Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics First Burris, FF2 3-9x40

Mike, FWIW I like the Burris E1 line slightly better than the FF II...can't really explain why, just seems more better for me...

Used a 3-9x40 E1 the first year they came out on prairie dog shoot south of Miles City sponsored by several companies, including Burris. The guy running the deal (who was not affiliated with any of the companies) thought the E1 was optically very bright and sharp--but dunno how many FFIIs he'd ever used, if any. I couldn't tell any difference optically, but did find the elevation clicks very repeatable. Have a couple E1s on my rifles now, both varmint rifles.

Also don't know they differ in other ways from FFIIs, Do know the 3-9x40s are listed as being exactly the same length and weight, with the same eye relief, in both models. And the ones I have check out the same in all those things.

Have an E1 4.5-14 on my Mini Grendel. Zeroed at 100, then used the Burris ballistic app on their website to figure the magnification setting that put the first hashmark below center on at 200. Bingo! right on the money. Pretty good considering my velocity was guestimated.

Only complaint is that the Ballistic Plex seems a bit fine in shadows. Maybe I'll pop for an illuminated FF IV.

Well, I'll be damned. I haven't heard anyone on this thread saying " I'd never buy any scope made in China" Your Fillfield II's are. Me, I personally don't give a damn. If it's a good scope for the money and I want it, I'll buy it. A couple of years ago and recently, I have commented on a couple of threads that, In 5 to 10 years or so, many of the best rifle scopes will be made in China. And, they will be priced below the best produced in Europe and America. Hunters and shooters will be lining up to buy them, even the ones that are now screaming, " I'd never buy a scope made in China". It's kind of like the oil thing. If oil were to get scarce, people will not care how many people have to be killed to get it. They will be lined up at the gas pump with money in their hands. Sorry for the off track rant. RJ

The Fullfield II scopes I have were made in the Phillipines .

One quick question: what is the mounting length of the 3-9?

This is where I got my info. https://www.optics-trade.eu/en/burris-fullfield-e1-3-9x40.html I suppose that it could be incorrect. If the info is incorrect, Phillipines today, China tomorrow. I believe the stuff I said about China, concerning rifle scopes, will come to be. RJ

How many times are you going to state this and be shown you're incorrect? https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbt...ight-options-alt-to-leupold#Post14707850

rj308,

The whole "where are FFIIs made?" question has long been known--and Burris did NOT just go to a company in the Philippines and say, "Make us a scope something like this."

Instead, Burris supplied the machinery to the Philippine company, which was identical to the machinery Burris used when they made Fullfield IIs in the U.S., and also trained the Philippine company how to use it. (The lenses were already being made in Asia, so they did not change at all.) I reported on this years ago, comparing one of my American-made 3-9x FFIIs with a Philippine scope, and the only difference I could find was slightly better machining of things like turret threads, and overall finish--in favor of the Philippine scope.

I still have the American 3-9x40 FFII used in that test, and in fact mounted it on a rifle a couple weeks ago to run some tests, because its adjustments are so reliable. But part of the reason they're so reliable is it's the ONLY Fullfield II I've ever had to send back to Burris for repair, no doubt because it's also the ONLY American-made 3-9x40 I still have--so has obviously been used more than any of the several Philippine 3-9x40s I also have, made from shortly after Burris sent the machinery over there until the last year or so.

Might also point out that Burris E1 scopes are NOT Fullfield IIs--the scopes you claim are made in China based off an ad on a website. (Have seen so many mistakes on websites I disregard them unless they are confirmed from more than one other source.) But all the E1s I own are marked made in the Philippines. And the website you posted a link to says ALL the Fullfield IIs (not E1s) are made in the Philippines.

OK, now I feel stupid.... what is "mounting length?"


Its the same length it was when it wasn't mounted.....

The distance between the beginning of the objective flare and the power ring. I think most schematics list it as "Length B" - I know Leupold does - but I can't find that number for this particular scope.

You got me on that one. I don't pay attention to things like that, I just mount scopes as far back as I can get them, JeffO style...I have been ridiculed repeatedly for that, but my coke bottle bottom glasses thank me.

Lots of minutae I don't pay attention to that many do. 50+ years in the reloading game and I have no idea what "run out" is....I routinely load ammo that shoots so much better than my ability to shoot it, that I don't feel the need....

I feel so much better now. I have the tools for measuring it, inherited from my brother, and even mess with them from time to time, but the results always seem to be in the "okay" range, neither bad nor outstanding. My ammo shoots well, stuff dies, life is good.

With you on the scope positioning too. Mine always end up at the rear. My goal is to be able to stay on the stock while running the bolt without marring my perfect nose. The M8 I mounted on my "new" .270 FN yesterday just barely made it.

Then you're not tightening the rings enough.

😛

I've been going to the Philippines since 1997 and I'm here to tell you there's nobody has a better work ethic and more pride in there work than a good Filpino. I'm married to one and she's a great lady. I don't have any problem buying anything made in the Philippines. I love the place and the people. I've been interested in the place all my life. I had an uncle who was a West Point Grad, Class of '39 who was a captain in the 57th Infantry, Philippine Scouts on Bataan and made the death march but died in one of the camps there in 1942 from Diphtheria. He received the DSC posthumously in 1948 for bravery in the Battle of Bataan. My aunt said Wainright was a good man. He presented the award to her and his father in San Antonio after the war. I heard his story all my life. I always said I wanted to go there and see what he went through. I've been down to Marvelous at the tip of Bataan and seen what they went through on that march. When they surrendered they were sick and starved. What they had to climb coming out of Marvelous would be a challence to a healthy person. I don't see how any of them survived.

Anyway, most of the Filipinos never abandoned the Americans. They are a great people.

I don't have any Burris scopes but I have several Philippine made Nikons that are solid high quality scopes. No flies in their soup.

Mike,

I got curious about the "mounting length" of the 3-9x40 FFI when you mentioned, for more than one reason--but will go into more detail about that later. I just measured it on more than one 3-9x40 (and a 3-9x40 E1) and it's just about 5.75".

Had never measured it before, because have never had any difficulty mounting a 3-9x40 FFII on ANY rifle, and have had them on bolt-actions chambered for some pretty long cartridges, including the .300 Weatherby.

The other reason I got curious was more than one Campfire member has mentioned they have difficulty aiming with the 2-7x35 Fullfield II. I haven't have, and like them as well--but have to assume others have difficulty mounting the shorter 2-7x to match their aiming. This isn't because the 2-7x has less eye relief; in fact it has MORE eye-relief at 2x than the 3-9x at 3x, and the same eye relief at 7x as the the 3-9x at 9x--3.1 inches. (And yes, I have checked those numbers on my own scopes, and they're right on, unlike the eye-relied specs listed by some other scope manufacturers.)

So my best guess about why some shooters have difficulty aiming with the 2-7x is the 3-9x's SLIGHTLY longer mounting length. The ML of the 2-7x is 5.5"--with the difference at the front end of the scope, since its eyepiece/magnification ring's length is exactly the same length as on the 3-9x.

You sound like me. Love my scopes as far back as possible and while I have tried to understand what people mean when they discuss run out, I have never bothered with it beyond that.

Like you, I've encountered a lot of misinformation on scope specs, usually from sellers, but at least once from Weaver's own site. I often download catalogs, and the charts in those seem to be pretty reliable.

As to Country of Origin, I think anyone can make good stuff, but some have to have their feet held to the fire to keep them honest. One-time runs are more likely to facilitate cheating than the stuff designed by the seller and rigorously inspected for compliance before the sale. Not buying any more Hawkes in the current political climate, but the ones I have are solid. If the situation continues to decay, I expect some Western companies to start moving away from China. From a news report I saw today, that may have already begun.