Review: Burris XTR II 5x-25x50mm Scope
Major Pandemic 11.03.16
Lately, I’ve been seeing optics manufacturers really pushing themselves again to deliver exponential jumps in quality. Burris’ premier XTR II lineup is a good example of this. These new scopes rival the best optics in the industry, and the Burris XTR II 5x-25x 50mm was a must for a top-end Devil Dog precision rifle build.
I was disappointed with the fate of Devil Dog Arms, but they still made one of the best quality AR rifles in the industry. This Devil Dog 308 has proved to be exceptionally accurate with the capability to deliver groups in the ½ MOA range, and the the XTR II 5x-25x50mm allowed me to take advantage of that accuracy. The SCR Mil Reticle also allowed a lot of data for on-the-fly windage and elevation compensation adjustments without the need to touch the dial.
The original XTR v1 line of scopes was a huge success for Burris, but customers were asking for more. Not only did Burris produce a crystal-clear 5-time zoom range on this XTR II 5-25x50mm optic, but they also upped the tube thickness by 25% over the original. Burris also configured the optic design as a FFP (First Focal Plane) scope. FFP is the hot feature among precision and sniper rifle shooters; in essence it zooms the reticle when the magnification changes. The result is that whatever holdover you have on the BDC or Mil-dot is the same at any magnification.
The big thing with FFP reticles is that this design makes elevation and wind holdovers simple and easy without having to think about what magnification you are on. If you have a 5 MPH crosswind on a 300-yard target and that is the second dot down and a quarter mil over based on your zero, then no matter what magnification you are on, that same holdover will work. Pretty cool.
I choose the SCR Mil-Dot reticle. The SCR (Special Competition Reticle) is designed to offer the faster-paced long range shooter a reticle, which provides a significant amount of data including ½ Mil-Dot markings, 1/10 Mil-Dot ranging brackets, and an extended illumination reticle. The goal of the reticle design was to provide the shooter with all the data needed to take the shot quickly and accurately whether they reached for the turrets or used the precision Mil-Dot hold over points in the reticle.
Once a shooter knows their bullet drop holds based on Mil-Dot target sizing, they can make precision shots extremely quickly, even at multiple targets at different distances. If you see your shot spatter 1 mil to the left, you can make that adjustment without doing math to convert what you read in the reticle with a turret adjustment. Burris notes the XTR II this SCR reticle is busier than a typical Mi-Dot reticle, but with a design that is focused on competitive shooting/sniper competitions.
Fit, Finish, Feel, Features, and Functions
There is a lot to love about this high-tier optic. At around $1400 on the street, it’s not for everyone and is up there with the premium Japanese and German scopes. For the quality, it’s a great deal and considerably less expensive than many competitors’ similarly-featured $2000-$3000 optics.
The Burris glass is unbelievably crisp and clear. Let’s not forget that Burris and Steiner are owned by the same parent company, so I don’t think it’s a stretch of the imagination that Steiner engineering and technology had a hand in Burris upping its already-exceptional game.
What Burris delivered with the XTRII sets the bar for the rest of the market, outside of maybe Vortex. They have everything packed into this optic with the exception of laser ranging. You have the new style thicker, heavier-duty, and allegedly brighter 34MM tube and big, audible-click turrets. The turrets’ MRad adjustments are matched to the Mil-Dot reticle (as they should be), are zero-able, and even feature a resettable zero-stop. There is that cool FFP feature that everyone wants for Christmas, and the reticle is even illuminated.
Now I generally have some serious gripes about illuminated reticles because most companies try to make them too bright. Too often, they’re made for daytime use, which means they are far too bright for the night work they were originally developed for. The illumination on this 5x-25x50mm XTR II has eleven settings of illumination from “I can barely see a hint of the reticle in a dark closet in the basement with the lights off” to something brighter and usable at dusk.
Burris has also included off positions between each illumination setting, so you don’t need to cycle through all the brightness settings just to turn it on or off.
This scope also has a well-thought-out side focus knob that is neither interfered with by the illumination knob, nor interferes with it. And then there’s the huge magnification range.
Normally you would see a 3x-10x or 3x-14x, but here we have a scope that can give you everything you might need on very close targets all the way out to the distant capabilities of the shooter with a 25x magnification. This setup offers a lot of flexibility and is one of the widest magnification ranges on the market.
If you are looking for a general purpose sniper rifle, this magnification range is too much. Burris’ 3x-15x XTR II would be a better choice. If you are looking for an optic for a dedicated precision rifle that has the magnification to deliver that accuracy at longer range, this is one amazing optic.
Manufacturer Specs
- All hand-fitted internal assemblies are triple spring-tensioned for absolute shock-proofing, even under severe recoil. They are vibration resistant, even on extended vehicular patrols.
- Zero Click Stop adjustment knobs let you quickly and easily revert back to the original yardage setting without counting clicks
- Advanced windage and elevation adjustments are fast and easy; accurate and repeatable reticle adjustments match the measurement system of the reticle
- High-grade optical glass provides excellent brightness and clarity with lasting durability
- Index-matched Hi-Lume® multicoating aids in low-light performance and glare elimination, increasing your success rate
- Double internal spring-tension system allows the scope to hold zero through shock, recoil, and vibrations
- Waterproof
- Nitrogen-filled body tubes prevent internal fogging in the cold and rain
- Precision-gauged and hand-fitted internal assemblies maintain a consistent point of impact through the magnification range, regardless of shock and vibration
- Solid, 1-piece outer tube is stress-free and durable; withstands shock and vibration from even the heaviest-recoiling calibers
- Covered by the Burris Forever Warranty™
- Magnification: 5x-25x
- Objective Lens Diameter: 58 mm
- Clear Objective Lens Diameter: 50 mm
- Ocular Lens Diameter: 44.25 mm
- Finish: Matte
- Focal Plane: FFP
- Main Tube Size: 34 mm
- Field of View: 21 low – 4.3 high (ft. @ 100 yds.)
- Eye Relief: 3.50 – 4.25 in.
- Exit Pupil: 10 low – 2 high (mm)
- Click Value: 1/10 mil; 100-Click Knob (201031)
- 1/4 MOA; 100-Click Knob (201032)
- 1/10 mil; 80-Click Knob (201030)
- Elevation Adjustment, Total Capability: 110 MOA (Example: 50 MOA is roughly 25 MOA from center.)
- Windage Adjustment: 55 MOA (Example: 50 MOA is roughly 25 MOA in any direction from center.)
- Parallax/Focus: Side focus/PA
- Adjustable Parallax: 50 yds. – infinity
- Length: 16.31 in.
- Weight: 32.10 oz.
- Illumination Control: Rotary dial; intermediate “battery saver” stops
- Illumination Settings: 11 brightness settings
- Battery: CR2032
- MSRP $1400-$1500
