Getting into long range with a 6.5. Been looking at scopes and doing research, it seems the Burris XTR3 is great for the money. Is there anything in the 1000-1500 range that rivals this optic?
-
Having trouble using the site?
Contact support
Rifle Scopes Does anything rival the Burris XTR3 for the money? If so, what ?
- Thread starter bb6kid
- Start date
At 1000-1500, the Cronus BTR Gen2, DMR3, Razor gen2, XRS2, and MK5 are all great scopes also. Some of those are leaning a lot closer to 1500, rather than 1k.
During our Black Friday Weekend Sale I think you'll find some great options priced attractively. It's our pleasure, as a long standing supporting vendor here, to discuss the different available options and special opportunities with you. Please give a call, 516-217-1000, when you have the time. Thanks
The ~$1K range is where I spend most of my optics money on. There are a few rivals to the XTR III as noted in the second post (although most are more money), but the XTR III is really one of the better bargains around at the price they're going for.
Give Doug a call at cameraland... here's the Sightron at 1K. I need to try the newer version, have the older 6-24's and have been happy with them.
At the sales price of around $1,000-1,200... No. Nothing comes close. You couldn't give me an Athlon, Bushnell, or Leupold. I'd consider a Razor Gen2 as it's probably around $1,500 on sale now days. But sub-$1,500...I don't know of anything tactical that will touch it.
If you're wanting a lightweight and bright-image hunting scope, and you don't mind SFP & MOA, the Zeiss V4 stomps most of the competition in the sub-$1,500 category.
Anyone drop-tested an XTR3 to test reliability yet? If not, then hard to give a useful answer to the OP's question ...
Last edited:
Not with my XTR III, but...
I've unfortunately drop tested two XTR IIs, the most recent being a few months ago when I ripped one of my 6.5x47s out of a safe to shoot a coyote and it hooked on my 6.5 Gendel wearing an old 3-15x XTR II. That Grendel flew out and landed on my concrete floor, directly on the ocular housing and elevation turret simultaneously after doing a beautiful 180 degree pirouette. The factory flip up cover shattered. Verifying zero later, there was zero shift...color me happily amazed.
My backdoor 5.56 wears a 1-8 XTR II. I will not praise the optical quality of that scope. However, it has crossed at least 500 miles back and forth on the ranch on both a SxS and 4-wheeler, and never lost zero. It purely is still utilized because I can't justify swapping something out that has never given me an issue.
They aren't alpha glass or turrets, but I've yet to own a Burris XTR that has ever mechanically let me down, and that's why I still own 4 of them. That being said; I did read here lately that another member had a hell of a time with their CS and XTR Pros...so maybe it will be time for me to look at other options next time I buy.
According to forum "Accurate Shooter" a "Scope Checker" "Hood Scope Checker" is THE method to test the durability, tracking, etc of a scope.
A better check of Burris XTRII & XTR III scopes is to peek at them from the objective lens side. They have a tendency to have "dust" on the inside of the objective lenses. That dust is anodizing flaking off the interior of the scope tubes.
I often find myself in situations where my entire rifle falls on a concrete floor, I'm unable to go check my zero before leaving, and then I have to go shoot something important. Does that not happen to you?
The woes of being an international assassin that likes buttered chicken wings...
OP, in addition to the Burris you mentioned, the below are often mentioned here on SH by others as good optics in that price range:
Sightron SIII
Athlon Cronus BTR Gen2
Trijicon Ten Mile models
Tract optics
Sightron SIII
Athlon Cronus BTR Gen2
Trijicon Ten Mile models
Tract optics
While Arken does a fantastic job at their price point. The OP has a $1k to $1.5k budget. Move the EP5 to that price point and the current line of Arken goes out of business.
Arken is better then S&B for well over 1/4 of the price
You'll find some tests here: https://rokslide.com/forums/forums/rifle-scope-field-evaluations.133/
There's some misunderstanding from some members on the Hide about the testing; worth reading this first: https://rokslide.com/forums/threads/scope-field-eval-explanation-and-standards.246775/
Frank also has a thread on the Hide where he began documenting tracking tests - and spoke about how some companies don't like this work being done and published, so is now keeping it on the down-low.
LOL … is illumination the deciding factor … naw …
Burris XTR3 doesn’t hold a candle to a DMR3 in overall quality, glass and turrets … from my experience … is the XTR3 better than their previous XTR2 … yes … compared to the competition … not really.
Burris XTR3 doesn’t hold a candle to a DMR3 in overall quality, glass and turrets … from my experience … is the XTR3 better than their previous XTR2 … yes … compared to the competition … not really.
I am not interested in starting a name calling contest with you. That being said, is the DMR3 sporting better glass than the XRS3? I have experience with looking through the XRS3 as compared to my XTR3 and consider the XTR the winner by more than a clitoral hair. Not a DMR3, but what I considered to be the equivalent offering from Bushnell in the lenses. Different eyes, different results.
I don't hate on Bushnell. I have a DMR II on my 6.5x47 critter gitter, and run an LRTS on my 7 mag hunting rifle. Both have been 100% reliable over the years that I have owned them. I also agree that the reporting of QC/CS issues with Burris and Steiner seem to be on the increase.
I've had both the XRS3 and the DMR3 at the same time ...
I do prefer the DMR3 compared to the XRS3 ... optically ... the DMR3 is much sharper with more color than the XRS3 ... I have the DMR3 in the G4P reticle and I had the XRS3 in the EQL ... I also feel the DMR3 is much more comfy sitting behind for longer periods than the XRS3 ... the eyebox is very forgiving ... where the XRS3 lost it is above 24X ... but the XRS3 was quite well performing up to 23X in my experience ... where as the DMR3 performs well up to its max ... does that make sense?
I'll get my flame suit on ... ok its on ... the DMR3 outperforms my former PMII UltraShort 3-20 in the glass department (I do miss the PMII MCT turrets) ... I wish Bushnell would have at least introduced an illuminated center dot (I despise full reticle illumination myself) ...
DMR3 also focuses down to 25 yards ...
You must have gotten some super duper special DMR3 as my XRS3 had ok glass and lesser than my Burris Pro in the same price range. I didn't have a standard XTRIII but I don't see the DMR being that much better if it is. Also no illumination as mentioned. That is a deal killer for me.
The S3 is a great choice but also above the $1500 max he set. In the $1000-1500 range the Tract Toric 4-25 is a very good choice to look at.
Illumination is most certainly the deciding factor if you want a FFP scope that you can also hunt with where I hunt.
I'd like a center dot illumination ... but full reticle illumination is a no go for me ... I'll use a piggy back red dot ... but at the same time ... I wouldn't be hunting with 30+ oz tactical optic/mount combo anyway ...
Not about using it like a red dot but being able to see the reticle against darker shot up targets or into darker shadowed areas with those targets. I don't hunt but use mine in matches all the time.
I know its not about using it like a red dot ... but if its dark enough to use illumination ... I am backing down the magnification ... at that point ... I might just transition into a piggy back dot ... (my application is an AR10 not a bolt gun nor running matches) ...
I do believe a center illuminated dot (up to including illuminating the first mil markers) is beneficial ...
Mileage will vary for each of us ...
Yes it will vary and in my uses an illuminated reticle is the answer. A piggyback dot doesn't help on a 600 yard shot into shadows. LOL
I seriously doubt that... Maybe to your eyes and subconscious. But having owned Bushnell products in the past...I have extreme doubts to the legitimacy of those claims.
lol … ok …
You know to quoted me stating that the DMR3 is better than a XRS3 … both are Bushnell products … and to me the DMR3 outperforms the XRS3 for me.
Anyways … I’ve owned a lot of high end optics … kind of know what my eyes see. I can only report what I see and experience. Mileage will vary.
Last edited:
Good input man
I'm looking for a dedicated PRS scope and I'm having serious doubts about the XTR3 and Steiner t6xi given all the issues lately..
How's the eye box on the DMR and XRS3?
Any other details that'd sway you one way or the other for a match rifle?
What issues? Thought everything seemed pretty great with those, especiallyi the T6Xi?
Mostly significantly dirty internals and terrible wrench marks from assembly ... some have also received back to back to back to back faulty warranty replacements.
I'll give the eyebox to the DMR3 over the XRS3 ... the XRS3 gets a bit tight (which is expected) above 30X ... while the DMR3 not so much even at its max 21x. One really nice thing is both remain constant with the eye relief so you aren't fighting that.
If you keep the XRS3 below 28X ... you will have great optics ... it does lose a bit of sharpness up high ... mostly from 30-36x ... you really have to be behind it when you are maxing out from 32-36 ...
My vote is the DMR3 between the two ... its just very consistent across the board ...
Turrets on both are large, tactical and audible with a simple zero stop. I had the EQL on the XRS3 which is great for PRS ... but I do have the G4P on the DMR3 ... which is great for a gas gun ...
Issues with the Burris and Steiner optics are way overblown on this forum recently.
It was a very limited number of optics. As in single digits that have been returned for issues, all within a short space of time. Problem identified and corrected.
And an issue with a CS employee not doing his job. Not enough managerial oversite. Also identified and corrected.
The cold hearted facts in spite of anything the detractors may say is that XTR/T6 returns are quite few. Those scopes are as durable and reliable as anything on the market. There are always a lot of bad luck cases that get bounced around the internet and get a lot of mileage, but the facts in Greeley prove otherwise. Not many of those scopes ever come back with a problem. Bigjake is a good dude and had a legitimate issue. But first hand experience with quite a few Burris "issues" I've become involved in on this forum and others has taught me to take one side of the story posts with a huge grain of salt.
It was a very limited number of optics. As in single digits that have been returned for issues, all within a short space of time. Problem identified and corrected.
And an issue with a CS employee not doing his job. Not enough managerial oversite. Also identified and corrected.
The cold hearted facts in spite of anything the detractors may say is that XTR/T6 returns are quite few. Those scopes are as durable and reliable as anything on the market. There are always a lot of bad luck cases that get bounced around the internet and get a lot of mileage, but the facts in Greeley prove otherwise. Not many of those scopes ever come back with a problem. Bigjake is a good dude and had a legitimate issue. But first hand experience with quite a few Burris "issues" I've become involved in on this forum and others has taught me to take one side of the story posts with a huge grain of salt.
Sample size of 1, but I've involuntarily drop-tested my XTR3 before. My friend had my rifle on a tripod at standing-height and forgot to tighten the hog saddle - It flipped over and landed directly on the optic. It did "lose zero" but only because my scope rings weren't torqued correctly and the scope slid all the way back in the rings from the impact. Impact was either like 2 mils high or low (I can't remember) but windage was fine. I ended up re-zeroing it and it's held up fine to this day. Seems to hold zero fine and track correctly. Not exactly a scientific test, but at least I know it can survive 1 drop at a reasonable height on a 16lb rifle.
What about my issues? Having 4 Steiner products with QC issues from their P4XI to M-Series line … over $6000 in product investment? I don’t think it’s a one and done problem. I’ve had issues since 2019 … I gave up after my Steiner laser was also failed out of the box in 2022 … that’s just the cold heart facts …
To Steiner’s credit. They did correct them by sending out replacements but my laser took over 3 months to rectify because Steiner/Burris in Colorado has no clue what Steiner Laser in Ohio is doing.
