Steiner T6xi

I just hate to see individuals bite the hands that feed the site information and products. We are all adults..( well.....mostly anyway...) and there is a lot more to be gained by acting like it. I am grateful that the vendors on this site are free to enter a discussion forum and tell us what they have. Too many times - the things I need are out of stock everywhere.
 
Ignoring the price difference, why would one choose the 3-18 over the 5-30? Is it mainly for the wider FOV at low magnification? How usable is the MSR2 reticle at 3x? Seems like the weight is essentially the same. Will they both look the same at the same magnification (like clarity or FOV)?
 
Ignoring the price difference, why would one choose the 3-18 over the 5-30? Is it mainly for the wider FOV at low magnification? How usable is the MSR2 reticle at 3x? Seems like the weight is essentially the same. Will they both look the same at the same magnification (like clarity or FOV)?
The increased FOV is definitely one advantage to the 3-18. For general target observation and awareness at closer ranges, that’s a big plus. The MSR2 reticle horizontal stadia lines do converge on center enough to effectively bracket a torso or animal sized target at close range.

Probably the biggest reason to choose the 3-18 over the 5-30 is if the user intends to mount a clip-on night optic in front of it. The 3-18 is over 2” shorter in length.
 
Have had both. Length and weight is the biggest deal. I went with the bigger one for my one application as it was within a fraction of an inch of the length of my previous 4-16x scope, so the clipon worked still but it is a big scope, so not all guns will have that much rail space.

Weight as well. If you have to carry it around, more bulk and mass of course. It's noticeable.

3x vs 5x bottom end is a big difference. You can do short range (down to 50 yds) work with the 3x, but 5 is really pushing it for even 100 yd. Remember you may want to practice, etc on short ranges so keep that in mind also if it meets ALL your needs not just the ideal cases.
 
Ignoring the price difference, why would one choose the 3-18 over the 5-30? Is it mainly for the wider FOV at low magnification? How usable is the MSR2 reticle at 3x? Seems like the weight is essentially the same. Will they both look the same at the same magnification (like clarity or FOV)?
Intended use: If I were outfitting a hunting trip, I would not bring a 5-30 scope, but a 3-18 should cover just about any circumstance I would realistically encounter. If I were shooting targets off a bench at 1000 yards, I would not pick a 3-18 over the 5-30.

What shoobe01 posted just above is very relevant. I took a 6.5-20 scope hunting a couple decades ago - when the deer came up through the woods close - All I could see was brown fur at first. lol
I switched to a .45-70 lever gun with a 1.5-6 scope when hunting woods after that and found it much better for that purpose.

3-18 ought to be a great all around scope. 5-30 is more of a special purpose scope. I own the 5-30 because I had a special purpose in mind. I would definitely get the 1-6, 2.5-15, or 3-18 for other purposes, though. 3-18 ought to be about perfect for an elk hunt, covering close up and distance shots. Just my two cents.
 
Is the general consensus Steiner hit a home run with this one and all the issues from the T5 have been corrected?
I have never shot a T5, but I am really enjoying my T6Xi, and it is better than three other scopes I have used on borrowed precision rifles. I have only a limited experience, though, compared to a lot of folks here.
 
I forgot - I also borrowed a rifle with, I think, a Bushnell - I think it was the Elite Tactical XRS3, but I can't swear to it. The magnification went up to 36, which was nice for far out shooting. The glass was about as clear as the Steiner, but the reticle I felt got in the way (G4P Precision reticle) of my vision a little. I don't want to comment much on reticles, though, because that is personal to each person, and maybe you like that one and not the one I got (SCR2 Mil)

I could be mistaken about which Bushnell it was - how many go up to 36 magnification?

I would not have complained about the Bushnell. It did what I asked of it all the way out to 1200 yards. The glass was clear. I just like my Steiner better. I am not qualified to do a thorough scope review comparing different attributes (CA, IQ - whatever that is) like some others do on here. I just know that while the Vortexes did not appear to even be in the same league when picking out and shooting targets during competitions, the Bushnell was in the same league, if that description makes sense. If I had to pick one of the two, I would definitely go with the Steiner, as better, but the difference would be hard to describe for me. If I already had the Bushnell, I would stick with it for the near future.
 
I have looked through and fired just a couple to half a dozen rounds out of a few other scopes, Kahles and Nightforce both come to mind, and one Vortex that was nice (nicer than the others), but I do not know which one it was. All three of those were nice to look through and shoot, but I did not have more than a few minutes of experience with each them. I do not know the difference between the one Vortex and the others, but I imagine that they have a range of scopes, prices, and quality, and the one I liked is maybe different from the others that I had more experience with.
 
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Got my 2.5-15x50 today, excited to see how it performs. I like how the turrets lock and unlock. It’s going on a hunting rifle a Tikka T3 with a bartlein barrel chamber in 6.5x55 AI.
 
Asked if we could change reticles in the 2.5-15 and they said no.

I want the msr in it for hunting though i guess the scr would suffice. Still wish it was lighter
 
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Got my 2.5-15x50 today, excited to see how it performs. I like how the turrets lock and unlock. It’s going on a hunting rifle a Tikka T3 with a bartlein barrel chamber in 6.5x55 AI.


So, that one bolt right in the center of the elevation turret, right there on top. What happens if you use an allen wrench to loosen it, and then you cannot get it tight again?

Um . . . asking for a friend.
 
Sounds like user error if someone takes an Allen wrench and loosens it.

Tell your friend to call Steiner on Monday.
 
I’m sure glad your friend has a friend like you to help him out.

I’d be interested to see what Steiner has to say. It seems like if you could loosen it you should be able to tighten it. I can’t imagine loosening it would strip threads or damage the hex head. I wonder what internally the bolt screws into.
 
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It doesn't feel stripped at all. It was snug. Loosened, and then it just does not tighten. I don't know what that bolt even does, maybe hold the lock/unlock switch on top of the turret? Nothing else feels loose or anything. The elevation turret locks and unlocks like it is supposed to.
 
Nice. Let us know what you think of it and maybe how it compares to what you have now.
For sure. It’ll be a minute just cause i don’t have a mount. Right now optics i have on hand to compare it to are a Gen III 6-36, mk5 3.6-18 and an NXS 3.5-15. AMG is back in Ms. Buddy of mine here has a tangent and some atacrs/NX8s so hopefully we can all get to the range one day.

Plan is to put this on my MWS