Just curious, why the swap from LRTSi to HDMR? Is the HDMR Bushnell's direct successor to the LRTSi?
Just personal preference.
I don't care for the G3 reticle in the LRTSi and LRTS. Nothing wrong with it functionally, though. I had the LRTSi 4.5-18x and LRTS 3-12x, but don't own either now.
The HDMR II obviously has the Horus H59, which I really like, but many people hate. I like the clear view above the horizontal crosshair, and I use the grid out to 600 yards. I also like the 0.2 mil spacing for wind holds. The standard DMR II and DMR II PRO have the the G3.
I don't know what the deal is with Bushnell and the LRTS scopes. It seems like they discontinued the 3-12x awhile back, but still had the 4.5-18x. Now the 4.5-18x is no longer shown on their website. I think both were originally released as the LRHS for hunting, with input from George Gardner and Pat Sinclair. Then those got discontinued, and Bushnell sold them as tactical scopes without the donut-of-death.
The HDMR/DMR II (6x ratio) scopes are the latest versions of the old DMR scopes and are unrelated to the LRHS/LRTS (4x ratio) scopes as far as I know. As I understand it, the old DMR scopes were designed and made for military applications. Tom Fuller (Armageddon Gear) was leading that activity, for Bushnell, after his career in the military. He got input from various units, and fed that info to Bushnell. From what I have been told, the DMR has been used all around the world and guys would still trust their lives to it. Same with the DMR II, but the latest I've heard through the grapevine is that Bushnell has been slipping lately but I haven't gotten any details.
My buddy is friends with a bunch of guys that have used these scopes on operations, and I asked about the LRHS/LRTS. Those seem to be totally off of their radar for some reason. I don't know why. Maybe OAL length? I don't think so, as the 3-12x is pretty short. Maybe 4x zoom isn't enough, or 12x is too low? NV issues? Maybe the reps just don't push those scopes. I don't know, but for whatever reason they love the DMR and DMR II, even though they also use Nightforce and Tangent Thetas.
The DMR II is an improved version of the DMR, but optically I don't think it is as good as the LRTS. The DMR II PRO is supposed to be better, but I don't have one. The G3 is a deal breaker for me though. It hurts my eye!
Was just comparing my HDMR II to a 5-25 ATACR and 5-25 T5Xi. The HDMR is good enough to aim, but the view through the ATACR is really nice!
