Comparing Vortex Crossfire and Burris Droptine

Should you buy a Vortex Crossfire riflescope or a Burris Droptine riflescope?

That is the precise question I have already been thinking about.

Since then, I’ve been hand-testing the longevity, reticle, optical clarity, turrets, settings, and so much more of both of these scopes.

You’ll know which riflescope is better for you at the end of this Vortex Crossfire vs. Burris Droptine comparison.

Vortex Crossfire Vs Burris Droptine At A Glance

Model	Vortex Crossfire	Burris Droptine
Magnification	4 to 12x	3 to 9x
Objective Lens Diameter	50mm	50mm
Length	36 cm	30.9 cm
Weight	584 g	368.5 g
Main tube Diameter	1″	1″
Reticle Type	Dead-Hold BDC Reticle	Ballistic Plex Reticle

Detailed Comparison Between Vortex Crossfire and Burris Droptine

On the Crossfire, Vortex utterly misses the target.

A beautiful sight is tarnished because many of them have manufacturing flaws.

Other Vortex options in the same price range provide the same build quality and guarantee while being less prone to poorly manufactured.

This Burris Droptine rifle scope is among our Burris lineup’s newest and most inexpensive. Despite its low price, it has everything you need to fill your hunting tag this season. A good internet reputation keeps customers like you coming back for more.

Durability And Toughness

Vortex Crossfire: The Vortex Crossfire is a one-piece tube composed of aerospace-grade aluminum. It weighs 14.2 ounces and is entirely shockproof. This makes it an excellent match for firearms with a lot of recoils.

The Crossfire features an O-ring that is nitrogen sealed. This is not the same as an argon seal, yet both provide excellent waterproof and fog-resistant protection.

Burris Droptine: The Burris Droptine is a single-piece stress-free aluminum outer tube that can withstand damage. I used Burris’ Signature one-inch Zee rings to mount the sight and never had a movement at the point of impact. The matte coating on the Droptine’s external body decreases glare and is durable to the inevitable severe blows of hunting. The adjustment arrangement is simple:

The dials provide straightforward instructions for altering the point of impact. Parallax adjustments are made by rotating the ring on the scope’s objective lens, while reticle focus changes are made by twisting a call at the back of the scope. The simple design makes fine-tuning the sight quick and easy for any shooter.

Lens Clarity And Reticle

Vortex Crossfire: The typical Vortex completely multi-coated lens is used. In normal lighting circumstances, you can anticipate a bright, crisp image.

The Crossfire II has an impressive 3.9″ of solid eye relief. I will not leave the range with a bruised eye, nor will I have to climb up my rifle to achieve an entire field of view.

In that regard, the field of vision is 25.7′ – 8.4′.

Not terrible, but this is the series’ best FOV and is acceptable for medium-range shots and hunting.

The Crossfire II’s parallax adjustment ranges from 10 yards to infinity. It also includes a Dead-Hold BDC (MOA) reticle with 14 adjustable gradations, as do most Vortex optics.

The maximum windage and elevation adjustment on all Crossfire scopes is 50 degrees (MOA).

Burris Droptine: Droptine contents are also relatively light on your rifle. The 4.5-14×42 model weighed only 18 ounces and was 13 inches long. The 3-9×40 is considerably lighter and smaller, weighing only 13 ounces and measuring a little over a foot long. Burris has created Droptine scopes that are incredibly light and small while maintaining optical clarity and quality.

The Ballistic Plex reticle included three stadia lines underneath the crosshair for precise elevation adjustments of 600 yards, depending on the rifle and ammunition. Burris estimates a drop for muzzleloaders, rimfires, slug guns, and regular and magnum centerfire rifles.

According to manufacturer data, stadia-line holds and bullet impacts were within an inch and a half of actual drop out at 400 yards and within three inches at 500 yards for the specific.270 WSM load I had been shooting (Hornady 145-grain ELD-X at a muzzle velocity of 3,100 fps). Holdover reticles are quick and straightforward to use, and the Droptine makes it simple to deliver accurate shooting without dialing.

Overall Performance

Vortex Crossfire: Vortex appears to be a more expensive sight than it is. The optics are bright and crisp, and you can see a lot for such a tiny device. But don’t be fooled; the Crossfire is a little sight with a somewhat restricted view range.

Vortex’s quality control started to fall short at times. Some users may experience a situation where the first few brightness settings are incredibly faint, almost unnoticeable. You may need to turn to the sixth brightness level to see anything. This is where it’s worth noting that if your Crossfire doesn’t have this issue, you’ve just gotten an excellent price.

Burris Droptine: The Droptine rifle scope was on the verge of being dropped from our evaluation list. Compared to the earlier but still prevalent Fullfield II scope, I believed the Fullfield came out on top. However, the minor distinctions between the two made it worthwhile to go through them.

A box test is used to evaluate whether the adjusting dials on an optic are tracking precisely. After mounting the Droptine 4.5-14×42 on a Winchester Model 70.270 WSM and zeroing the rifle at 100 yards, I adjusted the settings 1 MOA before firing again. The Burris Droptine tracked just as described, adjusting windage and elevation to match bullet placement on the target.

Burris scopes use high-quality components, such as steel-on-steel adjustments to ensure constant bullet placement and excellent accuracy. Many rival scopes that contain polymer elements don’t track properly, making the rifle sight-in procedure time-consuming and annoying. Every specific click of the elevation and windage settings on the Droptine accurately changed the bullet’s point of impact.

The Droptine is a terrific deal for the hunter who wants to save a few dollars while bringing home significant quality as a high-performing, low-cost scope.

Pros and Cons:

Pros of Vortex Crossfire: 

• It is lightweight and small, making it an ideal companion for pistols and other light weapons.
• More durable and long-lasting than other sights in the same price range.
• High-quality Vortex glass provides bright and clear optics.
• Everything you need is included.
• The vortex warrant.

Cons of Vortex Crossfire: 

• Some folks have significant issues with the dot being too dim.
• The battery life is quite limited.
• Poor quality control is the final nail in the coffin for this scope.
• The lens cover is missing, and the mounting is shaky.
• The inability to turn the brightness slider backward is problematic, especially in high-stress circumstances.

Pros of Burris Droptine:

• Burris Droptine Riflescope is a lightweight scope with a 12-inch length easily compatible with most mounting methods.
• The turrets and power component of the rifle sight include knurling to guarantee stress-free and positive rotations.
• Burris Droptine is equipped with a HiLume Multi-coated lens for maximum clarity and light transmission.
• The Burris Droptine is an excellent varmint, predator, and big game hunting rifle.
• Burris Forever Warranty is included with the scope.
• The sight is recoil-proof and consists of a twin spring tension system to hold your zero even when subjected to high recoil and shock.
• It’s waterproof and fog-proof, with quad-seal gas rings that allow you to use the scope even in inclement weather.
• The Burris Droptine Riflescope is associated with the Burris Ballistics software package available online.

Cons of Burris Droptine:

• The Burris Droptine riflescope lacks an illuminated reticle. It may not be suitable for hunting in low-light conditions.
• The riflescope is an entry-level scope, so it may not be ideal for intermediate or experienced hunters.

Our Final Verdict

Between Vortex Crossfire and Burris Droptine, I would personally use Burris Droptine. Because this Burris Riflescope is an entry-level riflescope with excellent features. This riflescope’s parallax is fixed for 100 yards for regular centerfire rounds. You may, however, adjust your rifle sight with any cartridge and bullet weight.

The Burris Droptine riflescope is an excellent choice for big game hunting, predator hunting, varmint hunting, and small game hunting. Consider purchasing the Burris Droptine scope if you are a hunter or shooter searching for an all-purpose scope. This riflescope may be an entry-level scope, but it has a lot to offer if used correctly.