Rifle Scopes Elcan SpectreTR 1/3/9 ?

[freedom71]

Trying to decide what scope to put on my 14.5" AR-15. This is a lightweight custom build with a Criterion .223 Wylde barrel that shoots sub .75MOA. It will be my "general purpose" gun, so I want it useful for CQ (e.g., home defense) to 400-500 yards (I also have a .300 BO SBR and a 24" 6.5CR bolt gun).

Right now, I have Minox ZP8 1-8 on the gun. I also have a TT 315M available from another gun I'm selling and I have a Kahles 1-6 on my SBR. I'm an older guy with not-quite-as-good eyesight, so I don't want just a RDS on it.

The Minox is very nice and normally I would stick with that, but there are two slight drawbacks for me: (1) the eyebox is pretty tight at high magnification (but I love the reticle and smaller center dot) and (2) it's a little heavy for what I want. The TT would be great for the longer distances, but it's even heavier of course and I'd probably have to go with angled RDS, which I don't like. I could move the Kahles, but I'd like a little more magnification for the longer distances. I've considered selling the ZP8 and TT315M and getting a Nightforce 1-8 ATACR because some have said the eyebox on the ATACR is more forgiving.

This brings me to the Elcan SpectreTR. I first heard about it in one of Ilya's blog posts where he recommended it over a 1-8 LPVO for combat-type uses. I've seen Garand Thumb's video review and it is intriguing. It sells new for around $2000.

Does anybody use one who could comment on it? I realize that it's unlikely anyone has used the Elcan as well as one of the new 1-8 LPVO's (Minox, NF), but if anyone could compare the two, that would be even better.

Many thanks ahead of time for your observations.

 

[ForgeValley]

I was looking at the same question for a dmr build I did awhile back between the Spectre and the NF. I went with the NF due to the mrad based reticle as opposed to the bdc in the Spectre. I move my scopes around alot between calibers. If I was putting it on a fixed caliber, I probably would have tried out the Spectre.

 

[lawofsavage]

Tag, I’m also trying to decide between the nf atacr 1-8 and the Elcan SpecterTR 1/3/9 rn.

At first the 30oz weight of the SpecterTR was a turn off but by the time you add a mount to the 21oz atacr 1-8, the few extra ounces don’t seem so bad.

Nothing to contribute haha but was hoping to bump this in case anyone does have a good opinion on this topic.

 

[koshkin]

Elcan Spectre TR Review » OpticsThoughts

Elcan Spectre TR review

opticsthoughts.com

I used one for a while and liked it a lot.

However, there are a couple of things to keep in mind:

1) there is no eyepiece focus, so for older eyes it may not work all that great
2) if the ability to switch between magnifications rapidly is not a huge deal, a conventional scope might work better on 9x.

ILya

 

[freedom71]

The lack of a diopter is probably a deal breaker for me.

 

[ForgeValley]

Elcan Spectre TR Review » OpticsThoughts

Elcan Spectre TR review

opticsthoughts.com

1) there is no eyepiece focus, so for older eyes it may not work all that great


ILya

Yep, that was the other thing, I watched your video and decided non adjustable diopter was a no go for me.

 

[freedom71]

Stupid me. I should have found Ilya's review. Given the nonadjustable diopter and how it's weight affects the balance on a lightweight carbine, I think I will rule out the Elcan.

Just one more question for Ilya or others: Is the eyebox on the ATACR 1-8 noticeably more forgiving than the Minox ZP8? At this point, I like the Minox because of the variable parallax and the reticle with the smaller dot.

 

[koshkin]

Stupid me. I should have found Ilya's review. Given the nonadjustable diopter and how it's weight affects the balance on a lightweight carbine, I think I will rule out the Elcan.

Just one more question for Ilya or others: Is the eyebox on the ATACR 1-8 noticeably more forgiving than the Minox ZP8? At this point, I like the Minox because of the variable parallax and the reticle with the smaller dot.

On ATACR vs Minox: eye relief flexibility on both is comparatively similar. Minox is a little better on 8x, I think, but that coule have somethign to do with parallax setting. Finally released S&B 1-8x24 dual focal plane is worth considering as well.

In terms of overall performance with LPVO, I think Blaser 1-7x28 is the best I have seen yet, but it does not have an AR appropriate reticle. The optomechanical performance was absolutely incredible.

ILya

 

[ForgeValley]

NF 1-8 Atacr. Love the glass, low profile turrets ( though the elevation turret is SO low profile it is a little hard to turn. May not be an issue because you probably wouldn't dial much). I'm a fan of the rotating eyepiece for mag change. Eyebox is easy for me to get behind on all mags, though I do get some 'flicker' of the illum at higher mags if I am not right behind it. Illum is nuclear bright to me. Really like the FC-DM reticle. Not to cluttered and works well for me as a 1x red dot.

 

[buffalowinter]

I am not impressed by my ELCAN Spectre. IMO it is optically inferior to everything at its price point. Unless you are going to jump out of an airplane, climb a mountain, or throw it off a roof, the SPECTRE does not impress.

 

[lawofsavage]

Does anyone know the real word battery life on a bright setting specifically on the Elcan tr 1-3-9 model?

still wanting to try one of these after experimenting with a lot of LPVOs

 

[ralfabco]

I have a ELCAN TR 1-3-9. I paid 2K for it a while back. I will mount it on an accurate 18” AR setup. Of course it is a lot of glass, for a 5.56. Remember to take into account the weight of the built in mount when comparing weight. It is not perfect but it works for me. Changing magnification is very fast. The 9 power has a tunneling effect.