An Honest Review of the Burris AR 332 Prism Sight

Burris AR 332 Prism Sight

If you have an AR-15, you want a sight to mount on it. But gun accessories can really add up, so you want quality without the hefty price that goes along with it. That’s why we decided to look at the Burris AR 332 Prism Sight to see if this optic is worth your time and money. After all, once you go to the trouble of mounting your sight, you want it to be perfect. So, what is the Burris AR 332 anyway?

Buttis AR 332 Details

The Burris AR 332 is a battery-powered, illuminated reticle scope with 3x fixed magnification. It comes with two choices in reticle designs, both of which provide for bullet trajectory compensation with 5.56 mm and 7.62 mm cartridges.

A 32’ field of view at 100 yards creates a background for a red, green, or black reticle, with five levels of illumination (brightness). Tethered protective caps cover ½ MOA elevation and windage adjustment dials mounted on a rugged waterproof frame.

Let’s take a look at the details, advantages, and disadvantages of the Burris AR 332.

All About the Burris AR 332 Prism Sight

Pros

1. Variable Brightness, Color, and Magnification

Perhaps the most positive feature of the Burris AR 332 is its ability to change with the shooting environment. Few optics in its price range feature both red and green illuminated reticles. Changing brightness is a given in most quality red dots, however, the AR owner who knows the importance of low-light shooting accuracy cherishes the green reticle feature.

Couple the choice in colors with the ability to still view the etched prism reticle when the battery is dead (or the scoped is turned off), and you’ve got most of your sighting contingencies covered. The 3x magnification extends effective range past the point of close-quarters engagement.

Burris AR 332

2. Accessory Mount Versatility

A unique feature of the Burris AR 332, especially in this class of optics, is the presence of Picatinny rail at the 12 o’clock, 3 o’clock, and 9 o’clock positions. For shooters who intend to mount a secondary laser sighting system to their optic, having the option to locate the laser in multiple positions may come in handy.

Left-handed shooters may welcome the choice, as well. The rails can also be removed in order to streamline the scope profile.

3. Ballistic CQ or Ballistic AR (3X) Reticles

The Burris AR 332 is available in two different reticle configurations. Short-range specialists may prefer the quick target acquisition of the Ballistic CQ reticle. The CQ is a broader-imaged reticle but does include bullet drop compensation dots for shots out to the medium range.

A sharper-lined, long-range alternative exists in the Ballistic AR reticle. The Ballistic AR provides more refined hash marks for bullet drop compensation and additional reference marks for windage adjustment.

4. Consistent Performance

Burris AR 332 optics ship with a mount compatible with flat-top ARs. Remove the included base, and the optic will mount to ARs with a carry handle. The Burris quick detach mount is available as an add-on for increased versatility.

On the glass, the Burris Hi-Lume® coating reduces glare and increases target clarity in low-light conditions. Like most Burris products, the Burris AR 332 comes with the Burris Forever Warranty, which follows the optic from one owner to the next.

Cons

Those who chase the idea of the perfect scope are eventually disappointed. Though the Burris AR 332 is a great value, it is not the ideal optic for every situation.

The Ballistic CQ excels in-close, but users may find it lacking for long-range targets. The reticle lines are fairly broad and may obscure targets at distances past a couple of hundred yards. Bullet drop compensation dots are present on the reticle; however, they lack the fine precision for most shooters’ eyes.

Battery life in the Burris AR 332 leaves a little to be desired. Forget to turn it off, and you will most likely be looking in your range bag for a spare CR2032 the next time you head to the range. Top-end optics in classes above the 332 have battery lives surpassing 10,000 or even 20,000 hours.

It’s a mid-range-priced 3x scope. With that being said, it may not be “go-to-war” durable. Though the nitrogen-filled body and rugged design can stand some punishment from the elements, the Burris AR 332 isn’t rated for the extremes of long-term battle use. There are scopes appropriate for horrible conditions, and they cost two or three times more than the optic we’re examining here.

While on the subject of “mid-range” vs. “top-end,” it should be mentioned that the Burris AR 332 might be a scope without a place. It’s not an entry-level optic, but it’s not the cream of the crop, either. You can spend a lot less on a basic sight, but for a few hundred dollars more, you can have the best. The 332 is caught in between.

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The Ideal Burris AR 332 Owner

Scopes designed specifically for the AR-15 are filling the market. New AR owners will see a great benefit from the Burris AR 332. It has great value when you consider the lower-priced, entry-level AR scopes. Taking a step up to a high-end optic wouldn’t make as much sense for the average recreational AR target shooter.

The 332 serves that purpose very well. Those shooters with higher quality ARs may appreciate this scope for more serious training while they save up for that top-quality scope later.

The Verdict

The popularity of the AR-15 has littered the shooting market with hundreds of accessories. Lights, lasers, sights, and scopes of every level of quality and every range of price fill the shelves of sporting goods stores and internet gun sites. Navigating these choices is daunting, but some things can be more certain.

The [amazon link=”B005SYNDK2″ title=”Burris AR 332″] is what it claims to be: an effective, yet affordable, magnified optic for a variety of AR-15 owners. Advancing from iron sights to a red dot, and then to a magnified scope is a sensible evolution of an AR shooter.

The affordability, durability, and versatility of this scope make it a serious contender for a permanent, or temporary home atop many ARs. Your AR-15 may be ready for a Burris AR 332 upgrade, too.

Brand Review: Burris Scopes

Review: Burris Scopes

Burris Scopes may not be in the public eye as much as other firearms optics companies like Trijicon or Aimpoint, but it has a storied past and a good reputation for producing quality products.

They manufacture rifle scopes, spotting scopes, sights (red dot style), mounts, accessories and more. Today, we will be taking a look at what put Burris on the map: It's mid-range to high-end scopes.

We'll go over what makes the Burris company and their products unique, as well as exploring some of their most popular products. We'll see just how well Burris stacks up against the many players in the firearm optics market.

The Burris Company

Burris

The Burris Company was founded in 1971 boy Don Burris, for which the company is named. Don Burris worked for 12 years at the Redfield hunting scope company. There, Burris designed and developed scopes that would set the standard for hunting scopes everywhere.

Some of the ideas he pioneered include the first constantly centered, non-magnifying reticle in variable power scopes, the first 4-12x and 6-18x riflescopes and The Redfield Accu-Range trajectory compensating dual reticle scope.

Burris decided to go into business for himself and make even better scopes and continued to innovate until his passing in 1987. His company innovated the first multi-coated lenses in hunting scopes (more on that technology later) and the industry's first variable power handgun scope.

Burris Today

Today, Burris is part of the Beretta family of scopes. While it is owned by an Italian company, The Burris Company is still headquartered in Greely, Colorado. Recently, Burris has outsourced some of its manufacturing to the Philippines. With the changing economy, the cost of producing Burris scopes wen up, but prices did not.

Customers were not willing to pay for “Made in America” anymore, and instead of sacrificing quality or volume, they opened up a second plant abroad.

The headquarters, testing and packaging facilities still reside in Colorado. Additionally, some of the scopes in Burris's catalog are also still made there. Before anyone starts complaining about outsourcing, know that many big companies like Bushnell and Weaver produce their optics outside the U.S. as well. It's the world we live in.

What Makes Burris Scopes Unique?

Burris Company

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Burris is an old-style American manufacturing company. They may have been acquired by an Italian company and outsourced some labor to the Philippines, but they did so to maintain control and the level of quality that they believed was necessary.

Instead of ratcheting up their prices or cutting back on features and quality, they bit the bullet and made some sacrifices.The result is a line of scopes and optics that are both quality and affordable.

They may not be the flashiest or most "decked out" scopes around, but they also aren't the most expensive. Their products are fine mid-range to high-end products that have several features and standards that set them apart from their competitors.

Multi Coated Glass

In the scope world, the quality of the glass is paramount. You have to see what you want to hit and if you can’t, then the scope isn’t doing its job. The better the glass and the better is treated with proprietary methods and chemicals, the more light can be let into the scope for a sharper, clearer and brighter image.

A good scope lets in over 95% of light while a great scope lets in around 99%. It is generally accepted that efficiency cap for light transmission is 99.5% per lens element. How can a scope achieve this? By coating its lenses with chemicals that prevent reflection and other light scattering or absorbing phenomena.

The most common substance for this coating is magnesium fluoride, but many companies have their own proprietary mix of chemicals that achieve a similar result. Lenses may be coated, or multi-coated, meaning they have more than one coating of treatment or multiple coatings of different treatments. Fully multi-coated means that every lens element is coated with multiple layers of chemical treatment to ensure maximum light transmission.

Every single Burris scope is fully multi-coated. They do not manufacture scopes with lesser or ineffectual coatings to cut costs. They claim their "HiLume" fully multi-coated index matched system is second to none and offers high light transmission through their optics in all weather conditions.

High-Quality Components

Burris employs a series of high-quality components to give their scopes the edge. It raises the price some, but they are banking on their customers preferring quality and security over saving a few bucks. These components are varied in their importance, but together they make a big difference.

  • One-Piece Main Tubes: It should go without saying, but some cheap manufacturers do cut this corner, so it bears mentioning. Burris scope housings (the tubes) are made out of single pieces of metal as opposed to two smaller pieces fused together via welding. This fusing process makes manufacturing easier, but the point where the two pieces meet is a structural weakness.
  • Quality Seals: Instead of using standard O-rings for their seals, Burris uses quad rings. These rubber seals are shaped so that there are multiple sealing surfaces instead of just one as in the old style O-ring.
  • Steel on Steel Click Adjustments: The components used for adjusting the scope's alignment and elevation are all steel on steel. This system makes their adjustment more precise, as there is no wiggle room which could happen with softer materials. Adjusting to a previous setting will put you back where you were, with virtually no margin of error. Furthermore, audible clicks help you keep track of your adjustments.
  • Dual Springs: Their adjustment springs are sturdy and robust dual springs instead of single springs. This little addition means that the springs keeping the scope aligned will stay put longer and not decay in strength over time.

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Proper Purging and Gassing of Internal Scope Spaces

Internal Scope Spaces

In modern scopes, the spaces between lenses are purged of atmospheric air and filled instead with an inert or otherwise non-reactive gas. This process ensures that no unwanted chemical reactions are taking place inside the scope like oxidation or condensation.

High-end scopes use argon, a noble gas that won’t react with anything. Burris uses nitrogen which is not a noble gas and therefore technically reactive. However, the conditions required to get nitrogen to react inside a scope are virtually impossible to create unless you are trying hard to make it happen.

Many gun owners and optics enthusiasts argue over the advantages of argon over nitrogen; some claim that argon is better due to its total inertness, and others claiming that nitrogen is functionally the same and that argon is an overpriced marketing tool.

Burris has chosen to use nitrogen to keep costs down because they, and others, have not found compelling evidence that puts argon clearly ahead of nitrogen. Their purging and filling technique standards are set high.

Lifetime Warranty

Each and every Burris scope comes with a lifetime warranty. If it fails or does not live up to its word due to manufacturing error or lack of quality, then the Burris Company will replace it. Also, the warranty covers any damage to the scope that hinders its performance even if it was accidental.

The warranty does not, of course, cover deliberate or cosmetics damage nor does it cover loss or theft, but the warranty does transfer to any new owner of the scope. So, even if you buy a Burris secondhand, you can enjoy the perks of the warranty.

If they can't fix it, they will replace it no questions asked. It doesn't matter how old it is or how it was damaged. This is one of the better warranties out there, and it really helps Burris stand out.

Popular Products

Here are some of Burris's more popular products. They have many more in their substantial catalog but here is just a taste.

  • The Fullfield II: The workhorse of the Burris family of scopes. This is their most affordable and best-selling scope. The quality you get for the price has made it a favorite for years.
  • The Veracity: One of Burris's higher-end models, the Veracity competes well with other more expensive scopes, especially in low light.
  • Scout: Their scout scopes are popular with customers due to their ease of use and stability. Scout scopes are unique in that they are mounted forward on the weapon as opposed to the rear where it can be closer to the eye. Despite this, Burris scout scopes give a wide and clear view and help acquire targets quickly.
  • Handgun Scopes: As they have a storied history with handgun scopes, it is no surprise that Burris makes several great scopes. Their handgun scopes are rugged and powerful while still maintaining a manageable weight.

Public Perception

+ Pros: 

Users of Burris scopes are a generally satisfied bunch. Consumer reviews and reports tell of excellent quality optics with clear picture and fast target acquisition. Burris products don’t do much else than what they are intended to do, but they do it well.

Another of Burris's common compliments is how easy their scopes are to use. Not only do customers enjoy how easy it is to mount their scopes onto their firearms securely, but they also find that adjusting their scopes is a snap (pardon the pun). The scopes swiftly and reliably adjust for elevation and back with little error or excess work.

- Cons: 

Users also admit that most Burris scopes aren’t perfect. Some blurry images after prolong firing that eventually dies down, occasionally temperamental adjustment knobs and things like that.

However, to get a scope that is even marginally better than a Burris, you would have to pay much more. Many users don’t see the point and believe they are getting the best bang for their buck.

How Burris Compares to the Competition

Burris Compares

Burris stacks up well with many other manufacturers in the industry. They manage to beat out many brands on quality and performance while still maintaining affordable prices. There are plenty of affordable brands out there, but not all of them can hang with Burris scopes in terms of functionality. One option for affordable riflescope brand is by Nikon. 

Alternatively, their higher end competition charges much more than them. However, these premium brands do outperform Burris scopes in some areas. Resolution and repetition resistance is better amongst other more expensive out there. Burris may not be the best of the best, but you'd be hard-pressed to get better for the price they are asking.

Furthermore, the difference is not huge, but by and large Burris scopes tend to be more compact than their competitors. Not with every product of course but in general. If you are looking for a scope that doesn’t weigh as much as others or has a smaller profile, Burris is worth a look. 

What We Think

Burris's
Quality
Price
Our Rating
$ $

We were impressed with the performance of Burris scopes. The picture quality was good, and the reticles perform well, especially in low light. However, we do agree with many users in that it isn’t perfect. This isn’t to say that it’s bad, it just isn’t at the level of other higher end scopes. But, as previously mentioned, its price point isn’t as high either.

We found good economy with Burris scopes. The scopes that we found to perform better often cost much more, twice as much in some cases! Throw in their no questions asked lifetime warranty and you have an all-around smart purchase.

Its mid-range price and great performance mean that you could go both ways if they aren't for you. If you want cheaper, there are trusted brands at lower prices like Nikon and Bushnell, and even cheaper knock-offs that we can't really recommend. You could also go the other way and spring for the premium brands like Nightforce or Swarovski which will likely improve your experience but also weigh much heavier on your finances.