Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Burris Compacts any good?

I suspect QC is quite variable with certain Burris stuff, especially their compact line. Maybe the Short Mag versions will be better. I will admit to having, at one time, quite a neagtive bias against Burris products based on their optical "unfriendliness." I tried several compacts, at least two 4Xs and a variable or two. Critical eye relief and clarity problems pretty much sum up my issues with them. (Burris ended up selling more Leupolds than they hoped they would, I'm sure, with their Compact line.) In any case I have a less negative view toward Burris after buying a single item, a 4X Fullfield, which has stellar optics, is more aesthetically pleasing than most scopes (IMO), and seems to be very rugged. I would buy more them except they don't make them anymore. (Again, a move to promote Leupolds. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />)

I would never buy a "compact" Burris scope of any kind by mailorder again until I am convinced they have gotten their probelsm figured out.

I have a Burris Compact 4-12x AO on a CZ 452 in .17 Mach 2. The scope has good features and not so good. The good is, it is indeed optically bright, and mechanically rugged. It tracks true, keeps zero, and the AO is very good. The clicks are indeed 1/8'' as advertised. There are compromises however in cramming 4-12x inside a short tube; at low magnification, the image has barrel distortion, and at high magnifications the eye relief/eye box gets very critical. I put up with the criticallness (is that a real word??) because I wanted the magnification range of this scope in something compact to go on a small gun. As far as eye relief goes, it is NOT short, it is long as advertised by Burris. Almost too long, as the scope has to be mounted further forward than the 2.5-8x Leupold I had on the rifle briefly. The scopes are not junk or trash falling apart putrid stuff, they are merely optically compromises resulting from cramming big magnification ranges inside short tubes. If you are willing to put up with a little distortion at 4x, and a bit critical eye relief at 11-12x, the scopes will suit a person fine. They're not a big game rifle scope, something else would be better suited for that application. I like the Leupold 3-9x 33 EFR/AO scope also, for a rimfire rifle. For something compact and lightweight on a centerfire, I would recommend Leupold FX series 4x 33 or 6x36, and VXIII 2.5-8x 36. The 2.5-8x 36 is practically THE universal big game rifle scope, just big enough to not be compromised optically, but not so large as to look out of place and hamper a lightweight compact rifle, big enough objective to be plenty bright without being a big old bulky thing, and light enough to compete with the fixed power scopes. Hard to beat.

Phillip
I am not sure I understand... your Burris has more eye relief than a Leupie 2.5-8? The Leupold catalog says 3.7-4.7" on that model, while Burris claims 3.75-4". The difference should not need explaining... I have measured a number of Burris scopes and compared them with multiple sets of eyes. None has ever matched the Burris claims and all have been considerably short of the claim.

Four times the leeway in eye relief seems huge to me...

At 15 ounces the 4-12 compact Burris is not exactly a lightweight (but I concede 100% the fact there is a lot of glass there... )

Had a vicarious bad dealing with Burris (Pentax) customer service and need no other reason to stay away from them... but there are plenty of other reasons.
art

North61
According to their respective catalogs, the Leupie compact 4x is a tad lighter than the Burris...
art

I'll agree that the compacts are very critical in the eye relief department.
The customer service has gotten a WHOLE lot better but still needs some work.
I still like burris though. Can't help it<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
Paul

Burris compact eye relief is more like 4.75'', on my 4-12x, on a friends, and on one I traded off several years ago on a Win. 9422M. Burris Compacts are niche scopes made for special applications, I couldn't recommend one at all for use on a big game type gun. Leupold refuses to make a compact 4-12x, they told me they wouldn't make one because it would force too many optical compromises, just as in the Burris line. Apparently about 12-1/2'' to 13-1/2'' is needed to get the proper focal length. Burris mystified me by making the new "Short Mag" compact equivalent to the 4-12x Compact a 4.5-14x. I don't see how this would be possible, considering that the scopes are already too short in reality for a 4-12x range. I've found that in compact scopes from ANY maker that 3-9x is the limit for really good optical quality. Of course by the time you get down to a 2.5-8, 2-7, or the like, you no longer need a "compact" scope, they're already "compact" enough. For a really lightweight compact carrying gun, something like the VXII 2.7x33 would be very nice, but on a bigger rifle in the eight pounds range, I'd probably opt for a 3-9x 40. Save the scopes like the Burris Compact for a specialty rifle, such as rimfire varmint guns in .17 HMR or HM2 or so called "walking varminters" in chambering like the .22 Hornet. They are a compromised design, not for everybody. A really good 4-12x 40mm AO is the VXII 4-12; it's not terribly bulky nor heavy, unlike some of the competitions 4-12 AO scopes. I wish Weaver would make a 4-12X Classic V, like the V-16 but smaller and cheaper. Weaver does make a new 3-9x32mm AO especially for rimfires, although it should be fine for centerfires where you'd want an AO on a 3-9x. I don't guess too many big gamers would care for the AO though on a 3.9x. Works good for rimfires, as ranges vary from five yards to over a hundred. I know NOTHING of Burris customer service other than what I've read here, as I've never had to use it. Leupold definitely is the best regarding warranty and repair. With cheap scopes like Tasco or Simmons, you might as well just throw them away when they puke (not IF they puke, when), because you'll wind up with half of their cost in shipping charges and box materials getting them to and from the makers warranty center. You bust a Leupold, it'll be right, and be back in a short time too. Although this has nothing to do with Burris! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

phillip
This will be my final comment on this thread about the Burris compacts... I have measured them with a number of folks present to help. NONE has come close to the claim by Burris. Your claim exceeds Burris' claim by a significant amount and is optically impossible... If it were as long as you claim there are two questions one needs to ask; Why is Burris eye relief always being called short and critical? And why doesn't Burris make the claim themselves? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

Join the real world, you are not measuring things properly... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
art

Any commments on the Burris 2x7Compact??

I have a rifle coming with one on it, and I've never owned a Burris in my life.


Thnx..........SC

Why would it be optically impossible? It's probably part of the reason why the field of view is so small. I just measured the actual eye relief with paper, flashlight and ruler. From the rear lense, not the rubber eyeshield ring, relief at 4x was 4-3/4'', 12x it was 4-1/4''. Doesn't matter what book specs are, this is what it measured, factual. Eye relief is long on this scope, BUT very critical as to eye position at 11 to 12 power. Part of that could be the tiny exit pupil at max power on this 32mm objective.

Sitka, I like you, you're one of the most informative and least rash posters here at the campfire, especially like your information regarding wood rifle stocks, but you seem to have a bad hard on to bash Burris at any possible opportunity. Burris products are OK for the most, not the best on the market nor the worst, just normal stuff. Some of them I'd buy, some I wouldn't, just like any other companies product. I do hate their import binocular line though, they are wretched, especially the Landmarks, unusable junk.

BTW, edited to add, just measured the eye relief of the Leupold 2.5-8x on my Kimber, at 2.5X it was 3.75'', at 8x it was 3.25''. When actually looking through the scope with your eye instead of paper measurements, it's very very NON critical, you can see the entire image while moving your head fore and aft or around laterally an inch. The Leupold is much more forgiving regarding eye position. We halfway agree, the eye relief of Burris compacts IS critical, but I can't see the short part, not with the scopes I have on hand. The Burris would suck with moving targets, but it's fine for what I use it for, varmints, squirrels and paper.

DakotaDeer

Although this thread has turned into a Burris bashing, Lupi - god's gift to hunting optics drivel, I hope my remarks will give you some insite to the "compact" line of Burris scopes.

The scope / rifle that I will draw my experience from is an M70, featherweight (originally in 243 Win), purchased on Jan 28, 1986. Anyone remember that day?? With a Burris compact 4x - 12x scope. The rifle was purchased new at a local Los Angeles wholesaler and the scope was purchased from a Nevada wholesaler. The opriginal barrel was twisted off, without a single shot being fired through it (by me). To date, this rifle has had seven (7) different barrels on it (all Douglas barrels) in seven different calibers/chamberings. All of the barrels have been of the #1 (Douglas) taper. Calibers range from 22 through 30. This is my light weight "knock around" fitz-all, switch barrel, compact, fence post rifle. (By the way, I have 2 other rifles which wear plastic stocks and are of larger calibers that are also "knock around" rifles). All of the cartridges are based on the belted mag case with the belt removed and the head rebated back to .473" dia - to utalize the original bolt face (why, I don't know). These cartridges have been shortened, blown out with sharp shoulders (40 deg) and so-on. Bullet weight from 40 gr through 240 gr. Original fence post stock. The magazine length is 3.40" long and this short action could accomodate the 300 Win Mag cartridge. All of this is and, by my records, this rifle has had 7866 rounds through it.

The originally purchased Burris compact 4x - 12x scope is still on it. Nuff said?

Sounds like you've gotten your money's worth out of it. I am a sort of "middle of the road" guy regarding Burris scopes. I like mine well enough to own it and keep it. The optics aren't everything that a full sized scope would be, but I understand that and accept it to get the power range in a compact scope for a small light rifle. Would I buy another one? Sure. Would I recommend them? I'd say, go look at scopes and make up your own mind, my scope, my eyes, and my opinions will vary from anybody elses, and what I may like may not be what anyone else likes. I have seen that Mr. John Barsness happens to like and use some Burris scopes. He also uses many other brands, and happens to like iron sights also. If Burris made only junk and mistreated every single customer that ever had a scope problem, they wouldn't be in business. I would look at one for myself, and form my own opinions before purchasing. Don't base your every decision on what you read on the internet, positive or negative.

Phillip

I run several different brands of scopes. Starting with Redfields, Burris and now Zeiss. From compacts to the Redfield 3x - 12x Illuminator (now defunct). In fact, I made my longest single shot (other than military) kill with a wildcat 270, M70 action & the Redfield Illuminator - 430 yards / pronghorn. Each scope brand has its place and it's up to the user to decide which is best for them. I've tried Lupies and they just didn't seem to suit me. Nothing wrong with them, they just didn't enthuse me.

Forget the arguements, pro and con. Try the Sightron
compacts.....I think they are better....and yes I own a
Burris 4X12 compact with AO, as well as a lupie 3X9
EFR.

I still prefer the compact Sightron!