Tag Archives: steiner

Steiner MX5i 5-25×56

September 6, 2025Optics, Product review5-25, MX5i, rifle scope, scope, steiner, steiner opticscoldboremiracle

Preface

Steiner Optics has a long and distinguished history of making professional grade shooting tools. I have always been a fan of the brand and I’ve reviewed several products here. Today we are looking at another one of Steiner’s popular rifle scopes, the Steiner MX5i 5-25×56. The MX5i has been a popular riflescope for law enforcement and military use during the last decade or so. Today I wanted to see how this popular scope stands up to the other scopes I have used.

The Mx5i Riflescope

The Steiner MX5i is a purpose built tactical scope made with precision shooters in mind. It has all the features a long-range precision rifle would need. The large 34mm tube allow for a full 26 MRAD of elevation adjustment, and houses the large erector housing with fully adjustable turrets. The Duoscale elevation turret has 15 MRAD per rotation, and allows you to reset at zero easily.

Steiner, M5X, desert tech, HTI, 50bmg, — the Steiner MX5i mounted in a **Contessa 34mm Scope Mount**

Inside the MX5i you’ll find the MSR2 illuminated reticle, which I have used in several scopes with success. The FFP reticle is very useful without being too obtrusive, and the ability to illuminate it in low light conditions is also quite helpful.

Included with the scope are some nice flip-open caps to protect the lenses, as well as the typical accessories. As well as the Steiner Heritage Warranty to give you peace of mind. Steiner has moved some of their production to the US which is comforting. In my opinion, the second best place to have a scope built is Germany, and that is where the MX5i comes from.

Specifications

Steiner Optics MX5i Riflescope
Magnification	5-25X
Reticle	MSR2
Finish	Matte Black
Objective Diameter	56MM
Reticle Focal Plane	First
Tube Diameter	34 MM
Field of View	4.6 – 23.6 ft at 100 yds
Eye Relief	3.5 – 4.3 in
Exit Pupil	2.2 – 9.8 mm
Length	16.6 Inches
Weight	36.3 Ounces
Illumination	Rotary Rheostat with off settings between
Turret Design	Duoscale with resettable zero
Turret Values	0.1 MRAD per click
Elevation Range	26 MRAD
Parallax Focus	Side focus adjust
Battery	CR2450
MSRP	$3679.99

Shooting the Steiner MX5i

I’ve had the good luck to use this scope quite a bit, which is not always the case when reviewing some products. Having been able to travel the world a bit with the scope has given me some additional insight into its durability. From shooting 50 BMG rifles in the arid deserts of the west, to sub-freezing temps shooting down abandoned Soviet airstrips.

My first experience shooting the scope was on my Desert Tech SRS M2 chambered in 338 lapua magnum. A strong rifle that would show failures in a scope that isn’t up to the task. Zeroing the rifle was easy using the MX5’s turrets. With a simple slip of the turrets I zeroed the elevation and windage.

First Shots

On the first trip out, we stretched the rifle all the way out to 1600 yards. I must say that I was impressed with both the repeatability of the scope, and the optical sharpness. As it happens, after picking out a target at 1600, every shooters dream occured…

Steiner, M5X, desert tech, SRS, srs m2, 338lm,

A lone coyote wandered out of the cedar trees just behind my target zone just as I settled in for a shot. I watched him as he picked his way between the trees hoping for him to pause. After he seemed to show no sign of stopping, I decide to lead him. Having made a dozen or so shots all ready at that distance, I had a pretty good idea of the flight time anticipated. With my lead held I pressed the trigger, sending the 250 grain Swiss P bullet on its way.

My luck with coyotes held true that day, as just after I pulled the trigger he must have sensed a disturbance in his aura or something and he stopped. A moment later and just a foot or two ahead of him, my shot landed right where he should have been. It would have been an amazing shot.

Shooting Abroad

A few weeks later I found myself laying in deep snow looking down a cut in a sea of coniferous forest in northern Europe. My breath would condense and freeze to the side of my rifle, making it somewhat challenging to focus. But looking through the MX5 I could clearly see my targets downrange a kilometer away. The target hangers contrasted clearly against the white blanket of snow.

Over the course of several days we shot targets in the icy breeze, with and without snow falling. It was a great test of the clarity of this scope, never fogging up. It also required me to rely on its accurate tracking, as I was shooting soft targets through falling snow. It was impossible to see impacts.

In Tandem

I also shot the MX5i in tandem with the Andres Industries TigIR thermal sight. This brought another level of perception, looking through both optics together I was able to see my bullet holes appear in the snow even 600 meters away.

Steiner, M5X, desert tech, SRS, srs m2, 338lm, Andres Industries, TigIR, thermal,

You can read more about the Thermal here, but I must say that the Steiner MX5i worked fantastic together with it.

Parallax Adjustment

I love a scope with good focus, and the MX5 does a great job focusing the image properly. The adjustable parallax also allows you to remove parallax from your view across great distance. This was very helpful both on the rifle range, and the desert.

Adjusting the scope in general was smooth and predictable. The clicks of the turrets felt clean and audible. The Duoscale elevation turret is pretty interesting, as you cross the 15 MIL point to the second rotation, the numbers slide up and change to 15 and up.

The MSR2 reticle is a fantastic reticle for this kind of shooting. It gives you plenty of tools for measuring targets and ranging distance if thats your thing. And at the same time it doesn’t obscure your target area. I like the open center dot, it allows for very precise placement.

you can see here how little the reticle obscures your target area

Durability

After having shot this scope over a long period of time across various rifles and calibers, I am quite confident in its quality. Neither my 338 nor 50 BMG managed to knock it out of place. Traveling across the world in hot and freezing climates haven’t seen to do it any harm. It’s never lost zero, and the tracking has never missed. I suppose this should come as no surprise as the MX5i is built on a one-piece tube, with a history of hard military service.

Pros and Cons

Of the many positive aspects of this scope I must say my favorites are these; The robust reliability, the precise tracking and repeatability, and the clear reticle that is easily focused at any distance. These features make this scope an easy choice if you find yourself heading into the unknown. Whether it be against cunning animals or an opposing force.

The only thing I would take away from the Steiner MX5i would be that it seems to suffer in clarity a tiny bit at full power. This seems to be the case for most every scope I use, so its not particularly a jab at this Steiner in particular. But I did find myself often using the scope at 21-22 power for optimal clarity at long-range.

The MSRP from Steiner of nearly $3700 might be a tough pill to swallow for some folks. Even the going street price hovers around $3000 from places like Euro Optic. But if you want military quality optics like this, you can expect to pay for them.

Conclusion

It comes as no surprise to me that this scope performed so well for me. With a reputation like that of Steiner Optics, you can expect great performance. With the MX5i you can expect years of reliable and repeatable shooting with sharp images. Like many others, I can strongly recommend this scope for those interested. If you are looking for something a little more affordable, check out my reviews of the Steiner T6Xi scopes as well.

-CBM

Steiner T6Xi 2.5-15X56 Riflescope

August 6, 2024Optics, Product review, Uncategorized2.5-15, steiner, steiner optics, t6xicoldboremiracle

Introduction

Steiner is a very well-respected brand with deep roots in the shooting community. So it was with great anticipation that I jumped on the opportunity to check out the Steiner T6Xi 2.5-15 riflescope. I had recently reviewed this scope’s big brother the 5-30 version, so I was excited to see if the smallest member of the T6 family stood out.
I am nothing if not a long-range rifle junkie, so nerding out over another beautiful little riflescope is right up my alley. It’s been one of my pastimes for the last few decades.

Steiner T6Xi 2.5-15x56 — the T6Xi mounted on my Taurus Expedition rifle

The Steiner T6Xi

Our adventure today involves the smallest child of the T6 family, there is also a 3-18 and the aforementioned 5-30 model. With a little luck perhaps I’ll get hands on the middle model as well. But for now let’s get a good look at the 2.5-15.

The T6Xi 2.5-15 is based on a 34mm tube, which has become the popular option with long-range precision shooters. Up front you will find a 56mm objective lens to draw in as much light as possible for a bright image. The scope has a fairly squatty appearance, looking a bit short. But this is a welcome feature for many of the compact rifles that this scope will be mounted to.
And though Steiner scopes are built for rugged duty, the smaller size will also reduce weight.

At the center of the scope you will find the same basic erector assembly as the other T6Xi scopes. The T6 family has a very intuitive and genius turret system, the numbers are underneath the turret and change when going from the first turn to the second. Revealing second rotation numbers means there is never any question as to what revolution you are on.

Continue Reading Here

Steiner Predator 10×42 LRF Binoculars

April 2, 2024Optics, Product review10x42, binoculars, predator, steinercoldboremiracle

Background

I went without a good pair of binoculars for far too long, it would seem that maybe I’m going just the opposite way now. I have several good pairs of great binoculars, and today I wanted to share with you another great option. The Steiner Predator 10×42 LRF binoculars are a fantastic option for someone who needs binoculars, but also has serious rangefinding necessities.

Steiner Predator 10×42 Binoculars

Steiner’s Predator binoculars bring the rugged toughness the brand is known for. This set of binoculars utilizes Steiner’s high definition lens coatings to transmit as much light as possible. Housing the lenses is an armored lightweight frame with a center adjustment wheel, with adjustable shaded eye-cups. As always, these bino’s come in a nice little soft-case, with an included soft neck strap.

In addition to Steiner’s famous optical quality, this Predator has a laser built-in. The Predator binos have a rangefinder function that allows the user to hit targets nearly two-thousand yards away. The LRF display is shown in the right barrel of the bino, showing both distance as well as angle to the target. Both barrels of the binoculars have independently adjustable focused eye-pieces, so you can balance the image between your eyes. As well as focus the LRF display inside.

Up front, the object lens-covers are attached by a robust braided nylon strap, much stronger than the typical bikini rubber type. And the super soft rubber shades on the eye-cups keep the sun out of your eyes while glassing.

In the Field

A trip into the dry springtime deserts of Arizona would prove a great opportunity to try the Predator bino’s. I brought along my EDC binoculars for comparison, as I’m quite familiar with and like them.

The first thing I did was test the LRf function of the binos, and this was done before I even left town. Shooting the laser at billboards and signs made easy work inside of 18-1900 yards. Much further than that it was a little bit more challenging to get a good reading. I cross checked all distances with my Sig Sauer Kilo 10K binoculars, and there was rarely more than a yard or two difference between them.

Hours later we found ourselves in the desert scouring the cactus covered hills for shed antlers and fossils. Over the course of several hours I looked through the Predator Binoculars, inspecting every little detail of the rock structures and its inhabitants.

Don’t judge the image based on my crappy phone-pic

Shop all Steiner Binoculars at EuroOptic

Pros & Cons

Let’s start out with the things I like about these binoculars. First off, they have an outstanding picture. Like every Steiner optic product I’ve used, the Predator bino’s has a bright and clean image. The focus of both eye-cups was easily set, and once done you could quickly focus on your target area.

At first I didn’t like the eye-cup shades, but certainly not a big deal as they are easily folded out of the way. Later they came in very handy when the afternoon sun was at its brightest, and I found them pretty handy. The objective lens-caps stayed in place, which is very nice as some don’t.

The rangefinder in the Bino’s worked great, and unless you are calling in artillery it will likely serve your purpose. For hunting these mountains it was ideal, easily ranging distances and country where I would expect to see my prey.

While the neck-strap was quite nice, I didn’t use it much. I’d wager that most folks who spend the money for binoculars like this most likely spend extra cash to get a nice binocular case or harness. I have several nice bino cases that I use, currently I’m using the Eberlestock Recon. It’s been fantastic for various binocular sets, but I was a little let down when I tried to store the Steiner Predator’s inside. The bino’s are a bit longer than most comparable sets of binoculars, and barely fit. Obviously this isn’t a huge deal, as I’m sure there are other good options.

The only other thing I wouldn’t say I disliked, but just something I had to get used to was this; The Predator bino’s required you to get you eyes right up in there in order to see. I was used to other bino’s where I simply touched the eye-cups to my brow, and everything looked great. With the Steiner’s I found myself iris-deep in the eye cups in order to see well.

the Predator binoculars barely fit in my **Eberlestock Recon bino harness**

Last Thoughts

With an MSRP of nearly $1800, these binoculars aren’t for the fairweather gawker. But with an incredible service history, Steiner has certainly earned their place. These bino’s would make an excellent companion for a mountain hunt, where distances can vary greatly. Or if you find yourself ranging distant steel targets these would certainly do well outside of ELR events.

I really like these Steiner Predator 10×42 LRF binoculars. And if they were the last pair of binoculars I ever had, I’m sure I would be fine. Especially since Steiner offers a fully transferable product lifetime warranty, and 3-years on the electronic components.

I would definitely put these binoculars on my list of things I would keep, despite having other options with higher prices and performance, I wouldn’t let these binoculars out of my sight.

-CBM

If you like the Steiner Brand, check out my review on their scopes

Steiner Optics T6Xi 5-30×56 riflescope

January 24, 2023Optics, Product review5-30x56, steiner, steiner optics, t6xicoldboremiracle

Introduction

Being an absolute precision rifle junkie, there are a few things that get my excitement up. Besides precision rifles themselves, riflescopes are probably my biggest affinity. Today we are looking at the Steiner Optics T6Xi 5-30X56 riflescope, an American-made riflescope by the international optics giant.
Steiner started mid-last century on the American side of post-war Germany, and has since been working on making the highest quality riflescopes and other optics they can. I have long been a fan of Steiner’s optics, though I have only recently been able to take one home for my own use. I was excited for the chance to shoot behind one of these scopes that I had fawned over for so long.

The Steiner mounted to my **Desert Tech SRS M2**

The Steiner T6Xi 5-30×56

The T6Xi is a variable scope based on a thirty-four millimeter tube, and up front is the industry standard fifty-six millimeter objective lens. The power of six-times magnification is where the T6 gets it five to thirty power range, which is no insignificant thing. The all important erector housing carries a great deal of additional features, twelve MRAD per revolution turrets with an intuitive turret lock. The elevation turret also incorporates a very interesting rotating number scroll to prevent you from ever being off a revolution on the turret. A typical side parallax adjustment knob, with the illumination rheostat stacked on top. Inside the erector itself sits the MSR2 MRAD reticle, after just a few trips I was quite pleased with this reticle and its subtensions. At the back of the scope there is the magnification ring to adjust the zoom from five to thirty power. In addition to the great features of this scope, it also came with a few extras I wasn’t expecting. Including a factory made throw-lever (or cattail) to make adjusting the magnification faster to execute, as well as a sun-shade, and Tenebraex scope-caps.

T6Xi Features

The Steiner mounted to my SRS M2 over an Atlas Bipod

-6x Zoom Range
-Locking windage and elevation turrets
-Low-profile never-lost turrets
-Second rotation indicator
-Locking diopter ring
-Optional throw lever
-Tenebraex cover
-Illumination – 4 night / 7 day levels
-Waterproof / Fogproof / Shockproof

Mounting the T6Xi

I planned on installing the Steiner on my Desert Tech SRS M2, wherein I do most of my precision shooting. I have used a plethora of excellent riflescopes on this rifle, so I figured it would be a great match to see how it compared to the others I’ve used.
I mounted the T6Xi into a 40 MOA canted scope base, and leveled in on the rifle. My very first impressions were regarding the size of the scope, I prefer scopes that don’t come across as “dainty”. The Steiner was in my opinion just the right size, smaller than some but big and robust enough to stand beside most competitors.
With the scope mounted to the rifle, I set it on a bench and put myself to bore-sighting the scope. I grabbed the hex-key wrenches from the box to zero the turret once I had the rifle zeroed properly, all that remained was grabbing the rest of my kit and ammunition and heading into the hills.

Shop all Steiner optics at Scopelist

Euro Optics also has the full Steiner line

On the range

In a short time, I found myself in my fortress of solitude. The silent and vacant white canyons of the Rocky Mountains are where I spend my free time, and this time of year the blanket of sound soaking snow are spectacular for shooting.
I had brought two barrels for my SRS, the first was a .223 Remington match barrel I planned on zeroing the scope with. Even though I get paid to shoot, I still try to save money where I can. Once the rifle was zeroed with the .223 barrel, I would switch over to my 7mm SAUM barrel for shooting at more significant distances that would actually test this Steiner’s abilities.
I was immediately enamored with the view through this scope, it was crystal clear and a beautiful image to behold. I typically avoid running scopes at maximum magnification due to the fact that many of them seem to darken or lose clarity, but the T6Xi was still an excellent view even at 30X. The MSR2 reticle was an instant hit for me, I love the tiny center dot. It made perfect aim-point definition easy, and in just a few shots I had confirmed a good zero, after shooting a quick five-shot group to ensure I hadn’t lost my touch.

After zeroing the turrets on the T6, it was time to run both rifle and scope out to some distance. In less than a minute I’d switched barrels to the 7mm SAUM, and I turned my attention to the distant ridge across the canyon from me. Snow had covered most of my targets, but I could still pick out what I needed to see.
My density altitude and the cartridges I shoot typically keep me from needing the second rotation of most scopes. Many of the cartridges I shoot will reach beyond 3/4 of a mile without even cracking the second rotation, and my 7 SAUM was certainly in that group. I was going to have to shoot beyond fifteen-hundred yards to dial past the 12MRAD mark on the turret.
But before I did that, I wanted to see how the turret values lined up with the known dope for this rifle. I tried a few shots at targets from five-hundred to seven-hundred yards, with very predictable impacts. Spotting impacts at those distances is important, which is why I typically use lower power settings on my rifle scopes when shooting long range. With the power set at about half I was easily watching the 150 grain Cayuga solid bullets impact, and they were hitting with good authority as well.
Increasing the distance to the target made spotting impacts even easier, giving me additional time to get settled back on target before my bullet got there. Watching through the Steiner I was also able to see the trace of the bullet as it arched up over the target one it’s way there. The MSR2 reticle was very useful at measuring and holding corrections, in my opinion it is a perfect hybrid of substantial subtensions, but thin enough not to become cumbersome. Continue Reading Here…

I have other scopes in the same price bracket as this one, and it performs optically better than some and as well as others. The scope’s mechanical function was flawless, which should be expected at this level of the game. Optically, the scope is fantastic, and my eyes always felt comfortable and in charge when looking through the T6Xi. Even in low-light conditions, it had a great light transmission producing a clean image.

Pros:

MSR2 reticle
Great precision-shooting reticle
Flawless mechanical function
Excellent optical performance
Solid optics brand name
Quality machined aluminum throw lever
Good price compared to the competition
Tenebraex scope caps
Made in the USA

Cons:

It’s not cheap, but comparable to its competition

I do love the well-known quality that comes from European optics companies like Steiner, but the fact that this one is made right here in the U.S. almost makes it a slam dunk for me. The little things like the quality scope caps and throw lever are also very nice additions.

FINAL THOUGHTS

When you get to this price point in the optics market, it’s more about preference than a direct comparison. What I mean by that is most comparable riflescopes have very similar features and performance, which basically leaves you to choose the one that has the features you prefer the most.

The precision-rifle junkie in me is more than satisfied with this little scope. I often judge products based on their ability to sustain my addiction for the duration of my shooting career. I’m quite confident – even if the Steiner T6Xi 5-30×56 was the very last scope I ever bought – I could rock it for the rest of my time in these mountains. While that’s not the case, I still look forward to every outing with it.

–CBM