Rifle Scopes Steiner T6Xi 3-18x56 Review and comparison with NF ATACR 4-16x42, S&B US 3-20x50 and March 4.5-28x52

[FRESHPRINCE556]

I currently own a s&b 3-20 us, mk5 5-25 and just received an atacr 4-16. This morning was my first time looking through an atacr 4-16 and I have to say my first impressions are that it's really good and is possibly going to be my favorite scope for 500 yds and further.
@Glassaholic I think you nailed it with this review!

 

[Glassaholic]

I currently own a s&b 3-20 us, mk5 5-25 and just received an atacr 4-16. This morning was my first time looking through an atacr 4-16 and I have to say my first impressions are that it's really good and is possibly going to be my favorite scope for 500 yds and further.
@Glassaholic I think you nailed it with this review!

Everyones eyes are different but that’s good confirmation when you already have a Schmidt US 3-20 to reference. That little ATACR is quite remarkable, i have an ATACR 7-35 now and looking forward to seeing how well that does conpared to the rest of the alpha class.

 

[nrspence]

Everyones eyes are different but that’s good confirmation when you already have a Schmidt US 3-20 to reference. That little ATACR is quite remarkable, i have an ATACR 7-35 now and looking forward to seeing how well that does conpared to the rest of the alpha class.

O BOY a show down of the 30+ power scopes…

 

[eurotrash]

I just received the March as my first scope and look forward to taking it to the range this weekend.

 

[wooferocau]

Everyones eyes are different but that’s good confirmation when you already have a Schmidt US 3-20 to reference. That little ATACR is quite remarkable, i have an ATACR 7-35 now and looking forward to seeing how well that does conpared to the rest of the alpha class.

The ATACR 7-35 is a great scope !!

 

[Glassaholic]

The ATACR 7-35 is a great scope !!

Not only the ATACR but check this out
I have one more not shown and working on a sixth but that is 50/50 right now (for the mystery 6th scope).

 

[nrspence]

Not only the ATACR but check this out
I have one more not shown and working on a sixth but that is 50/50 right now (for the mystery 6th scope).
View attachment 8368752

It would be nice to see a zeiss LRP S3 6-36x56 added to the mix.

 

[Glassaholic]

It would be nice to see a zeiss LRP S3 6-36x56 added to the mix.

Send me one and I'll include it

 

[shoobe01]

I have two different Steiner T6x (and can therefore testify to their warranty being exceptional: both are free replacements for old Military series where the electronics died: note some warranties have VERY limited electronic timeframes) and some friends have a couple more I have seen extensively, so wanted to say two things:

1. QA is apparently really a thing as ALL those I have or have used are excellent, none of the stiffness etc reported not just here but elsewhere. They should try harder to put out scopes as designed, as I have, every time.
2. The caps on the Steiner are mediocre to actively bad. Not NEARLY enough grabbing area on the scope body and too soft material, so it's fairly easy to fling the entire cap (esp objective on those above their 1-8 model) off while opening it, and I often find them off and laying there in the case.

 

[Burdy]

Send me one and I'll include it

How quickly will you get this review done? Ive got a 4-32 ATACR just for giggles but I don't want to be without it forever.

 

[Glassaholic]

How quickly will you get this review done? Ive got a 4-32 ATACR just for giggles but I don't want to be without it forever.

Maybe for another review but not for this one, 35x top mag minimum

 

[Burdy]

Maybe for another review but not for this one, 35x top mag minimum

Sounds good

 

[kl7883]

amazing write up sir! i love the analytical data. that along side your expertise for the untangibles makes your reviews gold! i am beside myself waiting to see the battle of the high mag scopes. that will be exciting

 

[Denys]

amazing write up sir! i love the analytical data. that along side your expertise for the untangibles makes your reviews gold! i am beside myself waiting to see the battle of the high mag scopes. that will be exciting

High mag? 35x maximum? LOL.

 

[kl7883]

High mag? 35x maximum? L

High mag? 35x maximum? LOL.

for most of us that is.........lol

 

[Sika64]

Damn. Now I have to give serious consideration to the March. Would love a comparison of that and the S&B 6-36.

I'm waiting for this as well, as one of them will be on my rifle before the season

 

[Chiavettas_Yum!]

Any thoughts on similarities and differences between the Steiner and xtr iii?

 

[Peskadot671]

Not only the ATACR but check this out
I have one more not shown and working on a sixth but that is 50/50 right now (for the mystery 6th scope).
View attachment 8368752

I'm curious on how an Element Theos 6-36×56 and ZCO 8-40X56 would stack up. Maybe it's wishful thinking.

 

[eurotrash]

I took the March 4.5-28 to the range yesterday to plink an 8” steel target at 615 yards and I’m glad I didn’t go for any less magnification. 28x was about perfect for that size target at that distance and the wide FOV of the High Master allowed me to see my splashes at max magnification, even under gas gun recoil.

 

[nrspence]

I took the March 4.5-28 to the range yesterday to plink an 8” steel target at 615 yards and I’m glad I didn’t go for any less magnification. 28x was about perfect for that size target at that distance and the wide FOV of the High Master allowed me to see my splashes at max magnification, even under gas gun recoil.

View attachment 8369998

It must have been a mirage free day shooting at 28 power. Glad to hear you are happy with the scope.

 

[eurotrash]

It must have been a mirage free day shooting at 28 power. Glad to hear you are happy with the scope.

I didn’t see any mirage. The temperature was in the 40s and my barrel never heated up to the point it would be an issue. What factors affect mirage?

 

[carbonbased]

I didn’t see any mirage. The temperature was in the 40s and my barrel never heated up to the point it would be an issue. What factors affect mirage?

High humidity (not sure high dew point vs. high relative humidity), warm ground and cooler air, a breeze can help things (esp hot barrel mirage), hot sun hot day, I’m sure there’s more.

 

[carbonbased]

How quickly will you get this review done? Ive got a 4-32 ATACR just for giggles but I don't want to be without it forever.

There isn’t a NF 4-32 ATACR. You mean a 4-32 NX8?

 

[Burdy]

There isn’t a NF 4-32 ATACR. You mean a 4-32 NX8?

Freudian slip. Been thinking about ATACR's too much lately. Yes, 4-32 NX8.

 

[Glassaholic]

There isn’t a NF 4-32 ATACR. You mean a 4-32 NX8?

You haven’t seen the new ATACR 4-32? . That slipped by me too, read ATACR and brain said NX8

 

[pelican]

Excellent in depth write up. At shot show this year I was truly impressed by March offerings. One went up 6-80. The owners and representatives were truly pleasure to speak with. It will be my next purchase. I do own S&B, Leupold, couple others. Great job

 

[Denys]

Excellent in depth write up. At shot show this year I was truly impressed by March offerings. One went up 6-80. The owners and representatives were truly pleasure to speak with. It will be my next purchase. I do own S&B, Leupold, couple others. Great job

I think you're talking about the new March-X 8-80X56 HM Majesta. It's the one with the Titanium finish and black accents. Yes, that is an incredible high magnification riflescope.

 

[TheBigCountry]

Any thoughts on similarities and differences between the Steiner and xtr iii?

Not hijacking @Glassaholic’s thread but to sum it up I have both here (US 3-18 and T6 3-18)

Soon as I can I’m going to do a side by side

Initial impression on the US 3-18 I have is really good.

 

[Glassaholic]

Not hijacking @Glassaholic’s thread but to sum it up I have both here (US 3-18 and T6 3-18)

Soon as I can I’m going to do a side by side

Initial impression on the US 3-18 I have is really good.

When you say US 3-18 I assume you mean the original XTR III 3.3-18x50 that did not have illumination (hence - made in USA), is that right? I would be curious to hear your conclusions.

 

[TheBigCountry]

When you say US 3-18 I assume you mean the original XTR III 3.3-18x50 that did not have illumination (hence - made in USA), is that right? I would be curious to hear your conclusions.

That’s the one

Should be either this weekend or the next I’ll be having them side by side to see what they are like.

 

[Burdy]

@Glassaholic NF last in this regard on your summary but 2nd on the chart. Typo or am I missing something?

Parallax Adjustment Forgiveness: Schmidt 3-20 = March 4.5-28 = Steiner T6Xi 3-18 > Nightforce 4-16

vs

 

[DeathBeforeDismount]

I have two different Steiner T6x (and can therefore testify to their warranty being exceptional: both are free replacements for old Military series where the electronics died: note some warranties have VERY limited electronic timeframes) and some friends have a couple more I have seen extensively, so wanted to say two things:

1. QA is apparently really a thing as ALL those I have or have used are excellent, none of the stiffness etc reported not just here but elsewhere. They should try harder to put out scopes as designed, as I have, every time.
2. The caps on the Steiner are mediocre to actively bad. Not NEARLY enough grabbing area on the scope body and too soft material, so it's fairly easy to fling the entire cap (esp objective on those above their 1-8 model) off while opening it, and I often find them off and laying there in the case.

Why didnt they replace with M series scopes? This is a downgrade.

 

[Glassaholic]

@Glassaholic NF last in this regard on your summary but 2nd on the chart. Typo or am I missing something?

Parallax Adjustment Forgiveness: Schmidt 3-20 = March 4.5-28 = Steiner T6Xi 3-18 > Nightforce 4-16

vs

View attachment 8377823

Oooh, good question, I can see how that would be a bit confusing, I think I need to explain that a little better in my reviews. For the chart here is the description:

Parallax Forgiveness​

Similar to DOF forgiveness, you set your parallax at 500 yards and notice a target at 200 yards is parallax free, and a target at 1000 yards is also parallax free. If parallax is well controlled at 1000 yards, but I transition to 200 yards and notice a lot of movement then this would get a lower number value.

But for the evaluation section here is the description:

Parallax Adjustment Forgiveness: Schmidt 3-20 = March 4.5-28 = Steiner T6Xi 3-18 > Nightforce 4-16​

What exactly is parallax “forgiveness”? I define this as how finicky it is to adjust the parallax dial in order to get parallax properly set for the distance to target from the scope, keep in mind that many think of the parallax dial as more of a “side focus” and indeed that is its primary purpose but you should always check to see if parallax misalignment is apparent even though the image may appear in focus. In a perfect world, when a scope is properly focused it should also be parallax free, but this is not always the case and if you find that you get “in focus” sight pictures but parallax is “off” then you might try fine tuning the diopter slightly to see if that helps settle down parallax (or even improve IQ). The Schmidt, March and Steiner showed excellent forgiveness while the ATACR was very good but required slightly more adjustment for closer targets.

The difference between the two is that with the first I am simply looking at how parallax free the image is from near to far, but in the second section I am identifying when you have to adjust for parallax how finicky is the adjustment itself to get parallax just right, the NF struggled more than the others at closer distances, it wasn't bad by any means but I felt the others were slightly better.

Hopefully that makes sense and thanks for pointing that out.

 

[FRESHPRINCE556]

I can say now that I own the nf atacr 4-16 that the parallax is kinda funny , not that it cant be adjusted properly, its just that the distances dont match the dial very well at 400 yds and over in my experience. My s&b 3-20 us is much accurate compared to actual distances of what's labeled on the dial. And so is my mk5 5-25 and razor lht 4.5-22.

 

[Glassaholic]

I can say now that I own the nf atacr 4-16 that the parallax is kinda funny , not that it cant be adjusted properly, its just that the distances dont match the dial very well at 400 yds and over in my experience. My s&b 3-20 us is much accurate compared to actual distances of what's labeled on the dial. And so is my mk5 5-25 and razor lht 4.5-22.

I would say not to worry too much about the numbers matching, the bigger question is whether or not you can eliminate parallax. It is my understanding that different external conditions can also effect internal behavior (within the scope) so parallax may change slightly from day to day or if you move from 1000' to 10,000' for example. However, it is sometimes possible for the field lens to be out of alignment so if you simply can't get good focus or corrected parallax then it might be worth sending in for warranty. Historically I think Nightforce has been pretty solid with their parallax sleeve so if it really bothers you it might be something warranty services can re-calibrate for you.

 

[dogman]

I know the Steiner has great eyebox forgiveness, but can anyone provide experience on eyebox between the Steiner and the NF NX8 2.5-20x50?

This is for a 600-ish yd 556 carbine. I'm leaning NF if eyebox is passable. I have a 4-16x42 ATACR on myLMT, which is amazing, but I'm trying to glass for a bit less ducats.

 

[alfmoonspace]

Which Steiner?

 

[dogman]

The one in the title of this review.

 

[alfmoonspace]

NX8 for me

 

[Gustav7]

I know the Steiner has great eyebox forgiveness, but can anyone provide experience on eyebox between the Steiner and the NF NX8 2.5-20x50?

This is for a 600-ish yd 556 carbine. I'm leaning NF if eyebox is passable. I have a 4-16x42 ATACR on myLMT, which is amazing, but I'm trying to glass for a bit less ducats.

My buddy has the 2.5-20 on his SPR and I’ve got the T6xi on my bolt gun. His scope does tunnel/shadow after 16x, and personally I felt the glass was noticeably worse in his. He also has an early scope so maybe they’ve fixed some of that.

I did not notice a difference in eyebox, and I do really like the 2.5-20 overall shape, design etc.

For me though, I went with the T6xi

 

[lastshot12]

Great write-up and nice comparison! I really appreciate the hard work you put into this review. Thanks!

 

[Glassaholic]

I know the Steiner has great eyebox forgiveness, but can anyone provide experience on eyebox between the Steiner and the NF NX8 2.5-20x50?

This is for a 600-ish yd 556 carbine. I'm leaning NF if eyebox is passable. I have a 4-16x42 ATACR on myLMT, which is amazing, but I'm trying to glass for a bit less ducats.

Eyebox being "passable" is really up to the "eye of the beholder". I can tell you that the NX8 2.5-20 is finicky; however, plenty don't seem to be bothered by it for many applications. In my opinion the Steiner T6Xi has one of the most forgiving eyebox's in mid range scopes today, but whether or not the NX8 is passable especially if you're range shooting with ideal positional shooting with consistent cheekweld... it may not be that big of an issue.

 

[Magsz18]

That...

Was an amazing review. I absolutely love your style. It was such an easy and enjoyable read.

I just grabbed a Steiner T6XI 5-30. My elevation turret lock knob is way too stiff and adjusts the turret when I activate/deactivate it. I am going to attempt to warranty that as for the price paid, it should feel like the windage locking cap (which is AWESOME btw).

The adjustable points on my T6 don't really feel "damped" like some of my other optics do. They simply spin with a set amount of resistance that is consistent across the board. I kind of wish they felt more premium but they certainly do work.

 

[Jerry S]

Really nice job on the review . Wish I hadn’t read it lol. Ordered my first March scope today (4.5-28). If it’s as good as you say I’ll probably have a couple more. It’s relatively cheap for a tier 1 optic.
Any info on when the 5-42 gen2 will be available?

 

[eurotrash]

Really nice job on the review . Wish I hadn’t read it lol. Ordered my first March scope today (4.5-28). If it’s as good as you say I’ll probably have a couple more. It’s relatively cheap for a tier 1 optic.
Any info on when the 5-42 gen2 will be available?

Cheap? I paid $3150 for my 4.5-28 illuminated Shuriken.

 

[Gustav7]

Cheap? I paid $3150 for my 4.5-28 illuminated Shuriken.

“Relatively cheap for a Tier 1 optic”

It’s less expensive than other tier one optics

 

[Jerry S]

Got the March in today and mounted it. Some first impressions:
Fit and finish is top notch and love all the extras they include.
Turrets are some of the best I’ve spun. They are at Tangent level but do feel different. Zero play and perfect alignment. Elevation and windage feel identical.
Parallax and power are smooth with the appropriate amount of tension.
Optically it is very good. I was able to resolve the individual barbs on a barbwire fence at 300 yards. By this I mean I could distinguish the 4 individual points on each barb. I’ll give some details on this when I have more time to evaluate.
The reticle (LDK) it really good as well. .03 mils seems to be the sweet spot for me. The .025 lines on the J-Tac are almost too fine in certain situations.
I’ll sight it in and check tracking this week in preparation for a 1 day match next weekend. Hopefully have some updates after that.
Thanks Glassaholic for your review.

 

[Glassaholic]

Got the March in today and mounted it. Some first impressions:
Fit and finish is top notch and love all the extras they include.
Turrets are some of the best I’ve spun. They are at Tangent level but do feel different. Zero play and perfect alignment. Elevation and windage feel identical.
Parallax and power are smooth with the appropriate amount of tension.
Optically it is very good. I was able to resolve the individual barbs on a barbwire fence at 300 yards. By this I mean I could distinguish the 4 individual points on each barb. I’ll give some details on this when I have more time to evaluate.
The reticle (LDK) it really good as well. .03 mils seems to be the sweet spot for me. The .025 lines on the J-Tac are almost too fine in certain situations.
I’ll sight it in and check tracking this week in preparation for a 1 day match next weekend. Hopefully have some updates after that.
Thanks Glassaholic for your review.

Happy to help. Let us know how it does in match situation.

 

[Denys]

Got the March in today and mounted it. Some first impressions:
Fit and finish is top notch and love all the extras they include.
Turrets are some of the best I’ve spun. They are at Tangent level but do feel different. Zero play and perfect alignment. Elevation and windage feel identical.
Parallax and power are smooth with the appropriate amount of tension.
Optically it is very good. I was able to resolve the individual barbs on a barbwire fence at 300 yards. By this I mean I could distinguish the 4 individual points on each barb. I’ll give some details on this when I have more time to evaluate.
The reticle (LDK) it really good as well. .03 mils seems to be the sweet spot for me. The .025 lines on the J-Tac are almost too fine in certain situations.
I’ll sight it in and check tracking this week in preparation for a 1 day match next weekend. Hopefully have some updates after that.
Thanks Glassaholic for your review.

I'll be interested in your impressions on the LDK reticle.

 

[stanley_white]

Got the March in today and mounted it. Some first impressions:
Fit and finish is top notch and love all the extras they include.
Turrets are some of the best I’ve spun. They are at Tangent level but do feel different. Zero play and perfect alignment. Elevation and windage feel identical.
Parallax and power are smooth with the appropriate amount of tension.
Optically it is very good. I was able to resolve the individual barbs on a barbwire fence at 300 yards. By this I mean I could distinguish the 4 individual points on each barb. I’ll give some details on this when I have more time to evaluate.
The reticle (LDK) it really good as well. .03 mils seems to be the sweet spot for me. The .025 lines on the J-Tac are almost too fine in certain situations.
I’ll sight it in and check tracking this week in preparation for a 1 day match next weekend. Hopefully have some updates after that.
Thanks Glassaholic for your review.

What is the lowest level of magnification that you think you can use the LDK for wind holds on?

-Stan