At 26oz. Leupold’s Mark 5 is also sort of in a class unto itself, but with an oddball 35mm main tube. The Mark 5’s non-Christmas tree reticle selection is limited to Leupold’s TMR, a reticle I really don’t get—at all. The TMR looks like a series of compromises made in a design workshop held outdoors that got rained out. That said, I kind of like the aperture at its center. Alternatively, Leupold offers the Mark 5 with the FFP CCH, H59, and Tremor 3 at $200, $300, and $800 upcharges, but I don’t do busy Christmas tree reticles.
Regarding the XTRIII, it doesn’t really exist yet and I haven’t seen one. I can only comment on the specs Burris published and reticle selection. First and foremost, it’s a 34mm tube design coming in under 30 oz., which is a plus for my interests, namely a robust, yet lighter weight crossover type scope for a moderate to lightweight hunting rifle. On the down side, the reticle selection won’t suit my preferences.
The CTL-5318 3-18x50mm has a pretty appealing reticle in the MR1-MIL, weighs in a just over 30 oz. and has a standard 34mm tube. Beyond that, I haven’t seen Crimson Trace’s stuff since SHOT in January. Unfortunately, I didn’t take very detailed notes at their booth and don’t remember if I handled this particular optic. It seems, if I had, I would have remembered it for its reticle and size/weight. I do remember getting a cool CT hat! I’d certainly like to look at this scope more closely.
Regarding the Optika6, I spent a bunch of time at Meopta’s booth, mostly looking at several of their military and tactical scopes, which are not typically seen in the US. I did look at and handle several of their Optika6 line and their new binocular line. Ultimately, the Optika6 line was discounted by my thinking due to reticle selection.
A direct comparison between the NX8 and the March 3-24x50mm would be of great interest.
Finally, I’m not a NF fanboy. The NX8 is actually my first. It wasn’t until the introduction of the MIL-C that NF got close to my reticle preferences. I’m a big fan of a tiny floating center dot. My current favorite is the MSR2, but no one offers it in a smaller, lighter, more compact scope.
Over the last couple years a ton of players have entered the tactical rifle telescope market. Hell, even Brownells is bringing two LOW built tactical scopes to market. Competition is great, but, particularly in the short term, this onslaught makes for a staggering set of choices.
