LPVO scope for 3-Gun: Burris RT-6 1-6x24 vs Vortex Strike Eagle 1-8x24

thegrandpoohbah

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I am considering switching back to a LPVO for 3-gun next year. Looking for something in the low budget range to try out and might upgrade later if I decide I like it enough vs my current ACOG TA33. Debating between the Burris RT-6 1-6x24 and the Vortex Strike Eagle 1-8x24 at the moment. A true 1x, decent build quality and good warranty are my main priorities. Decent glass quality would be nice but I am not expecting any miracles at this price point. I am leaning towards the Burris based on the reviews that I have seen and the fact that it is cheaper and comes with the little fast throw lever. The Vortex costs more and the lever is an additional expense but it does have more reach. What are your experiences with these optics? Anything else in this price range that I should consider?
 
I tried the Vortex Strike Eagle 1-8 and was very disappointed. The glass was not good and the magnification looked significantly less than 8x. I just went through this exercise, looking at the Viper PST 1-6, Bushnell Elite Tactical 1-6.5, and Zeiss 1-4. I didn't feel that anything compared to my Ta31. It is hard to find something cheaper that compares glass-wise. I even found that the 4x acog looks similar in magnification to the 1-6 scopes with inferior glass.

This is my experience only, yours may be different.
 
That Hunting Store in Richmond has one for $1,299. Nice glass but I found the reticle nice but very small (zqar) and the illumination was too busy with the pattern. At under $1k I would consider it, but $1300 plus moumt is a lot given the reticle issues for me.
 
I have two of the Burris RT-6s mounted on modern sporting rifles and am very happy with their performance at a price-point under $600. The glass is quite bright and clear, the 1x appears true, and the size and weight are just about ideal for that application. I Iiked my first RT-6 so much that I bought another!

I don't have any first-hand experience with the inexpensive Vortex "Strike" lineup, but to be honest I have not heard anything good about them. The image quality is said to suck balls, which is all I need to hear to keep me away. YMMV....

I heartily recommend the Burris RT-6 as a low-cost LPVO for your MSR. I honestly wouldn't go any cheaper on a 1-6x optic. For the next step up however, definitely check out the Vortex PST 2, 1-6x scope that is priced right at $1K. I have one of those as well, and it really gives its Razor "big brother" a run for it's money!
 
Steiner 1-4 has wonderful glass and crisp and edge to edge. Two reticles available. Great reviews stateside. I wish i could find a Rt6 locally to look through to see how it compares with the Steiner. Not sure what current cdn pricing is.
https://www.steiner-optics.com/riflescopes/p4xi-1-4x24

Thanks for the recommendation. I did have a look and the Steiner does have great reviews. I just didn't feel like 4x was enough of an advantage over my 3x ACOG to bother with.
 
Got the RT-6 today. Still waiting for the mount to arrive so I can't really test it yet. Build quality is what I expect from Burris and the glass quality is ok but not great. A fair bit of fisheye at 1x. The main issue though that I wasn't expecting is that 1x isn't really 1x. It's not until I turn the zoom ring to around 1.25x that it actually looks like 1x. Is this normal with this particular scope or should I be looking at sending it back?
 
Did you ever end up sending it back? i have an RT-6 and i found the glass and the build quality to be superior to the Vortex strike eagle and other budget LPVOs. Its definitely not perfect however. My 1x appears to be true. its possible your is defective.
 
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