|
Burris 4-12x42mm LaserScope By Chuck Hawks with Rocky Hays  The initial Burris LaserScope offering, a riflescope incorporating a laser rangefinder, is the 4-12x42mm scope described here and pictured above. Mounts (for Weaver bases), lens caps, and even a lens hood are supplied with the LaserScope, as well as the usual instruction manual, warrantee, and a set of ballistic tables for the standard Ballistic Plex reticle. It is a very complete package. The Burris LaserScope is made in the Philippines, as is the similar Nikon Laser IRT riflescope. Burris and Nikon may have introduced the first such scopes, but I bet they won't be the last. The main body of the LaserScope appears to be made of aluminum and wears a matte black external finish. Its optics are fully multi-coated. The fingertip adjustment knobs click accurately in 1/4 MOA increments. The eyepiece features a rubberized, European style, fast focus ring. The textured room ring is located in the usual position at the front of the ocular. The view of the target through the LaserScope is like the view through any other high quality riflescope, with a magnified image of the target and an aiming reticle. Pressing a rubberized button on the left side of the scope activates the laser inside the riflescope. The range to the target is displayed (in yards) by red LED numerals in a very lightly tinted area at the top of the field of view. The rangefinder is accurate to +/- 1 yard. An infrared remote control on an elastic watchband like strap is also supplied with the LaserScope. This can be attached to the forearm of the rifle in a location convenient to the shooter and used to activate the rangefinder function. The LaserScope is built with an integral mounting rail and it comes with mounts that clamp to its rail and then to any standard Weaver type mount base on a rifle. The result is simple, low, and very flexible mounting. Here are the basic LaserScope specifications:
A 4-12x variable power scope is nearly ideal for a 200 yard varmint rifle, so Rocky mounted the Burris LaserScope on his .17 HMR caliber, custom Remington Model 597 LS HB varmint rifle. Burris considerately provides a set of ballistic tables along with their Ballistic Plex reticle, and .17 HMR is one of the included calibers. That really takes the guesswork out of hitting small, distant targets. Burris uses three hash marks below the intersection of the crosswires as alternative aiming points for long range on their Ballistic Plex reticle. The way the Ballistic Plex is used in the case of a .17 HMR rifle shooting the usual 17 grain V-MAX bullet is to zero the rifle at 100 yards using the main crosshair. The bullet should then hit dead on at 150 yards when using the first hash mark as the aiming point. The bullet will hit 1" above the second hash mark at 200 yards, and 0 again using the third hash mark at 250 yards. The bullet will hit 2" below the top of the bottom post of the Duplex crosshair at 300 yards. In use, the scope's "eyebox" is adequate, but the 3-3.5" eye relief is a bit tight. It puts the scope too close to the eyebrow for comfort if one were shooting a powerful magnum rifle, particularly at a steep uphill angle. Another 1/2" of eye relief would be appreciated. In the field we found that the LaserScope had no trouble ranging sand rats (critters like small ground squirrels) at long distances. It is as simple as putting the central crosshair on a target and pushing the button. The rangefinder is very precise and coincides perfectly with the central crosshair. The Burris LaserScope is a boon to the hunter. Rocky and I are both sold on the concept. Note: A full length review of the Burris LaserScope 4-12x42 can be found on the Product Review Page. |
