Mine finally arrived , first impressions are excellent and really stoked overall . The MSR 2 is such an awesome piece to get behind . Haven't shot it yet being in lockdown but optically looks nice and clear out in the open
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Rifle Scopes Steiner M7Xi 4-28x56
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Less than 2700 for the M7 is an awesome deal.
It does perform better at night that my ZP5. The resolution is better in the M7 at night, while the ZP5 is a little better during the day on high magnification.
It does perform better at night that my ZP5. The resolution is better in the M7 at night, while the ZP5 is a little better during the day on high magnification.
Man im really enjoying this scope , had some time with it under a spot light smacking Varmints and it just works so well . Was using 10-12 X with illumination set on level 10 . The MSR2 is Excellent
I see lots of mentions about MSR2 reticle here. If any questions, feel free to ask. 
See also our reticle manual here:
finnaccuracy.com
See also our reticle manual here:
MSR2 reticle user manual
After longest wait, first official MSR reticle manual is ready for publishing. Note: manual is intended for all: beginners, advanced shooters and professionals - as MSR2 is designed to fit for various uses and skill levels. Some of explained features are obvious to most precision shooters, some...
finnaccuracy.com
I'm very happy with my m7xi, but have noticed that compared with my USO FDN and my buddy's ATACR, the parallax knob is incredibly stiff. Has anyone else had this with theirs, and does it loosen up with time and use?
I wouldn't say mine is incredibly stiff, but it's a little stiff. It hasn't loosened up.
The parallax knob on my ZP5 is silky smooth.
I have three M7Xi’s and out of the box, parallax knob tension was a little higher than any other scope I’ve owned or currently own. Once mounted to the rifle, it wasn’t as bad as when it was in my hand. It wasn’t tight enough that it ever disturbed my shooting position though. Over the last year they have loosened up a little. I used them a lot. I’ve actually come to like it as I know that it won’t get moved unless I physically grab and turn. I’ve had other brands get moved way out of focus by simply rubbing against things when being transported or removed from a bag. The M7Xi parallax has never rotated inadvertently.
This makes sense, actually. The parallax on my USO and my friend's ATACR are incredibly easy to move. I guess it just comes down to preference. I don't end up messing with my parallax much in competitions unless it's NRL22. Good to know.
Ive got the ZP5 and M7Xi, never handled a ZCO.
The image on the M7 looks huge. ZP5 looks normal.
M7 is excellent up to 20x, just as good as the ZP5. I don't know how to describe it, but the viewing experience is better on the M7 up to 20X. Maybe it's due to the larger eyepiece? The image looks bigger. M7 will show CA if your head is off center. M7 is a little better at night.
The ZP5 is very comfortable to look through at 25x. You can very easily make out hits on steel at 1000 yards. I wish I could compare it to a ZCO. I've never looked through better glass than the ZP5
Turrets on both are good. Second rev indicator on M7 is better since a button on top of the turret pops up, vs the turret getting stiffer as your second rev indicator on the ZP5.
M7 is much shorter.
I usually stay around 12x-15x and the MSR 2 plays well with my eyes, so I'm happy with the M7Xi.
Based off what I've read, id get the ZCO with their newest reticle. It's the one with the open circles, minus the diagram of lady parts.
If you have the money, just get the best and be done with it. It sounds like you get the massive looking image like the M7, but without the off axis CA.
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The M7 is a very good scope and is perfectly useable in it’s own right. The ZCO will outperform it optically. The reason to get the M7 is reticle preference in my opinion. The top tier scopes are all so good that we are really just nit picking.
I did an FOV comparison with a few of my scopes (Maven, USO, M7XI), and Steiner beat them out until the USO got to 22x, and it overtook the Steiner. The more I use this scope, the more I love it. I don't really use anything beyond 16x unless I'm shooting at a mile or at paper, and I have nothing bad to say about it.
It's currently living on my competition gun:
It's currently living on my competition gun:
I know this is an old thread, but I would appreciate the help.
I purchased an M7xi recently and have a question regarding its Zero Stop. How many clicks can the elevation turret be turned past zero? How many clicks back is it supposed to go? I know the Kahles K525i can go two clicks past zero (-.2 MRAD). I thought the M7xi was the same, but mine only goes one click back.
Any help would be appreciated!
Roc’
I purchased an M7xi recently and have a question regarding its Zero Stop. How many clicks can the elevation turret be turned past zero? How many clicks back is it supposed to go? I know the Kahles K525i can go two clicks past zero (-.2 MRAD). I thought the M7xi was the same, but mine only goes one click back.
Any help would be appreciated!
Roc’
I'm running a 20 MOA rail. The scope is on a Masterpiece Arms, side folder, switch lug, M24 profile, in 6.5 CM.
Thanks to all who have responded.
I wonder why the back clicks are all over the place, like from 1 to 4 clicks as noted above with different scopes? Is it a QC issue? I would have assumed they would all be consistent. I will from time to time be using the back clicks for various reasons. Is it worth contacting Steiner regarding it, or just letting it go? If it's not to spec, then it will bother me. I can get pretty anal retentive at times.
I bring up QC because the first M7xi I bought from Optics Planet had to be returned because it was defective. The scope would not focus clearly no matter what I did. I think there was an issue with the parallax. This M7xi is the exchange from that defective scope.
Roc'
Make sure you line up the turret correctly and tighten down the set screws.
I had this happen to me with my M7Xi. I had to apply some pressure to the allen key and make sure the turrets was aligned. I believe it slipped while torqued down.
I had this happen to me with my M7Xi. I had to apply some pressure to the allen key and make sure the turrets was aligned. I believe it slipped while torqued down.
I looked at the elevation turret again. I reset the zero stop by adjusting the turret with loosening the two allen screws. No luck! It still only goes .1 (one click) beyond zero.
I called Steiner out of Colorado (1-888-550-6255) and spoke to a rep in their tech dept. I explained the situation. The rep said that an M7xi that travels from one to four clicks (.1 to .4 mils) is in spec. I didn't attempt to argue with him about the lack of consistency or QC. Shouldn't they all have the same back click values? Maybe I'm overthinking things or asking too much with an optic that costs as much as it does (sarcasm).
Roc'
How disappointed should I be?
I purchased my first M7xi in December of 2021 from Optics Planet. I paid $2,774 delivered. I mounted the scope and headed to my shooting spot. There were two things that I immediately noticed. The CAs were absolutely horrible, and the scope could not focus at my 100 yard target. It wouldn’t focus no matter how much I played with the parallax knob and eyepiece. A buddy of mine that I regularly shoot with got behind the scope and he said the same thing. As far as the CAs goes, I had heard that the first runs of these scopes had pretty bad CAs, and Steiner had made improvements to future manufactured M7xi scopes. Was this scope part of the early batch? Before sending the scope back to Optics Planet I took a picture of the serial number. I did this because I had requested an exchange from Optics Planet, and I wanted to make sure they didn’t send me the same scope back. The serial number read 109231xxxx. (By the way, the second M7xi scope’s serial number reads 201081xxxx.)
I sent the first scope back to Optics Planet and received a new M7xi (factory seal on the box from Steiner was undisturbed). I inspected and then mounted the scope on my MPA rifle. The CA’s were still present, but no where as bad as the first scope. Some owners say that if you are right behind the scope, then the CAs tend to disappear. They say CAs are only present when slightly moving your head from side to side. Mine exhibits CAs regardless of my head position behind the scope. The IQ, while better than my first M7xi, is still not as clear as I think it should be, especially at higher magnification. The IQ does clean up a little after focusing the eyepiece after adjusting the parallax knob. The scope does tunnel slightly while adjusting from 4x to 5x, but does not tunnel after that.
I purchased an Athlon Cronus BTR (gen 1) 4.5-29x56 about a year ago. I paid $1,250 delivered for the scope. The scope is manufactured at the LOW factory in Japan. I test this new M7xi scope against the Cronus today.
IQ: The Cronus has a clearer image over the M7xi, especially going above 20x.
CA: The Cronus has about 3-4x less CAs than the M7xi. The M7xi was fairly prevalent while I had to really search for any CAs with the Cronus.
Tunneling: There was no tunneling with the Cronus while tunneling existed from 4x to 5x with the M7xi.
Turrets: Turrets were far more positive on the M7xi while the Cronus was less “clicky’ and felt a tad mushy.
Sa far, I much prefer the Cronus regarding CAs and IQ. I just turned 50 and I’ve been shooting since I was 11. Anyway, I had been fantasizing about a tier 1 scope for years and finally have had the funds to make the purchase. Part of me now feels that I’ve made a mistake buying this scope. I’m a bit underwhelmed. Please someone tell me I’m wrong, so I won’t feel so bad/guilty with this purchase.
Roc’
I purchased my first M7xi in December of 2021 from Optics Planet. I paid $2,774 delivered. I mounted the scope and headed to my shooting spot. There were two things that I immediately noticed. The CAs were absolutely horrible, and the scope could not focus at my 100 yard target. It wouldn’t focus no matter how much I played with the parallax knob and eyepiece. A buddy of mine that I regularly shoot with got behind the scope and he said the same thing. As far as the CAs goes, I had heard that the first runs of these scopes had pretty bad CAs, and Steiner had made improvements to future manufactured M7xi scopes. Was this scope part of the early batch? Before sending the scope back to Optics Planet I took a picture of the serial number. I did this because I had requested an exchange from Optics Planet, and I wanted to make sure they didn’t send me the same scope back. The serial number read 109231xxxx. (By the way, the second M7xi scope’s serial number reads 201081xxxx.)
I sent the first scope back to Optics Planet and received a new M7xi (factory seal on the box from Steiner was undisturbed). I inspected and then mounted the scope on my MPA rifle. The CA’s were still present, but no where as bad as the first scope. Some owners say that if you are right behind the scope, then the CAs tend to disappear. They say CAs are only present when slightly moving your head from side to side. Mine exhibits CAs regardless of my head position behind the scope. The IQ, while better than my first M7xi, is still not as clear as I think it should be, especially at higher magnification. The IQ does clean up a little after focusing the eyepiece after adjusting the parallax knob. The scope does tunnel slightly while adjusting from 4x to 5x, but does not tunnel after that.
I purchased an Athlon Cronus BTR (gen 1) 4.5-29x56 about a year ago. I paid $1,250 delivered for the scope. The scope is manufactured at the LOW factory in Japan. I test this new M7xi scope against the Cronus today.
IQ: The Cronus has a clearer image over the M7xi, especially going above 20x.
CA: The Cronus has about 3-4x less CAs than the M7xi. The M7xi was fairly prevalent while I had to really search for any CAs with the Cronus.
Tunneling: There was no tunneling with the Cronus while tunneling existed from 4x to 5x with the M7xi.
Turrets: Turrets were far more positive on the M7xi while the Cronus was less “clicky’ and felt a tad mushy.
Sa far, I much prefer the Cronus regarding CAs and IQ. I just turned 50 and I’ve been shooting since I was 11. Anyway, I had been fantasizing about a tier 1 scope for years and finally have had the funds to make the purchase. Part of me now feels that I’ve made a mistake buying this scope. I’m a bit underwhelmed. Please someone tell me I’m wrong, so I won’t feel so bad/guilty with this purchase.
Roc’
If it were me and I wasn't pleased with either of the samples you had, I'd get a refund, if possible, and buy the new gen3 razor 6-36x56. I would almost bet my mother's soul that you'd be satisfied with that!
Unfortunately, I believe I'm past the time period on when I can return the scope for a refund. Also, apparently if the scope is mounted Optics Planet will not accept the scope back for a refund anyway.
Roc'
Call Steiner and see if you can send it in. If you're still not satisfied, sell it here on the px.
The minox zp5 has great glass and if you can save a little more, get a zco. Which reticle did you get? If you really like the MSR 2, get a Schimdt.
Tax returns are going out now, hopefully it'll sell fast if that's what you choose to do.
Something else you can do is try setting the diopter in the evening. Dilated eyes are more sensitive and it makes it easier to set the diopter correctly.
Hey guys,
My FN SPR took a spill on Saturday onto concrete and the windage turret on my M7Xi took the extreme brunt of the impact. Reached out to Steiner to see what kind of resolution they recommend; however, in the meantime I'd like to get y'all's opinion and or expertise. I see that in the manual there's mention of the turrets being "accidentally removed". I know that the T5Xi series was designed to have the turrets removed.
Am I correct in assuming that very bad things will occur if/when I were to pull this turret in the hopes of replacing it (should a replacement even be available) or am I gonna have to send the whole damn thing in for repair?
Thanks again...
My FN SPR took a spill on Saturday onto concrete and the windage turret on my M7Xi took the extreme brunt of the impact. Reached out to Steiner to see what kind of resolution they recommend; however, in the meantime I'd like to get y'all's opinion and or expertise. I see that in the manual there's mention of the turrets being "accidentally removed". I know that the T5Xi series was designed to have the turrets removed.
Am I correct in assuming that very bad things will occur if/when I were to pull this turret in the hopes of replacing it (should a replacement even be available) or am I gonna have to send the whole damn thing in for repair?
Thanks again...
Does anyone know the amount of tightening the set screws need?
I tightened them down when I zeroed my rifle and after about 80 or so rounds the set screws came loose. The groups I was getting was kinda sporadic but I still blame me. Of course I didn’t realize they were loose until after I was done and slipping the turrets to the zero mark. Which now has me thinking it wasn’t me but the loose set screws. This happened to the elevation and wind age turrets.
I promptly tightened them a good deal to ensure they stay that way, but not too much as I heard it can damage the inner workings.
I tightened them down when I zeroed my rifle and after about 80 or so rounds the set screws came loose. The groups I was getting was kinda sporadic but I still blame me. Of course I didn’t realize they were loose until after I was done and slipping the turrets to the zero mark. Which now has me thinking it wasn’t me but the loose set screws. This happened to the elevation and wind age turrets.
I promptly tightened them a good deal to ensure they stay that way, but not too much as I heard it can damage the inner workings.
Its not so much damage to the inner workings as the internals are typically made from brass or some such material that is soft and allows the set screws to get a good "bite". I typically try to err on the side of caution and only go finger tight with decent force as I don't want to strip out an allen head or damage the screws. On the M7 remember that the set screws are offset at 90 degrees so its important to set both of them firmly.
I tightened down with the long side of the provided Steiner Allen key, I then went back and used the short end to tighten down more so I had more leverage. I tightened snug but not to where I felt backing them out would be difficult or cause striping. Cognizant of the fact that the inside is made of mailable metal. I’d say a 20 degree change from when threads begin to get tight/makes contact with brass.
I really wish there was a torque setting for these as this is way too subjective on a 2-3 thousand dollar scope.
Sucks I now have to go back and confirm it didn’t hop around as I tried to zero. In shooting for zero I thought about it but didn’t check as usually it’s the shooters fault over the equipment.
If you use the longer side of the provided wrench to get finger tight, its always been about perfect in my experience.
How hard do you suspect you tighten your set screws?
I know it’s super subjective and over the internet, but at least it would give me a general idea.
I could have sworn I tightened my scope set screws pretty good when I last had the scope on the rifle. I am also shooting 7.62 NATO for reference on a piston AR platform. Highly doubt that would be enough to loosen the screws, especially on a scope that is “military grade” as they say.
Not Steiner, but I bought this Fix it Sticks torque limiter advertised for NF’s and use it on my scopes. I change scopes out a lot and it’s never failed me or caused me any issues with my scopes turrets. Just used it on my Steiner T6Xi’s.
www.eurooptic.com
Fix It Sticks 4in/lb Torque Limiter, Torx 8, 5/64" Hex, & 1.5mm Hex Bits for Nightforce Optics Turret Screws FISTL4-BP
Fix It Sticks 4in/lb Torque Limiter, Torx 8, 5/64" Hex, & 1.5mm Hex Bits for Nightforce Optics Turret Screws FISTL4-BP For Sale
Not Steiner, but I bought this Fix it Sticks torque limiter advertised for NF’s and use it on my scopes. I change scopes out a lot and it’s never failed me or caused me any issues with my scopes turrets. Just used it on my Steiner T6Xi’s.
Fix It Sticks 4in/lb Torque Limiter, Torx 8, 5/64" Hex, & 1.5mm Hex Bits for Nightforce Optics Turret Screws FISTL4-BP
Fix It Sticks 4in/lb Torque Limiter, Torx 8, 5/64" Hex, & 1.5mm Hex Bits for Nightforce Optics Turret Screws FISTL4-BP For Sale
Nice! Thanks for sharing your torque spec usage.
The M7 feels more robust and the turrets are larger diameter giving the feeling of an overall larger package even though it really isn't. The T6 is an absolute home run at its price point. The M series scopes have suffered from unit to unit variance and as such you may get one that the glass looks phenomenal and another that is about on par with the T6 - which makes you wonder why you are paying more money... Nothing wrong with the M7 but it doesn't quite get on par with the Alpha scopes optically.
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