Rifle Scopes Steinter T5Xi > Burris XTR2?
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I recently sold my XTR II after obtaining a T5X for a great price. The XTR II, for what I paid for it (Less than $1k) was hard to beat for the price. It was solid as a rock, glass was clear enough for what I needed it for, and it tracked true. I always wanted the Steiner though, especially after my buddy got one and I looked through his compared to my Burris. The reticle on the Steiner is finer than the one on the Burris, which I like, and the glass is a little clearer. The Burris had more tactile turrets than the Steiner does, by that I mean the "click" was more noticeable when I made adjustments on the Burris. Both had zero stop, and the illuminated reticle (Which, outside of putting the battery in each once to make sure it works, I don't use). Both scopes served me well, and the Steiner for $500 more is not making my groups any better but I am able to pick up mirage a little better with the clearer glass than I was with the Burris. Both are solid scopes, if the Burris fits into your budget better, it is stil la solid choice. They definitely hit a homerun compared to the first generation XTR.
I have both the XTR II 3-15x50 with G2B reticle as well as the new updated T5xi 3-15x50 with the scr reticle.
There are differences between the two; some of the below info you can not find until you have the scope in hand.
now the following was my observation on my particular 2 scopes (your scope may differ)
adjustment feel:
XTR II had tactile and audible click that were well defined however, turning resistance increased as I neared the opposite side of turret (5 MIL mark) this was very slight however ( did not notice this until I closed my eyes to run the test).
T5xi had slightly more defined clicks and turning resistance. Turning resistance was consistent throughout both rotations.
optical aspect:
XTR II glass is fine and is clear however exhibits chromatic aberrations. The T5xi glass is better with less chromatic aberations. However when compared to the USO ST-10 scopes I have, the USO have less chromatic aberration than both T5xi and XTR II scopes. The eyebox on both scopes are about the same however I am going to throw something out there I call the focus box. This is something I have noticed but nobody ever mentions or talks about. Much like the idea of the eye box where if you are off center beyond the limits of the eye box you lose sight picture. This same phenomenon exist with the reticle focus. If you are dead center behind the scope with your eye the reticle will be perfectly focused however the more off center you are the more out of focus the reticle will become. Some scopes are more forgiving than others meaning those scopes will have a larger "focus box." The T5xi definitely has a larger focus box compared to the XTR II scope.
pricing:
The XTR II 3-15x50 scope street price is about 50-60% of the T5xi 3-15x50 scope street price
I hope this small write up will help you with your decision between the two scopes.
Gene
There are differences between the two; some of the below info you can not find until you have the scope in hand.
| XTR II | T5xi | ||
| parallax low end | 50 yd | 25 yd | |
| parallax rotation direction | ccw to go up | ccw to go up | this is looking at the scope from left side |
| zoom rotation direction | cw to go up | ccw to go up | this is looking at the scope from the rear (ocular lens) |
| number of mils per rotation | 10 | 12 | |
| second rev indicator | classic horizontal line on turret | numbered adjustment changes on 2nd rotation | |
| elev/wind knob height | approx 1in | approx 5/8in | |
| elev/wind knob diameter | approx 1 3/8 in | approx 1 1/2 in | |
| zero stop | yes,right on "0" | yes, 0.3mil below "0" | |
| windage stop | no | yes, at 5.6 Mil L and R | |
| diopter adjustment | non-locking | locking | |
| weight | 30.9 oz | 29.8 oz | |
| length | 14.13 in | 13.1 in | |
| battery | CR2032 | CR2450 | |
| number of included battery | 1 | 2 | |
| IL adjustment | 50% turn 11 step ccw | 90% turn 11 step ccw | both had off positions between intensity levels |
| throw lever included | no | yes | |
| included scope caps | proprietary burris caps | tenebrex caps |
now the following was my observation on my particular 2 scopes (your scope may differ)
adjustment feel:
XTR II had tactile and audible click that were well defined however, turning resistance increased as I neared the opposite side of turret (5 MIL mark) this was very slight however ( did not notice this until I closed my eyes to run the test).
T5xi had slightly more defined clicks and turning resistance. Turning resistance was consistent throughout both rotations.
optical aspect:
XTR II glass is fine and is clear however exhibits chromatic aberrations. The T5xi glass is better with less chromatic aberations. However when compared to the USO ST-10 scopes I have, the USO have less chromatic aberration than both T5xi and XTR II scopes. The eyebox on both scopes are about the same however I am going to throw something out there I call the focus box. This is something I have noticed but nobody ever mentions or talks about. Much like the idea of the eye box where if you are off center beyond the limits of the eye box you lose sight picture. This same phenomenon exist with the reticle focus. If you are dead center behind the scope with your eye the reticle will be perfectly focused however the more off center you are the more out of focus the reticle will become. Some scopes are more forgiving than others meaning those scopes will have a larger "focus box." The T5xi definitely has a larger focus box compared to the XTR II scope.
pricing:
The XTR II 3-15x50 scope street price is about 50-60% of the T5xi 3-15x50 scope street price
I hope this small write up will help you with your decision between the two scopes.
Gene
Wow. Thanks for that detailed description. This is exactly what I was looking for back when I was considering these two optics. However, since then, I reconsidered, upped my budget, and decided on a DMRIIi and could not be happier. Which, crazy as it is, ended up costing me a lot less than the T5Xi would have.
I understand what you mean about the "Focus Box" I tend to lump that assessment in with the "eye box" sensitivity as a whole. I really really wanted to like the XTR2. I actually liked the turrets better than those on my DMRII, but every sample I looked through had a tremendous amount of CA that really distracted me. Interestingly enough, my Gen1 PST has no CA. None that I can discern anyway, so I think I may just be lucky and I got an exceptional sample. While the image quality of the DMRII I would definitely say is sharper than my PST, it has just a touch of CA, but not enough to bother me and its only noticeable at max mag.
I am new to the forum but read this post and recently purchased a steiner t5xi 5-25 to provide more magnification and update an excellent Leupold mk 4 3.5 to 10 that has served me very well through field and range activity. I had been out of the glass market since purchasing my mk 4 back in the late 90s 2000 timeframe. Therefore I consider all of us lucky to have access to high quality optics manufacturers with feature rich products. My budget, like many, is midrange at best because I still have yet to win that darn lottery lol. I looked through several scopes and purchased my steiner based upon the price point, reputation, warranty and price point. I got a good deal on what has been called a law enforcement demo... figured it would be just fine after mounting on a rifle for a class and I was right... scope was mint... also figured since it was a demo model someone took some extra qa time prior to putting it out for officers to consider for purchase in their departments. Anyway, got the scope from a great vendor with excellent customer service (sportoptics) and could not be more pleased with the quality and features of the product for my purposes. While I have not looked through S&B scopes or other higher end scopes because they were outside my budget and I have wondered realistically what kind of performance difference is present for those extra couple of percentage points in brightness and clarity for my use not requiring my life on the line. I am not knocking purchasing the best just realistically wonder if I personally would truly benefit from what they offered for my intended use for the scope. Anyway, long story short, steiner t5xi is a great scope, and the scr reticle is fine enough for target work at max magnification given its an ffp for me. Hope my .02 helps in your journey as it is not easy choosing from ingest great options.
Rate
Rate
Sorry about typos... thick fingers with smart phone... should not be ingest but 'from all the great options'
Welcome to the forum, but the OP already decided on "none of the above" if you read the last reply.
Also, you do get what you pay for. Nothing wrong with cheaper optics, as the SWFA fixed 10x and 3-15x are still two of my favorites... but my NF and S&B blow them out of the water and into space in every single way. My Kahles was visually more pleasing than the NF honestly, and I wish I could compare the Kahles to the S&B side by side..
I had a 4-20 XTR2 and loved the turrets, zero stop, and RTZ. I've had (2) of the T5XI 5-25 scopes. Both tracked well, I really liked the scr reticle, and I really liked the extra goodies that came with them. I ended up getting rid of all of them because to me the CA just bugged the hell out of me! They're each good scopes and they work for lots of folks out there. If I was shopping for a scope in the T5XI price range, I'd go Gen1 Razor HD 5-20 over the Burris or Steiner. I'm on my 2nd one of them now and they are just a solid, dependable scope! Tracks dead on, good glass with barely any CA to my eyes, better reticle and better illumination IMHO.
Is the glass on the Weaver Tactical 3-15 (only decent scope I've owned) going to be better than the Burris XTR II 3-15? I've found the Burris with the SCR reticle for $750ish without illumination.
Thanks. Looks like I'm back to trying to decide if the Bushnell DMR II is worth the extra money compared to the $750 Weaver Tactical 6-30.
The DMR II looks to be the better fit for a 18" Grendel, still undecided though.
The DMR II looks to be the better fit for a 18" Grendel, still undecided though.
I don't think you will be disappointed with the Weaver but the reticle is the IMDR and I think it'll leave you wanting something else.
If you were considering the Burris XTRII I would consider the Steiner T5Xi from EuroOptics, Natchez Shooters Supply, or the PX. They can be found for $1400-1500 used, referb, blem and have the upgraded turrets.
The DMRII is a hell of a scope and I think you would be happy with it or the T5Xi.
I was in the same situation a couple months ago when Bushnell had their rebate and the DMRII and T5Xi were about the same price. I eventually chose he T5Xi because I found such a good deal on one
I have a 4-20 XTR II and have been very satisfied with the glass, tracking, and zero stop. It's just a heavy scope for hunting. I'm thinking about selling or swapping for a 2-10x42 to cut about a half pound of weight.
I got a Steiner T5Xi to backup my Minox ZP5 which is my go to scope. I haven’t spent nearly the time behind the Steiner as I have with the Minox, but it is well worth the savings and I would definitely choose the Steiner over the Burris. There is a huge difference in the glass between the Steiner and Minox; but compared to the Burris, the Steiner is better. FWIW, on a ‘tall target test’ the Steiner was perfect. Absolutely no error.
I’m probably going to sell my T5Xi simply because I don’t use it. But if I didn’t already have the Minox, I’d be okay with the Steiner.
I’m probably going to sell my T5Xi simply because I don’t use it. But if I didn’t already have the Minox, I’d be okay with the Steiner.
Just a heads up for anyone considering the Burris. I was in my local Cabelas this weekend and they had the 3-15 version with the SCRMIL reticle for less than $750 ($73X if I recall?). I almost bought one just to check out at that price.
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