The 6.5-20x version of the fullfield II Tactical is the only one offered with the
ballistic mildot, which I found a bit odd for tactical scopes. I thought their 3-9x40mm
and 4.5-14x50mm should also be available with mildot, or ballistic mildot reticule.
Burris does have a custom shop, which I have used before, that can put that reticule
in for you, but at an additional cost that I thought shouldn't be necessary. As it is,
the 6.5-20 model is the one we are reviewing here and it does indeed have the ballistic
mildots. The reticule calibrated to be accurate at 14x, which is also marked on the
eyepiece so you know exactly where to set it. The scopes come with an anodized OD Green
exterior finish that looks good, though it may not perfectly match your green finish
exactly. For testing, I had it mounted on an all black rifle, and it still looked
pretty good. But hey, I like green things!
A problem on all burris scopes is that when you adjust the power ring, the entire
eye piece rotates. This is only a problem because if you have butler creek flip up
scope caps, it rotates as well. This gets annoying in the field, and is the case on
this scope as well. The adjustable objective is located on the bell and works as it
should.
I would like to spend some time talking about the knobs. The knobs are known
from Burris as the TAC-2 knobs and are a lower profile knob with a dust cover.
Unfortunately, the knobs felt a bit "loose" or "mushy" and didn't feel as
precise as I thought they should. There is an audible click as well as a tactile feel,
but it is not as defined or pronounced as I would like. I overshot my desired amount of
adjustments a few times. All of that being said, the actual adjustments themselves
were precise and repeatable. It shot great through the box and came right back to the
point of aim, so I have no complaints there. I just prefer a more defined and precise
adjustments on the knobs.
Of even more concern to me with the knobs, is the fact that there is an offset after
one full rotation. The knobs go to 9, with 4 clicks between, but then there is only
2 clicks from 9 back to 0. So, after you go one full rotation, you are now stuck on
having to remember that the full MOA mark is in-between numbers. Now, with this
particular scope, the idea is to use the ballistic mildot reticule to compensate for
various ranges, you are not suppose to use the knobs, which will indeed work if that
is how you intend to use the scope. The picture below illustrates the offset issue on
the knobs.
With this particular scope, you really do not have the option of using the knobs to
make your elevation compensations, as there are only 30 MOA of up elevation adjustments. So, with
the scope centered from the factory, you have 15 MOA up, and 15 down. It is not uncommon
to use up to 10 MOA for zeroing, which is what happened in our case here, leaving a
mere 5 MOA of up remaining. Now, if you are using that reticule and it's BDC, you are
fine, but with this test rifle, we would not be able to zero using the internal
adjustments beyond about 200 yards.
You could use a 10 or 15 MOA canted base to gain some more adjustments, in fact, you
could even use the Burris signature rings
with canted inserts to do the same. But you
will still not have enough MOA to get you very far using the knobs. Again, if you are
using the ballistic portion of the reticule, this is not a problem.
The scope appears to be durable and well made; though that is hard to test with the
limited time we had the scope. The optics are clear and the reticule is pretty nice.
The stadia are fairly thick when at 20x, but for a tactical scope that is probably
desirable so you do not lose the aiming point on a dark background. It is not a target scope
with "fine" crosshairs, and it shouldn't be. The only real problem I have with the
reticule is that there are only the 5 mils above the horizontal stadia, as the ballistic
portion of the reticule occupies the bottom half. So, there is no way to mil a target
taller than 5 mils (6' tall man at 400 yards will measure 5 mils). Not a problem when
dealing with human
size targets at greater than 400 or so yards, but what about trucks, buildings, doorways
or ranges shorter than 400? All that would be required would be to put a single
horizontal hash mark on the lower portion of the reticule indicating 5 mils below the
horizontal stadia. This is what Holland
did with their tactical scope. This would allow
for a full 10 mils of measuring and still allow the ballistic portion of the reticule.
The bdc/ballistics portion of the reticule is generic enough to be useful for many
different loadings, and Burris provides instructions on how to work with the marks and
your caliber. It can be an effective system, and quick to use without having to make
any adjustments to the knobs.
On the whole, the scope is a solid scope, though I would like some more refinement with
the knobs and the reticule. More adjustments would be welcomed also, but that is not
totally necessary given the overall design with the ballistic portion of the reticule.
Optical and mechanical performance of the scope is commendable and the scope is a
solid value with unique features for a scope in this price range.
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