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Leupold vs Burris

19K views 24 replies 16 participants last post by  Smithy 
#1 · (Edited)
Which is the best and is Burris made in the US? Have a Matchdot I on my Blackhawk Hunter and thanking about putting it on my Single Six and putting a scope on my Hunter and would like you guys help me decide which one. I love the Matchdot but if I go out to 100yrds or more I have trouble with accuracy. Here is the link for the Burris Burris Handgun 2-7x32 Scopes FREE S&H 200291, 200279, 200298, 200299. Burris Handgun Rifle Scopes, Burris Rifle Scopes. they are both about the same cost. also what does eye relief mean
 
#3 · (Edited)
I have the 2x7 Burris on my 44 mag Bisley Hunter. My friend has the 2x7 Leapold on his 44 mag Super Redhawk. I can't tell a difference when looking through them side by side. Both hold zero. My Burris is stamped "Made In USA".

Don't know if one is shorter or lighter than the other especially since the two handguns mount scopes in different locations.

I would go with whichever you can buy for less.

EDIT: I had to use high rings on my Bisley Hunter to mount the Burris. To use mediums I would have had to remove the rear sight.
 
#4 ·
I have a Burris 2 power on my S&W Model 29 (8 3/8") and a Leupold 2 power on my Ruger Red hawk (7½"). Other than the reticule (I much prefer the Burris big dot) I can't see any practical difference. The Burris cost me less money. I have over 10,000 rounds of .44 Magnum loads through my two revolvers so both have been tested.

I might mention here, that I have a STRONG preference for no more than 2 power scopes on handguns used in the field. I want their greater width of field and less "shake" than a higher power when shot offhand. I have made neck shots at deer to a maximum of 85 yards offhand, for example. I also like the lesser bulk of a low powered scope on a handgun.

FWIW
Dale53
 
#5 ·
Follow-up to Dale 53 post. I too prefer to shoot w/o a scope due to shaking and tend to use it at only 2 or 3 power. When I use an optic it's usually a red dot in low rings out to 75 yards. I only mount the scope when I think I might be shooting long distances and wouldn't have spent the money on the Burris except for getting it used at a bargain price.
 
#6 ·
I have been using all Leupold scopes for over 30 years now and as long as their quality stays as good as it has been I wont be changing.I broke one on a light 375 H&H and the service was OUTSTANDING!!!!!!!! I figured it was my fault as I had had the scope for 20 years or so but the very nice lady said to me "our scopes are guaranteed for life" they fixed it, upgraded it and put a new tube on it, the tube had a few scratches on it from the rough handling a hunting scope gets, and had it done in 2 days at no cost to me. I don't care if they were giving away other brands of scopes Leupolds ROCK!!!!!!Oh and by the way they were just a few miles away from me at that time and I knew quite a few people that worked for them and all of them had nothing but good things to say about the company!!!!!! I'll stick with them. Frank
 
#8 ·
I use to be a Burris kind of guy until I had a scope with Posi-Lock. I was sighting in the gun and when I turned the Posi-Lock down to tighten things up, it fell into my hands releasing all the Nitrogen in the scope. Back to the factory and yes they did fix the problem by re-tapping the hole and giving me the bandaided scope back. (I would have thought a new scope might have been in order). I have had no such problem with Leupold and have been with them ever since. I also like the features offered by Leupold over Burris. Smithy.
 
#11 ·
I do have experience with Leupold and over the years it has been nothing but positive. I believe with optics price equates to quality so I try to purchase the best I can afford. I don't have experience with Burris but recently I started looking to buy and went on the Cabelas web site and read the reviews from the previous buyers. I was turned off by some of the recent reviews for Burris as I am looking to replace the red dot on my SBH with a 2X handgun scope. I will save my money up and get the Leupold.
 
#12 ·
I can't speak for Leupold handgun scopes only their rifle scopes. Never hand an issue with them. I can attest to the quality of Burris's handgun scopes. I have their 3x12 EER on my S&W PC .460 and it is holding up great to my reloads. Incase your wondering this gun had destroyed two Nikon's and I used to think they were pretty good scopes.
 
#13 ·
I've seen more consistency with Leupold customer service than Burris customer service, but can't fault Burris as far as their products. Their handgun scopes, in particular, are built as tough as they come, though they do tend to be heavier than Leupold handgun scopes, if weight is an issue. To be honest, I don't think you can go wrong with either brand. I've used both on revolvers and, especially, my Contenders.
 
#14 ·
As to eye relief, that is the distance you can be from the scope and still see the full field of view. Get your eye too close or too far from the scope and the scope starts to vignette (black out) at the edges or the field of view shrinks to a port hole. On variable handgun scopes, the eye relief will change as you zoom up in magnification - you typically have to be a little closer to the scope at the higher magnifications.

I love 2x pistol scopes and highly recommend a 2x if this is your first handgun scope. Using magnification on a revolver or single shot takes a lot of getting used to. Unless you will be able to brace the pistol in the field with cross sticks or similar, you won't be able to use much more than 2x or 3x effectively, anyway. I often use 8x on my big Contenders, but that's when I'm shooting from a bench at 100-200 yards. When I carry them in the field, I've always cranked them down to 2x or 3x, anyway.
 
#15 ·
The only Leupold scope I own is a late 1980's Compact 2x7. I bought it in 1987, mounted it on my new Remington Model Seven 7mm08 rifle using a one-piece Leupold (Redfield-style) mount/rings, and it has remained there ever since. I always sight in prior to hunting season, and the most re-adjustment it has ever needed was one or two graduations on the dial.
 
#16 ·
I now only have one scope, a Leupold 2.5-8X32mm silver handgun scope. It's great like all the Leupolds I've owned, but you do have to bite the bullet. My gun from the dealer ended up $900.00 before cutting barrels, new sights, springs, etc. so call it $1100.00, but the Leupold was $550.00 alone. That kind of works due to the cost of my gun, but even their least expensive optic (their rim-fire 4X or the 2-7X costs at least $225.00. Now what rim-fire rifle would you put a $225.00 scope on when most 22's don't cost that much? I do wish Leupold had more options on reticle than they do. That rim-fire series is all with the fine plex which I can barely see at all let alone if it's in-front of a wooded background. I'd like my existing handgun scope to have a mil dot reticle especially with a 44 mag and differences between 25 and 100 yards.

The one and only one thing I like about the Burris line of scopes is their posi-lock feature. Get it adjusted and lock that baby in, recoil be darned. However in my earlier post that's exactly where Burris messed up on my scope and all the nitrogen came pouring on out. Smithy.
 
#20 ·
I haven't ever bought other than Leupold.
 
#21 ·
I think you folks may have missed my point. I personally would put one on a Ruger 77/22 and I equally would put one on a Marlin bolt, tube fed. Even now with my 44, my scope cost more than half the cost of my gun. You pay for quality. Smithy.
 
#22 ·
Smithy I think you missed the point! If you have a $500 dollar rifle, you best put at least a $300 dollar scope on the rifle or forgetabout hunting out of state for a trophy animal. Cheap scopes are just that...........CHEAP!!! They do not hold zero and in do time will cost you more money than purchasing a good brand of scope. Leupold, Nikon, Ziess, Bushnell uper end etc.

I have at least a bakers dozen of Leupold scopes in various types and powers. They certainly do have the very best warranty department in the industry. I once was given 2 new scopes by Leupold and I caused the problem OK. I am not saying you must spend $1,500 dollars on a scope to get a good one but anything below the $300 dollar mark is not much to bet your shot on in the field or woods.
 
#23 ·
I have 2 of the Savages in .22LR heavy barrels, my wife has the other. The scopes that are on both of those rifles are Leupold Vari X -2, one is a 3 x 9 and one a 4 x 12. Yes they cost more than the rifles but it is all part of the picture. The keep zero and and let me see things very well. I can depend on those scopes to let the rifles do their jobs.
 
#25 · (Edited)
Smithy I think you missed the point! If you have a $500 dollar rifle, you best put at least a $300 dollar scope on the rifle or forgetabout hunting out of state for a trophy animal. Cheap scopes are just that...........CHEAP!!! They do not hold zero and in do time will cost you more money than purchasing a good brand of scope. Leupold, Nikon, Ziess, Bushnell uper end etc.
No what I was trying to put out (although I think I did a poor job at it) was to go for quality optics no matter what. Sure it makes sense to have top of the line optics on an expensive firearm, but it also makes sense to have quality optics on a less expensive firearm to get the most out of you gun whether the gun was inexpensive or expensive. For handguns, Leupold makes that rather easy right now. They have a fixed 2X, a fixed 4X and a 2.5-8X variable respectively increasing in price. So right now I have their most expensive variable on my SRH I'm working on and am quite pleased with the choice.

Area's I might have problems with that same philosophy would be in the AimPoint's. I love how they work and are utilized, but quite often those optics will cost MORE that your gun. And I have to admit that that is a hard pill to swallow. I had their C4 military model on one of my gun projects and its cost was about $800.00 for the sight alone. EOTech sights are now getting up there in price as well. So when one is looking at a red dot scope, you'll see the $50.00 dollar models (crap best that I can tell) right next to the $1000.00 models and you wonder how much difference can be squeezed into such a small package? Same with the Laser's. So after spending way too much money on a trial and error discovery mission, I've decided that Crimson Trace Laser Grips are the only way to go to add a laser on a handgun, and Leupold scopes are the only ways to scope a handgun. If I were more into rifles, they'd be topped with Leupold's as well. Smithy.
 
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