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TEST NEW BURRIS ELIMINATOR AND LEICA ER |
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John Barsness
Optics Optimist Joined: January/27/2009 Status: Offline Points: 785 |
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Posted: February/08/2010 at 09:20 |
This is the February 2010 article written for opticstalk.com by John Barsness, co-author of the quarterly on-line magazine Rifle Loony News, available through the website www.riflesandrecipes.com. The two new riflescopes reviewed this month are opposites in many ways. The much-anticipated Leica is pretty much a traditional hunting scope, while the Burris Eliminator LaserScope combines laser and electronic technology to provide an aiming point that automatically compensates for range out to 500 yards. Let’s do things alphabetically and look at the Burris first. At first glance it looks like the laser rangefinding scope Burris has had on the market for a few years now. Unlike conventional scopes, with a tube between two bells, it’s a modernistic design with built-in clamps that fit Weaver/Picatinny bases. The Eliminator is a 4-12x42 variable, and weighs 27 ounces. A push-button on the side of the scope turns on the laser. This works like any other rangefinder except that the center of the reticle does dual-duty as the aiming point for both scope and laser. The range is displayed in an LED in the view of the scope—and simultaneously one of a series of LED dots located from the center of the reticle downward along the lower crosshair lights up. The lighted dot is the aiming point. Theoretically, you just put this on the target and pull the trigger, since the scope compensates for both range and up-and-down angle of shots out to 500 yards. I field-tested it on two different days, first on a level shooting range out to 500+ yards, and then in a local canyon where shots could be taken at various angles. Instead of shooting groups at paper targets, I shot at various rocks and twigs sticking out of the snow. This is one advantage of a typical Montana winter: The snow leaves an instant record of where the shot struck—and every shot landed within 2-3 inches of where the illuminated dot was placed, all the way out to 500 yards, and many were direct hits. (Of course, I picked windless days for the shooting.) Not every cartridge/bullet combination has the same trajectory, so the scope has to be programmed for the ballistics of the specific load used. The test rifle was a semi-custom .223 Remington, built on a Remington 788 action with a medium-weight stainless E.R. Shaw barrel and a Timney trigger. It’s quite accurate, especially with the test load, a 50-grain Nosler Ballistic Tip and 26.0 grains of Ramshot TAC, which chronographs around 3350 fps. (Partly the 788 was chosen for the test because it’s so accurate, but it also has a long Weaver base screwed-and-glued onto the action, and I always have a lot of ammo loaded.) Programming the scope with the bullet and velocity data would have gone much more quickly with the help of an 8th-grader, but I muddled through. The written directions that accompany the scope are pretty straightforward, so programming only took about 6-8 minutes. With familiarity the task could easily be done in half that time. I used the side-button on the scope itself during all the shooting tests, but the scope also comes with a remote button on a Velcro strap for mounting on the rifle’s forend, a handier arrangement for some kinds of hunting, especially where the hunter needs to be a motionless as possible. I tested this secondary button set-up at home, and it works. I didn’t test the repeatability of the scope’s standard adjustments, because there wasn’t any point, but for the purposes of the test I did sight-in the rifle 2” high at 100 yards, and that was easily done. (The reticle itself is a pretty much standard plex-type, and works fine even when not lit up electronically.) After the shooting tests, I made my standard nighttime eye-chart test at 25 yards, with the scope set on 6x. It rated a 6+ on the chart, about average for multi-coated scopes and perfectly adequate for most hunting. I expected it to test about like that, despite some Burris scopes testing 7 or even a little better, because complex reticles are normally mounted on a thin, uncoated sheet of glass. This reduces the amount of light reaching our eye slightly. All in all the Burris Eliminator is a remarkable piece of technology, especially with the real-world price of around $850. It’s on the heavy side, so will probably mostly be used by varmint hunters in its present form, but we all know how electronics shrink over time. I’d expect a smaller version to appear in the future. The test Leica ER was a 2.5-10x42mm, with a 30mm tube in an anodized matte-black finish (apparently the only finish available, at least right now). It’s remarkably compact for a scope of those dimensions, and weighs only 16.6 ounces. I mounted it in Talley steel rings on Mr. Miserable, my old .338 Winchester Magnum, built on an FN Mauser action with a medium-weight 22’ barrel and one of Mark Bansner’s High-Tech synthetic stocks. |
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pass-thru
Optics Apprentice Joined: February/20/2009 Location: Hubert NC Status: Offline Points: 109 |
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Any idea the level of protection the aquadura would provide against external fogging? Also, are the Leica's available with an illuminated reticle...and did the lack of one detract anything during your test? Thanks.
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John Barsness
Optics Optimist Joined: January/27/2009 Status: Offline Points: 785 |
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All the hydrophobic coatings provide some degree of exterior fogging protection, because the tiny droplets tend to bead up together and run off.
So far as I know, an illuminated reticle isn't available (yet, anyway) in the new Leica scopes. As far as aiming in dim light, the reticle of the scope tested was plenty good.
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308WIN
Optics Apprentice Joined: February/28/2009 Status: Offline Points: 120 |
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I love these tests thanks JOHN
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Ernie Bishop
Optics Professional Joined: January/26/2010 Location: Gillette, WY Status: Offline Points: 765 |
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John,
Good review-Thank you. |
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Ernie
"If you think you are perfect, just try walking on water." |
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Duce
Optics Master Joined: September/19/2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 1231 |
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Thank you for the review very informative as always.
Duce
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Duce
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YakAk
Optics Apprentice Joined: November/22/2009 Location: Alaska Status: Offline Points: 85 |
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John,
Once again, Thanks for another helpful review. It is always appreciated. I like the compactness of the Leica. Steve |
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pass-thru
Optics Apprentice Joined: February/20/2009 Location: Hubert NC Status: Offline Points: 109 |
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I would be interested to hear from those who have peaked through both, how the Leica ER compares optically to Zeiss Victory.....
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RifleDude
MODERATOR EVIL OPPRESSOR Joined: October/13/2006 Location: Texas Status: Offline Points: 16337 |
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Nice report, John! With the Leica ER's short eyepiece design, how did the tube length compare to other scopes of the same or similar length? Just curious if the short ocular housing provides a significant enough mounting length advantage on magnum length bolt actions that it would eliminate the need for extension mounts.
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Ted
Money can't buy happiness... but it's much more comfortable to cry in a Porsche than on a bicycle. |
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John Barsness
Optics Optimist Joined: January/27/2009 Status: Offline Points: 785 |
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pass thru,
I'm going to get a Zeiss Victory to test, because I'm curious too! I haven't tested any scope from Zeiss except a Conquest for several years.
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pass-thru
Optics Apprentice Joined: February/20/2009 Location: Hubert NC Status: Offline Points: 109 |
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Awesome.....I'll keep my purse strings tight until I see your report!
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John Barsness
Optics Optimist Joined: January/27/2009 Status: Offline Points: 785 |
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Ted,
The tube length of the Leica between the bells is 6-1/4 inches, which is nice and long. When mounted on the FN action of my .338, for instance, there's plenty of tube for flexibility in mounting. It would mount real easily on a long-action Winchester Model 70 or Remington 700, for instance.
The tube length on the S&B Summit and a 2.5-10x42 Leupold VX-7, on the other hand, is 5-1/2 inches.
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RifleDude
MODERATOR EVIL OPPRESSOR Joined: October/13/2006 Location: Texas Status: Offline Points: 16337 |
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That's a pretty significant difference! Thanks for the info. That's the one area where I see the Leica ER having a decided advantage over competing premium scopes. It's a nice design feature!
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Ted
Money can't buy happiness... but it's much more comfortable to cry in a Porsche than on a bicycle. |
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Ed Connelly
Optics Retard God of no Chihuahua Joined: December/16/2007 Location: USA Status: Offline Points: 24225 |
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I bought my first car for $700.....
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John Barsness
Optics Optimist Joined: January/27/2009 Status: Offline Points: 785 |
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Heck, I bought my first car for $15!
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Tip69
Optics Master Extraordinaire Tip Stick Joined: September/27/2005 Location: Nebraska Status: Offline Points: 4155 |
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shoot, I didn't even have to pay for my first........... oops.... got a little carried away there.
Nice review John, sure glad I talked Chris into having you on this forum.... oops, did it again! |
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take em!
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lucytuma
Optics Jedi Knight Joined: November/25/2007 Location: Wisconsin Status: Offline Points: 5389 |
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Good read John, I think alot of us were wondering how the new Leica scopes would be, looks like they did it right.
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"The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not." - Thomas Jefferson
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308WIN
Optics Apprentice Joined: February/28/2009 Status: Offline Points: 120 |
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seems like the S&B is as good as the leica but a couple hundred less?
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John Barsness
Optics Optimist Joined: January/27/2009 Status: Offline Points: 785 |
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Actually about $300 less--and if we count optical quality as the entire measure of a scope.
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HOLLOWPOINT
Optics Apprentice Joined: November/24/2007 Location: Germany Status: Offline Points: 79 |
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In the summer of '35 I presume?!?
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Independence is my happiness, and I view things as they are, without regard to place or person; my country is the world, and my religion is to do good. Thomas Paine
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