Burris Optics Fullfield E1 Rifle Scope: Review

Burris makes a compelling case that the E1 is the best option in affordable all-around optics.

March 04, 2025 By Brad Fitzpatrick

Affiliate Disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We earn from qualifying purchases.

Don Burris began working as an engineer for Redfield scopes in the early 1960s, but after a decade he decided to break away from Redfield and start his own optics company. Known simply as Burris Optics, his company focused on rugged riflescopes designed specifically for hunters. One of its first successful products was the Fullfield, which debuted in 1975.

Few of the riflescopes that existed in the 1970s are still around, but the Fullfield is one of them. The latest addition to the Fullfield family of scopes is the E1, an optic that’s the product of almost five decades of innovation. But can a scope with roots going back to the age of disco really make an impact on today’s optics market?

The Fullfield E1 line consists of the 3-9x40mm, the 4.5-14x42mm I tested, and 6.5-20x50mm models. All of these have a one-inch main tube, which is rare these days; 30mm and larger tubes have gained prominence as shooters look for more elevation travel. Windage and elevation travel range for the Fullfield is just 40 m.o.a. for windage and elevation. Compare that to a 34mm tube scope that might offer three times as much.

While a smaller tube might have its disadvantages, it has its benefits, too. A one-inch tube means less weight. The Burris weighs just 15.3 ounces, much lighter than many competing 30mm hunting scopes like the company’s own Veracity PH 2-10x42mm, which is 7.5 ounces heavier.

Small Footprint

close up of scope turrets — Unlike some competing scopes at this price level, the Burris offers side parallax adjustment, and the 4.5-14X power range makes it a very capable hunting scope. (Photo courtesy of Brad Fitzpatrick)

Large scopes also mean more cost. The Veracity PH 2-10x42mm carries a suggested retail price of $804. Fullfield E1s range in price from $192 to $359, and the 4.5-14x42mm I tested costs $287. Price-wise this puts the Fullfield E1 up against one-inch scopes from companies like Vortex, Leupold and Riton.

The Fullfield E1 has the Burris Ballistic Plex E1 etched reticle, which is among my favorite features of the scope. This isn’t a scope designed specifically for long-range shooting, but the E1 reticle offers just enough data points in the reticle to be useful without seeming cluttered.

There are four stadia lines on the lower vertical crosshair that are designed to represent 200-, 300-, 400- and 500-yard holdover points when the center of the reticle is zeroed at 100 yards for “most big game cartridges.” That’s a bit ambitious, but it does offer quick reference points and it’s ideal for a scope with capped elevation turrets. You can also plug your ballistic data into the BurrisConnect app, and it will provide more accurate holdover data based on the load and conditions.

I do find that, for most shooters who don’t routinely practice with exposed dials and who do not carry a DOPE card, a holdover/BDC reticle like the Ballistic Plex E1 is easy to use. The wind-hold dots on the side represent an average hold for a 10 mph crosswind, so they can be halved for a five mph crosswind or doubled for a 20 mph wind hold.

Practical For Hunting

Again, this isn’t as advanced as built-in ballistic solvers, but the E1 works in most hunting situations. There are also cartridge-specific Fullfield E1 models designed especially for rounds like the .350 Legend and .450 Bushmaster, but these cartridge-specific reticles are not etched.

Eye relief ranges from 3.1 to 3.8 inches, which is less than some competing scopes. I did notice that the Burris performed better when moved closer to the shooter, though I never felt that sharp thump against my eyebrow while shooting the Fullfield E1 on a 6.5 Creedmoor.

The focus ring is easy to adjust, but the magnification ring can be a bit hard to turn. Scopes in this price range can show wear pretty quickly, but the Fullfield E1 didn’t show excessive wear on the tube despite being mounted and zeroed multiple times. One other seemingly minor but nonetheless important feature is the clean, positive threads on the turrets and turret caps. Affordable scopes often have thin threads that are easy to cross-thread, but not the Burris.

I actually had three of these scopes to mount on a Winchester XPR, Browning AB3 and Weatherby Vanguard Obsidian—all in 6.5 Creedmoor. Testing occurred on a blistering hot August day in Ohio, so it was nice to have three different scopes on three guns because the barrels heated quickly. With this test each rifle had ample time to cool between test shots, so barrel heating wasn’t an issue.

Consistent Performance?

close up of adjustment knob — (Photo courtesy of Brad Fitzpatrick)

All three scopes tracked accurately, although I did a formal scope test only with the Winchester XPR because it was the most accurate. Instead of the standard box test, I did a click-tracking test that resulted in a cross: initial/zero shot, eight clicks up for the next shot, then eight more up for a third shot; then return to zero and repeat the process down, left and right.

If the scope is tracking accurately, the cross pattern should have, in the case of 1/4 m.o.a. adjustments, shots spaced two inches apart. For the Fullfield E1 the smallest interval was 1.35 inches and the largest was 2.2 inches. There were a couple points that were within a 0.1 inch of what should have been a two-inch adjustment. So the Burris tracks well, better than some more expensive scopes.

The Burris offers excellent clarity in a range of light conditions thanks to the Hi-Lume multicoated lenses, which are excellent have been for a long time.

I developed my own test that seems to give an accurate picture of an optic’s low-light performance. What I do is use a 100-watt floodlight in front of my house. It casts light for about 60 yards at night. I set small colored cones—the ones used for soccer drills—right at the edge of where I can’t see anything outside of them. I place them at 15, 30, 45 and 60 yards and, starting at the last cone, any scope that picks up objects like grass, fallen tree branches and rocks between the 60- and 45-yard cones gets an A; a scope that only lets me see objects between the 45- and 30-yard cones gets a B; if I can’t make out objects inside the 30-yard cone I consider the scope to have poor light performance. The Burris scored in the A range, which is impressive performance from a $287 scope.

Final Thoughts

The Burris Fullfield E1 feels like a robust scope. Jordan Egli, Burris’s director of marketing, told me he is amazed at how few Fullfields ever come in for warranty repairs—a byproduct of a robust design that has been perfected over five decades.

The Fullfield E1 isn’t perfect, but it’s a solid scope that will serve most shooters and hunters well. Don Burris set out to build better scopes, and that’s what he did with the Fullfield. It’s certainly one of the best optics for the money.