Looking for a lower power scope with quality glass and a wide field of view that lets you keep your eyes wide open on the hunt? From dangerous game to backwoods deer, the new Burris Signature HD in 2-10x40 has serious hunters covered.
The Burris Signature HD
Our test model Signature HD came in 2-10x40 and is built on a 1-inch, matte black, nitrogen-filled tube. The scope wears what Burris calls the Ballistic E3 MOA reticle. That particular crosshair allows traditional holdovers for both elevation and windage, yet also has basic locking turrets. Both turrets operate with a push-pull style, meaning shooters pull outwardly on the turret in order to dial it. Pushing it back down essentially locks it into place, negating the chance for accidental adjustment while in the field. It can easily be reset to zero.
The E3 MOA reticle is, according to the Burris manual, a “rear focal plane reticle calibrated for traditional, magnum, and varmint loads.” It uses stadia lines – or “hash marks” – on all four crosshairs. Though aiming points will certainly vary by caliber and the particular load of the hunter, the hashes allow four different points, essentially 100 to 400 yards, each with cascading dots intended to allow for a 10-mph crosswind. Like the vertical crosshair, the horizontal is marked off in 2-MOA increments for holding windage.
The same E3 MOA reticle can be had on other Burris Signature scopes, including 5-25x50 and 3-15x44. Other Signature models are available in either front or rear focal planes, many with side parallax adjustment. Target models also include zero-stop knobs, so you don’t have to worry about losing your zero.
Field Testing
In our search for a well-built scope that could be trusted on a high-power, dangerous-game rifle that would excel at short ranges and out to 200-yards, we settled on the new-for-2020 Burris Signature HD 2-10x40. We picked up the Burris Signature HD for use on our African dangerous-game rifle, the CZ 550 in .375 H&H. However, when the new straight-pull Savage Impulse rifle in .300 Win Mag came along, we found the Burris made a perfect companion for a fast-running, quick-acquisition optic and firearm combination.
The Signature HD in 2-10 allows for a hearty field of view, with an advertised 54 to 10.8 feet. The optic shines in real-world use. Every hunter who shouldered the rifle was impressed by the clarity and even more so by the perceived wide field of view at low power. Eye relief is also impressive, granting 3.5 to 3.8 inches depending on the power setting. That’s more than enough even for those firing heavy magnum chamberings. Adjustments are standard 1/4-MOA click values with 120 MOA of total adjustment on both windage and elevation.
The overall size of our T&E scope is quite compact at a length of just 11.7 inches and a weight of 17.6 ounces. While the short tube worked fine for the Savage Impulse with its integral rail, mounting it on the CZ 550 required offset rings to get the proper eye relief and to get it on the rifle, period. As with any scope meant for our purposes, both the base and ring selection are awfully important.
The Signature HD is marked on its underside as being made in China, though we’ve always found exceptional U.S. customer service from the company. This scope is backed by the Burris Forever Warranty. As stated by the included paperwork, that means no charge, no warranty card needed, no receipt needed, and no questions asked. It just doesn’t get much better than that.
We regularly punched out sub-MOA groups with the Impulse in .300 Win Mag. Zeroing the rig was a simple affair. The scope’s adjustments marched to the right and then down – just as it should – until we were punching out cloverleafs half an inch high at 100 yards. This allowed our chosen .300 Win Mag load to mesh nicely with the reticle’s stadia lines out to 400 yards. To fine-tune the dope, Burris shooters can enter their ballistic and environmental data into the free Burris ballistic calculator for this specific reticle.
Let’s Go Hunting
Though the recoil from the .300 Win Mag pulled us momentarily off the target on the bench, the Burris’s incredibly wide field of view, coupled with the crisp optics and E3 MOA reticle, got us back on center mass quickly and with confidence. This is one scope that will have a home on many different hunting rifles, and one we can trust when the hunt is on the line.
