Burris Fullfield E1 vs IV

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BigBL87

BigBL87

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Hey everybody,

I currently have a Sightmark Wraith night vision scope on my $50 Walmart closeout Savage Axis. I like it and have been impressed with it, but I'm kind of thinking about taking it off and only mounting it for dedicated night hunts. As nice as it is, it is pretty heavy and relies on battery power, so I'm thinking I'll put a traditional scope on it for most of the time.

I've been super impressed with the 4.5-14x42 Burris Fullfield E1 on another rifle, and I can get one with the discontinued Long Range MOA reticle (which I like) for around $180. I was browsing around and also found that I can get a 3-12x42 Fullfield IV for around $170.

I'm curious if anyone has experience with both Fullfield lines, and if the IV seems like a true upgrade or more of a side-grade. I'd be happy with either magnification, so that really doesn't play into it for me.
 
Don't have any experience with an E3, however, I do have experience with with Fullfield E1 and IV. Bought as a package deal a few years back. They both seem to be pretty good scopes for the price. I have not had any issues with them per SE. They both track and have not lost zero. The only downside is the 4-12 is blurry at higher magnification. I expect some drawbacks with a sub-$200 scope, so it does not bother me. If your budget can handle a little more, I would suggest a Leupold in there Freedom line, which IMHO is a better option. The Burris should serve you well if that's what you can afford though.

Hope that helps.
 
Moparnut said:
Don't have any experience with an E3, however, I do have experience with with Fullfield E1 and IV. Bought as a package deal a few years back. They both seem to be pretty good scopes for the price. I have not had any issues with them per SE. They both track and have not lost zero. The only downside is the 4-12 is blurry at higher magnification. I expect some drawbacks with a sub-$200 scope, so it does not bother me. If your budget can handle a little more, I would suggest a Leupold in there Freedom line, which IMHO is a better option. The Burris should serve you well if that's what you can afford though.

Hope that helps.
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I meant E1, don't know why I typed E3 in the title. Fixed it! Thanks for the insight! The only downside for me with Leupold is I like having adjustable parallax, which their scopes in my approximate price range don't come with unfortunately.
 
BigBL87 said:
I meant E1, don't know why I typed E3 in the title. Fixed it! Thanks for the insight! The only downside for me with Leupold is I like having adjustable parallax, which their scopes in my approximate price range don't come with unfortunately.
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I understand. I think that will work for you. I really wish I could remember which one of mine is 3-9 and which one is 4-12 with parallax. Like I posted neither has given me any trouble so far.
 
Okay, so I went home and checked. The Fullfield E1 4-12x42 is currently sitting on top of my 06. That is the one that I have used the most and is pretty good in my opinion for a sub $200 scope.
 
Moparnut said:
Okay, so I went home and checked. The Fullfield E1 4-12x42 is currently sitting on top of my 06. That is the one that I have used the most and is pretty good in my opinion for a sub $200 scope.
Click to expand...

Thanks, didn't know they ever made a 4-12. I really do like my 4.5-14 though.
 
The FF-II in a 3-9X40 has always impressed me as an awful lot of scope for the money. Based on what I read from others I'm not alone. It has a reputation for ruggedness. I have no experience with the higher powered scopes so I can't say if they are as good.

I tend to prefer lower magnification than a lot of guys. Once you get above a 3-9X in my opinion you either lose quality, or have to pay a lot more for the same quality. To my eyes a scope that tops out at around 9X or 10X that is sharp, clear, and with a fine crosshair is more important than more magnification.

I've never owned the E-1, only looked through a few. I've heard nothing bad about them, but I don't like the reticle.

I have a FF-IV with the illuminated reticle mounted on an AR. It does what I want it to do, but I still think I like the older FF-II better overall. I'm not crazy about the reticle on this one, but I wanted the illumination so I can live with it. The standard scope with a duplex reticle I might like better on a bolt rifle.

Buy Burris 2.5-10x42 Fullfield IV Rifle Scopes at SWFA.com - SWFA Outdoors
 
jmr40 said:
The FF-II in a 3-9X40 has always impressed me as an awful lot of scope for the money. Based on what I read from others I'm not alone. It has a reputation for ruggedness. I have no experience with the higher powered scopes so I can't say if they are as good.

I tend to prefer lower magnification than a lot of guys. Once you get above a 3-9X in my opinion you either lose quality, or have to pay a lot more for the same quality. To my eyes a scope that tops out at around 9X or 10X that is sharp, clear, and with a fine crosshair is more important than more magnification.

I've never owned the E-1, only looked through a few. I've heard nothing bad about them, but I don't like the reticle.

I have a FF-IV with the illuminated reticle mounted on an AR. It does what I want it to do, but I still think I like the older FF-II better overall. I'm not crazy about the reticle on this one, but I wanted the illumination so I can live with it. The standard scope with a duplex reticle I might like better on a bolt rifle.

Buy Burris 2.5-10x42 Fullfield IV Rifle Scopes at SWFA.com - SWFA Outdoors
Click to expand...

Thanks, the one I'm looking at has that FF-IV reticle sans illumination.
 
CoalCrackerAl said:
BigBL87 said:
I'm curious if anyone has experience with both Fullfield lines ... I meant E1
Click to expand...
I have this one [FF E1 6.5-20x50mm] ... it's a perfect match. So it stayed.[/ATTACH]
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I also have FF E1 6.5-20x50mm and very happy as discussed in this thread - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...20x-50mm-169-9-shipping.893341/#post-12061424

It's still sub $200 shipped - https://gun.deals/search/apachesolr_search/200341

While I like the Ballistic Plex reticle, it also comes with mil dot - https://gun.deals/search/apachesolr_search/000381001931
 
I have/have had a bunch of scopes, multiple models of each brand, from Leupold, Sightron, Vortex, Weaver, Burris, as well as single models from Clearidge and Nitrex, and perhaps another or two I'm forgetting. I've compared them very carefully side-by-side using an optical resolution target (this is kind of a hobby andI've written about this a few times before). Comparing the ones with street prices (what you could actually buy them new for when you found a good deal, not MSRP) of $550 or less, I have not found any of them to be optically better than the Burris Fullfield II 4.5-14x42 or the Fullfield E-1 version of that scope. And most aren't quite as good. Between the FF II and the E1 I can't really detect a difference optically. I currently have three of each (all made in the Philippines), but I like side focus better than A/O, so I would (for my own use) lean toward the E1 for that reason. And I really like both versions of the Ballistic Plex reticle, one of my favorites. To my eye, those two Burris scopes are incredible bargains at the prices you can buy them for.
 
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Thanks for all the input.

In doing some research, I discovered that the FF IV is made in China whereas the FF E1 is made in the Philippines. I don't have an absolute aversion to Chinese made optics, I own a few and like them, but that might just be the tie breaker for me between the IV and E1.
 
BigBL87 said:
I don't have an absolute aversion to Chinese made optics, I own a few and like them, but that might just be the tie breaker for me between the IV and E1.
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I have a simple approach - I will not (knowingly) fund the PLA or encourage the manufacture of dual-use items. Accordingly, all of my optics are Filipino, Japanese, or Euro.
 
BigBL87 said:
Well, just ordered a 4.5-14 E1 with the Ballistic Plex reticle. Been discontinued for awhile with that reticle so I'm guessing its New/Old Stock which was the reason for the good price. Paid $153 which is a steal. :thumbup:
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@BigBL87 that is a great price. If I could have found that deal when I bought my rr2 4.5 -14 x42 I'd have gotten 2.
 
Thanks I might need one depending on whether or not my scope was damaged last weekend, I gell while dragging a buck out of the woods. Rifle hit the ground.
 
BigBL87 said:
Well, just ordered a 4.5-14 E1 with the Ballistic Plex reticle. Been discontinued for awhile with that reticle so I'm guessing its New/Old Stock which was the reason for the good price. Paid $153 which is a steal. :thumbup:
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Have you received the scope yet @BigBL87 ? I'm asking because I really want to jump on the deal but the ballistic plex reticle they show on the website was not offered on the E1s to my knowledge. I thought it stopped with the FF2s.
 

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CptnAwesome said:
Have you received the scope yet @BigBL87 ? I'm asking because I really want to jump on the deal but the ballistic plex reticle they show on the website was not offered on the E1s to my knowledge. I thought it stopped with the FF2s.
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I did, and it is in fact the ballistic plex reticle. Wondering of maybe it was a one time run or something? The model number is 200349, looks like it's listed through other sites, including Amazon.
 
Oh I see.... Man! I've got a few FF IIs and E1s, and I've been itching for one of the new FF IVs. Just ordered a new rifle and had already decided on a FF IV. But with a deal like that In take reconsidering...
 
CptnAwesome said:
Well I just ordered one. Tried to order 2 but apparently that was the last one in stock...
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Not surprised at the price it's going for, glad you got one! I actually found it when I googled Fullfield E1, someone in another forum had shared it. One of the posters in that thread is apparently a Burris distributor and said it is a discontinued model. I was kind of worried about it maybe being counterfeit or something, but the fact that he knew it was a discontinued model (so he couldn't get any) and the fact that Fullfield E1s probably aren't exactly a prime target for fakes like Leupold and so on made me figure it was probably just a smokin' deal, haha.
 
I'm looking hard at one of the 3-12x56 IV's with the E3 reticle.

Looks to be a pretty nifty general purpose scope to have around, especially for under $250.
 
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