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Best eyebox

G

GO@HORNS

Private
Minuteman
Jan 12, 2024
52
39
Hot Springs, Ar
Needing a scope in the 3-18 to 5-25/30 range. Like to stay +/-$2100 new or used. Not really picky about a lot of the glass aspects, but I do want clear and bright. Biggest thing I’m looking for is very good/easy eyebox. I’m sick of great glass and turret scopes that I have to stay perfectly centered at all times/positions to use. I just tried the Element Nexus G2 and the Zeiss S3 4-25s. The Zeiss wasn’t too bad but the Element totally was.
Thanks for any firsthand recommendations.
 
The Zeiss is a good choice as I have no issues getting behind mine at matches but also look at the Burris Pro or XTRIII as they also have very good eye boxes.
 
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Check out the Steiner T6Xi 3-18x56 - outstanding eyebox and clear and bright. Minox ZP5 5-25x56 also going to be in that price point and offer excellent glass but you have to deal with shipping to Germany if something goes awry.
 
Thanks Rob. At 67 I’m looking for something easy to get behind. I really liked the S3, but it was a little tight for me. Is the 3-36 any different than the 4-25?
 
GO@HORNS said:
Thanks Rob. At 67 I’m looking for something easy to get behind. I really liked the S3, but it was a little tight for me. Is the 3-36 any different than the 4-25?
Click to expand...

They are about the same. As mentioned above the Steiner is also a good eye box. Similar to the Burris.
 
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Thanks. I had a couple of ZP5s and they were very good. I don’t see a lot of them but that’s definitely one to look for. Also the Bushnell DMR 3-21 was always easy for me, but I’m spoiled for better glass than that.
 
Have the ZEISS s3 4-25 and it’s a great scope, but not overly forgiving in the eye box. The 6-36 seems better in that area to me.
For the OP,
I would look for a used S&B 5-25. Often found here used for 2100-2200.
Hensold and S&B 4-16x are also great and in your budget if you are ok with 16x
 
GO@HORNS said:
Needing a scope in the 3-18 to 5-25/30 range. Like to stay +/-$2100 new or used. Not really picky about a lot of the glass aspects, but I do want clear and bright. Biggest thing I’m looking for is very good/easy eyebox. I’m sick of great glass and turret scopes that I have to stay perfectly centered at all times/positions to use. I just tried the Element Nexus G2 and the Zeiss S3 4-25s. The Zeiss wasn’t too bad but the Element totally was.
Thanks for any firsthand recommendations.
Click to expand...
The two scopes you looked at, from an optics standpoint, are essentially identical. Assuming you set up both eyepieces properly, whatever eyebox difference you found is purely due to the sample variation.

ILya
 
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I kept the Zeiss for several months, but the Element only a few weeks. I thought about the 6-36 Zeiss and the Element Theos and wondered if there was any difference between them and the 4-25s. I liked a lot about them both(especially the Nexus) but the eyebox was a killer in the Nexus.
 
I wonder how the eyebox on the (discontinued?) Razor Gen II 3-18x50 is? I know my Razor Gen II 4.5-27 has an awesome eyebox.

The glass in my 4.5-27 isn’t as good as my S&B 5-25, but it’s pretty good. But both the 3-18 and 4.5-27 are heavy pigs if that matters.
 
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carbonbased said:
I wonder how the eyebox on the (discontinued?) Razor Gen II 3-18x50 is? I know my Razor Gen II 4.5-27 has an awesome eyebox.

The glass in my 4.5-27 isn’t as good as my S&B 5-25, but it’s pretty good. But both the 3-18 and 4.5-27 are heavy pigs if that matters.
Click to expand...
I had the RG2 3-18x50 in house that I had with Steiner T6Xi 3-18x56 and Delta Stryker 3.5-21x44. I have to say the RG2 3-18 for being over a decade old was a surprisingly good performer, the reason this scope did not do better was because it was simply too heavy for the user base of a 3-18 form factor, but optically it was pretty outstanding. The eyebox I found to be very good, not quite as good as the Steiner but very good.
 
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Glassaholic said:
I had the RG2 3-18x50 in house that I had with Steiner T6Xi 3-18x56 and Delta Stryker 3.5-21x44. I have to say the RG2 3-18 for being over a decade old was a surprisingly good performer, the reason this scope did not do better was because it was simply too heavy for the user base of a 3-18 form factor, but optically it was pretty outstanding. The eyebox I found to be very good, not quite as good as the Steiner but very good.
Click to expand...

I agree. I think the GenII eyebox in both magnifications is very good. What a great optic that was for Vortex.

It definitely eliminated versatility with that crazy weight.
 
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Considering buying a Gen III 6-36 Razor…anyone compare its eyebox 👀 to the Gen II 4.5-27 Razor?
 
I also don't think the Razor III's eyebox is its strongest point. Optical clarity is.

Of all the ones mentioned here that I've looked through (haven't looked through Zeiss or Steiner), the Burris XTR Pro is going to have the most forgiving eyebox. You get a lot more CA and stuff if you're not centered up, but per the original question, you can see through it easily.
 
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Birddog6424 said:
Crazily enough, I don't think the GenIII is as good.

Not sure why they didn't keep some of the characteristics of the GenII. But the eyebox and turrets are better on the II.
Click to expand...
I disagree on both counts. On high mag, Gen3 has better eyebox than Gen2. The turrets on Gen3, after the changes during the first production run, are very good.

ILya
 
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koshkin said:
I disagree on both counts. On high mag, Gen3 has better eyebox than Gen2. The turrets on Gen3, after the changes during the first production run, are very good.

ILya
Click to expand...
Btw what’s high mag to you? To me, I suppose, 20x+.
 
Birddog6424 said:
Crazily enough, I don't think the GenIII is as good.

Not sure why they didn't keep some of the characteristics of the GenII. But the eyebox and turrets are better on the II.
Click to expand...
I whole heartedly disagree. The turrets are basically identical except the improvement to one screw zeroing on the gen 3. The gen 3 is the easiest scope to get behind that I own/use. I have or have access to pretty much every scope in this class. The ZCO is right there with it, but I believe if they didn't throttle the FOV the way they do, the eyebox would not be as perceivably friendly.
 
Got the Burris Pro today and just got it mounted. What a great scope. Very good glass and turrets and I can’t say enough about the eyebox. If anyone is having trouble with the Zeiss A3, the Element Nexus gen 2 or the NX8 this is the scope to try. EXCELLENT eyebox. So easy to get behind.
 
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