Usable on almost any rifle, the Burris Eliminator III is an effective scope for hunters.
April 17, 2020
By Steve Gash
Burris introduced the first Eliminator scope in 2006, and in the ensuing years, that revolutionary device has become one of the most effective and innovative sights for hunters. It is usable on just about any rifle, and it comes with its own mounts that attach to Picatinny or Weaver-style bases.
The current model, the Eliminator III, is offered in 3-12X 44mm, 4-16X 50mm, and 4-16X 50mm with remote cable and enhanced software versions. I’ve been using the 3-12X 44mm scope, and it is a marvel of engineering and optical science. It is really four tools in one. In addition to having the crisp optics for which Burris is known, it incorporates a laser rangefinder and an inclinometer for uphill and downhill shots. It also has what Burris calls a “Smart Dope Card.” This allows the shooter to program in the exact ballistics for a cartridge and load, and the trajectory compensation is accurate at any magnification. It has an adjustable objective for parallax and 1/8-MOA click turrets for precise zeroing. And the scope comes with three mounting plates that go under the front mount to give 10, 20, or 30 MOA of extra “down” adjustment.
The scope instantly determines the range to the target (out to 1,200 yards) and displays the appropriate aiming dot on the vertical crosshair. The scope’s field of view has a typical crosshair reticle, with the range in yards at the top of the display. The horizontal crosshair has windage dots that correspond to a 10-mph wind. A “Windage Offset” number appears in the upper right of the field of view, and it is the number of dots to hold into the wind at a 10-mph wind for your load at the range determined.
To range, just push one of the “on/off” buttons on either side of the scope. There is also a remote-control switch that can be placed wherever you want. The Eliminator III comes with a “Cartridge List” of more than 6,000 factory loads with a “Drop Number” at 750 yards for each at sea level and a correction factor for both drop number and ballistic coefficient for each 1,000 feet increase in elevation. Once these data are entered, all the shooter has to do is press the button, aim, and shoot.
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Shooters who have their own chronograph data can easily make up a “load table” for their factory ammo’s or handload’s velocity and the elevation of their shooting range, enter that data into the scope, and be ready to confirm the figures at long range. If the point of impact is a little off at any given range, you can tweak the ballistic coefficient to get on target. For example, with the Oehler Ballistic Explorer program, I calculated a drop number of 121.7 and ballistic coefficient of .649 for the flat-shooting Hornady 6.5 PRC ELD-X factory load I was shooting at my elevation, entered “122” and “.65” into the scope, and was ready to shoot.
Getting the Eliminator III set up for a given load is a bit challenging, but once calibrated, it’s easy to use. It’s certainly geared for the gadget-obsessed and is a quantum leap forward in long-range hunting equipment.
Burris Eliminator III 3-12X 44mm LaserScope Specs Manufacturer: Burris;
burrisoptics.com Magnification: 3X to 12X
Objective Lens Diameter: 61mm
Clear Objective Lens Diameter: 44mm
Eye Relief: 3.5 to 4 in.
Field of View: 33 ft. (3X) to 9 ft. (12X) @ 100 yds.
Adjustment Clicks: 1/8 MOA
Elevation Range: 50 MOA
Windage Range: 50 MOA
Length: 13.5 in.
Weight: 28.8 oz.
Finish: Matte black
MSRP: $1,599
