I don't see much here on this topic. Wondering if anyone has experience with, and can compare to other scopes, like Bushnell LRTS, DMR-2, Vortex PST Gen 2, NF SHV, etc.
thanks.
thanks.
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Rifle Scopes What about the Burris XTR-II
- Thread starter longshot2000
- Start date
I have experience with the 1-5x, it rocks. I just got a 4-20 and it looks good but i havent taken it to the range yet. It beats my friends Vortex PST, not quite at Athlon Cronus or Vortex Razor levels but id say (at the risk of being shunned) it's %90 of a higher end scope, for %50 of the cost.
About 8 months ago the topic on the Burris Xtr2 was beaten to a pulp. The money was spent by Burris to have an Optic in the 1k range that has perfect tracking and a good reticle. The SCR Burris xtr2 is that scope. But if your only spending 1k then something else has to suffer. The glass. The two that I've owned was pretty bad. The glass is milky to look through. It's not absolute sharpness or bright you see. There was a ton of Chromatic Aberration also. If you have one you'll be pleased that it tracks like a monster! But if you find yourself having a hard time concentrating or getting a headache looking through it. There's a reason. I sent one of mine back to Burris because it was so bad. I was so excited to get it back. And it was the exact same. Sad story. My advice is pay a little more for vortex or Athlon Cronus or literally just about anything and you will be in a better scope. Just make sure it tracks.
Yes i would say, the Athlon Cronus is a great buy as well. I could very barely tell the difference between the Cronus and the Vortex Razor. While i still think the Razor Gen 2 has better glass, the Cronus isnt far behind, and the Cronus can be had for much less than a Razor.
Honestly i think either A: Burris XTR2 scopes are very hit or miss on getting one with good glass quality, or B: some people's eyes see things differently than others, and Burris glass simply doesn't do it for some. I dont know why, but to me, Burris glass is just fine, while at the same time, i hear plenty of people do not like Burris glass at all.
Honestly the best way to tell is to look thru them firsthand, but alas... That is simply not a possibility all the time.
So for the time being id say, buy what your budget allows, if you can shell out a few hundred more, go for the Athlon, if not, give Burris a try. Don't mount it, take it outside and look down it in various light conditions and various distances. If you like what you see, keep it! If not, you may be able to return it, or sell it in the PX. They sell fast and hold their value pretty well!
Honestly i think either A: Burris XTR2 scopes are very hit or miss on getting one with good glass quality, or B: some people's eyes see things differently than others, and Burris glass simply doesn't do it for some. I dont know why, but to me, Burris glass is just fine, while at the same time, i hear plenty of people do not like Burris glass at all.
Honestly the best way to tell is to look thru them firsthand, but alas... That is simply not a possibility all the time.
So for the time being id say, buy what your budget allows, if you can shell out a few hundred more, go for the Athlon, if not, give Burris a try. Don't mount it, take it outside and look down it in various light conditions and various distances. If you like what you see, keep it! If not, you may be able to return it, or sell it in the PX. They sell fast and hold their value pretty well!
I have a bunch of them. They've been bulletproof.
It's one of the most durable scopes on the market. Mechanically they are rock solid. Glass is more than sufficient for everything I have used them for. I hunt year round and shoot PRS matches pretty much about 3 weekends out of 4 the last couple months, and the next couple months to come. One major match a month pretty much.. Not to mention I have a couple 1-8's on my 3 Gun rifles (that's my 4th weekend).
You'll see a few folks beat them up on a glass. The Burris is usually about $500 or more less money than the optics it gets compared to. But I've seen tons of these out there. I talk to everyone I see using one, and I have been following them religiously for over 3 years now. And the very large majority of people are very happy with this scope. I've never met anyone in person who had a complaint about their scope.
Burris has been selling these as fast as they can make them for over 3 years. And there doesn't appear to be any signs of it letting up. It's by far the best value in it's price range. They have a bulletproof warranty and excellent customer service. You can buy with confidence.
It's one of the most durable scopes on the market. Mechanically they are rock solid. Glass is more than sufficient for everything I have used them for. I hunt year round and shoot PRS matches pretty much about 3 weekends out of 4 the last couple months, and the next couple months to come. One major match a month pretty much.. Not to mention I have a couple 1-8's on my 3 Gun rifles (that's my 4th weekend).
You'll see a few folks beat them up on a glass. The Burris is usually about $500 or more less money than the optics it gets compared to. But I've seen tons of these out there. I talk to everyone I see using one, and I have been following them religiously for over 3 years now. And the very large majority of people are very happy with this scope. I've never met anyone in person who had a complaint about their scope.
Burris has been selling these as fast as they can make them for over 3 years. And there doesn't appear to be any signs of it letting up. It's by far the best value in it's price range. They have a bulletproof warranty and excellent customer service. You can buy with confidence.
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Compared to a Vortex PST 1st Gen the Burris has been much better. I can't compare it to the second gen. I like mine, I have 3 of them. I think for a $1000 scope there hard to beat. Only thing to beat them with is a $2000+ scope.
Thanks. That is a very good and seemingly fair reply. After posting this thread, I was able to find a few topics in the last year (search was not helpful, had to go page by page). I would say your assessment is on the more unflattering that I have read, but it is helpful. I have a number of high-end scopes (pretty much all of them). I am trying to find a fit for a mid-range (up to 16x or so) magnification that has reasonable construction and glass. Right now, I am looking at the Burris XRT-II, PST Gen 2 (I have new Razor at 27x), and design is lacking; Bushnell LRTS or DMR-2. I have read many good things on the Athalon, but there is much more magnification than I want. I am surprised there is not a Chonros quality Athalon in the mid-magnification range, or maybe there is and I am not finding it...
I like my Bushnell lrst so far, it's better than my old Leopold spotting scope. I did the box test and returned to zero fine. ALSO I have a few Burris scopes that have been mistreated and hold up fine. Dropped into barrels, on tables, on the dirt. NO issues, I like my Burris optics...
If you listen to people around here they will make you think the xtrii glass is no better than taping two coke bottles together.
I must have gotten the only good one good they've ever produced because I've also compared it against my LRHS, AMG, and vortex gen 1 and while there are some differences in clarity it's not that much. Maybe if you shoot hours a day everyday it would be more noticeable but I'm not lucky enough to have that luxury.
solid scope, decent glass, it's a winner.
I must have gotten the only good one good they've ever produced because I've also compared it against my LRHS, AMG, and vortex gen 1 and while there are some differences in clarity it's not that much. Maybe if you shoot hours a day everyday it would be more noticeable but I'm not lucky enough to have that luxury.
solid scope, decent glass, it's a winner.
I have had a 1.5-8 and 3-15. I really liked them for the price point; built like a tank, mil/mil, zero stop, good reticle options, FFP, and repeatable. Glass is so subjective and I personally think the margins people complain about are so close it really comes down to each individual's preferences. Because of this, I try and keep glass out of my decisions pertaining to scopes. Both XTRIIs I have had are on the same playing field glass wise as my NXS. And you have never heard anyone complain about the glass in the NXS...
I finally got chance to compare my XTR II 5-25x50 scope to my XTR II 4-20X50 scope Ihad reported on in the old thread. At that time I reported that the glass compared favorably to my NF NXS 5-22X50 scope. I am happy to report that the new scope was just as good as my 4-20X50 scope. Parallax was dead on at the 100 yard mark, crystal clear to the edges and no chromatic aberration noticed. I still have 1 more 5-25X50 XTR II to mount and check out when the weather here in the mountains of AZ drop below 100 in July, hopefully. Hope this helps those wanting an XTR II. All 3 scopes have the SCR reticle which I like a lot.
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By the way, you mentioned looking for an Athlon scope that fits the bill, the Athlon Ares is supposed to have HD glass, and comes in I believe the 3-15 and 4.5-27 range or something like that I'm not sure. The 3-15 would work for you if over 20x is too much. Pricing on those is about the same as a Burris XTR 2 after using the rebate Burris currently has going ($100 bucks back if you buy before August).
For a while I contemplated between the Ares and the XTR 2. I decided to go the XTR 2 route simply because the Burris has a 34mm tube, a tough workhorse reputation, tracking reputation is solid, I prefer the SCR reticle over the Athlon APLR, and if I changed my mind, they hold their value very well.
For a while I contemplated between the Ares and the XTR 2. I decided to go the XTR 2 route simply because the Burris has a 34mm tube, a tough workhorse reputation, tracking reputation is solid, I prefer the SCR reticle over the Athlon APLR, and if I changed my mind, they hold their value very well.
Good points, and you are correct, the Burris XTR-II with the rebate is competitively priced. The Burris, PST-2 and Ares all come within $75 of each other (street price, Hide discounts). Bushnell is a bit higher, but that is because I missed the 25% off sale.
I have since (the above posting) been looking with interest at the Ares. I like what I am seeing. The Ares literature and Website is very confusing. What is lacking is a real comparison of the various brands. What I have leaned is the Ares and Cronos are the only FFP scopes. The Ares and "below" are made in China, and the Cronos is made in Japan. Just not sure what that means in terms of quality. I mean, iPhone is made in China, as are GM cars and many high-end pianos. With proper engineering and quality control, Made in China does not always = bad. We have just seen it alot in optics, like lower-end Vortex, which I don't know why they even brand the Sparc and others Vortex (hurts the brand, in my opinion). When I look at the specs, there is only one small difference listed in the Ares v. Cronos, and it is the nomenclature of the coating, and the fact that the Cronos only comes in one magnification.
With so many universally good comments on the Cronos, I am leaning toward the Ares.Still open to commentary. Thanks.
If you are stepping up into the Cronus price range, the TX5i, DMRII, or a used ERS are also worth a look. I haven't used the Cronus to compare it to the rest, but they can all be had for a couple hundred less. The TX5i is my favorite of the bunch that I have used, they all worked the same though.
Ya thats the main problem is the Ares isnt really out there yet. If you dont mind the wait, im sure more comprehensive comparisons between it and the XTR2 will pop up. If you dont want to wait though, then the XTR2 is the best choice for the given budget imo.
I doubt you would be dissapointed with either. But at this point the Ares is so close to coming out (hopefully) maybe itd be best to wait and see first. So far ive heard only good things about it. But then again, same goes for the Burris when it first came out. Then... If you wait for the Ares, might as well see what they say about the PST Gen 2 as well lol... (I heard PST Gen 2 had slightly better glass than XTR2, but it does cost more too) Tough choice. Not a bad problem to have though, to think how far $1000 optics have come in such short time! Enjoy these moments lol. Good luck!
I doubt you would be dissapointed with either. But at this point the Ares is so close to coming out (hopefully) maybe itd be best to wait and see first. So far ive heard only good things about it. But then again, same goes for the Burris when it first came out. Then... If you wait for the Ares, might as well see what they say about the PST Gen 2 as well lol... (I heard PST Gen 2 had slightly better glass than XTR2, but it does cost more too) Tough choice. Not a bad problem to have though, to think how far $1000 optics have come in such short time! Enjoy these moments lol. Good luck!
I recently purchased the 3-15 SCR XTR 2, I have bushy HDMR's and an LRTS. I had an LRHS and traded it for a Vortex razor 1-6. I am very partial to the LRTS and it's become my favorite scope. I used the xtr2 this weekend on a coyote hunting trip and shot it out to 1125 yards. It tracked well. The glass was good and I had no problem seeing coyote at distance with the optic. I killed 2 yotes with it at 110 and 330 yards. The mag range is good for my type of hunting. The scr reticle is good for precise aiming.
The zero stop is easy to set however I prefer the zero stop on the LRTS/LRHS. The XTR 2 turrets have a spring under them and you have to tighten the set screws down pretty good or the turret will walk out during use and will lose your zero stop setting. Luckily this happened while target shooting and I caught it before hunting. The turret clicks feel ok but due to spring tension they require more muscle to turn than the Bushnell turrets.
All in all I liked the XTR more the more I used it. I will keep in on my Yote rifle and I feel I can recommend it.
The zero stop is easy to set however I prefer the zero stop on the LRTS/LRHS. The XTR 2 turrets have a spring under them and you have to tighten the set screws down pretty good or the turret will walk out during use and will lose your zero stop setting. Luckily this happened while target shooting and I caught it before hunting. The turret clicks feel ok but due to spring tension they require more muscle to turn than the Bushnell turrets.
All in all I liked the XTR more the more I used it. I will keep in on my Yote rifle and I feel I can recommend it.
XTR-1 is second focal plain, mil/moa. I would pass, with the XTRII not that much more.
The XTR II glass is not terrible, it isn't fantastic.
There are scopes with better glass in the price range, but none with the feature set.
I have not had a problem with being able to see the target with the 3-15 I use.
There are scopes with better glass in the price range, but none with the feature set.
I have not had a problem with being able to see the target with the 3-15 I use.
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I have one of each XTRII except the 1.5-8. I have really become partial to the 1-8 for autos and the 4-20 for the bolt guns. Above 20x, the 5-25 does have some optical deficiency as compared to the better (and usually $1000+ more in cost) glass in the higher end scopes. Why I stick to the 4-20, and I rarely use even 20x. The Burris XTRII is a lot of scope for the money and brings it into the realm of the working man who can't plunk down $3k+ on a piece of glass. Also opens to door to many newer shooters. Last precision match I shot, one of the guys on my squad, who is a skilled top tier shooter, had all the best gear and glass. I am guessing his rig was in the $13K range all in. His score on a few stages was bested by guys with rigs in the $2.5K range, with XTRIIs.
While "glass quality" is dependant on the conditions and to some degree, people's vision, IMHO, the folks who say that the Burris has poor glass have roosted on the only feature that is somewhat subjective and are highly skewed by their choices to have much more expensive glass on their rifles. That is certainly their prerogative, but going too far, either way, is disingenuous and won't help someone like the OP trying to make an informed choice.
While "glass quality" is dependant on the conditions and to some degree, people's vision, IMHO, the folks who say that the Burris has poor glass have roosted on the only feature that is somewhat subjective and are highly skewed by their choices to have much more expensive glass on their rifles. That is certainly their prerogative, but going too far, either way, is disingenuous and won't help someone like the OP trying to make an informed choice.
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I'm looking hard at the XTR II 1-8x and the Vortex Gen II PST 1-6x. Since I plan to mount it on a .308 Scar 17s I am currently leaning towards the XTR II for the extra 2x and 34mm tube. Feature set between them is very similar and I expect the glass to also be about the same. Just waiting to hear from folks that have looked through them both.
-Cuz
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-Cuz
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From what I've seen, the XTR II's seem to have good turrets and the tracking was spot on. Pretty sure it was the 4-20, but it could have been a 5-25. I only was able to use it for a few minutes, as it was someone else's rig, but the glass was the negative take away from that experience.
Was it useable, sure, but the CA and overall image quality was a far cry from the SIII and Razor Gen 1 that I had just been using. It was a very noticeable difference. It's for this reason that I'm puzzled how the XTRII glass could remotely be compared to a NF NXS as mentioned in earlier posts. To me, the NXS and Razor are close as far as glass, with the NXS having just slightly better resolution when I compared them side by side. I'm not trying to besmudge anyone's opinions or statements, as I've included my own opinions as well, but I just can't imagine that there's that much variability in the glass that they use in the XTRII.
Was it useable, sure, but the CA and overall image quality was a far cry from the SIII and Razor Gen 1 that I had just been using. It was a very noticeable difference. It's for this reason that I'm puzzled how the XTRII glass could remotely be compared to a NF NXS as mentioned in earlier posts. To me, the NXS and Razor are close as far as glass, with the NXS having just slightly better resolution when I compared them side by side. I'm not trying to besmudge anyone's opinions or statements, as I've included my own opinions as well, but I just can't imagine that there's that much variability in the glass that they use in the XTRII.
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