Burris XTRII 1-5×24 Review

Recently Burris Optics has discontinued the old XTR tactical line and replaced them with the XTRII. The most notable difference between the two lines is the country of origin. The original line was made in the USA, whereas the new XTRII is made in the Philippines. At first glance these scopes are very similar but as you compare them, you will find they are very different.

When I first heard production had been moved overseas I was a bit disappointed. I have owned other Burris products that were made overseas and while they were decent quality, they were not top quality scopes. I have heard that Burris actually owns the production facility where the XTRII is made,so quality control can be closely regulated. They also have a team of quality control agents in the US that look over every scope before it hits the shelf. Because of these extra steps they’ve taken, I decided to take the plunge and purchase the 1-5×24.

Now the old XTR 1-4 was a good scope in its own right. I have used it a few times and was able to borrow one from my Father for a comparison. I quickly learned that the new XTRII was even better. Every feature of the new line is better. The build quality, glass, reticle, turrets, and the illumination have all been improved with the new model. The magnification was bumped up to 5X instead of 4X while still being a true 1x on the low end. The field of view is larger on the low end as well. All while keeping the new scope a little shorter length than the old version. The only negative I can see with the new scope is that it is about 5 ounces heavier than the old scope. In my opinion 5 ounces is not going to break it for me so it’s a non-issue.

Most of the extra weight is probably because of the new turret design. Burris teamed up with Steiner to design the new turrets and they are great. They are 1/10 MRAD adjustments with a zero stop function. The zero stop is a “hard stop” not a shim system like other scopes in its price range. They are the easiest to set I have ever used. Once you loosen the elevation turret cap and set back to zero, tighten the two screws back down that hold the turret cap on.  That’s it. You have just set the zero stop. Now when you dial out past your zero, you can quickly dial back to zero without thinking about it. The windage turret is marked both left and right directions as well as being rotation limited. You cannot dial past one revolution over your zero. This is a nice feature as I personally will never touch the windage turret again. Once I zero, I prefer to dial my elevation and hold for wind.

Not only do the turrets function great but they feel good also. They have a nice knurled texture that is easy to grip but does not feel too aggressive. They are tactile and audible when making adjustments. They also turn just stiff enough to not have to worry about them getting bumped out of adjustment but without being too hard to turn.

This particular scope appealed to me because of the exposed MRAD turrets and matching reticle. I chose the CQ MIL reticle, instead of the 5.56 BDC reticle, that Burris also offers. I feel that a reticle matching the adjustments of the scope is very important and also gives a lot more flexibility when shooting different loads and different conditions.  The reticle in this scope is a huge improvement over the old design. The original XTR had hash marks for windage and elevation that were too large and thick in my opinion. They drowned out the main part of the reticle which is the upside down horseshoe in the center of the reticle. The new XTRII still has the same horseshoe design but the windage and elevation hash marks are appropriately sized in relation to it. The center horseshoe stands out better as the primary way to acquire your target quickly. The center dot is also small enough for a precise aiming point even at distance. So far I have used the XTRII from 50 to 300 yards and found the reticle design works great at all distances in between. The windage and elevation holds are fine enough to use effectively but are not so small that they are hard to see. This was the major complaint I had with the Vortex PST 1-4 that I used to own. The subtentions were so fine they were hard to use. The Burris XTRII has done a great job finding the right balance needed to use the reticle at extended distances. This feature is pretty important to me in this scope and what I will be using it for. Even though it has exposed turrets, I will mainly be using this scope within 300 yards. It is mounted on a 14.5” carbine so I will probably hold using the reticle most of the time rather than dial a correction into the turrets.

The illumination is also better on this new line of scopes. The old XTR’s highest setting is equal to a setting of 5 on the new XTRII. After that you have another 6 brightness settings above the old model to use. To say they are “daylight bright” is an understatement. Fortunately it can also be adjusted low enough to use in low light situations as well. The illumination settings of this new scope are probably the widest and most effective range of brightness settings that I’ve seen on a rifle scope. Kudos are due to the designers of the illumination.

While comparing these two scopes I tried to keep an unbiased opinion as to the glass quality. Without an objective way to measure the differences this is just my opinion, but what I noticed surprised me. The new XTRII glass was better than the old US made version. It was brighter and the images were clearer and crisper. I was glad to see a scope in this price range, made in the Philippines, deliver as good of an image as it did.

Build quality was also a welcome sight. All of the controls turn smooth and precise as it should with no complaints on how they feel. I guess if I had one complaint about this scope it would be the magnification ring. It is smooth in feel but it cannot be turned up from 1X to 5X as quickly as some other scopes I have used. I find myself having to turn it halfway and then reposition my hand to make another turn to finish adjusting the magnification. Again it’s not a deal breaker as I am being very picky with this complaint. I know there is at least one aftermarket company already making a “cat tail” throw lever for these scopes to combat this.

As Burris’ new flagship line of scopes, the XTRII is said to be tough, durable and dependable. Only time will tell, but it looks like they have a real winner on their hands. I am glad they choose to move production and give us a better product at a competitive price.

Reblogged with permission from Lands and Grooves

Leupold Mark 6 3-18×44 TMR

For years, Leupold has relied on the success of their Mark 4 line of scopes to fill the needs of Precision Rifle shooters around the world. It has been said, they have fallen behind the times, and have been overpassed by other companies who have been making better scopes to compete in the marketplace. Companies like Vortex, Nightforce, and Bushnell have captured quite a bit of the market share as of late and sent Leupold back the drawing board.

In response, Leupold created the Mark 6 and Mark 8 lines of optics. They boast a 6x and 8x power ratio respectively, have vastly improved the glass quality, and are now offering features that many shooters are looking for today. Features include First Focal Plane reticles, matching reticles/ turret adjustments, and many different reticle choices.

I have been using a Mark 6 for a few months now and I have to say I am very impressed with this optic. The glass is exceptional. Clarity and resolution are on par with many other high end tactical scopes costing $2,000.00 to $3,000.00. The size and weight of the Mark 6 is what really sets it apart. At just 11.9 inches in length and just 23.6 ounces it is one of the smallest and lightest scopes in its class. It also has a 44mm objective lens which allows the user to mount the scope low if needed.  All of these features are built on a 34mm maintube which allows for 100 MOA of elevation adjustment.

The model I chose, is part number 115943, and has Leupold’s TMR reticle. This has become my favorite reticle out of any tactical scope I have used. It is a Gen2 style, Mil-based reticle with hash marks every .5 Mil. There are also 4 sections of hash marks that are spaced at .2 Mils for more accurate measurements with the reticle. Each section is placed at the outer edge of the vertical and horizontal lines of the reticle. The TMR also has an open center aperture for a precise aiming point. Previously, I had no experience with an open center reticle, but I have really grown to like it.

The Mark 6 has a lockable diopter adjustment on the eyepiece and a side-focus parallax adjustment. Both have a smooth feel and are easy to adjust. The eyepiece incorporates a large, 1 ¾ inch long, magnification ring that is very easy to manipulate. The adjustment ring has multiple coarse flutes that run the length of the ring. These flutes aid in making adjustments with or without gloves quickly.

The turrets on the Mark 6 are one of the things that attracted me to this scope. They are .1 Milliradian adjustments to match the subtentions of the Mil-based reticle. Their design was something I was looking for in a scope since I often deer hunt with the rifle it was for. Leupold designed it as a Military and Law Enforcement scope with features that also work well for hunting.

The windage turret is capped which is a feature I prefer. Most Precision Rifle shooters will dial their elevation adjustments and use the reticle to “hold” for windage adjustments while shooting. Wind is something that is constantly changing while shooting at longer distances. Instead of trying to make adjustments on fly it is faster to hold with the reticle. Once the scope was initially zeroed, the windage cap was screwed into place and has stayed in there for the remainder of its use.

The elevation turret uses Leupold’s pinch-lock system for making adjustments. It is a double turn, 10 Mil turret, that also features a revolution counter to let you know when you are on the second revolution. After rotating the turret to the second revolution, a small nub will protrude through the top of the turret. Once you dial back to the first revolution the nub will disappear back into the turret.

The lower indicator ring is resettable for zeroing the scope. Leupold also offers custom rings from their Custom Shop when your load data is provided. The elevation turret also features a “zero stop” which allows you to return to zero after making adjustments. To get back to zero there is no need to look at the turret when dialing back down. Simply pinch the turret locks and dial down until the turret stops.

The locking turrets were a big factor in choosing this scope over others on the market. After using it for a while I have found it works but it is somewhat complicated. Due to the design of the pinch sections of the turret, I have found there are times when you have to reposition your hand to make an adjustment. Depending on where the turret is turned when you make an adjustment, it may not be in a natural position to do it quickly. It has audible clicks as you make an adjustment but does not feel as tactile as other scopes I have used. As you turn the turret, it just seems to glide through the adjustments. The feel of the turret is something that has to be experienced to know if it may be an issue for the individual user. There was also a little bit of play I experienced in the turret as it is locked. Without pinching the locks you can wiggle the turret a bit. It does not affect what place you are in on the dial, as it does not change the adjustment of turret, unless you pinch the locks to turn it. I have seen others report this same issue with their samples of the scope, but none have reported any problems.

I have found that despite the intricacies of the elevation turret, the scope tracks accurately and returns to zero as it should. The very minor issues I have with the elevation turret could also be attributed to the limited experience I have with locking turrets. I have found that the more I use it the more comfortable I become with it. Leupold also offers other models with a more simple elevation turret, but they include features such as illumination and reticle choices that cause the price to skyrocket.

Overall I think the Mark 6 scopes are a big improvement over the aging Mark 4 line of scopes. They offer a lot of new features and glass quality that puts in competition with scopes such as Schmidt & Bender, US Optics and more. It’s good to see Leupold stepping up to the plate and giving customers what they have been asking for.

 

Reblogged with permission from andsandgroovesblog.wordpress.com