Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Fullfield II on a Kimber

Recently I purchased a Vortex Diamonback 3-9x40 to put on my Kimber 8400 Montana chambered in 325 wsm. I am finding myself wishing for more eye relief. I have a Fullfield II 3-9x40 on a different rifle that I am considering moving over to the 325 wsm. Have any of you noticed much of a difference? I like the Burris but it rides on a mild recoiling 7mm08 and have never felt that there was any issue with the eye relief distance. Specs suggest that both scopes are about the same.

The Vortex is a very bright and nice scope, but just too close for me to feel comfy. It would be fine on the 7mm08 but will the Burris cut the mustard on my Kimber? I really don't have the money to put a Leupold vx3 on yet, but that is on my short list for down the road a year or two.

Thoughts?

In my experience Fullfield II scopes are pretty darn tough. In fact I ran a 2-7x on a .300 Weatherby with no problems.

It's easy to measure eye relief if you want to know how the two scopes really compare, instead of trusting the factory specs.

................You`re right. Eye relief specs for both are about the same. 3.3" to 3.5" for the Vortex DB and 3.1" to 3.8" for the Burris FF. Chances are, if you get whacked with one then you just might get nailed with the other as well.

Have you been scope whacked using your Vortex DB yet? If not, do some more shooting with it or with your Burris until you get a VX3 later down the road.........Wear shooting glasses.

I've had a 3x9x40 FF II on a 257 wby for years, and it's been tougher than nails, never had a problem with eye relief but it's a light kicker. I like my scope mounted a little forward so I can pull the stock in tight against my shoulder when I shoot, just works good for me.

try and grab a Conquest,looks like a good time to buy one,
should add,I had a FF II and wasn't that happy with it's ER.Zeiss rocks on there.

Good eye relif isn't just to prevent scope eye. It helps you locate targets quicker when mounting your rifle, especially from odd angles necessary when making snap shots.

I've had both scopes and while the specs say they are very similar, the Burris seems much more forgiving. The Vortex scopes were not bad glass wise, but eye relief and other issues sent them down the road.

On a budget and buying new the VX-1 is a better scope than either at about the same price point with far more eye relief than eiher. Especially with recent upgrades to the VX-1 and VX-2 line. If in your budget the Conquest's are bargain priced now.

Yeah I caught it right above the right eye today. Luckily I was wearing glasses. No damage done other than a bit a damaged pride. Bullet went right into the same group though ;o)

Thank you for your help. I have a Signature Select on my 7mm Rem Mag and it is a terrific scope. Very accurate and repeatable and never once felt like I needed more eye relief. Thinking of putting that one on the Kimber, but I can't bring myself to do it. It just flat out works on the 7 mag.

Buy a zeiss. 3-9x40 has 4" of eye relief. I have one on my 375 RUM and it never gets close to my face.

If you're on a tight budget, the Redfield Revolution has very nice glass and plenty of eye relief for the same price as the Diamondback. Made by Leupold right on the same line as the VX-1 & 2...

I have a Kimber Classic 325 and tried to like a FF2 2-7 on it and eye relief was too short for me. After a couple of light taps, it came off. I believe the 3-9 FF2 is listed as having the same eye relief as the 2-7, but others have said the 2-7 eye relief is short where the 3-9 works fine for them. I have a Vortex Viper 2-7 on it now which works fine for me with closer to 4" of eye relief.

Mule Deer, seems I remember something about how to measure eye relief with a flashlight. Can you remind me the process?

Thanks!

Place a small flashlight (turned on, of course) against the objective lens, then hold your palm a little ways behind the scope. You'll see a circle of light on your palm.

Move your hand back and forth until the image of the flashlight's bulb is in perfect focus. This is actually the exit pupil of the scope, and the distance between your palm and the rear end of the scope is the eye relief.

My friend Bill McRae came up with a simple ruler for using this method, made from an inch-wide, 6"-long strip of cardboard. A couple of inches at one end are bent upward at a 90-degree angle, and the longer part of the strip is marked in inches.

Hold the "ruler" part of the cardboard alongside the rear bell, moving the strip back and forth until the exit pupil is in focus, then read the distance.

I keep one of these on the workbench where I mount scopes, and use it a lot, especially when testing scopes for articles. Scopes don't always have exactly the advertised eye relief, partly because the published specifications are an approximation of actual manufacturing results, and partly because eye relief varies with a scope's focus--which moves the rear of the eyepiece back and forth.

Thank you very much. I will try that tonight when I get home.

I DIDN'T KNOW THAT!

Thanks for this information, John. I'm going to use it soon to mount a couple of scopes.

Burris Fullfield II is 3 3/8" at 9x. Vortex Diamondback is 3 1/16" at 9x. I will rearrange the scopes and put the Burris on my Kimber and see if I can get comfortable. I was really close with the Vortex, but the bump on the right eyebrow hurt a bit much for me to think all is well.

Thanks again!

FH

Fire Hawk, if that doesn't work for you either I've got a Red field 2-7 here that I plan to sell. Just haven't gotten around to it yet. That scope has lots of eye relief. I had it on an Encore 338-06 barrel that is also going to be sold soon. Its got butler creek caps, the box and all the paperwork if you decide you're interested. Had probably 30 rounds light loaded run through the barrel. Its pretty much like new.

David Walker

Thank you David! I appreciate the offer. Let me see how the Burris does on it and I will reach out to you and let you know.

FH

I caved! I just ordered a Zeiss Conquest from Doug. That should do it for eye relief for me now.