I recently purchased a Burris FullField II riflescope. The scope is a matte black 3-9x40mm and is retail priced at $219 (Fall 2003) by the various outdoor mega retailers (Bass Pro Shops, Cabelas, etc.).

I had not considered a Burris until a promotion including a spotting scope at no extra charge came along and, looking back, I cannot believe the value received for the dollar spent. The scope is first and foremost very presentable with soft lines, generous eye relief, a European eyepiece, a one-piece power ring/eyepiece, and a one-piece main tube. The weight is a few ounces on the heavy side, and there is no external parallax adjustment, but I think the latter feature is overrated and unnecessary for the average hunter.

The internals are also impressive. One can see the full detail of this on the Burris WebSite, but for this review I will mention a few that stand out.

Light Transmission is reported at 95% with all lenses multicoated. This compares favorably with the Leupold VX I and VX II, with 84% and 87% respectively. It is nitrogen purged and filled 24 times before leaving the factory, and has Quad seals in comparison to the single O-rings used in most comparable scope lines. The FullField II also has steel on steel clickers for .25 MOA adjustments, double internal springs, and a fully transferable lifetime warranty.

The basic specifications of the FullField 3-9x40mm are as follows:

• Field of view - 33' (3x) to 13' (9x)
• Exit pupil - 12.9-4.7mm
• Max. adj. - 50" at 100 yards
• Weight - 13 ounces
• Eye relief - 3.3-3.8"
• Objective lens diameter - 40mm
• Objective bell diameter - 48mm
• Ocular bell diameter - 39mm
• Overall length - 12.2"
• 2003 MSRP - $401 (with Ballistic Plex reticle)

Looking through the scope reveals a very clear and crisp image even around the edges, and eye relief remains sufficient for standard high intensity calibers throughout the magnification range. The outer edges of the image will distort if you move your head up and down or side to side, particularly in bright light or at high magnification.

The Ballistic Plex Reticle is easy to set up and use. This is a nice feature to have, even if you never intend to use it. It does not detract from one's ability to shoot accurately, and if you happen to need to take a 300 yard shot it's nice to have the trajectory compensating reticle at your disposal.

Field adjustments to elevation or windage require a shot or a tap on the scope in order to seat the adjustments. I used the butt end of a screw driver to seat the adjustments. Once zeroed-in the scope I had no problems with the scope holding its adjustments.

All told, I believe this particular Burris riflescope represents an excellent value. Any hunter can appreciate the excellent features of this scope. I own a Swarovski AV 4-12x50 and a 5.5-16.5x44 Nikon UCC Monarch, and for the money spent this scope outperforms anything I have owned or seen.