Over the years I have been wanting to try the Elcan TR 1/3/9 but some reviews online have put the lid on it and I didn't really have a good platform to put it on anyways.
That was up until I listened to Koshkin's review and I acquired a SCAR 20...those two things have re-ignited my interest in this optic. So I sourced one....
I've been tinkering with this optic for a little over a month now and here are my takes...
In one sentence:
A do-it-all general purpose combat optic that works well and it is not meant to be a replacement for a PRS scope.
Tube Quality:
This is one tanky built optic assembly. It has thick walls and literally feels like my hammer...it is built very tough. Probably the toughest optic I have laid my hands on. It feels like your forged 7075 AR receiver...just thicker...
Weight:
30ish oz is no lightweight but most of the weight is rearward biased so it is not too bad at all...honestly...with the included mount...the weight isn't all too far off from a quality LPVO...and with the above mention of the tube thickness...it is understandable...
Glass Quality:
TOP NOTCH!!!! Absolutely super vivid with 0 chrome aberration...one of the best I have ever looked at...far better than any LPVO I've looked through over the years.
1X surprised me a lot...it is true 100% 1X with a great and clear red dot (I have an astigmatism and didn't bother me a bit)....honestly...it feels much like my Aimpoint CompM4 with a larger but more fine dot...it is better than a Trijicon MRO (even has less fish eye than a MRO)...and to me that is quite an advantage in usability because you do not have to have a piggy back red dot...nor you have to cant the rifle to use it...its simply...awesome and a huuuuuge win for me. I do not notice any color hue that GarandThumb and others have said...maybe Elcan has fixed the coatings since...but that is my sample size of one.
3X is where this optic really likes to be...reticle is extra sharp...FOV is good...optics are super bright and vivid...not much to say...its perfect.
I want to focus on this 9X phenomenon as I think this might be one of the reasons many might not want it...I have tried and tried and tried to make this not useable at 9X in a lot of different scenarios...but I just couldn't make it fail...even though the reticle is somewhat grayish and semi transparent at 9x...I think it many ways that helps...where I live right now...there is a lot of gray with bare trees with the changing season...the reticle remained usable without any issue...I found that the "transparency" kind of helps because I can still keep both eyes open and lets me see to the target...because of this...I do not have as much eye fatigue as I would normal have with traditional optics...
Reticle is calibrated for a 20" barrel blended drop using M80/M118LR with standard shoulder width gap that measures 19"...a perfect match for a SCAR 20 platform or .308 20” semis. IF YOU AREN'T USING M80 OR M118LR OR FGMM 175SMK ammo...this optic will probably not work for you...bear that in mind...know your optic...know your ammo...know your gear...but this is NO DIFFERENT THAN THE BDCs in ACOGs...
Eye Box/FOV/Eye Relief:
I missed this in my initial post so wanted to add it.
1X...it acts like a PA Cyclops 1X with more FOV...forgiving eyebox and I have about 1"movement in all directions before I cannot use the dot anymore...it is a prism optic after all so you will experience scope shadow if you move too much off center...think of it like if you go to the extreme edge of a red dot...you'll have some massive parallax shift and you'd throw your shot anyway...FOV is very close to an ATACR 1-8...
3X feels like a TA33 ACOG...as far as the eye box but it has 6* of FOV vs 3.7* of the ACOG...so you see more out of it...but not as much as my CQ/T at 3X (which is a great optic BTW).
9X is a little tighter as expected but still more forgiving than a traditional optic...FOV is bang on the same as at 2* as an Accupower 3-9x40 set at 9 power...
When you start comparing the raw specs of this optic to others within the same spectrum...Elcan really did a good job on capability compromises...when you start researching and having an open mind...the specs are pretty good...
Low light capability:
This was a surprise to me...but this performs well in low light...at 9x as well...maybe it is just me or what...but the reticle gets "darker" and more pronounced as the sun sets...not sure why...but it works well into past sunset.
Illumination:
The way they have this setup is fairly innovative...it is calibrated great...at 1X is as good as an Aimpoint and I never have to use it really at max setting...usually I am at setting 3 or 4 outside during mid-day (brightest part of the day)....at 3X/9X is one of the best illuminated optics I have...its a sharp reticle when activated without any bleeding or sacrificial dots appearing...
Any and all scopes I have ever had that is illuminated had bleed over either to numbers or to other parts of the reticle and it was super annoying making illuminated reticles quite pointless...this happens from S&B, NF, Steiner etc...not so with the Elcan...it is 100% spot on. Bravo to Elcan...they nailed this very well...very well....
Battery Life:
On average setting...which is 3...Elcan states it will get 14,000hrs at 1X and 240hrs on 3X/9X....
Magnification Lever:
Super easy to use and each setting just "clicks" in place. I really like that I do not have the snag point of a throw lever and I can easily go to whichever setting I need to use...its a well thought out system and I like its design.
Mount:
This isn't mentioned in the manual but the top screws are 15 in/lbs and the jam nut is 20in/lbs....there is no loctite present on the scope cap screws...since this is on a SCAR...I removed each top screw one at a time and applied vibratite blue...the jam nuts run a relatively low 20 in/lbs spec...but it does have backout limiter washer and has yet to come loose so no issues there. The mount is robust...the main 1913 clamping screws are slotted into the mount and then epoxied in...no chance of them coming out. THANK GOODNESS Elcan didnt use ARMS levers...I hate those things...
Adjustments clicks are 0.1 MRAD.
Flip Covers:
They included Tenebraex flip covers with their own removable mounts...these are great covers as usual...lock in if you need to once deployed and easily adjusted to any angle. It is welcomed that I do not have to go find other flip covers.
Conclusion:
From my write up you can probably get to the conclusion that I like this setup. YOU ARE RIGHT! I didn't go into the Elcan TR as a precision optic...I went into it with the mindset of a do-it-all DMR optic that would work well from 0 to 600m with capability to hit beyond that. I initially used a Leupold ECOS-O...amazing system but I wanted to slim down without giving up too much capability. The Elcan TR delivers what I need...a 10" setup (3" less than ECOS-O)...with 1X capability but enough magnification to hit targets long range without having snag points like a piggy-back/offset red dot and throw lever while weighing less (7 Oz less than my ECOS-O)...do I wish 9x had a super sharp reticle like most optics...sure...but it works 100% in the scenarios that I threw at it and at the varying backdrops available for me to use against...I do not see it hindering me at any point...
FOV is a little more narrow than other LPVOs but in use...it is not bad and compares relatively close with other high end optics...
Being able to have red dot like capability at 1X built inside one optic is awesome...the fact that it feels nearly the same as my Comp M4 should speak volumes...the fact that I prefer using this optic at 1X over an MRO is HUGE...9X is very usable...indeed the reticle isn't super sharp...it remains usable and capable.
Glass quality is excellent...0 complaints...only clarity and a vivid sight picture...
I didn't mention price...because in some ways that is not relative...if it fits your budget and provides you the capabilities you are after...that is all that matters. Some might not think it is worth the $2K price tag...to me it does...I am not sure I would pay $3K like their original price a couple of years ago but at the current price tag of a little over $2K direct from Armament Tech or less than $2K from EuroOptic...I think it is a strong optic...
Anyways...if I missed something...just ask away and I will try and answer it for you if you are on the fence...but if you are looking at a one stop shop...SHTF optic for a .308 semi DMR...this could be the one...it also survives the SCAR...
The fact that I can set it and forget it behind a SCAR 20...is a plus. This optic is really catering to the .308 semi auto DMR or multi-purpose rifle and I wouldn't recommend this for a bolt gun...
If your main freedom cannon is not 20" and your freedom pills are not M80 ball or of the 175SMK variety...look elsewhere as the reticle isn't really going to work....sure you could plug it into a ballistic calculator...but your numbers will be off...and in that sense...it might turn you off...all I shot is a 20" .308 gun with M80/M118LR...so I have zero complaints...
It is a very easy optic to be behind, tough and fully capable to hit targets at any magnification...but it is not for everybody...
In many ways, you have to thing about this optic like a 3X ACOG that is switchable to 1X and 9X...
That was up until I listened to Koshkin's review and I acquired a SCAR 20...those two things have re-ignited my interest in this optic. So I sourced one....
I've been tinkering with this optic for a little over a month now and here are my takes...
In one sentence:
A do-it-all general purpose combat optic that works well and it is not meant to be a replacement for a PRS scope.
Tube Quality:
This is one tanky built optic assembly. It has thick walls and literally feels like my hammer...it is built very tough. Probably the toughest optic I have laid my hands on. It feels like your forged 7075 AR receiver...just thicker...
Weight:
30ish oz is no lightweight but most of the weight is rearward biased so it is not too bad at all...honestly...with the included mount...the weight isn't all too far off from a quality LPVO...and with the above mention of the tube thickness...it is understandable...
Glass Quality:
TOP NOTCH!!!! Absolutely super vivid with 0 chrome aberration...one of the best I have ever looked at...far better than any LPVO I've looked through over the years.
1X surprised me a lot...it is true 100% 1X with a great and clear red dot (I have an astigmatism and didn't bother me a bit)....honestly...it feels much like my Aimpoint CompM4 with a larger but more fine dot...it is better than a Trijicon MRO (even has less fish eye than a MRO)...and to me that is quite an advantage in usability because you do not have to have a piggy back red dot...nor you have to cant the rifle to use it...its simply...awesome and a huuuuuge win for me. I do not notice any color hue that GarandThumb and others have said...maybe Elcan has fixed the coatings since...but that is my sample size of one.
3X is where this optic really likes to be...reticle is extra sharp...FOV is good...optics are super bright and vivid...not much to say...its perfect.
I want to focus on this 9X phenomenon as I think this might be one of the reasons many might not want it...I have tried and tried and tried to make this not useable at 9X in a lot of different scenarios...but I just couldn't make it fail...even though the reticle is somewhat grayish and semi transparent at 9x...I think it many ways that helps...where I live right now...there is a lot of gray with bare trees with the changing season...the reticle remained usable without any issue...I found that the "transparency" kind of helps because I can still keep both eyes open and lets me see to the target...because of this...I do not have as much eye fatigue as I would normal have with traditional optics...
Reticle is calibrated for a 20" barrel blended drop using M80/M118LR with standard shoulder width gap that measures 19"...a perfect match for a SCAR 20 platform or .308 20” semis. IF YOU AREN'T USING M80 OR M118LR OR FGMM 175SMK ammo...this optic will probably not work for you...bear that in mind...know your optic...know your ammo...know your gear...but this is NO DIFFERENT THAN THE BDCs in ACOGs...
Eye Box/FOV/Eye Relief:
I missed this in my initial post so wanted to add it.
1X...it acts like a PA Cyclops 1X with more FOV...forgiving eyebox and I have about 1"movement in all directions before I cannot use the dot anymore...it is a prism optic after all so you will experience scope shadow if you move too much off center...think of it like if you go to the extreme edge of a red dot...you'll have some massive parallax shift and you'd throw your shot anyway...FOV is very close to an ATACR 1-8...
3X feels like a TA33 ACOG...as far as the eye box but it has 6* of FOV vs 3.7* of the ACOG...so you see more out of it...but not as much as my CQ/T at 3X (which is a great optic BTW).
9X is a little tighter as expected but still more forgiving than a traditional optic...FOV is bang on the same as at 2* as an Accupower 3-9x40 set at 9 power...
When you start comparing the raw specs of this optic to others within the same spectrum...Elcan really did a good job on capability compromises...when you start researching and having an open mind...the specs are pretty good...
Low light capability:
This was a surprise to me...but this performs well in low light...at 9x as well...maybe it is just me or what...but the reticle gets "darker" and more pronounced as the sun sets...not sure why...but it works well into past sunset.
Illumination:
The way they have this setup is fairly innovative...it is calibrated great...at 1X is as good as an Aimpoint and I never have to use it really at max setting...usually I am at setting 3 or 4 outside during mid-day (brightest part of the day)....at 3X/9X is one of the best illuminated optics I have...its a sharp reticle when activated without any bleeding or sacrificial dots appearing...
Any and all scopes I have ever had that is illuminated had bleed over either to numbers or to other parts of the reticle and it was super annoying making illuminated reticles quite pointless...this happens from S&B, NF, Steiner etc...not so with the Elcan...it is 100% spot on. Bravo to Elcan...they nailed this very well...very well....
Battery Life:
On average setting...which is 3...Elcan states it will get 14,000hrs at 1X and 240hrs on 3X/9X....
Magnification Lever:
Super easy to use and each setting just "clicks" in place. I really like that I do not have the snag point of a throw lever and I can easily go to whichever setting I need to use...its a well thought out system and I like its design.
Mount:
This isn't mentioned in the manual but the top screws are 15 in/lbs and the jam nut is 20in/lbs....there is no loctite present on the scope cap screws...since this is on a SCAR...I removed each top screw one at a time and applied vibratite blue...the jam nuts run a relatively low 20 in/lbs spec...but it does have backout limiter washer and has yet to come loose so no issues there. The mount is robust...the main 1913 clamping screws are slotted into the mount and then epoxied in...no chance of them coming out. THANK GOODNESS Elcan didnt use ARMS levers...I hate those things...
Adjustments clicks are 0.1 MRAD.
Flip Covers:
They included Tenebraex flip covers with their own removable mounts...these are great covers as usual...lock in if you need to once deployed and easily adjusted to any angle. It is welcomed that I do not have to go find other flip covers.
Conclusion:
From my write up you can probably get to the conclusion that I like this setup. YOU ARE RIGHT! I didn't go into the Elcan TR as a precision optic...I went into it with the mindset of a do-it-all DMR optic that would work well from 0 to 600m with capability to hit beyond that. I initially used a Leupold ECOS-O...amazing system but I wanted to slim down without giving up too much capability. The Elcan TR delivers what I need...a 10" setup (3" less than ECOS-O)...with 1X capability but enough magnification to hit targets long range without having snag points like a piggy-back/offset red dot and throw lever while weighing less (7 Oz less than my ECOS-O)...do I wish 9x had a super sharp reticle like most optics...sure...but it works 100% in the scenarios that I threw at it and at the varying backdrops available for me to use against...I do not see it hindering me at any point...
FOV is a little more narrow than other LPVOs but in use...it is not bad and compares relatively close with other high end optics...
Being able to have red dot like capability at 1X built inside one optic is awesome...the fact that it feels nearly the same as my Comp M4 should speak volumes...the fact that I prefer using this optic at 1X over an MRO is HUGE...9X is very usable...indeed the reticle isn't super sharp...it remains usable and capable.
Glass quality is excellent...0 complaints...only clarity and a vivid sight picture...
I didn't mention price...because in some ways that is not relative...if it fits your budget and provides you the capabilities you are after...that is all that matters. Some might not think it is worth the $2K price tag...to me it does...I am not sure I would pay $3K like their original price a couple of years ago but at the current price tag of a little over $2K direct from Armament Tech or less than $2K from EuroOptic...I think it is a strong optic...
Anyways...if I missed something...just ask away and I will try and answer it for you if you are on the fence...but if you are looking at a one stop shop...SHTF optic for a .308 semi DMR...this could be the one...it also survives the SCAR...
The fact that I can set it and forget it behind a SCAR 20...is a plus. This optic is really catering to the .308 semi auto DMR or multi-purpose rifle and I wouldn't recommend this for a bolt gun...
If your main freedom cannon is not 20" and your freedom pills are not M80 ball or of the 175SMK variety...look elsewhere as the reticle isn't really going to work....sure you could plug it into a ballistic calculator...but your numbers will be off...and in that sense...it might turn you off...all I shot is a 20" .308 gun with M80/M118LR...so I have zero complaints...
It is a very easy optic to be behind, tough and fully capable to hit targets at any magnification...but it is not for everybody...
In many ways, you have to thing about this optic like a 3X ACOG that is switchable to 1X and 9X...
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