It doesn’t look like the scope is leveled when doing the tracking test, just looking at the vertical stadia line compared to the vertical lines on the tracking target.
I have the 5-30x56. The glass is great, noticeable CA in the higher magnification range. My biggest complaint has to do with my elevation turret. I have 16 mils of travel after zeroing on 20 MOA base but only 12 are usable. Haven't performed a good tracking test on mine yet but I did a tall target test and it was perfect out to 12 mils. I had already sent mine in due to my tracking not being repeatable as I changed mag ranges, that was a big let down. Say on 15x I would get 10.3 mil and on 10 mayby only 8 mil of adjustment. They fixed it and it is functioning properly. Not sure if I'll keep it or not, left a bad taste in my mouth and I hate to say it, I love Steiner, I have the M5Xi 5-25x56 and it's an absolute unit.
So this model is trash, the glass on the m5s were complete trash.. what do you love about steiner? Theyre all trash compared to literally anything else in its price range. If you upgrade from something like a crappy strike beagle maybe you think steiner is good, but they dont at all hang with nightforce, s&b, zeiss, razors, trijicons, etc.
That really sucks. And something that has been bothering me about scopes of this price range. It makes me wonder if some manufacturers aren't building the best scope possible just to fit a price bracket. At the cost of quality.... I know the M line up is their big dog. But it's still inexcusable for the rest of their lineup to have genuine flaws.
@azntactical6487 I had 23 MIL of elevation before zeroing. I ended up making a fair trade for a nice AK about a month ago. I did like the scope but I'm a litlle bit happier with the rifle.
I have a T6Xi 3-18 SCR2 and love it. I have had zero issues tracking repeatability at our local range out to 1000yards but I don’t have a fancy jig to check the accuracy of .1 mil click
@CDOES what would you recommend for a dmr rifle in 6.5 cm that would be used out to 1000 yards? Price is up to 3k. I have nf atacr on my other builds fwiw.
Did you choose one over the other? The NX8 looks like it might have a better build and glass every so slightly, but the Steiner seems to have better features / more user friendly controls. I'm looking at both as well.
Thank you sir. That optic will never be in my hands, so awsome to get the run down on it. Really impressed with another optic of similar mag range, the athlon ares 3-18x50. It is awesome. Thats about as high end as i can aford, but no complaints at all yet. I found the arkens, and vortex below the level of razor were honestly kind of garbage. So then, i suppose its true, you get what you pay for. But totally worth the jump from those, to the athlon. God bless you and yours.
IMO the reticle doesn’t matter below 10x for this magnification range. I say this because my shooting style doesn’t require any milling or holdover, beyond the crosshair, at the range I will engaging a target at the lower magnification range. Once you get bond 10x the reticle is usable and this is where you will actually use it. I believe this is why they illuminated only the inside crosshair. At those lower mag ranges the illumination is glorious, as it does not bleed out. At higher magnification you just lower the intensity and again it is sharp as a tack… just wonderful. I have do have two issues with this scope though. One is the CA at high mag ranges is apparent, and the parallax is SUPER sensitive. Other than that, I believe this a home run for the price point.
I purchased a used T6Xi 5-30 a while ago. Being used, mine didn't come with either an instruction booklet or a battery. Not knowing any better, I threw a CR2032 in it and thought the illumination was broken LOL! Before discovering my error I contacted Steiner and their response was VERY fast, the CS experience was exceptional. Of note, their excellent Waranty is fully Transferrable, which was a major reason I felt comfortable saving a substantial amount of money buying Used. Po' Boy gonna do what Po' Boy gonna do.
Steiner replaced my MPS twice after the cross bolt sheared due to use of blue loctite. They're very patient over there- I wouldn't hesitate to buy Steiner again.
I have one on my 22arc, makes for a great coyote gun. I have stretched out to 400, using that scope, with ease. My next precision gun will have the 5-30.
I’ve been looking for reviews on this optic. Ended up just getting one last week but with an scr2 reticle and I love it. Definitely glad I went with it. Was debating for weeks this or the nx8 for an spr build. I’m looking forward to the h6xi 2-12 with the mil reticle coming soon. That optic checks all the boxes for a nice spr optic.
Man I really wish if a scope is going to have a separate mil scale and height of man range estimation they would put it in the top half so you could still have a christmas tree reticle. That was unironically one of the best things about the arken ep4 reticle and the vortex strike eagle reticle. its out of the way unless you need it and it wont clutter the bottom half where your shots are actually going to land
Exceptional review as always. You just knock it out of the park every time ! What are the chances of us seeing the Zeiss Lrp s3 in the near future ? I’m seriously looking to get one and just can’t seem to make my mind up.
Something I’ve learned recently is how locking turrets can affect how accurate turrets are. I wonder if the Steiner turrets are more accurate than traditional push/pull turret locks and that’s the reason for the unique locking system.
I've put probably 500 rds through my 6.5 with the t6xi 3-18MSR2 with target shooting and long range competitions. The MSR2 performs super well for me in this mag range
Thanks so much for the review. I have been debating between this and the NX8. I liked the look of the turrets on the steiner it is too bad that the image lost as much clarity as it did. I was really hoping the T6 would perform a bit better. The "never lost" locking turrets feature looses it's appeal if the image distorts badly when you use it. If only NF would put a lock on the elevation. That being said it will come down to if the T6xi has dramatically more usable eye box. I know the T6 is better but by how much? It is going on a hunting/ long range plinking rifle. I shoot out to 1000 a few times a year and I shoot in some slightly awkward positions while hunting. The pros and cons seem to ballance out with these two within my context does anyone have experience with both they can weigh in with?
I have been eyeballing this scope for months but with the SCR2. I’ve been looking for good glass in this price range or little less with 3-18, locking turrets, illum, FFP Christmas tree reticle, and solid brand reputation, US made is a bonus. Reason I haven’t got it yet was I could not be sure if reticle was useful for quick shots a lower mag(bummer here) and the locking system leaves me wondering if it could freeze or get dirty and fail. Too bad about the tracking. I’m not sure, I may still get it but I’ll wait for now.
Tracking like that I'd expect to see from an old Leupold mk4! So basically you pretty much have to compensate for that .2 of a mil in your math. For hunters who don't shoot game typically past 600 yards, I think this scope would be the thing to get. A hunter doesn't spin turrets too often. To make a typical shot you are not adjusting more than 10 mils, If that. Depending on your cartridge. With a 7 rem mag you may only adjust 4 or 5 mils for a long range shot. Since the scooe doesn't start having issues past 10 mils. I may go for it.
Love the optical system. Hate the turret clicks and locking system. When locking or locking the main turret always moves a few clicks. Can't seem to find all 35 mils of elevation with the turret zero unlocked. Can only find 25 mils.
Check steiner predator/ranger series, pretty much same glass quality half of price t6. Steiner ranger 6 3-18x56 costs 1300€ in eu, pretty much best bang for buck hunting scope
Likewise, I have a love-hate relationship with Steiner products. I would love to own one of their products, but I hate the price. They sell to an ever decreasing market segment that is getting older and older.
