Now in its fifth generation, Burris’ Fullfield riflescope line has been completely redesigned to be lighter, shorter and stronger than its predecessors. The new Fullfield line includes six 4X zoom riflescopes designed for hunters. It starts with a 2-8x35mm scope, which is excellent for Eastern deer hunters, and tops out at a 6-24x50mm that would be perfect for long-range work, including prairie dog hunting. I tested the 2.5-10x42mm and the 4-16x50mm as a couple of middle-ground examples.
The scopes have different rear focal plane reticle options that vary from scope to scope. For the 2.5-10x40mm I chose the tried-and-true Plex reticle. The 4-16x50 came with the non-illuminated Wind RET reticle, which proved to be a good match with the custom elevation dial on this scope.
All Fullfield scope turrets operate via ¼-MOA click adjustments, and all knobs can be reset to zero. That feature is part of the “Burris Knob Synergy,” a modular turret system design used on the Fullfield riflescopes. Knob Synergy lets the shooter swap between multiple options for the elevation and windage knob styles, either when buying a new scope or as an added feature purchased later. Options include a standard capped turret, an Advanced Exposed turret with visibly marked ¼-inch MOA graduations for precise adjustments and the Advanced Capped Knob, which features marked elevation adjustments protected underneath a turret cap so that you can’t bump it out of alignment while you’re pushing through brush or crawling through the muck. There’s also an Advanced Exposed Windage knob available for those that dial wind. Burris also offers the option of customizing these dials to match to your rifle and ammo. For the 4-16x50 scope I submitted my ballistic data and Burris sent a dial-up ring for the Advanced Exposed turret matched to that data from zero to 850 yards. Though the exposed turret makes dialing quick and precise, for serious big-game hunting I would consider a change to the capped version to prevent any unplanned turret movement.
I tested the custom dial-up ring by shooting from 100 yards using multiple settings and measuring the distance between impact and aiming point. All impacts were within .2 inch of where they were expected, which is virtually perfect.
Burris’ Knob Synergy system offers customized elavation and windage turret upgrades for your Fullfied scope. Options include the Advanced Exposed Knob, the Advanced Capped Knob and the Advanced Exposed Windage Knob.
The 2.5-10x42 scope shipped with basic adjustment knobs that, once sighted in, are easily reset to zero with the supplied 1.5mm wrench. A note on that: Get an extra wrench or two and keep them in the truck. It sucks driving to the range only to discover you have lost that tiny wrench. (I found the lost wrench in my truck ... after I got home.)
I matched the scopes to a pair of tried-and-true Savage 110 rifles in 6.5 Creedmoor that I knew to be accurate. It’s also important to use accurate ammo in any optics test. I have found over the years that the Hornady 140-grain ELD Match 6.5 Creedmoor ammo is relentlessly accurate, and I chose that ammo for testing these two scopes.
My tracking test consisted of using a Redfield Sight-In target with five diamond “bullseyes.” The primary one is in the center and is the aiming point for the entire test. There is a smaller diamond at each corner, 9 inches apart.
The test starts with a solid zero in the center, then I dialed the scope to each of the four corner targets in succession, shooting multiple shots at each stop to find the center of the group. I then dialed back to zero so the point of impact adjustments made a full revolution of the target.
Both scopes tracked very well through the entire trip keeping all the shots on the diamonds and came back to within ½ inch of the original zero. This is pretty remarkable performance for this price point.
The adjustment clicks were positive and tactile enough to dial easily, and the mechanics seemed to track very well, which is all very important if you plan to dial up for the longer shots.
The scopes have multi-coated lenses. My only real complaint is that the 4-16 scope loses some light transmission and becomes a bit dark at the highest magnification setting.
I dropped both scopes on an anti-fatigue mat from bench height several times (sometimes on purpose). I also banged the butt of the scoped rifle hard on the same mat. I fired nearly 100 rounds with each scope on a rifle. No issues could be detected.
The scopes are stylish, with a red ring around the objective bell and red anodized dials. The tubes are short, which can present a problem in mounting. The 2.5-10x42 did not have enough available real estate to mount the scope on a short-action rifle using a conventional two-piece base. One solution would be to use extension rings, but I did not have any on hand, so I switched from my original choice of rifle to another with a rail installed. I might also note that with the medium-height Burris Z rings I started with, the scope proved too short so that the objective did not clear the front of the rail. High rings did not work either, and I had to go to extra-high rings to complete the installation. Fortunately, the rifle has an adjustable cheekpiece, so it presented no issues on the range. Just keep the rather stubby length of these scopes in mind when selecting mounting options.
The scopes offer very good performance for a reasonable price. Hunters on a budget will be happy with a Burris Fullfield scope on their rifle as these scopes punch well above their weight class.
Burris Fullfield
- burrisoptics.com
- Type: variable-power riflescope
- Magnification: 2X-8X, 2.5X-10X (tested), 3X-12X, 4X-16X (tested), 6X-24X
- Objective Lens Diameter: 35mm, 42mm (tested), 50mm (tested), 56mm
- Eye Relief: 75-85mm (2.5-10x42); 76-85mm (4-16x50)
- Exit Pupil: 16.8mm-4.2mm (2.5-10X42); 12.5mm-3.125mm (4-16x50)
- Field of View @ 100 Yards: 43ft-11ft (2.5-10x42); 27ft-6.75ft (4-16x50)
- Reticle: second focal plane; Ballistic E3, Ballistic E3 Illuminated, Plex (tested), Wind Ret (tested), Wind-Ret Illuminated, Heavy Plex, 3P#4 Illuminated
- Adjustments: ¼ MOA
- Coatings: multi-coated
- Dimensions: 1" tube; length 10.5", weight 14.7 ozs. (2.5-10x42); length 12.3", weight 17.7 ozs. (4-16x50)
- Construction: aluminum tube; HD glass; matte black
- Battery: CR2032
- Accessories: none
- MSRP: $192-$600
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