Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics VX-1 3-9X40 VS. FFII 3-9X40

My lady friend scored a Ruger American .308 with a VX-1 3-9X40 mounted on it for $200. SCORE!



The rings are way too high and will be replaced. I have a FFII 3-9X40 w/Ballistic Plex sitting on a shelf in the box just because I couldn't pass on the $109 deal. For those who have experience with both scopes, how do they compare in your opinion? Glass, eye-box, adjustments, ruggedness, etc.

I haven't used a FFII but it obviously comes highly recommended as a bang-for-buck scope. I also have no experience with the VX-1 line, always went FXII, FXIII, or VXIII, VX3 when I went Leupold.

It'll be a couple of weeks before I can get my eyeballs/hands on the Ruger/VX-1 so thought I'd get some input from the 'Fire and it's wealth of experience. Should I gift her the Burris and shelve the VX-1 as a backup or just remount the Leupy in better/lower rings and call it a day? She's an avid shooter but more into handguns, and wants me to help her learn about rifles and get this one set up as GTG as possible.

Opinions?

I prefer the Burris FF II to the lower end Leupolds. It's my favorite budget scope. And the Ballistic Plex is a nice reticle.

This is my opinion as well. My one caveat is that depending on how the scope mounts on the rifle, I sometimes wish the Burris had another half-inch or so of eye relief.

Do her a favor and give her the Burris. If that VX-1 is typical, she will be chasing zero every time she changes loads. OTOH, I never had one actually fail either. If she insists in keeping the Leupold, run the knobs a few times to spread the lube. Seems to help.

I think it would be cool to teach her how that ballistic plex reticle works on the burris. Set up where you can shoot out to say 400 yards. Shoot it at 100, 200, 300, and 400 and I think you'll both have smiles on your faces when you are done. As for the Leupold, I'm not quite sure what to tell you about that one. You did awesome on your deal though. I have a really nice Leupold I am going to list for sale, as I have replaced it with an older American made Burris FFII 3-9x40 rifle scope. I can't bad mouth this Leupold in particular because it is an abnormal one. Its a tactical model 3-9x40 Varix IIc with target turrets. It tracks great, but the glass does not compare to the Burris. Even though they are of the same vintage. The Leupold is getting sent down the road and I'll double my money on it..

Thanks for the replies, guys. From what I've read about it and the endorsement it receives here, my gut was telling me that the Burris is the better scope.

Never hurts to ask for real world comparisons though.

She scored this deal from a coworker. I had nothing to do with it except to tell her she basically got a free rifle with her scope and rings.

About as low in price as they go these days. I read somewhere that they were being discontinued. I bought three more after reading this.

https://www.natchezss.com/burris-fu...3-4-er-ballistic-plex-reticle-matte.html

She did great and you are right. Looks like it only needs a set of low rings on there, with either scope. Hopefully you show her this thread showing that the majority of us say to use the Burris.. A set of low Burris Zee rings should work well on those mounts. I'd also suggest pulling those mounts off, degrease things and blue loctite them down. Just to be sure they are done right.

One thing I have noticed is the prices of the older American made FFII's are going up. Big time. I should buy more of the Philipines models that are dirt cheap right now though. .

One reason I like the Burris better is the eye focus
I hate the Leupold focus compared to the rest of the world

I just never seem to be happy with that type of focus

Hank

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I used to have Leupold VX-1 and VX-2 across the board. They have been replaced with Burris FFII BP models.

and others. I agree.
I compared the last FF2 I bought to my VX3.........still love the Leupy but the Burris was every bit its match well past dark and with the clicks as well.

Unless it's like my FFII. Turn the power ring and the focus turns w it. Same when trying to focus, power gets adjusted slightly.

2 man show to focus or you have look through scope, hold power ring, turn to focus and hope you go the right way, look through scope again, rinse and repeat then you have to refocus when adjusting power.

Have only this 1, no more for me. If I were to try one again I wouldn't buy it over the net, be a hands on purchase.

I tried the Redfield Revolution once, mushy clicks, they may have worked but back in the box and on to the next guy w a full disclaimer about mushy clicks. Need to find a sucker for this Burris.

Maybe Sig is as good or better for the price point?

Bring the FFII back to the states with quality and I would gladly pay $250-300 for a 3-9x40mm scope.

About where they should be priced normally then on sale for $100.

Hmmm. Didn't pay much attention to that, just gave it a cursory inspection and put it back in the box. I'll have to take it out and play with it.






And get your minds out of the gutter, you reprobates!

Leupold seems to bank on their name and rep when it comes to their lower end products. Burris seems to actually really give a [bleep] about providing as much quality as they economically can at their lowest price points. Def go Burris at this end. If you were looking to spend $2k+ on an optic then it's a much more nuanced question between the brands.

As you will soon have both scopes in hand maybe let her choose which one she likes better?

She did pretty well finding a nice bargin.

Lots of good scopes these days.

What a deal! You never ask a women her age but if she's relatively young, mount that scope in low Talley's and tell her to go get'm.

Buy her a 450 bushmaster magazine and she will be nice to you forever.

I'd leave the VX-1 on there if for nothing more than the lockable focus and the fact that the whole eye piece doesn't turn to change magnification.