Burris Droptine 3-9x40mm Riflescope Review

Looking for an affordable and versatile hunting scope to start the season off right and fill your tags?

The brand-spanking-new Burris Droptine 3-9x40mm riflescope is the cheapest in the Burris range and one of my particular favorites. A quick google search shows that it has a high customer rating, and after testing this scope, it’s easy to see why.

Sure, the renowned Fullfield II scope by Burris is a better unit overall. But when factoring in the price difference, I come to the conclusion that I prefer the Droptine.

So, let’s go through my in-depth Burris Droptine 3-9x40mm Riflescope Review to find out why?

Affordability

The long-held belief that budget scopes simply cannot compete with their higher-priced relatives has been ingrained over my shooting career.

And for The Most Part, This Has Held True!

Cheaper scopes are known for working fine in optimal lighting and at closer range. But buyers should be wary as with lower prices usually comes lower accuracy at longer distances, lower quality components, and less optical clarity.

This is where the Burris Droptine enters the discussion. Retailing for less than $190 (with even cheaper deals to be found online right now), the price puts the Droptine in line with competing budget scopes. However, the Droptine is able to severely out-perform most of these competing units in a number of key ways.

Build Quality and Use

See on Bushnell - $111.89

The high-grade aluminum body is of one-piece construction, with a soft matte satin finish. This finish helps cut down any glare issues that may be encountered, and the one-piece construction ensures incredible durability. The scope is also fully waterproofed and pumped full of nitrogen to ensure zero issues with fogging, even in the most miserable of conditions.

Lifetime Warranty

On the off chance you do somehow manage to damage the Burris Droptine, there is absolutely nothing to worry about. Every unit comes backed by a full lifetime warranty.

The double-spring assembly hidden internally does a great job of keeping the scope fully zeroed throughout the day. Therefore, the shock of heavy recoil and your everyday bumps and bashes will not affect this scope’s ability to hold zero.

But what really sets the Burris Droptine apart from the competition in the low-budget category is the high-grade, precision-ground optical glass with incorporated index-matched Hi-Lume multi-coating. This ensures top-shelf clarity, light transmission, and increased durability in all conditions. The edge to edge clarity is also excellent, as is the low color distortion.

Perfectly on Target

Color distortion may not be of much concern to target shooters, but in hunting situations, it can be the difference between a clean hit and a total miss. The ability to pinpoint an animal in a sea for brown and great foliage shouldn’t be understated, and the color quality was one of the first things I noticed about this scope.

The wind and elevation dials offer 40 MOA of adjustment for both, and changes are easy to make on the fly for shooters of any level, as are parallax adjustments. To adjust the parallax, you just have to give the objective lens ring a twist in either direction, and you can make reticle focus changes by twisting the rear scope ring.

Versatile and Lightweight

The Droptine won’t bulk out your rifle and is one of the lightest scopes I have tested over the last few months. Weighing in at just 13 ounces (368.5 grams) and coming in at a fraction over 1 foot (33cm) in length. Burris has done a stand-up job by delivering a compact and lightweight unit that holds its own against much pricier and heavier scopes.

The testing unit I was sent features a Ballistic plex reticle. This straightforward design features three stadia lines on the elevation cross-hair. These sit below the center point, which helps calculate trajectory holdovers for known distances.

The Burris Droptine 3-9x40mm is super versatile, with it being perfect for not just big game and predator hunting, but also for the small stuff. Truly an all-purpose scope at a reasonable price.

Software Integration

Burris has recently launched its Burris Ballistics software program online, and the Droptine is fully supported. However, while researching this article, I noticed that there seems to be a bunch of confusion on how to implement the information that the software generates.

But, it’s actually all very simple. All you have to do is enter the scope you’re using, the ammo type, and your elevation above sea level or atmospheric numbers, and the software will tell you the distances that relate to each reticle mark. I found this really handy.

Specifications

Burris Droptine 3-9x40mm Riflescope Pros & Cons

Need More Quality Scope Options?

If you’re after a great scout scope and love Burris as a brand, then take a look at my in-depth review of the Burris Scout 2-7x32mm Rifle Scope.

Then check out our reviews of the Best Mini 14 Ranch Rifles, the Best Scout Scopes, the Best Air Rifle Scopes, the Best Deer Hunting Scopes, or the Best 300 Win Mag Scopes you can buy in 2023.

Or, take a look at our reviews of the Best Mil Dot Scopes, the Best 308 Rifles Scopes, the Best Scopes for AR15 under 100 Dollars, the Best Rimfire Scopes, or the Best Scopes for M&P 15-22 currently on the market.

Conclusion

For a low-budget, entry-level unit, I honestly don’t think I’ve ever tested a better scope. Seriously, it really should have a higher price tag. Perfect for any size of target, the Burris Droptine is a shining star in the world of hip-pocket-friendly rifle scopes.

Happy and safe shooting.