Burris Fast Fire III Red Dot

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  • My Toy

    Ultimate Member
    Jul 31, 2008
    1,194
    Westminster
    I never had or used a red dot sight before but was thinking about trying one on a compact rifle with a picatinny rail and that is not equipped with iron sights. Was looking at the Burris Fast Fire III as one from a reputable manufacture and won't break the bank. What are your thoughts as far as quality and durability? Open to other suggestions too.
     

    mtlcafan79

    Ultimate Member
    Sep 11, 2008
    1,279
    PG
    It's a pretty small window to look through and usually found on a pistol. I'd look at some of the traditional 1x20 red dots too. The Primary Arms micro dots are popular.
     

    308Scout

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Mar 27, 2020
    6,545
    Washington County
    I have a 3 MOA FFIII mounted on my Mini 14. Have had zero issues with it and it has maintained zero through several outings. It is a good quality red dot for the price point. I can't speak to long term durability as I have had it less than a year. Windage/elevation controls can be a bit tricky on the fly, but taken care of if you have a tiny flathead with you when sighting in. The Burris warranty is awesome as well - I believe the same as Vortex.

    One thing to think about if you've not used a red dot before is that if you have astigmatism, the dot may appear as a distorted blob. Worth checking one out before purchasing.
     

    babalou

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Aug 12, 2013
    16,016
    Glenelg
    this

    I have a 3 MOA FFIII mounted on my Mini 14. Have had zero issues with it and it has maintained zero through several outings. It is a good quality red dot for the price point. I can't speak to long term durability as I have had it less than a year. Windage/elevation controls can be a bit tricky on the fly, but taken care of if you have a tiny flathead with you when sighting in. The Burris warranty is awesome as well - I believe the same as Vortex.

    One thing to think about if you've not used a red dot before is that if you have astigmatism, the dot may appear as a distorted blob. Worth checking one out before purchasing.

    100%. To me looks like a feather vane of an old quill pen.
     

    engineerbrian

    JMB fan club
    Sep 3, 2010
    10,148
    Fredneck
    I have 4 or 5 Fast Fires, both the II and III. I love them and have never had an issue with them.

    As for durability, I had a Burris rep tell me a few years ago that all of their optics could withstand 50 BMG recoil with no issues
     

    erwos

    The Hebrew Hammer
    MDS Supporter
    Mar 25, 2009
    13,866
    Rockville, MD
    I've also run thousands of rounds through my FF3 on a pistol slide. Weakest point of it is really the battery compartment - it's top-mounted, which is good, but the threading is pretty thing and easy to strip. The FF4 is due to come out eventually - it's a much improved version, or at least it seemed so when I handled it at SHOT.
     

    ironpony

    Member
    MDS Supporter
    Jun 8, 2013
    7,190
    Davidsonville
    I just mounted one on an ar I’m finishing, magpul iron sights and the FF mounted @ .83” actually seems pretty nice, bolts and handles just arrived yesterday so no range time yet.
     

    Pale Ryder

    Ultimate Member
    Jan 12, 2009
    6,234
    Millersville
    I would look at the Vortex Venom before you pull the trigger. I had thought of adding a small red dot to my Marlin 1894 44 mag and decided on the Venom before COVID hit. Now the plan is on hold, so haven’t had the time and can’t find the rail.
     

    erwos

    The Hebrew Hammer
    MDS Supporter
    Mar 25, 2009
    13,866
    Rockville, MD
    I would look at the Vortex Venom before you pull the trigger.
    The Venom has serious problems with glare and phantom dots that I have seen first hand, and a number of tales of woe about reliability (especially on Glock MOS guns). I know Vortex has a lot cachet due to their excellent warranty, but their lower-end reflex sights really are to be avoided if you are in a situations where a failure would be a serious impact on your shooting (ie, matches and self-defense).
     

    eightshot627

    Active Member
    Apr 10, 2008
    239
    Thurmont
    I have a FF2 on my 3.5in turkey gun. It hasn't given me any trouble in 5 years. Killed a bunch of turkeys and it kicks on both ends. I put a FF3 on Mrs. Eightshot627's AR and she has fun dumping mags LOL
     

    lax

    Ultimate Member
    Feb 12, 2008
    3,131
    Baldwin
    I have had a ff3 on my 40mos for 2 years or so. It’s starting to shutdown after each shot.
     

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