Anyone NOT like burris fullfield II scopes?

[teddy12b]

I'm thinking about buying a burris fullfield II 3-9 with ballistic plex for my encore 30-06. It's a hunting rifle that I don't use much anymore. I've used the ballistic plex on a 223 and loved it so I was thinking of doing the same for my 30-06.

I can find this scope for $150 brand new onine and just wanted to know if anyone had a good reason that I shouldn't buy one.

 

[Buffalobob]

I have not bought one in about five years so they may have improved. For me they are about a 350 yard scope. If I plan on shooting further than that then I want a better scope. I have one on a muzzleloader and one on a 22 rifle. They seem durable enough for squirrel hunting and once or twice a year deer hunting.

 

[teddy12b]

Why do you limit yourself to 350 yards? Just curious.

I had one my 223 last trip to the range and for the first time ever I used the hold over points and shot out to 500 yards with a 2-7. Not all the reticle points matched up perfectly to the hits, but it once I knew where to hold I was good to go.

I'll probably never adjust the scope once I get it setup so as long as it held zero it'd work. Were you thinking that they don't do very well at holding zero past 350?

 

[Buffalobob]

I am not here to bash Burris Scopes so I did not post the reasons why I would not use them on a long range big game rifle. Burris has made good scopes for 30 years. I still remember when I first heard of them. I was using Redfields in those days.

When I say the limit for me is 350 yards it comes from laying on a hill trying to kill a groundhog at that range with a 22. It also comes from putting the crosshairs on quite a few deer at ranges of 300 to 500 yards. The Fullfield II are real fuzzy in the red spectrum. If I did not have a spotting scope I would not have known it was a groundhog. Perhaps they are fuzzy in the green too but I only notice it when the animal is not sharp and distinct.

The other thing is they do not have parallax adjustment and it can be pretty bad at longer ranges if you are not careful with your stockweld.

You should understand that I am retired and will spend a good bit of money on my Fall hunting trip and so I would be foolish to spend $5,000 on a trip and rely on a scope that might not deliver. But when I am just hunting squirrels or muzzle loading for deer in Maryland there is no need for an expensive scope.

Maybe the new ones are better, I really do not know. I only know the things I have done and the equipment I personally use.

 

[teddy12b]

That all makes a lot of sense and I appreciate you telling me your experience. I wasn't too clear on the whole red zone, green zone thing. Those were new to me. Could you explain more about that?

 

[Buffalobob]

Visible light is composed of the colors of the rainbow. Some animals can see colors we humans cannot see, such as deer can see ultraviolet. At one end of the wave lengths is red which is next to infrared which we humans cannot see. At the other end of the wave length is blue/violet which is next to ultraviolet. In the middle is the yellows,oranges, and greens.

Visible spectrum - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In selecting the glass to make a lens and in selecting the coatings for the lens and in designing the shapes the lens designer must make compromises even when cost is no object. Once cost is an object, there are economies to be achieved such as not using ED or Fluorite glass which leads to even more compromises.

If you go to Luepold and read about their mid to top of the line scopes they are advertising that they have improved the blue green color sharpness in their scopes. Well why should I buy a scope with improved color for blue green because unless I am hunting bullfrogs all my animals are brown, reddish or grey. However, if you are one of the people in Iraq or Afghanistan then you might be hunting stuff that is wearing blue/green uniforms and a good sharp blue color would be great for resolving your target.

So from the example of Luepold we can see that a scope lens designer can work to improve certain colors such that those objects are clearer than objects of other colors.

There are other factors that affect the quality of the image you see and the one that we are usually most concerned with at long range is objective size. That is a discussion for another day.

My advice is to take you scope out and look at objects with a sharp distinct edge and see if the color is "true" and distinct at the edge of the object at the ranges you wish to shoot. To be a little kinder to the Fullfield I know very well in the middle of the morning (good light) with snow on the ground I can see through it well enough to tell a six point buck from three does at 350 yards - I just can't shoot a muzzle loader well enough to hit him.

Try to remember that each of us has a little different genetic makeup in eyes and that can range from color blind to limited ability to perceive reds or violets.

 

[jmason]

I have a couple FFII scopes. Along with the great advise BB gave (specifically the lack of parallax adj), I would recommend you look through the one you are going to purchase. One of mine is clear from edge to edge(FOV), and one is not (will send back some day). They do both maintain their 100 yd zero, even the blurry one.

 

[NJS]

Both my kids have Fullfield II 3-9x scopes with the billistic plex reticle... My son has killed a Mule Deer buck at 350 yards and an Antelope at 150 yds. The daughter has killed an Antelope at 405 yards and a Mule Deer buck at 648 yards... Yes boys, 648 via my Leica 1200 LRF... She is a heck of a shot! And the son is not bad either!!! The Burris scopes worked great! Both shoot Remington 700's with muzzle brakes and trigger jobs. We practice a lot at milk jugs filled with water at long range in field shooting positions.... not just off a bench! One is a 300 Weatherby and one a 300 Ultra Mag... the daughters is the later. With an accurate rifle, billistic plex reticle and laser range finder and practice is whats needed for long distance shooting. NJS

 

[JUDD]

I had a 3-9 on a BLR 308 used for PA whitetails. Liked everything about the scope but had a horrible issue with fogging in cold weather. After about two seasons sold it and put the trusty bausch and lomb scopecheif back on....**** I love that old scope

 

[Iron Worker]

So Buffalo Bob I like your explanation. So if money is no object what order of great to poor do you rank scopes. I like my Bushnell elites both 4200 and 6500. But I'm getting mixed reviews on weather a Ziess Conquest or a Sightron S3 are better ,equal or worse?????

 

[Buffalobob]

ironworker

I do not own nor use the Bushnells, Ziesses or Sightron. That does not mean that they are not good scopes. It just means that I simply do not know.

I know what quality I get from Luepold V3s and NF NXSs and how far I can clearly see animals and parts of animals with those scopes. I also know the two Fullfields that I have and the things I have done and tried to do with them.

I really try hard not to answer questions that I do not know because I know everyone is just like me. Bad advice results in wasted money and ruined hunting trips. Sometimes I am wrong but then we all are sometimes.

 

[Iron Worker]

More good stuff Bob. Ok your NXS how far is that good for on Coyotes and various varmints? I've only looked through them at the range and in stores. Your talk about color spectrums has me re-thinking what to look for. I really like the reticle choices in NXS scopes but not the price tag.

 

[jayran]

i have 2 of that exact scope and for the same money maybe consider a varix2 leopold the only reason i suggest that is my brother had one dropped the gun one time and wasted the entire next day trieing to rezero the gun only to find it had broken internally that is the only bad thing i can say about them

 

[FEENIX]

Jayran,

Most rifle scopes are subjected to some kind of recoil test (i.e. XXXX rounds of .375 H&H or something) but I don't think a drop test is a common practice (at least not for most) and certainly even the toughest scopes in the market is not immune to any dropped damage (depending of the nature and magnitude of the impact) ... I guess that's why most of us have back up rifles.

My son slipped and fell on one of our hunting trips a few years ago and dropped his rifle topped with a VX-I 3-9x40. Although he was able to cradle most of the impact it left a dent on the objective lens housing ... luckily it was towards the end of the day. In short, it held zero when I re-tested/re-sighted it. The dent is still there but is covered with a lens cap.

I'm a big fan of Leupold but I just got my (first ever Burris purchase) FFII in 4.5-14x42 with BP reticle yesterday and can't wait to try it this weekend.

Ed