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Rifle Scopes Looking for wisdom on the Trijicon TARS

Noles77

Private
Minuteman
Mar 12, 2018
53
13
46
South carolina
Ok Ive been a Trijicon junky for years as a tried and true hunting scope, I’ve now stepped into the world of long range shooting. Im looking to do the “ Buy once cry once” deal and I’m very interested in the Trijicon but I can’t find any real world reviews or experience behind it other than folks attempting to market it. Im curious how it compares to the ATACR ( mostly bc I’m leaning that way if I can’t get some info),
Or the ther tier 1 players ( PMll,IOR,Kahles,BT17 and so on, I trust the brand but 2.5K is a big investment for a poor man if I can’t justify the purchase! Any help or reviews on the TARS is greatly appreciated guys thanks
 
Welcome to the Hide Noles. While there is some validity to the "buy once cry once" idea in theory, I think it doesn't hold true in reality at least for this market. Yes, there are a few out there who bought Scope X years ago and still shoot with it today, but the advancements within the electro-optics industry over the past 5 years have been pretty incredible.

The reason you don't find many reviews is because the TARS never really caught on, not that it is a bad scope but for the price, but I believe there are other scopes that are probably as good or better. From memory the TARS sources Schott glass and is an impressive performer optically, but it's heavy weight and lack of "good" reticle options have kept it on the outside of the industry. I know you're a Trijicon junky, but try not to be a brand loyalist simply because there are so many great options from other manufacturers. If you want top tier quality for about the same price look at the Tangent Theta TT315M, an extreme scope in every way, another option would be the Minox ZP5 3-15. I consider the 3-15 to be the bare minimum for long range shooting, but that is my preference, there are plenty of shooters who've been successful with 10x at 800+ yards, but my personal preference is having 18x or above at the high end. Is there a particular reason you're looking at 3-15's or is it just because that's what Trijicon makes? If you tell us what kind of shooting you intend to do, what ranges and what rig you plan to put the scope on you'll get better response from the community.

One last thing to think about, if there is any doubt in your mind that you might not be happy with the TARS for any reason, the resale on it probably won't be that great because of the fact that the TARS is not a popular model within the shooting community, and if you decide to sell it your return on investment will not be that great. So "buy once cry once" yes, but if you do happen to sell it, you'll cry even more :)
 
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Welcome to the Hide Noles. While there is some validity to the "buy once cry once" idea in theory, I think it doesn't hold true in reality at least for this market. Yes, there are a few out there who bought Scope X years ago and still shoot with it today, but the advancements within the electro-optics industry over the past 5 years have been pretty incredible.

The reason you don't find many reviews is because the TARS never really caught on, not that it is a bad scope but for the price, but I believe there are other scopes that are probably as good or better. From memory the TARS sources Schott glass and is an impressive performer optically, but it's heavy weight and lack of "good" reticle options have kept it on the outside of the industry. I know you're a Trijicon junky, but try not to be a brand loyalist simply because there are so many great options from other manufacturers. If you want top tier quality for about the same price look at the Tangent Theta TT315M, an extreme scope in every way, another option would be the Minox ZP5 3-15. I consider the 3-15 to be the bare minimum for long range shooting, but that is my preference, there are plenty of shooters who've been successful with 10x at 800+ yards, but my personal preference is having 18x or above at the high end. Is there a particular reason you're looking at 3-15's or is it just because that's what Trijicon makes? If you tell us what kind of shooting you intend to do, what ranges and what rig you plan to put the scope on you'll get better response from the community.

One last thing to think about, if there is any doubt in your mind that you might not be happy with the TARS for any reason, the resale on it probably won't be that great because of the fact that the TARS is not a popular model within the shooting community, and if you decide to sell it your return on investment will not be that great. So "buy once cry once" yes, but if you do happen to sell it, you'll cry even more :)

I have a custom .300wm I’m running a Burris XTR ll on and have taken that setup out to the mile mark, the new scope will either go on that rig or my new RPR 6.5 paper punching with friends is all they will be used for other than an occasional deer hunt ( I have 2 dedicated deer rifles so not often)3x15 is only bc of the TARS I prefer the 5x20 ish range to be honest, I will look into the 2 scopes you suggested as well and thanks also for the reply and info and any suggestions are appreciated thanks again guys
Ronald
 
Good internal adjustment range
Extremely heavy
Impressive durability specs
poor reticle selection

Biggest problem is the price point they set it at.
Why would someone pick the 3-15 TARS over a similarly priced 3-20 PMII?
The competition is just too stiff at 2500-3000. There's too many prestigious companies with proven designs and track records in that bracket. Not to mention the market segment at that price is extremely small to begin with.

If they brought it down to the 1500-2000 mark then there would be biters.
 
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Wow that's quite the bargain. I wonder why he's letting it go so low.
Assuming it's perfectly functional, you can't lose at that price.

It’s kind of odd how low it is. That and the scope is an MOA adj, but the box says it’s mil adjust on the label.