I had a great conversation with Sky Leighton last night. Just when I thought I couldn't be more excited about the release of this scope, I find out I'm wrong. Burris has really pulled out all the stops on this one!
I have the answers to a lot of the questions above, so I'll hit a few of them. To just spill out everything I learned about this optic would be even more lengthy, so if I dont hit your question, post it up and if I don't know the answer I'll try to get it for you.
We will get the price tag out of the way first. MAP pricing for the 3.3-18 will be $1649. The non illuminated versions are the first to come to market with illuminated to follow down the road. The XTR II will still be available at the 1k price point, but this is the new Burris flagship. You simply cant build a scope like this in the sub $1200 price point. They are significantly elevating their game, and people are going to find this scope is still going to be an excellent value..
As Dorgan mentioned the new Enhanced Special Competition Reticle is still tied up with attorneys and patents. But it's close. I got a pic of it last night, and let me tell you, it hits on all cylinders!! I think this is quite simply the best designed and most detailed competition reticle on the market. Burris is using a new technology to etch the glass that creates a sharper reticle. All the lines are sharp, the corners of etchings are all crisp and defined. It looks amazing!
As you can all see, it's a shorter scope than the XTR II, and it's also lighter. We have no finalized weights yet due to some tinkering with cosmetics. But lets just say for you guys who tossed out some weight ranges you believe the scope should hit, you will be pleased.
Place of manufacture is officially "Made in Colorado". Rather than run afoul of hair-splitting legal ramifications for using one outsourced screw too many, they are telling it like it is. The glass is from Asia, and some screws are outsourced from overseas per Burris specifications. Every other component is made and assembled in Greeley Colorado. The tube body, turrets, everything, from the ground up. They have built one of the most advanced clean rooms in the industry and are producing this one in house here in the USA!
The windage cap will be the MAD turret system, for those of you who are familiar with Burris' capping system. So you can cap it or leave it exposed. There is a fantastic elevation turret that is incredibly cool in the works. Pretty much an industry first. But I'm afraid it's also stuck in the patent process. So all I can do at this time is dangle a Twinkie and say more cool stuff is coming.
I'll try to wrap this up, there is so much to cover. I think Sky said it best last night when he said the XTR III is everything the XTR II wasnt. The eyebox is incredibly good in the III, tunneling is non existant, the glass is true HD with little to no CA and crisp edge to edge clarity, the parallax goes down to 20 yards, and it uses the same bulletproof turret system as the II. Both scopes are a 7x erector with industry leading fields of view, and the mag range of the next release will be a 5.5-30x56, and it's going to look fantastic at 30x!
Theres more to cover, but I dont want this to run forever...
Hopefully that answers some of your questions.
