Rifle Scopes 3 gun, is daylight bright illume a big advantage???

[steve123]

Locally we'll be having 3 gun matches 3-4 times a year now, yay!

I'll be competing in TO division and have both pistol and shotgun covered and have an AR, currently without sights on it.

As of right now I'm trying to pick a 1-?. How much I am willing to spend depends on a few things but let's say I can consider a $1500 scope, used or new, but would rather spend as little as possible/???. Our range only has 200Y as the farthest distance, the thing is for me is my eyes aren't the best so I might need to take advantage of 8x to help self spot. I used a RD in our first match and had trouble seeing where I missed when shooting at the farthest small steel. Well, using a PS 90 in the wind didn't help at that distance either, but it was a fun try, lol, so lesson learned! I had to try it once at least!!!

If you've used a 1-? for 3 gun on the paper stages that didn't have daylight bright illume, did you feel like you were hindered or at a disadvantage at all, is it a top priority a bright dot?

One other consideration is I'll be using this AR with the new scope out to 800Y on occasion.

I briefly owned a Athlon Midas 1-6x24. Just wish it had had 8x and daylight bright illume, otherwise I liked it a lot, it's a $529 MAP scope.

If you would please recommend what scopes you like, but for sure what you like or don't like about it, or other 1-?'s you've tried.

 

[davsco]

yes an illuminated and visible reticle helps get on the targets faster. a pretty popular scope (i have and use and like) is the razor hd 1-6 with jm reticle. before that i used a trijicon 1-4 with green dot. moved to the 1-6 to get more magnification for the further targets. 1-8 is definitely coming into play more now, more magnification usually helps except for your wallet.

my advice is hit your next match and just ask everyone to look thru their scopes and see what you like best. what you like/want may not match up with folks here or elsewhere on the net.

 

[pineoak]

A red dot optic or variable without daytime brightness is basically an etched reticle in bright daylight.

 

[Birddog6424]

I have to humbly disagree with the above.

In all my years as an avid 3 gunner and RO, I have never seen illumination make a difference regardless of the skill of the shooter. And here is why.

Hoser targets are simply that, hoser targets. You wont move any faster with illumination because seeing your target and getting the reticle on it is simple. They are a close target. More importantly, you will gain no time or lose no time over your competitors on these targets. Everyone blows through them from amateur to professional. They are easy, just point and pull the trigger as fast as you can. Rifle target time is made up and lost on long range targets, smaller targets between 50 and 200 yards, or trick targets (plate racks, Texas stars, spinners), none of which will be aided by illumination. It's about accuracy, less misses equals faster time.

Long range targets and trick targets are the biggest time eaters on the rifle, by a landslide. That's what you need to focus on. There is no edge to be gained on targets inside 25 yards. Honestly there is no reason to even practice them. Watch a 3 Gun nation match and see how fast all those guys go throw the close up stuff. No one is any faster than the other. It's the longer, or smaller stuff that separates them.

I'm on my second 1-6 Razor, and I like it. However I would caution against a crosshair dot of that nature. It's fine for hosers, but it's in the way for small targets at 100 to 200 yards, or longer range targets. I have never cared for a dot partially obscuring my target. Look for a fine center crosshair or floating dot while using an LPV so as to better see the target.

Just my two bits.

 

[LA260]

I think its better to have daylight bright at least for me. Makes it easier to transition from target to target. I have XTRii 1-5 CQ mil on my 3gun and it's as bright as red dot. Love it!. You can always turn down the brightness if it's too bright. Only issue with XTRii is that it's only 1-5 so if you're also thinking about shooting to 800yds it's not the best choice.

 

[rtpguy]

I like having the daylight bright dot/reticle for 3 gun, but it will really depend on your particular matches as well as ranges and environments.
The 'hoser' targets inside of 20-25 yards are still IMO easier and quicker with a dot, moreso if your choice of match includes headshots or in some cases, darker backgrounds.

On the distance parts of stages, we'd go out to ~300yards or so, and for me, the same applies there although nearly all of the distance targets had some brush/growth around them, making solely a dark reticle more likely to blend in a bit.

With a well designed reticle that works for the type of 3 gun match stages you shoot in, you can certainly minimize the 'need' for a daylight bright reticle, but YMMV. I like having it myself, moreso as I'll occasionally run some indoor matches which are somewhat dimly lit but w/out running a rifle mounted light.

A must? No.
Does it make life easier/faster - certainly in at least some cases.

FWIW, I run a VX6 1-6 w/Firedot SPR reticle. Unsure of the latest gen reticles, but the dot is the only illuminated part, and it's daylight bright. Have done some runs with a Razor HD 1-6/JM reticle and a handful of others, just haven't seen a real 'need' to lose the Leupold to date, although I'm considering giving the Minox ZP8 a try (not sure I'd call this daylight bright, but will see).

 

[californiasushi]

IMHO it depends on the reticle design and how fast you can pick it up. It's hard to pick up a FFP 1-nx scope without daytime bright illumination since at 1x the reticles tend to be thin with a fine aiming point. It really helps to have daytime bright illumination to pick up the reticle quickly and easily in all lighting and target (shaded or not, etc) conditions on a FFP scope. With a SFP scope, some scopes could be run quite easily without illumination such as the Burris TAC-30/MTAC 1-4x. The reticle stood out very easily and quickly drew your eye even without illumination, which was good because the illumination sucked anyways. If the reticle on a SFP scope is a little more sparse it'd be harder to pick up at speed without daytime bright illumination. That being said I much prefer daytime bright illumination on any 1-nx scope we have.

 

[steve123]

yes an illuminated and visible reticle helps get on the targets faster. a pretty popular scope (i have and use and like) is the razor hd 1-6 with jm reticle. before that i used a trijicon 1-4 with green dot. moved to the 1-6 to get more magnification for the further targets. 1-8 is definitely coming into play more now, more magnification usually helps except for your wallet.

my advice is hit your next match and just ask everyone to look thru their scopes and see what you like best. what you like/want may not match up with folks here or elsewhere on the net.

Most of the guys at my 3gun shoot had cheap 1-4's so that wouldn't work at my local but that is a great idea nevertheless.

People keep mentioning the Razor so that is becoming a strong consideration.

Thanks

 

[steve123]

I have to humbly disagree with the above.

In all my years as an avid 3 gunner and RO, I have never seen illumination make a difference regardless of the skill of the shooter. And here is why.

Hoser targets are simply that, hoser targets. You wont move any faster with illumination because seeing your target and getting the reticle on it is simple. They are a close target. More importantly, you will gain no time or lose no time over your competitors on these targets. Everyone blows through them from amateur to professional. They are easy, just point and pull the trigger as fast as you can. Rifle target time is made up and lost on long range targets, smaller targets between 50 and 200 yards, or trick targets (plate racks, Texas stars, spinners), none of which will be aided by illumination. It's about accuracy, less misses equals faster time.

Long range targets and trick targets are the biggest time eaters on the rifle, by a landslide. That's what you need to focus on. There is no edge to be gained on targets inside 25 yards. Honestly there is no reason to even practice them. Watch a 3 Gun nation match and see how fast all those guys go throw the close up stuff. No one is any faster than the other. It's the longer, or smaller stuff that separates them.

I'm on my second 1-6 Razor, and I like it. However I would caution against a crosshair dot of that nature. It's fine for hosers, but it's in the way for small targets at 100 to 200 yards, or longer range targets. I have never cared for a dot partially obscuring my target. Look for a fine center crosshair or floating dot while using an LPV so as to better see the target.

Just my two bits.

With your Razor do you turn off the illume for the distant targets then? Ever wish for more mag?

 

[steve123]

IMHO it depends on the reticle design and how fast you can pick it up. It's hard to pick up a FFP 1-nx scope without daytime bright illumination since at 1x the reticles tend to be thin with a fine aiming point. It really helps to have daytime bright illumination to pick up the reticle quickly and easily in all lighting and target (shaded or not, etc) conditions on a FFP scope. With a SFP scope, some scopes could be run quite easily without illumination such as the Burris TAC-30/MTAC 1-4x. The reticle stood out very easily and quickly drew your eye even without illumination, which was good because the illumination sucked anyways. If the reticle on a SFP scope is a little more sparse it'd be harder to pick up at speed without daytime bright illumination. That being said I much prefer daytime bright illumination on any 1-nx scope we have.

Yeah, I haven't decided if I want SFP or FFP.

 

[steve123]

I like having the daylight bright dot/reticle for 3 gun, but it will really depend on your particular matches as well as ranges and environments.
The 'hoser' targets inside of 20-25 yards are still IMO easier and quicker with a dot, moreso if your choice of match includes headshots or in some cases, darker backgrounds.

On the distance parts of stages, we'd go out to ~300yards or so, and for me, the same applies there although nearly all of the distance targets had some brush/growth around them, making solely a dark reticle more likely to blend in a bit.

With a well designed reticle that works for the type of 3 gun match stages you shoot in, you can certainly minimize the 'need' for a daylight bright reticle, but YMMV. I like having it myself, moreso as I'll occasionally run some indoor matches which are somewhat dimly lit but w/out running a rifle mounted light.

A must? No.
Does it make life easier/faster - certainly in at least some cases.

FWIW, I run a VX6 1-6 w/Firedot SPR reticle. Unsure of the latest gen reticles, but the dot is the only illuminated part, and it's daylight bright. Have done some runs with a Razor HD 1-6/JM reticle and a handful of others, just haven't seen a real 'need' to lose the Leupold to date, although I'm considering giving the Minox ZP8 a try (not sure I'd call this daylight bright, but will see).

I went to Optics planet to price the VX6 1-6 and it looks like the product is discontinued??? I'll check elseware.

 

[kansas]

I’ve stop shooting 3gun because of back pain. I just can’t keep up with the young guys but I’ve had 3 different scopes starting with a Burris Tac 30. Then went to the Burris XTR. The XTR worked better than the Tac 30 because it was a true one power where the Tac 30 wasn’t quite a 1 power and made transition from one target to another more difficult. Neither had daylight red dot and once I looked through a Razor with the JM reticle and daylight bright red dot there was no turning back. A true 1 power is definitely faster in transition than a 1+ power and the re dot makes it even easier to transition. I’ve been shooting Precision Rifle more in the last several years and have thought about selling my 1-6 Razor but just can’t make myself do it. If the shit hits the fan it’d be my first choice of optics on a self defense rifle.

 

[TonyTheTiger]

A member here has a Steiner P4XI for sale for a great price. It would let you try a bright dot with great glass to see if you like it before spending a pilr of money.

 

[rtpguy]

I went to Optics planet to price the VX6 1-6 and it looks like the product is discontinued??? I'll check elseware.

Try the vx6hd: https://shop.opticsplanet.com/leupo...nwp5wScHZBX7DBpkEQADfuX1n-2E2_mUaAlSWEALw_wcB

 

[Pfiddy]

I use the razor 1-6 JM on my 3gun rifle and I find having the daylight bright dot very user friendly. I switched from the Leupold 1-6 firedot which was not very bright and I found it worth the money. Functions much like a red dot up close, I haven’t had many probs with distant targets being obscured by the reticle. I’ve shot past 600 in comps, the bdc style reticle works very well. You’re not dialing and you’re generally going to hold at least a little for wind so the center of your reticle needing to be super thin for long shots hasn’t been an issue.

I also use a Trijicon 1-8 on my ar10, that reticle is not great due to being FFP and the center being over large. But again, I hold so it’s not a huge deal unless I’m shooting very small targets between 50-100 yards.

 

[rtpguy]

I use the razor 1-6 JM on my 3gun rifle and I find having the daylight bright dot very user friendly. I switched from the Leupold 1-6 firedot which was not very bright and I found it worth the money. F

Was your Firedot red or green, and which reticle? My Firedot SPR is approaching Aimpoint bright - have yet to have it wash out, and never run it full brightness. Also love the auto-shut-off and back on - I wish every scope mfgr would follow suit.

No arguments on the Razor HD - probably accounts for 50% of the local 3 gun crowd, and it's undoubtedly nice, but for me, a fair bit heavier and doesn't solve anything the much lighter VX6 doesn't. I've been madly tempted to do a reticle swap, although I am concerned about if I'd be losing dot brightness were I to do so.

 

[Pfiddy]

The dot was red, it was the multi-gun versoion, trying to remember the name of the reticle. It was similar to simplex with a circle around the crosshairs. It lives on my daughters 3 gun rifle now. The auto shut-off was a great feature, one that I wish more manufacturers would use, but I didnt care for the psuh-button dimmer set-up. I like the dial on the side with off positions in between each setting, you know exactly where you are and need to be all the time without shouldering the rifle/looking thru the optic. THe glass was nice and it was lightweight but it simply doesnt compare to the Razor.

Ive come around and ordered one of the NX8s, so I'll give that one a comparison soon.

 

[DocOnes6005]

I’ve had a g2r 1-6 and used a Leupold VX patrol before that. 2 years ago I switched to a PA 1-8 in SFP and borrowed the March 1-10x in SFP from a friend for several matches last year.

I rarely had a match with shots over 300. The SFP reticle made it easy to accommodate any distance without adjustment and when holdovers were needed I was zoomed in completely anyway.

I found myself to be generally faster on movers with a SFP reticle as well because I was covering up less of the target.

Maybe consider the g2r-E

 

[steve123]

As each day goes by I'm starting to form opinions about reticles, with

A member here has a Steiner P4XI for sale for a great price. It would let you try a bright dot with great glass to see if you like it before spending a pilr of money.

Thanks, I better just get what I want to begin with. I might need to up my budget too.

 

[steve123]

I use the razor 1-6 JM on my 3gun rifle and I find having the daylight bright dot very user friendly. I switched from the Leupold 1-6 firedot which was not very bright and I found it worth the money. Functions much like a red dot up close, I haven’t had many probs with distant targets being obscured by the reticle. I’ve shot past 600 in comps, the bdc style reticle works very well. You’re not dialing and you’re generally going to hold at least a little for wind so the center of your reticle needing to be super thin for long shots hasn’t been an issue.

I also use a Trijicon 1-8 on my ar10, that reticle is not great due to being FFP and the center being over large. But again, I hold so it’s not a huge deal unless I’m shooting very small targets between 50-100 yards.

Those are good details to consider.

I'm seeing that it's an advantage to have the right sized reticle for distant small steel.

 

[steve123]

I’ve had a g2r 1-6 and used a Leupold VX patrol before that. 2 years ago I switched to a PA 1-8 in SFP and borrowed the March 1-10x in SFP from a friend for several matches last year.

I rarely had a match with shots over 300. The SFP reticle made it easy to accommodate any distance without adjustment and when holdovers were needed I was zoomed in completely anyway.

I found myself to be generally faster on movers with a SFP reticle as well because I was covering up less of the target.

Maybe consider the g2r-E

Whats the "E" part of the G2?

 

[steve123]

Any of you guys used the GPOTAC 1-8?

 

[rtpguy]

Any of you guys used the GPOTAC 1-8?

No. It was on my list for future consideration but wasn't available when I came across a decent deal on a Minox ZP8, as they seem to have just become available. Have yet to see any reviews on them, but have some general interest in it - it looks close to the PA Platinum all around down to the reticle, but waiting on real user reviews + time spent with the ZP8 in my case.

 

[steve123]

No. It was on my list for future consideration but wasn't available when I came across a decent deal on a Minox ZP8, as they seem to have just become available. Have yet to see any reviews on them, but have some general interest in it - it looks close to the PA Platinum all around down to the reticle, but waiting on real user reviews + time spent with the ZP8 in my case.

Been spending quite a bit of time looking for videos and reviews on all the 1-?'s. I suppose as of now I'm leaning the most towards a Burris 1-8 because of price and positive reviews, 8x and mostly daylight bright dot is the closest to what I think will work for me???

I'd just order a V-R2 but I'm pretty stuck on 8x and it's on the heavy side.

I'm going to call GPO today and ask for them to email reticle specs. I like the locking turrets, i-control auto shut off with low battery alert, GP bright coatings, Double HD glass and it's reasonably light weight. After comparing specs it looks to be upgraded vs the PA 1-8.

 

[MarkCO]

The Burris XTRII 1-8 is an awesome optic, and what I run on my .308 for Heavy. The .223 had a XTRII 1-5 on it, but switched to a RT6, which I highly recommend for 3Gun. It is priced half of what it compares to.

Illumination, eh. I have been shooting 3Gun since 2005, RO'd, MD'd, RM'd a ton of majors and illumination is not a big deal at all. An adjustable stock to get the right cheek weld, 1x at the bottom, a lever to adjust power, knowing your zero and data and a reticle that works for you are all MUCH more important than illumination. Even though I have it, I might have used it 3 times in 13 years over 1000s of stages. For the night matches, yes.

 

[Birddog6424]

The Burris XTRII 1-8 is an awesome optic, and what I run on my .308 for Heavy. The .223 had a XTRII 1-5 on it, but switched to a RT6, which I highly recommend for 3Gun. It is priced half of what it compares to.

Illumination, eh. I have been shooting 3Gun since 2005, RO'd, MD'd, RM'd a ton of majors and illumination is not a big deal at all. An adjustable stock to get the right cheek weld, 1x at the bottom, a lever to adjust power, knowing your zero and data and a reticle that works for you are all MUCH more important than illumination. Even though I have it, I might have used it 3 times in 13 years over 1000s of stages. For the night matches, yes.

This is pretty much me. Every now and then I turn it on, but it's pretty rare. I think if people ran themselves on timers with and without they would realize there isn't much difference. And even more importantly, ran other people on timers through the hoser targets. Then they would see everyone is pretty close to the same speed and realize those are pretty unimportant targets. The millisecond you may think you gain by using illumination is lost in so many other aspects that far outshine how fast you can blow through the easy targets. There are a hundred ways to gain and lose time that are more important.

With your Razor do you turn off the illume for the distant targets then? Ever wish for more mag?

Yes, I never run my dot on longer targets. I pretty much have reached the point where I never run my dot period. I simply don't need it. It's just another thing to have to think about and it makes no difference in my times.

Wanting to try more magnification range is the thing that actually lead to my relationship with Burris. I started 3 gunning 4 or 5 years ago with the XTR II 1.5-8 and fell in love with it. The extra 2x was a noticeable increased hit percentage on longer targets. I started sharing my experiences here and on other forums and ended up talking to people at Burris about it and they invited me on to their team. I now run a couple of the 1-8's, and it's quite simply one of the best 3 gun scope designs to be had. And that's not bias talking. I think the magnification range, reticle, capped or uncapped turrets, FFP or SFP, 34mm tube, everything, is a perfect combination for a competitive scope. For those that like illumination, it makes a daylight bright circle on 1x, that is completely out of the way for long range targets (FFP). It's a floating dot center, which is my favorite reticle design, and has mil dot's for wind. I zero for 200 and hold dead on for everything to 220 yards. I cap my windage and leave my elevation uncapped. The BDC lines on my rifle represent 320, 410, 510 yards, and the bottom of the post is 590. I can dial for more precise holds or super windy days where I want to use my windage mil holds. It's a true 1x with darkened lines making the center very easy to see.. This is a really well thought out scope. It's made by LOW in Japan, and it's a heck of a lot of features and quality for $1k.

 

[steve123]

This is pretty much me. Every now and then I turn it on, but it's pretty rare. I think if people ran themselves on timers with and without they would realize there isn't much difference. And even more importantly, ran other people on timers through the hoser targets. Then they would see everyone is pretty close to the same speed and realize those are pretty unimportant targets. The millisecond you may think you gain by using illumination is lost in so many other aspects that far outshine how fast you can blow through the easy targets. There are a hundred ways to gain and lose time that are more important.




Yes, I never run my dot on longer targets. I pretty much have reached the point where I never run my dot period. I simply don't need it. It's just another thing to have to think about and it makes no difference in my times.

Wanting to try more magnification range is the thing that actually lead to my relationship with Burris. I started 3 gunning 4 or 5 years ago with the XTR II 1.5-8 and fell in love with it. The extra 2x was a noticeable increased hit percentage on longer targets. I started sharing my experiences here and on other forums and ended up talking to people at Burris about it and they invited me on to their team. I now run a couple of the 1-8's, and it's quite simply one of the best 3 gun scope designs to be had. And that's not bias talking. I think the magnification range, reticle, capped or uncapped turrets, FFP or SFP, 34mm tube, everything, is a perfect combination for a competitive scope. For those that like illumination, it makes a daylight bright circle on 1x, that is completely out of the way for long range targets (FFP). It's a floating dot center, which is my favorite reticle design, and has mil dot's for wind. I zero for 200 and hold dead on for everything to 220 yards. I cap my windage and leave my elevation uncapped. The BDC lines on my rifle represent 320, 410, 510 yards, and the bottom of the post is 590. I can dial for more precise holds or super windy days where I want to use my windage mil holds. It's a true 1x with darkened lines making the center very easy to see.. This is a really well thought out scope. It's made by LOW in Japan, and it's a heck of a lot of features and quality for $1k.

Darnit, you are making me want to order one today, lol!

Would you "pretty please" get me in contact with someone that can offer the best price.

Thanks!

 

[Birddog6424]

Well luckily, I think your best bet Steve, is Mike from CS Tactical, right here on the forums. He has always done a great job of getting these in stock and selling them at a great price.

I think he does something a little extra for Hiders as well. Good luck

 

[CSTactical]

Whats the "E" part of the G2?

The E is for the "Enhanced" aka lighter weight version that came out this year, I like it and want one myself

Well luckily, I think your best bet Steve, is Mike from CS Tactical, right here on the forums. He has always done a great job of getting these in stock and selling them at a great price.

I think he does something a little extra for Hiders as well. Good luck

Thank you Birddog, we do our best to help out hide members and we do have a few XTRII 1-8's in stock. Always call 916-670-1103 for hide pricing

 

[steve123]

Alright, the decision has been made, FFP Burris XTR2 shipping out from CS Tactical, thanks Mike!

Thanks guys and much appreciated to all who helped me out here, especially you Birddog!

BTW, GPO didn't call back yet, hopefully they will return the call. I shouldn't be spending that much money anyway right now I guess but sure might have been tempted to if I'd heard from them.

 

[Birddog6424]

You're going to like it.

It's a rock solid optic!

 

[CSTactical]

You're very welcome Steve! I'm glad we were able to assist.

 

[ccoker]

Any of you guys used the GPOTAC 1-8?

Running one right now on my 18"
It's a nice scope, great glass
It's FFP and has the standard horseshoe reticle, the illumination is not "daytime bright"

I definitely want FFP on a long range gun, on a 5.56 for 3 gun, not so much.
I like my Steiner T5 1-5 better for 3 gun

 

[steve123]

Running one right now on my 18"
It's a nice scope, great glass
It's FFP and has the standard horseshoe reticle, the illumination is not "daytime bright"

I definitely want FFP on a long range gun, on a 5.56 for 3 gun, not so much.
I like my Steiner T5 1-5 better for 3 gun

Thanks for the heads up about the illume, otherwise it sure is loaded with nice fearures.

 

[502Chevelle]

Im with MarkCo as far as illumination goes. Been three gunning since the beginning, and i dont even bother to put batteries in my scope. The black horseshoe reticle actually stands out on cardboard targets better than when illuminated. There are a lot of variables that are more important than daytime illumination.

 

[steve123]

I already got the scope yesterday - mounted it up in the ADM-QD, and had it at 100Y for zeroing an hour later, lol.

It was real windy and other people were there meaning I couldn't shoot the AR much, so I did half a mags worth of double taps on steel at 25 and 30Y, all was good, even with the cheap ammo I made up many years ago, I actually saved it for paper stages just in case I ever did a 3gun match. Closer in on IPSC paper I should be zooming along with this scope, it seems to have a huge FOV on 1x!! I'll play around with that this weekend hopefully.

Found my old match load in the same ammo can where I keep all my AR stuff. 75hpbt Hornady and knocked the 420Y Turkey real good with 1.5-1.75 mils of hold off. I wish I could have shot the smaller and closer steel at 300Y and 200Y, next time.

Just some quick impressions on the Burris 1-8x24 FFP.

It's a pretty beefy scope being 34mm tube.

Fit, finish and feel is nice, I'd say above it's price point for the most part.

Glass is nice, so far I'm pleased. It doesn't have adjustable parallax so there are compromises as expected, meaning it's blurry on 8x up close but very clear at distance, then on 1x it's very clear up close and far, with a wide FOV. Most of the time it'll be on 1x or 8x, but as Mike pointed out, that sometimes I'll be in situations when I'll need more FOV than 8x will give but still need more mag than 1x, so I'm glad I have FFP to hold over/off on any magnification with the subtensions being correct.

Eye box is fine, I didn't have any problems getting a full picture easy and fast.

You can't really see the .1mil center dot at 1x, whether lit or not, no big deal because on paper up close one doesn't really need to use it. I could see the .1 mil red center dot on 8x against the black turkey on setting 11 but it could stand to be a tad brighter. I'll probably keep the illume off anyway when shooting farther out.

The big circle of the reticle on 1x is basically a big circle ring 10-11 mils wide, it's 1 mil thick, and does stand out prominently when lit up on 1x with illumination from 9 to 11 on a bright day like yesterday, I was thinking when I was looking at the ring that it's as wide as the A zone on a IPSC target about 15Y - 20Y away so that's kinda neat, like an aperture sight for head shots too. I liked the reticle overall, it's about perfect for a 1-8, that center dot is certainly not going to obscure most targets.

At first I thought the elevation turret was too stiff, it's stiffer than any scope I've owned, I think I'm just not used to XTR turrets, but after playing with it, dialing all the way up and down, it's just on the stiff side of turret feel. The clicks don't have hardly any lash and line up well. Burris could definitely use better instructions for setting the elevation turret/ZS. I got it figured out myself quickly though.

The windage turret has very close together and not the most audible or distinct clicks, this to me is not a big deal because the cap will be on 99% of the time as I primarily hold for wind.

The magnification ring is slightly stiff as well, I prefer the lighter feel on the mag ring but with a Switchview it'll be a non issue. Illume knob and diopter feel was about as good as it gets, just right.

Right now I'm glad I bought this instead of a $2000 1-?, I'd still like to compare someday though, human nature....

Would I buy this scope again, yes I would!

 

[CSTactical]

Glad you like it @steve123 ! Please let us know if you need assistance in the future.

 

[Birddog6424]

Glad that first impressions are good. I feel like Burris has a couple LPV's in the XTR II 1-8 and the RT-6 that really punch above their weight class. They are really a lot of value for the price point.

I'm headed home to load right now for a 3 gun match on Saturday. Let us know how your match goes..

 

[steve123]

Glad that first impressions are good. I feel like Burris has a couple LPV's in the XTR II 1-8 and the RT-6 that really punch above their weight class. They are really a lot of value for the price point.

I'm headed home to load right now for a 3 gun match on Saturday. Let us know how your match goes..

Good scope, thanks guys.

I'm excited to try it, those 200Y steel don't stand a chance now, I'll get back on here to report!

 

[steve123]

I already got the scope yesterday - mounted it up in the ADM-QD, and had it at 100Y for zeroing an hour later, lol.

It was real windy and other people were there meaning I couldn't shoot the AR much, so I did half a mags worth of double taps on steel at 25 and 30Y, all was good, even with the cheap ammo I made up many years ago, I actually saved it for paper stages just in case I ever did a 3gun match. Closer in on IPSC paper I should be zooming along with this scope, it seems to have a huge FOV on 1x!! I'll play around with that this weekend hopefully.

Found my old match load in the same ammo can where I keep all my AR stuff. 75hpbt Hornady and knocked the 420Y Turkey real good with 1.5-1.75 mils of hold off. I wish I could have shot the smaller and closer steel at 300Y and 200Y, next time.

Just some quick impressions on the Burris 1-8x24 FFP.

It's a pretty beefy scope being 34mm tube.

Fit, finish and feel is nice, I'd say above it's price point for the most part.

Glass is nice, so far I'm pleased. It doesn't have adjustable parallax so there are compromises as expected, meaning it's blurry on 8x up close but very clear at distance, then on 1x it's very clear up close and far, with a wide FOV. Most of the time it'll be on 1x or 8x, but as Mike pointed out, that sometimes I'll be in situations when I'll need more FOV than 8x will give but still need more mag than 1x, so I'm glad I have FFP to hold over/off on any magnification with the subtensions being correct.

Eye box is fine, I didn't have any problems getting a full picture easy and fast.

You can't really see the .1mil center dot at 1x, whether lit or not, no big deal because on paper up close one doesn't really need to use it. I could see the .1 mil red center dot on 8x against the black turkey on setting 11 but it could stand to be a tad brighter. I'll probably keep the illume off anyway when shooting farther out.

The big circle of the reticle on 1x is basically a big circle ring 10-11 mils wide, it's 1 mil thick, and does stand out prominently when lit up on 1x with illumination from 9 to 11 on a bright day like yesterday, I was thinking when I was looking at the ring that it's as wide as the A zone on a IPSC target about 15Y - 20Y away so that's kinda neat, like an aperture sight for head shots too. I liked the reticle overall, it's about perfect for a 1-8, that center dot is certainly not going to obscure most targets.

At first I thought the elevation turret was too stiff, it's stiffer than any scope I've owned, I think I'm just not used to XTR turrets, but after playing with it, dialing all the way up and down, it's just on the stiff side of turret feel. The clicks don't have hardly any lash and line up well. Burris could definitely use better instructions for setting the elevation turret/ZS. I got it figured out myself quickly though.

The windage turret has very close together and not the most audible or distinct clicks, this to me is not a big deal because the cap will be on 99% of the time as I primarily hold for wind.

The magnification ring is slightly stiff as well, I prefer the lighter feel on the mag ring but with a Switchview it'll be a non issue. Illume knob and diopter feel was about as good as it gets, just right.

Right now I'm glad I bought this instead of a $2000 1-?, I'd still like to compare someday though, human nature....

Would I buy this scope again, yes I would!

I thought I'd do a short follow up on my Burris 1-8 now that I've been using it some for the last few months.

Shortly after I bought it, I shot some long range steel with it mounted on my 15" barreled AR-15 in 223 which I plan to keep this 1-8 permanently attached too. While engaging distances 421Y, 550Y and 675Y, I found I was glad I bought an 8x, vs 6x and 4x which I tried the scope on to see the differences. The small .1 mil center dot and mil windage lines suited my preferences like when shooting my other mil/mil FFP scopes. I had no problem at all hitting at these distances!

I shot at normal 3 gun distances on 1x and 2x as well. It was fast. The big 10 mil circle really turns my crank for whatever reason??? It's like a aperture sight and works great. Like others mentioned before, I found the illume unnecessary most of the time. Oh well, better to have and not need, than need and not have.

Saturday, I shot my 2nd 3 gun match here locally, I didn't use my PS90 this time, lol. The proof is in the pudding as they say because I won the match with my mentioned AR/XTR2 1-8 combo! The Turtle Targets were from 15Y to 30Y so I put the scope on 2x which seemed to be ideal. Mostly A's, I didn't miss at all, and I didn't hit any no shoots so I was happy!

This scope is a little heavy and wish it had adjustable parallax but otherwise I'm pleased with it.

 

[Birddog6424]

Glad you are liking it Steve..

I'm with you on the 8x. I saw a noticed improvement on hit percentage on targets at 250 plus. And we get a lot of those here in matches I shoot.

 

[koshkin]

I already got the scope yesterday - mounted it up in the ADM-QD, and had it at 100Y for zeroing an hour later, lol.

It was real windy and other people were there meaning I couldn't shoot the AR much, so I did half a mags worth of double taps on steel at 25 and 30Y, all was good, even with the cheap ammo I made up many years ago, I actually saved it for paper stages just in case I ever did a 3gun match. Closer in on IPSC paper I should be zooming along with this scope, it seems to have a huge FOV on 1x!! I'll play around with that this weekend hopefully.

Found my old match load in the same ammo can where I keep all my AR stuff. 75hpbt Hornady and knocked the 420Y Turkey real good with 1.5-1.75 mils of hold off. I wish I could have shot the smaller and closer steel at 300Y and 200Y, next time.

Just some quick impressions on the Burris 1-8x24 FFP.

It's a pretty beefy scope being 34mm tube.

Fit, finish and feel is nice, I'd say above it's price point for the most part.

Glass is nice, so far I'm pleased. It doesn't have adjustable parallax so there are compromises as expected, meaning it's blurry on 8x up close but very clear at distance, then on 1x it's very clear up close and far, with a wide FOV. Most of the time it'll be on 1x or 8x, but as Mike pointed out, that sometimes I'll be in situations when I'll need more FOV than 8x will give but still need more mag than 1x, so I'm glad I have FFP to hold over/off on any magnification with the subtensions being correct.

Eye box is fine, I didn't have any problems getting a full picture easy and fast.

You can't really see the .1mil center dot at 1x, whether lit or not, no big deal because on paper up close one doesn't really need to use it. I could see the .1 mil red center dot on 8x against the black turkey on setting 11 but it could stand to be a tad brighter. I'll probably keep the illume off anyway when shooting farther out.

The big circle of the reticle on 1x is basically a big circle ring 10-11 mils wide, it's 1 mil thick, and does stand out prominently when lit up on 1x with illumination from 9 to 11 on a bright day like yesterday, I was thinking when I was looking at the ring that it's as wide as the A zone on a IPSC target about 15Y - 20Y away so that's kinda neat, like an aperture sight for head shots too. I liked the reticle overall, it's about perfect for a 1-8, that center dot is certainly not going to obscure most targets.

At first I thought the elevation turret was too stiff, it's stiffer than any scope I've owned, I think I'm just not used to XTR turrets, but after playing with it, dialing all the way up and down, it's just on the stiff side of turret feel. The clicks don't have hardly any lash and line up well. Burris could definitely use better instructions for setting the elevation turret/ZS. I got it figured out myself quickly though.

The windage turret has very close together and not the most audible or distinct clicks, this to me is not a big deal because the cap will be on 99% of the time as I primarily hold for wind.

The magnification ring is slightly stiff as well, I prefer the lighter feel on the mag ring but with a Switchview it'll be a non issue. Illume knob and diopter feel was about as good as it gets, just right.

Right now I'm glad I bought this instead of a $2000 1-?, I'd still like to compare someday though, human nature....

Would I buy this scope again, yes I would!

I am glad you like it. It is still my favourite 1-8x scope this side of $2k (still need to mess with the NX8, but it may have to be a while given my schedule).

I thought that GPOTAC 1-8x was a little better at distance, but Burris was better close up.

ILya

 

[GeoffatBurris]

Glad you're liking the scope. Thanks for your support, and thanks very much for the writeup.
-Geoff at Burris