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Rifle Scopes Burris XTR II

Skeptic1

Skeptic1

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Dec 8, 2019
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Is the Burris XTR line of optics decent quality. Tracking is of the upmost importance with glass clarity and overall build quality coming in next. My last dealings with Burris was around 2005 and at that time they were hit or miss. Have they improved things. I need some pretty quick advise since I will be making the purchase tomorrow.

I have now had a little time to search previous reviews on the xtr line. Has Burris addressed the issues they were having with the illuminated reticle feature or is that still a week point with this line?
 
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Both of my xtr ii’s track great and seam to b built tough glass quality is not the greatest but if u can pick up a used one 30% cheaper than new ur n good shape they r often for sale that cheap here on optics px good luck
 
I'll be buying new because this will be a replacement for a scope I bought from SWFA that they no longer have. I had decided on an Athalon until I realized the model I was going to get was a SFP. I'm really struggling with this decision.
 
We have 3 of them, a 3-15, 4-20, and a 8-40. Tracking is superb on all 3. Tough as nails. Glass quality is fine until you want to get above 20-25 power, then things darken up as compared to scopes with premium glass. We've never missed a shot that could be blamed on the glass. More expensive glass can probably buy you an extra 15-20 minutes of usability at dawn and dusk for hunting. The XTR2s are excellent values for their price points.
 
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@Skeptic1, search is your friend on this one. You'll find tons of info/opinions on the Burris XTR2 on this site. The short version is as the posters have said above; dead nuts tracking, solid turrets, reliable performance, and slight variations of opinion that range between decent to good glass. Some have claimed to have excellent glass in theirs. Very few repair issues, it seems. The one I spent time with was a 5-25 with the SCR mil reticle and it was impressive for the price. As always, good luck with your choice.
 
Athlon ares btr and etr really hard to beat I’ve got one of each of those too I’m gonna keep my burris’s but now I’m really into these athlons hard to beat for the money
 
Thanks for the information. I realize I could have searched and most often I do. Some of my questions about a couple of different scopes arose between being on the phone and on hold with SWFA and at the time it seemed easier to just ask.
I've decided on the illuminated XTR 4-20x50.
 
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The XTR is a solid optic with a proven track record. The glass in the 3-15 and 4-20 seem to be better than the 5-25. If you are getting the 3-15 or 4-20 I think you will like it a lot more than your SWFA. The glass is not going to be as clear at higher magnification as some optics in the $1000-1500 price range but it is still good glass and should not hold you back. I used one for quite some time and was happy with it. I would probably still have it but I sold the rifle it was on and the guy made me an offer I couldn’t refuse for it.
 
I have a 3-15. It has done everything I’ve asked it to. Perfect tracking. I think it’s pretty good for the money.
 
If you do a little reading between the lines in all these XTR2 conversations, you will find that those who bitch almost always have either the 4-20x, or the 5-25x.

Those who find themselves content with 3-15x don't seem to notice any real detriment in glass quality.

I have 3 copies of the 3-15x. I'm a fan. They were worth every bit of the $1,000 they cost new. I picked all three of my copies up from people trading up for about $650 on average.

If you absolutely have to have the high mag, then don't get one. If you are a 3-15x guy, then they are an absolute steal right now.
 
I have now had a little time to search previous reviews on the xtr line. Has Burris addressed the issues they were having with the illuminated reticle feature or is that still a week point with this line?
 
If I can throw my $.02 in. I have a XTR II 5-25 with the SCR Mil reticle. It has tracked and been nuts on. Great quality, good clicks etc. Very happy for the price paid. Only drawback is the reticle. No "real" christmas tree for accurate holds. Have to guess with POA placement.

Then I bought an NF ATACR 7-35 with Mil-XT reticle. Is there a difference in clarity? Oh, yeah! but it's also twice the price. Eye box is touchy but it's a good scope.

Then I bought an XTR III 5-30 with the SCR 2 Mil reticle. It's almost as good as the NF in terms of clarity. Very, very, very close. Eyebox is MUCH better on the XTR III. Clarity through the magnification range is excellent. If I could only buy one scope, it would be the XTR III 'cause I could equip 2 rifles for the price of 1 NF. And be very very happy with them.

If you're going to buy new, get the XTR III. trust me, you'll love it.
 
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I have both 3-15 and 4-20 models in MOA.

ZERO issues with tracking and pass tall target with flying colors.

For the money and options, really hard to beat.
 
I have the 5-25x-been a really good scope. Glass above 20x is just OK but below that good IMO. It's lightweight-I'm comparing to my Razor though :D . I find parallax adjustment to be just OK as well-again IMO Vortex Razor G2(4-27) has one of the best parallax adjustments I've ever used. The 5-25 is a long effer too.
 
Skeptic1 said:
I have now had a little time to search previous reviews on the xtr line. Has Burris addressed the issues they were having with the illuminated reticle feature or is that still a week point with this line?
Click to expand...
It was fixed.
 
I have a 4-20 mildot I got on sale at Natchez shooter supply for under $600 new. Check them out they have some great sales. The 4-20 has been great glass seems really good I know there is better but it more than gets the job done. Tracking is excellent mine is on a 20 inch SPR AR15 which is overkill, but I have shot .223 PPU from 100 to 750 yards on a regular basis scope is spot on and trust me taking that ammo out to range you do a lot of dialing. Like them enough when I get my bolt gun I am getting a 3-15 for the AR unless I can afford the XTR iii 3-18
 
I believe it was an issue on the models with 8 mil per turn elevation turrets. When they went to 10 mil turrets they fixed the issue. Hopefully somebody can verify this, but that's the way I understand it
 
Natchez has the XTR ii 3-15 mil-dot on sale for $565 if anyone is interested
 
The 15x and 20x is the sweet spot. 25x is still decent, but above 20 you will notice a difference.

Tracking and reliability are bullet proof.

As mentioned above, for high quality glass bump up to the 18x XTR3.
 
I bought a xtr ii 3-15 new at Christmas with the Mrad tree reticle (scr?) it looked very nice but after turning on the illumination it Started to blink then quit working after like 20 seconds. I sent it back to optics planet after not being able to get in touch with Burris customer service.
 
Josh.scofield said:
I bought a xtr ii 3-15 new at Christmas with the Mrad tree reticle (scr?) it looked very nice but after turning on the illumination it Started to blink then quit working after like 20 seconds. I sent it back to optics planet after not being able to get in touch with Burris customer service.
Click to expand...

Are you sure that was the XTRII? That optic doesn't have a "tree" type reticle available. Only the XTR3 is currently offering an MRAD grid reticle.

Did you try swapping the battery? It sounds like the battery was bad. Or the contact was a little spotty.
 
I’m sorry I was confused I had the scr mil and it was not a tree reticle. I had to go back and look. I did try another battery it was a problem with the connection or something internal idk it just didn’t work. I did like everything else about the scope; turrets, reticle thickness, and weight. A lot of people like them and I’m sure Burris would have fixed it but I Didn’t wanna mess with all that I just sent it back and went with a kahles.
 
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I've been having a "blurry image" problem with my 5-25. I set the eye focus using the clear sky/infinity parallax method and then when I go to set the parallax on a target the target always ends up being blurry.

I do wear contacts though, so that could be part of my problem. I'm thinking of taking them out for a few days and then trying again with a fresh set. When I wear my contacts every day for a long stretch it can eventually end up stressing my eyes a bit.
 
I love my 5-25 SCR-mil. I have atrocious vision -7.5 coke bottle lenses in my glasses, astigmatisms and a couple of years out from cataract surgery. Also have detached vitreous with 2 huge floaters as of late and let me tell you it's a real blast! Having said that as long as my floaters get out of the way this glass is all I could want at the price point(got it used on PX for $725 with XTR Sig Rings). Can still blast 1/2 moa sized targets and don't 'see' myself getting rid of it. Had money set aside for an ATACR MIL-C and was also pretty high on the Vortex Razor HD II, but couldn't find enough of a dif to merit spending that much more.
 
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I think at their respective price point they are one of ,if not the best, option for the money. Great glass and turrets and very durable. Not to mention a warranty that's basically as good as Vortex's if you ever need it.
 
8pointer said:
I love my 5-25 SCR-mil. I have atrocious vision -7.5 coke bottle lenses in my glasses, astigmatisms and a couple of years out from cataract surgery. Also have detached vitreous with 2 huge floaters as of late and let me tell you it's a real blast! Having said that as long as my floaters get out of the way this glass is all I could want at the price point(got it used on PX for $725 with XTR Sig Rings). Can still blast 1/2 moa sized targets and don't 'see' myself getting rid of it. Had money set aside for an ATACR MIL-C and was also pretty high on the Vortex Razor HD II, but couldn't find enough of a dif to merit spending that much more.
Click to expand...

I think my old contacts were the problem. The last time I shot the rifle I had "old" contacts in that were at the end of their life and ready to be thrown away. I have new contacts in now that are only a couple of days old. I went outside and was able to focus the reticle a lot easier and while I didn't have a target to look at, I have a small building at a known distance of 400yds. I was able to set the parallax and focus on it pretty clearly. So hopefully that solves my issues.
 
Well, I've decided........ This Burris may indeed be built like a tank but the glass is so bad it's like looking through a coke bottle....... IMHO
 
If it’s that bad send it in. Did it get focused properly first? I have 4 and they are anything but a coke bottle.
 
Yeah I held it up at the brightk sky and focused the reticle and then tried focusing the image and it won't focus the whole image out tho the edge...... especially above 10x. Plus, anything white looks almost purple.
I'm extremely disappointed.

Please tell me what I am doing wrong. I really want to like this scope.

The only thing I have to compare it too are Leupolds and, God I hate to say it but, IOR. Plus, a few Acogs
 
send that scope into Burris. There is something drastically wrong with that thing. My XTR II is as bright as the Razor Gen II line. The eye box is tight as fuck though.
 
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