If you have ever used a variable-power scope — which is to say, almost any modern scope — you have used a Don Burris invention without knowing it. The founder of Burris designed the constantly centered reticle that nearly every scope on Earth now uses. His company went on to build the value-benchmark Fullfield scopes, the genuinely futuristic Eliminator laser-ranging scope, the FastFire red dot, and the clever AR-P.E.P.R. mount. Here is who they are, what they make, and what is worth buying.
Who Burris is
Burris is the Greeley, Colorado optics maker founded by Don Burris, who designed the constantly-centered reticle nearly every scope now uses. It builds the value-benchmark Fullfield scopes, the rangefinding Eliminator, and FastFire red dots.
Burris was founded in 1971 in Greeley, Colorado, by Don Burris, a former design engineer at the optics company Redfield. During his twelve years at Redfield, Don developed several genuine industry firsts — most importantly, the first constantly centered, non-magnifying reticle for variable-power scopes. That design is so good it is now used in roughly 99% of all scopes made. In other words, the man who started Burris had already changed how every scope works before he opened his own doors.
His company set out to beat the scopes he had helped build. The Fullfield riflescope series, introduced in the mid-1970s, was designed to outperform the era’s most popular Redfield model, and it established Burris as a maker of honest, high-value glass. Decades later the company is still headquartered in Greeley, Colorado, where it does its engineering, and since 2002 it has been part of the Beretta Holding Group, alongside other established shooting-sports brands.
On the quality ladder, Burris sits in the value-to-mid tier with a strong streak of innovation. You are not paying European-glass prices, and you are getting well-made optics, a no-questions Forever Warranty, and a few designs — the Eliminator above all — that nobody else offers. Burris is the brand for the shooter who wants clever, capable optics without spending flagship money.
What Burris makes
Riflescopes — the core
Scopes are the heart of the catalog. The Fullfield line, now in its E1 form, remains the value-hunting benchmark, while the Veracity brings higher-end glass and the XTR (Xtreme Tactical) line serves long-range and precision shooters with first-focal-plane reticles and exposed turrets. The RT-6 1-6x is the popular low-power variable for AR-15 and carbine builds.
The Eliminator — Burris’s signature trick
The Eliminator is the scope that put Burris in the headlines. Introduced in 2010, it has a built-in laser rangefinder and ballistic computer: you range the target, the scope calculates the drop for your load, and it lights up the exact aiming point in the reticle. There is no dialing and no holdover math — you put the lit dot on the animal and press. Nothing else on the market does quite what it does.
FastFire red dots
The FastFire micro red dot — now in its FastFire 3 and 4 versions — is Burris’s compact reflex sight for pistols, shotguns, and as a secondary optic on a magnified scope, offered in 3 MOA or larger dot sizes.
Mounts, rings, and thermal
Burris makes some of the most respected mounting hardware in the business: the AR-P.E.P.R. cantilever mount with its integrated top ring rail, and the XTR Signature rings with their clever polymer inserts that let you add elevation and protect the scope tube. The newer BTS thermal scopes extend the line into low-light and hunting-at-night territory.
Build quality and where it fits
Burris engineers in Greeley, Colorado, and builds to a standard that punches above its price, backed by the Burris Forever Warranty — fully transferable, no receipt, no questions. The glass is bright and clear for the money, the mechanicals are reliable, and the company’s real signature is design cleverness: the Eliminator’s onboard ballistics, the Signature rings’ insert system, the P.E.P.R.’s all-in-one mount. You are buying smart engineering at a fair price, not the last few percent of optical perfection.
How Burris compares
Against Vortex, its closest value-to-mid rival, Burris counters with the Eliminator and its mounting innovations, while Vortex leans on its famously generous VIP warranty and huge lineup — both back their glass for life, so it often comes down to specific models. Against premium American Leupold, Burris is generally cheaper and more gadget-forward, while Leupold offers a more premium hunting pedigree. Against European glass from Swarovski and Zeiss, Burris gives up the last bit of low-light optical performance but costs a fraction as much. The honest trade-off: Burris is the innovation-and-value play, not the absolute optical-purity king — and the Eliminator in particular is heavier and battery-dependent, which some traditionalists dislike even as others swear by it.
Who should buy what
- Hunter on a budget: the Fullfield E1 in 3-9×40 — a lot of scope for the money.
- Hunter who hates holdover math: the Eliminator, which ranges and lights the aiming point for you.
- AR or carbine builder: the RT-6 1-6x on an AR-P.E.P.R. mount.
- Pistol or secondary red dot: the FastFire 3 or 4.
- Long-range shooter: the XTR line with a first-focal-plane reticle.
- Buyer chasing the absolute best low-light glass: Swarovski or Zeiss will edge it out — for a price.
If your one priority is the brightest dawn-and-dusk glass money can buy, look to the European houses. For clever, capable, fairly priced optics — and for the one-of-a-kind Eliminator — Burris is an easy recommendation.
The Burris philosophy
Burris has always been an engineer’s company. It started because Don Burris thought he could build a better scope than the ones he had designed elsewhere, and that problem-solving streak never left. The Eliminator, the Signature ring inserts, the P.E.P.R. mount — these are the products of people asking “what would actually make this easier for the shooter?” rather than just polishing the same old design. Pair that with honest pricing and a lifetime warranty, and you have a brand that consistently gives you more capability per dollar than you expect.
How to choose your Burris setup
Start with the job. For general hunting, a Fullfield E1 in 3-9×40 or 4-12×42 covers the vast majority of shots. If you hunt open country and want to remove the guesswork, the Eliminator is in a class of its own — just accept the extra weight and the battery. For an AR or LPVO build, pair an RT-6 with an AR-P.E.P.R. mount for a clean, one-purchase setup. For precision, choose an XTR with a first-focal-plane reticle and mount it in XTR Signature rings. Add a FastFire as an offset or pistol optic, and you have a coherent, value-smart optics setup from a single brand.
The reticle in nearly every scope
It is hard to overstate Don Burris’s fingerprint on the optics world. Before he ever founded Burris, his constantly centered reticle solved a fundamental problem with variable-power scopes, and it became the standard the entire industry adopted — the reticle in nearly every scope you will ever look through traces back to him. Founding a company to outdo his own former employer was almost a footnote by comparison, but it produced the Fullfield, the Eliminator, and a lineup that still does what Don did best: take a real shooting problem and engineer a smarter, more affordable answer.
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Live products and current prices for Burris, organized by department and updated automatically.
Rifle Scopes
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Where Burris Fits in Our Buying Guides
Burris FAQ
Where is Burris based?
Greeley, Colorado, where it was founded in 1971 and still does its engineering.
Who founded Burris?
Don Burris, a former design engineer at Redfield who had already invented the first constantly centered, non-magnifying reticle for variable-power scopes — a design now used in about 99% of all scopes.
What is the Burris Eliminator?
A riflescope with a built-in laser rangefinder and ballistic computer. You range the target and the scope lights up the exact aiming point for your load, with no dialing or holdover guesswork.
Is Burris owned by Beretta?
Yes. Burris has been part of the Beretta Holding Group since 2002, while keeping its engineering headquarters in Greeley, Colorado.
What is the AR-P.E.P.R. mount?
A popular Burris cantilever scope mount with an integrated rail on top of the rings, giving you a forward-mounted scope and a built-in spot for a backup optic in one piece.
Burris or Vortex?
Both are strong value-to-mid brands with lifetime warranties. Burris offers the unique Eliminator and excellent mounts; Vortex has a huge lineup and a famously easy warranty. It often comes down to the specific model.
What is the Burris Forever Warranty?
Burris backs its optics with a lifetime Forever Warranty that transfers with the optic and needs no receipt or registration. If a non-electronic optic ever fails, Burris repairs or replaces it.
What tier is Burris?
Value-to-mid tier with a strong innovation streak — clever, capable optics and mounts at fair prices, backed by the Burris Forever Warranty.
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