I'm looking to add a scope to the top of my new AR15 platform .223 that I'm building for the purpose of hunting coyotes on my hunt lease.

I do have spots on my lease where I can reach out 600yds if I had to, but my comfort zone is more in the < 200 yds shot.

Would love some feedback on what y'all think might be the better option!

I just cant trust a burris full field after sending a few back while I was working at a rifle tuning shop. Broken crosshairs mostly on even lighter stuff like a 708. This was 15 years ago though. My buddy has put two of the freedoms on his ARs and so far so good. I have one in the rimfire version. They look great on a tactical platform but the new design ruins a nice blued/wood gun.

Thanks @killerv !!!

Agreed re the looks of the new design Freedoms on a blued/walnut rifle. Probably a good move on Leupold's part though, other than CZs don't see too many new blued/walnut rifles any more.

I ended up buying the Leupold VX-Freedom 3-9x40 1In Matte Tri-MOA for $218 from Amazon. I'm pumped. Truth be told I'm a Leupold guy at heart (wanted one when I got my first rifle as a kid and couldn't afford it). Fast-forward 20 years, and the first scope I bought with my own $ was a Leupold Rifleman 3-9x40 (strapped to my Winchester Model 70 30-06 right now). I was just trying to be open to other options. But, I asked on this forum and 1 other and both responses I got said go Leupold. So, I went with what I know, and bought the Leupold.

killerv,

The Ballistic Plex reticle on Fullfield II's (the most practical reticle of their choices, in my experience) is etched, not wire. Have never seen one break while using a BUNCH of FFII's a lot, on various rifles chambered up to .300 Weatherby Magnum.

While I don't know the mechanics of a etched reticle scope, we did have one of the ballistic plex reticles that would actually turn clockwise when the gun was fired...so I am assuming it was the glass turning? It was sent back, it was if you were turning the actual body of the scope the way the reticle would turn....but the scope wasn't moving.....only the reticle. Only time I had ever seen that.

I would choose the FullField II.

I have used a FFII for a few years working up loads for some hard kickers and it never lost zero. The most frequent was on a .375 Ruger.

The scope fared a lot better than I did!!

LC

I've had two FFIIs that lost zero. It's a borderline scope with decent glass. Being that's the only two Burris scopes I've purchased....

I do like their reflex sights though, I'm 3 for 4 with them.

I'd do the Fullfield over the Freedom.

killverv,

That would have to be what happened!

Reloader7RM,

Very interesting!

Odds work, well, oddly. I've been using Burris scopes since the late 1980's, and a lot of other brands. I tend to do more shooting than average, and have now had 19 brands (not individual scopes) fail, either right out of the box or after a while. Only two have been Burrises, one right out of the box in 1988, and a Fullfield II after over a decade of use on various rifles.

I'd take the FF-II over anything else under $400.

Last VX3 was over $400. Love it but the $159 Burris I bought before season has compared very well to it. Last FF2 is now my oldest scope. Every time I look at swapping it..I look through it and change my mind. Never a hint of trouble

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


This

I've had a couple of the Burris Fullfields, an original and a FFII no issues so far. Very clear and tracking was good and held up. Have had several Leopold's but not the Freedom. Between the two I would go FFII. Both have the warranty.

FFII , no question for me

Same here FF2...Had three and 0 problems..Just got a new one with the dot and love it...Had 3 Leupolds go to hell...Had 'em fixed and they did it again....Everything from .22 up to .300Win..

Luck of the draw I suppose. I don’t doubt you fellas have had outstanding luck with them. I bought those at the same time maybe 10-15 years ago. I’ve had a pile of other brands go tits up as well. Seems Leupold gets trashed on here quite often, but I’ve only had one(VX3) that failed out of quite a few over the years. Even have 4 cheap VX1s w/o issues. Maybe it’s coming with those as well.

I will say this about Burris: their customer service is top notch.

Hell, I'd pick a Burris FFII over a VX3... No question about it...

That's been my experience as well. I used to get those feelings of wanting to try something different, but then like you, I'd look through the FFII's and compare them to some other scopes and realize the FFII may not cost a lot, but you get a lot of scope for the money. The last FFII 3-9x40 with ballistic plex reticle, that I bought, cost $130.00 (new) and it works just as well as all of my other FFII's... As a matter of fact, I was shooting my BSA model E the other day, with this scope, and it seems to holds zero very well:

Nice shooting BSA

+1

How is actual eye relief on the fullfield? One thing I really like about the leupolds is eye relief. Got the scars from shooting light rifles with marginal eye relief scopes!

To my eyes the fullfields glass sucks. I've tried a few and they all went down the road pretty quickly. The freedom has really nice glass. Gets my vote

For the money it is hard to beat Burris FF 2

The eye relief is great, as far as I'm concerned. I've used the FFII's on some heavier kickers like the 300wby magnum, 300wm, 338wm, and 9.3x62mm, with no problem at all.



One thing I noticed at the range today, when comparing a similar optic (Zeiss 3-9x42), is I could not get the target as focused as I could with my newest Burris FFII that I put on my BSA model E 30-06. The orange dots I use, have a small black diamond in the center, and I noticed I can focus in on that and make it very sharp with my Burris rifle scopes, not so much with the Zeiss. I just pulled the Zeiss on my new Tikka superlite and threw a Burris on it. It makes a difference when I can see the target clearly. I'd still compare the Burris FFII glass to the VX3 in terms of brightness and clarity.

Interesting. Been a few years since I went down the FF2 road. Maybe deserves another look. The glass wasnt any good for my eyes on the ones I've owned. Have they changed anything with them?

I've tried to warm up to the FFII's a couple times based on the recommendations from the Fire..... I couldn't do it and both went down the road.

The lens coatings are different, than the older American made models. Other than that, I don't think they really changed anything else internally.

IMO, Leupold screwed the pooch not offering a LR Duplex in the Freedom series. Hence My recommendation of the Burris. The Burris Ballistic Plex is, in my view, the very best of all the "Dotz" scope reticles, and I like it better than Leupold's LR Duplex or B&C reticle, and Redfield's Accu-Range.

I'm not crazy about Burris's eye relief though... I might have talked myself back into the 3-9x40 Redfield with Accu-Range :grin

I am with you on your thoughts about Leupold not offering a LR Duplex in the Freedom series, I have one with a regular duplex in it and it seems to be an ok scope. I think I will hold off for a while before buying another, I am hoping they will introduce one with LD dots soon.

I do not care for the image the Burris gives, I can't really put my finger on it but it is just not as good as what I see through a Leupold.

drover

+1!

I think I'm down to 4 Leupolds and every one has been rebuilt by the factory at least once. I have maybe 6 or 7 Burris scopes with three of them being FF II. The only failure I have experienced was a 3-10x Signature that died on a 338WM.

When I need a basic scope that works, the 3-9 FFII Ballistic-Plex is my choice.

405wcf

Same here. I just don't like the whole eye piece turning to adjust magnification power. I put a Burris MSR 3-9x40 on my 20" PSA AR. Few hundred rounds later, I'm still liking it.

The newer E1's have a traditional type magnification ring. Loving the illuminated dot #4 and the extremely low price I paid for it but most importantly, loving the brightness and clarity etc..

The MSR seems to be a great scope with a traditional power selector ring. It also comes with the oldstyle ballistic plex reticle, which is a big plus over the newer E1 scope. Ive been playing around with the MSR on a new 223 rem and its like any other burris ive had and holds zero extremely well. For those who arent used to, or dont like, the FFII ocular housing rotating when adjusting the power range, the MSR would be a good one to check out. Ive been using the FFII for going on 20 years now, and actually like the power selector. It did take a while to get used to though.