Burris scope: Good or Bad?

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GarandOwner

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A friend of mine is looking at getting a new scope for his Sako 25-06. One line of scopes that he gets a discount on at his work is Burris. I have never heard of this line. Anyone have one of these that they can recommend, or if there is another brand that you strongly recommend let me know.
 
I have had Burris scopes and have been very happy with them. Mine are older ones, though. I think the Fullfield scopes (which are what I have used) are better than the slightly cheaper Leupold VXII and almost as good as the more expensive Leupold VXIII. (My dad's rifles were mostly VXII's and a few VXIII's)

I have a had a Fullfield 3.5-10x50 on my main deer rifle for about 12 years now, it has never gone significantly out of zero, has stayed clear, and I haven't had any problems with it. I think it's a nice scope.

Just my opinion, of course.

Burris scopes have a "forever" warranty, which is nice.

You'll find people who like them and people that don't.
 
Well I like Leupold. But that's probably because I was using Leupolds long before the Burris company ever opened its doors. And about the time the Burris company did open, a mouthy gunsmith tried to sell me a Burris scope by telling me the old Leupold on my rifle wasn't nearly as good.
The truth is, as far as I can tell Leupold and Burris scopes are about the same quality. They're in the same price range too. In fact, the owner of a gun store near here told me the only reason he doesn't sell Burris scopes is because they cost the same as Leupolds and his customers are more familiar with Leupolds, so that's what they buy.
A buddy of mine has had a 3-9 Burris on his .300 Win Mag nearly as long as I've had a 3-9 Leupold on mine. And his Burris serves him just as well as my Leupold does me. I think it's just a Chevy's and Ford's thing. Like I said, I like Leupolds. But if your friend can get a better discount on a Burris, I say go for it. I would if it were me.
 
I got a Burris Fullfield II 3-9x40 with a Ballistic Plex reticle and a pair of rubber-armored Burris binocs for $200.

Forgetting the binocs, if that scope is really somewhere between a VXII and a VXIII, it's substantially less expensive than the equivalent Leupold (who started offering a similar reticle recently but didn't when I bought my Burris).

I like Leupolds. However, I also really like my Burris Fullfield II and would recommend it to anyone. Burris has a reputation for making very rugged scopes, too, but I haven't dropped mine from the Jeep to find out, so I can't say other than that mine's worked perfectly and helped me win a club shooting match.

Between the two, I'd choose based on which one sells what I want at the time, for the better price. For an IER ("scout") scope, I'd go Leupold because they offer what I think is perfect. But for a 3-9x40mm hunting scope, the Fullfield II is a great choice. Check out the product lines of each, weight, size, eye relief, etc., figure out what you want and see if you can go look through what looks like it will work for you.:)
 
Thanks guys, I had never heard of Burris, so I didnt know what their quality was, if they are as good as Leupolds, I might get him to pick me up one with his discount as well :evil:
 
Burris Scope

I recently purchased a Burris Extreme Tactical 3-12x50mm. Illuminated ballistic plex. I am very pleased with quality. I use it on my Tikka T3 Tactical .308.
 
Let's see, I've got a couple of Leupolds, a Burris, a Nikon, a Nightforce, and a Tasco:D

All of my scopes except the Nightforce and the Tasco were bought used and already mated with a rifle. I found a good deal on a used rifle in good condition.

I personally don't consider the Burris to be at quite the quality level of the Leupold. On the other hand, I don't consider it to be substantially lower in quality either. Mine has served me well. At the Burris price point, it can't be beat.
 
I was a die-hard Leupold fan for many years, but when I scouterized my M-77 30-06, I put a Burris 2.75X scope on it, and have been quite pleased with it's performance, and quality.

I'm not a total convert yet, but if someone offers me a Burris scope, I sure won't turn it down!
 
I worked in a gun shop that sold Leupold and Burris, among others. The employees that I trusted the most thought Burris was better than Leupold. Some of the internals in Leupolds are plastic, while the same part in Burris is brass.

Cheap scopes (BSA, Tasco, Swift) would have maybe 2-3 of 10 come back for problems, depending on the particular brand and use. Leupold maybe 1 in 50 to 100. Last I knew they'd only had one Burris come back. In all fairness, Leupold outsold Burris substantially due to the name.

I have Leupold, B&L, Weaver, and Burris scopes. My clearest and brightest scope is my Burris Black Diamond. The others are very close. Helps that the Burris has a 50mm objective.
 
Bought a Burris Fullfield fixed 4x in 1988

and a year later I had the barreled action in a vise cleaning it. A neighbor wakled into it, knocking it onto the concrete floor, landing on the scope of course. Made a big ding in the ocular, occupying about 1/3 of the circumference.

Took it to the range next day. No change in zero, still shot MOA with my handloads. Hunted with it for years in all weathers until last year, hunting in heavy driving rain, she finally fogged up.

Sent it back to Burris, got it back a month later all fixed in a nice new box and flannel scope bag. No charge.

Put it back on the rifle and off to the range. Zero had changed by one inch of windage, and still sub-MOA.

I'm sold.
 
Burris makes a very good scope for the money. In my experience, though, they tend to have a bit longer eye relief than the comparable Leupolds. I have a Burris and Leupold scout scope. The Burris has to ride further forward to get a clear sight picture. Same thing with two EFR scopes I have mounted on a pair of rimfire rifles: the Burris has a longer, and less forgiving, eye relief. But no complaints about the quality of the glass or other features. I'd buy another Burris if the price was right, although my first choice always seems to be Leupold.
 
Burris fan here... Like others have said, pick the options you want and buy the scope, leupold and burris are both great scopes. If he gets a good deal on Burris, Burris it is!
 
they tend to have a bit longer eye relief than the comparable Leupolds
Click to expand...

Sounds like a good choice for the Ruger No 1.:evil:

BTW the Fullfield II has an easily adjustable rubberized focus ring on the eyepiece, and it has great focal range. Like many wacko shotgunners, I practice mounting my shotguns in the living room from a low hold, and point-shooting at something on the ceiling or wall.

Sometimes I'll take out my hunting rifle with the Burris on it and practice shouldering that while looking at a target. Even if I had the gun focused for 100 yard shooting, I can point it at the doorknob a few yards away and it's crystal clear through the scope.
 
I've always used Leupold scopes because they are a great scope with an even better warrantee. I bought a used rifle several years ago with an old Burris 6-18 on it. I paid a very fair price for the rifle, and the scope was a freebe because you couldn't see through it. The guy I bought it from said the scope was junk but might be repairable by Burris.

Long story short, I think it cost me about $6 to ship it to them, and they completely rebuilt it; didn't charge me a penny even though I was not the original buyer. It's a great scope.
 
Burris has been in business since 1971, it was started by a guy from Redfield after Redfield closed. I think Burris scopes are better than the lower priced Leupolds, but I don't know if they are as good as the top of the line ones; but it is not a big difference. If you want an American made scope Burris and Leupold are your only choices. Burris also has a great warranty, they will fix it for free even if you are not the original owner. Check out Burris Signature rings too, they are fantastic.
 
After making a lot of comparisons and shooting a lot of scopes both nice, and cheap, when it came time to spend the big bucks, I put my money in a Burris. I think they were the best value. For a long range target scope I'd be very tempted to put my money on a Nikon. The Nikon Monarch UCC's have had the best clarity for the money of all the scopes I've used. For cheap scopes I've been buying BSA and they've been satisfactory. Good for the money, but you still get what you pay for. Don't expect the clicks on the adjustments to be anything like what they are marked. The Burris and Nikon scopes have been good about each click = what they claim. My father has a lot of Leopulds and they are a good scope, but their warranty and reputation make them a bit pricier for what you get. If my life depended on it, I'd want a Burris on my gun.
 
"American made scope Burris and Leupold "

Are you sure some of the Burris's aren't made in the Phillapines or China lately? I know they WERE a fine American product , but their lower priced line is made offshore I believe and personally I'd rather buy Japanese or German than the cheap labor nations:scrutiny:
 
Leupold gets their glass from China, so I wouldn't be surprised if Burris does too. But they both assemble them here, and that's as close as we can get these days. :(
 
The Burris Fullfield II scopes are made somewhere else... the other ones are all made in the USA still (at least according to the website).
 
I'm very happy with my Fullfield II Burris scope. It is a 4.5-14 fine-plex mounted on a bolt action 22. It may be "overkill" on the 22, but I like popping Nano objects and you can't shoot what you can't see! It is VERY clear and the fine cross-hairs don't cover up small targets.
 
Burris

I just got the Burris Extreme Tactical 3-12x50mm, illuminated ballistic mil-dot.
Beautiful scope, good adjustments. I dont think you can do better than this.
 
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