While many shooters are interested in chasing the thrill of knocking down targets at long-range, learning to juggle the different equipment commonly used in such activities can be a bit daunting. Burris Optics aims to streamline that workload down to a simple button press with their Eliminator III Laserscope. This is a scope, ballistic calculator and rangefinder all rolled into one. As this is essentially three products, I’ll do my best to cover each portion both individually and as part of the whole package.
The specific model of Burris Eliminator II I’ve received is a 3×9 variable power scope, with a 44mm objective lens diameter. Finger adjustable turrets, X96 reticle, 1/8 moa clicks with 50 MOA internal adjustment range and a built-in mount means this scope is ready to rumble. The reticle offers both your specific drop holdover as well as a windage hold over provided in the form of a theoretical full value 10mph wind. This unit does not read wind for you, it just offers you this one set number and it’s up to you to gauge wind speed and direction. The reticle is in the second focal plane, but the calculator adjusts the light up reticle’s hold over data based on your current level of magnification. Wizardry indeed!
The rangefinder and ballistic calculator are powered by one CR123a battery, as is the illuminated hold-over reticle. The laser is capable of getting readings out to 1200 yards on reflective targets. Anecdotal reports show this to be an accurately reported number. The integrated ballistic calculator has over 6000 trajectory curvatures available to be used in this scope and is able to be “trued”, or adjusted based on your real world results. Shooting computers are based off advertised values for the ballistic co-efficient of friction, which some bullet manufacturers may “massage” for advertising purposes. Truing your data means you will be able to rely much more on the accuracy of your personal ballistic calculator.
Okay, now we’re on to the unboxing and initial impressions of this laserscope. With the mount being integral, this is an incredibly solid, one-piece unit. Turret adjustments are crisp and distinct. There is a lot on info presented on the reticle, but it’s clear and doesn’t feel cluttered. The variable power bezel is smooth and not overly stiff or rigid. As first look the glass appears to be high quality, but I want to test it side-by-side with others out in the field before I comment too much on that. At 28.8oz, I’m not feeling this is an excessive weight, especially considering how many parts are involved in this package. My old scope, a fixed 10x SWFA weighs 27 oz. My Nikon rangefinder, another 9 oz. We’re saving a few ounces here, but I digress. A 33′ field-of-view at 100 yards (at 3x magnification) is more than adequate. All told, I’m getting a very positive first impression.
On to mounting and setup. I’ll take this all the way until it’s time to zero, then we’re into “field report” article territory. The Eliminator III is designed to work with a flat scope base. If you’re like me and you have a 10, 20 or 30 MOA canted base, you’re in luck. Burris has included shims that fit into the mount under the Eliminator, essentially negating the cant within your base. While many of the usual mounting steps are skipped due to the integral mount in the Eliminator eliminating scope rings, I still like to refer to Ryan Cleckner’s NSSF video detailing proper scope setup. Scooting the optic back far enough for proper eye relief at higher magnification, I tightened down the thumbscrews. Now, for software setup.
There is a LOT that goes into getting a multi-use unit like this up and running, but Burris has done a great job of keeping the user info input side of things as straightforward and simple as possible. The info we need to program this computer is called our “Ballistic Table” and includes this data:
- Bullet Weight (168g)
- Ballistic Coefficient, or BC (.447)
- Muzzle Velocity (2608 fps)
- Zero distance (100 yards for all centerfire cartridges save for .300 AAC subsonic)
- Drop number at 750 yards, in inches (189)
This information can be gleaned from a variety of sources. The most viable one is the included Burris Cartridge List, which has a massive number of cartridges available. Otherwise you can get the info from bullet manufacturers, chronographing or even borrowing the data from a free ballistics calculator and then truing the data to fine tune it to your rifle. Getting firsthand data for your rifle is important as all rifles are different. My Federal Gold Medal Match is advertised as 2650 fps with a BC of .462, but my real world data shows 2608 fps with a BC of .447. As I’ve been using Istrelok for years, I grabbed my data from there.
So my ballistic table reads: Y 1 189 45. Y for yards instead of meters, 1 for 100 yards zero, 189 is my 750yd drop number, 45 is my .447 BC rounded up. Y 1 189 45 is what I will enter into the scope on the next step.
Following the instructions in the manual, getting the data into the scope took less than a minute. I’m now set up to hit the range. I’ll zero this at 100 yards just as I would a normal standalone scope. Then I’ll be able to true my data at longer ranges. While 750 yards is the truing range, Burris has included conversion info in the manual in case you’re only able to true at 400, 500 or 600 yards. The Eliminator III comes with a few handy ballistic table stickers that are placed on a convenient ledge atop the scope. This ensures your data wont be lost. I’ll be doing this only after my data is trued on the range.
The Burris Eliminator III wears a lot of hats. Next up, I’ll be running to the range with this atop my Remington 700 AAC-SD and finding out whether this is a jack-of-all-trades or the king of the hill. The MSRP on the Eliminator III is $1559, with the street price coming in around $300 cheaper.
Stay tuned…
