Burris reached out to let me know they wanted to see me with a Fullfield scope and asked me what magnification level I’d like. My first instinct was, of course, to go big. But I’m not a man who can shoot very far so I decided to ask for the most modest magnification level of the 2-8×35 option. That’s a magnification range that’s entirely new to me but has proven to be quite handy.
The Fullfield series is nothing new. In fact, the Fullfield series has been made by Burris for 50 years now and is likely the company’s most successful optic. That’s likely because they’re great, budget-worthy optics that are backed by an outstanding warranty.
The Burris 2-8×35 scope features a 35mm objective lens, two reticle options, and weighs a mere 14.1 ounces. At onl;y 9.8 inches in length, it’s fairly small. Mine features the Ballistic E3 reticle, which is partially illuminated.
Nothing about this optic is really new, game-changing, or revolutionary. Instead, it’s a plain, ultra-affordable optic that focuses on doing what most people want a rifle scope to do and doing it well. Many of the issues some people have with budget optics tend to be less common in lower-powered scopes. With that in mind, the 2-8×35 Fullfield can be had from $159 to $189, depending on the reticle option.
Out of the Box
The Fullfield 2-8×35 isn’t an uber-tactical LPVO aimed at the AR market. That said, this optic would be just fine on any AR. It’s designed to be a simple second focal plane optic with a 1-inch tube that will excel at hunting. The Ballistic E3 reticle features an illuminated center crosshair with a series of windage and drop holds.
The reticle is designed to work with the Burris ballistic calculator to give the drop points for various cartridges. A series of windage holds can also make it easy to adjust for wind calls, with each dot designed to account for a 10 MPH crosswind.
The illumination function requires a standard 2032 battery, and the illumination dial does what it should. It may move a bit too easily, with some risk of it being adjusted when rubbing against the shooter’s body while slung, but it’s not a huge issue. Much more important is that there are off positions between each brightness setting, something even a lot of much more expensive scopes don’t get right.
Eye relief is a generous three inches at 8X and 3.38 inches at 2X. That’s more than enough room for me and my shooting needs. The field of view varies from 55 feet at 100 yards at 2X to 13.5 feet at 100 yards at 8X. That’s not bad, but it’s not spectacular.
To The Range
I mounted the Burris Fullfield 2-8X on a KelTec SU-16B, a fun little rifle that’s well served by a lightweight, relatively low-powered optic. Zeroing is simple with the fingertip-adjustable turrets and the ¼ MOA clicks.
While I don’t generally do much with magnified optics, I did the standard box test to ensure the scope tracks accurately. The ¼ MOA adjustments were dead-on accurate with inch-segmented squares on the target.
The little Fullfield is a perfect optic for a rifle like the SU-16B because it isn’t precisely a precision-driven gun. On its best day, the KelTec is a 2 MOA gun. I got zeroed easily and was quickly putting ammo downrange. The highest brightness setting is visible on a bright spring day at a range with zero cover, but I wouldn’t quite call it daylight bright. The illuminated reticle is much more useful for shooting closer to dawn and dusk.
I took a peep at the reticle in midmorning and at sunset, and it’s bright enough for those environments. Even at high noon, under a canopy, it’s a good bit more visible. For hunting purposes, it’s bright enough in typical hunting conditions. For anything in a bright open field, it’s not the best fit.
Clarity
My home range only goes to 200 yards, which is actually a great range for the Burris 2-8×35 optic and well beyond the norm for hunting in Florida’s swamps. At 200 yards, the view gets a little fuzzy, but it’s still apparent what you’re looking at. I could tell if it was a deer with horns or without, and if a coyote is a coyote and not a dog.
On white targets, I could see some chromatic aberration. It throws the colors off, but not to the point where it’s causing any serious issues. At every magnification in the range, there is a very slight blurry distortion around the lens’s ring. It’s about a millimeter of blurriness that traces the rim of the optic. You have to look for it to see it.
At 150 yards, the optic delivers a nice, very clear picture. I can see the faint outline of the facial structure of a Sage Dynamics target (which are great free printable targets for training). The full 8X magnification gets me close enough to make headshots. At 100 yards, the world is alive and clear before you, with no trace of blurriness.
I also took aim at some items at known distances beyond those of my range. At 440 yards or a quarter mile, the yellow Kids Playing sign on my dirt road is easy to see, but I couldn’t read the text. Out closer to half a mile, the red of a stop sign is visible, but it’s not exactly clear and easy to see.
Lower Light
Finally, I shot with the scope both as the sun rose and as it set, which typically simulates the most common times we see deer move. In low-light conditions, the Fullfield’s clarity holds up very nicely. I would probably keep it to ranges under 150 yards for deer if you have certain antler height requirements to deal with. For the swamps and pine stands around here, that’s more than enough range, but it might lag a bit out west.
Simple and Easy
The Burris Fullfield 2-8×35 is a simple optic that does a very good job at a very low price. It’s well suited for typical eastern hunting ranges and is a fun optic for plinkers and .22LR shooters, too. It offers decent glass, accurate adjustments, and a very nice reticle. It would be well suited for hunting rifles, muzzleloaders, and slug guns. This isn’t a fancy optic, but at its price point, it’s impressive.
Specifications:
Magnification: 2 to 8X
Objective Lens: 35mm
Focal Plane: Second
Glass: Multicoated
Reticle: Ballistic E3 (duplex also available)
Click Value: ¼ MOA
Adjustment Range: 81 MOA
Tube Diameter: 1 inch
Eye Relief: 76mm to 86mm
Length: 9.8 inches
Weight: 14.1 ounces
Made In: Philippines
MSRP: $228 illuminated, $192 standard (about $159 to $189 retail)
Having had a chance to try one of these out, I mostly agree with your review assessment. However, I would not call it ‘classically awesome’ but more like ‘budget awesome’ because it is actually pretty good considering its price point.