by-side, but I can say that my Philippines XTR-III 5.5-30x56 has been phenomenal. No complaints.

And personally, I do prefer the SCR 2 and illumination, so, IMO, yes, it’s worth it.

 

[renegadeGDI]

I have been told the Philippines illuminated model is actually optically and mechanically an upgrade over the USA production model. Never compared them both side-by-side, but I can say that my Philippines XTR-III 5.5-30x56 has been phenomenal. No complaints.

And personally, I do prefer the SCR 2 and illumination, so, IMO, yes, it’s worth it.

Appreciate the input

 

[Jack's Dad]

The Philippines made scope is noticeably better in most ways. Worth the extra bucks