Garmin Xero X1i is Fucking Dogshit – Unbiased Review

Don’t buy a Garmin Xero® X1i before reading our review. List of problems and what to buy instead.

Over-Magnification Strikes Again!

If you’ve been following our blog, you probably already know we’re outspoken critics of excessive scope magnification. There’s a common misconception among hunters, shooters, and even scope manufacturers that more magnification is better. People think that more magnification allows them to “see better,” when in fact more magnification usually results in “seeing less” and “seeing worse.” The Garmin Xero is a classic case of an over-magnified optic that results in seeing less and seeing worse. Read on to understand why.

The Rule of 1X per 100 yards

It’s generally accepted among optics experts that you need no more than 1X of magnification for every 100 yards you expect to shoot. Now let’s apply that knowledge to crossbow hunting:

The Average Crossbow Hunting Distance is 22 Yards

A 2014-15 survey of 3044 hunters discovered the average crossbow hunting distance that HIT the target was just 22.4 yards, while the average MISSED shot for crossbows was 32 yards. And even with the new, faster crossbows, we still know the vast majority of successful crossbow hunts take place at less than 50 yards. That means a crossbow scope absolutely needs to start at 1X power.

Even 2X Minimum Magnification is an Impediment to Crossbow Hunter’s Success 

It’s an impediment because the field-of-view at 15-35 yards at 2X magnification is too narrow. Imagine looking though a soda straw. Instead of hunting wild game, you’re hunting around trying to ACQUIRE THE TARGET in your scope.

Over-magnification is Now the Norm, Not the Exception with Crossbow Scopes

Almost every crossbow scope shipping today has this problem:
Tenpoint’s EVO-X is 2-8X, so it’s best suited for shooting from 200-800 yards
Buris’ Oracle X is 2-7X, so it’s best suited for shooting from 200-700 yards
So the field-of-view for both these scopes is half what it should be.

The industry has gone mad. And Garmin has upped the madness to a new level with the Garmin Xero:

Incredibly, Garmin Chose a Fixed 3.5X Magnification for the Garmin Xero® X1i

They gave the scope a magnification level suited to shooting to 350 yards, when crossbow hunters are shooting out to 1/10th that distance. Shame on Garmin for doing this.

So how bad is the field-of-view for the Garmin Xero® X1i? It’s:

26 feet at 100 yards
13 feet at 50 yards
And a measly 6.5 feet at 25 yards

This is just sad. This trend just means less food in hunter’s freezers, and many hunters don’t know enough about optics to realize it.

So absolutely, positively, avoid the Garmin Xero® X1i like the plague that it is.

Alternatives

So what are the alternatives? Unfortunately, there aren’t many if you’re looking for a scope with a built-in ballistic calculator that gives you an illuminated holdover dot where you need to aim, the only option with a 1X magnification option is the Sig Sauer EASY6-BDX LPVO 1-6X. Unfortunately, it costs $1000, so it’s not cheap.

The Sig Sauer’s EASY6-BDX 1-6X has a wide field-of-view (106 feet at 100 yards, nearly 4 times wider view than the Garmin). You can turn it into a rangefinding scope by just adding your choice of Sig BDX rangefinder and one of our Sightlok RF-1 mounts (sold on this website) which enables the rangefinder to co-witness with the scope.

Additional Advantages of the Sig Sauer over the Garmin Xero:

– 4X the field of view (106 feet vs 26 feet)
– at 1X it can be used both eyes open like a red dot
– much longer battery life
– better glass
– more durable
– sits lower (the Garmin mounts too high)
– more elevation and windage adjustment
– better ballistic calculator (Applied Ballistics)
– more flexible (usable on both rifles and crossbows)
– better reticle
– higher resolution internal LED “hold points”
– works with standard scope rings
– better rangefinder and more rangefinder options
– rangefinder is removable, enabling compliance with more state hunting laws
– and the Sig Sauer now can be used as a rangefinding scope – simply buy a Sightlok RF1 rangefinder mount, sold here on this website.

Here’s a Potential Shopping List:

– Sig Sauer EASY6-BDX 1-6X scope
– Sig Sauer BDX rangefinder
– Sightlok RF-1 rangefinder mount (needed to co-witness the rangefinder with the scope)

And here’s what the solution will look like when you’re done:

Have a different point-of-view? Share your precious opinion below!