AO Review – Burris Veracity 4-20x50mm Ballistic Plex E1 FFP Varmint

This past summer the AllOutdoor staff headed west to the flowing landscape of South Dakota on a prairie dog hunting trip. For this venture, we deployed a lot of specialized gear for varmint hunting including a meticulously chosen optic in the Burris Veracity 4-20x50mm Ballistic Plex E1 FFP Varmint. This is a riflescope from Burris specifically designed and well-suited to long-range, varmint hunting. With stadia lines for the windage and elevation to make adjustments on the fly coupled with ample magnification, we put this scope to the test on the target-rich environment of Pierre, South Dakota. Join us as we review the Burris Veracity 4-20x50mm Ballistic Plex E1 FFP Varmint riflescope here today. Let’s dive in!

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Nomenclature – Burris Veracity 4-20x50mm Ballistic Plex E1 FFP Varmint

Before we full on swan dive into what the Burris Veracity 4-20x50mm Ballistic Plex E1 FFP Varmint is all about we will take a step back and do some deciphering. Starting from the front of the name, we are working here with a Burris product hailing from their “Veracity” series. The Veracity series is known as their “top-of-the-line hunting scopes featuring a 5x zoom.” The glass clarity is incredible in adverse conditions and we absolutely put that to the test later on in this review.

Next, “4-20” describes your magnification range and 50mm elaborates on the objective diameter (front lens diameter furthest from the shooter’s eye). The characters of “Ballistic Plex E1 FFP Varmint” indicate the name given to the reticle by Burris. FFP is an acronym standing for “first focal plane” which explains what plane of the glass inside the scope that the reticle is etched in. Finally, this riflescope has adjustments in MOA; shorthand for “Minute of Angle.” MOA is elaborating as to what unit of measure the windage and elevation turrets are set for adjusting. If that vocabulary marathon is still a bit confusing, Burris does a good job of explaining their scope in the quote below:

Long range precision target shooters are very familiar with 4-20x front focal scopes. Burris now brings that size to long range hunters. The Burris Veracity 4-20x50mm allows target shooters and hunters the same finely-tuned precision.
This size is perfect for varmint hunting, and any very-long range hunting adventures. It also doubles very successfully in long range precision shooting.

Specifications – Burris Veracity 4-20x50mm Ballistic Plex E1 FFP Varmint

When it comes to prairie dog hunting you need an optic that will afford you a lot of features. These important features vary from strong magnification to lots of windage/elevation adjustment to even a true parallax to help cut through the heat and mirage of the hot prairie. The Burris Veracity 4-20x50mm Ballistic Plex E1 FFP Varmint had all of these elements and more. All of the specifications for the Veracity 4-20x50mm Ballistic Plex E1 FFP Varmint can be read below as presented by Burris:

Scope: Burris Veracity 4-20x50mm Ballistic Plex E1 FFP Varmint [Item Number: 200640]
Reticle: Ballistic Plex E1™ FFP Varmint
Color: Matte Black
Knob Style: Tall Capped Knobs
Objective Lens Diameter: 58mm

Clear Objective Lens Diameter: 50mm
Ocular Lens Diameter: 44.25mm
Focal Plane: FFP
Main Tube Size: 30mm
Field of View: 26 low – 5.5 high (ft. @ 100 yds.)
Eye Relief: 3.50″ – 4.25″
Exit Pupil: 12 low – 2.5 high (mm)
Click Value: 1/4 MOA

Elevation Adjustment, Total Capability: 70 MOA
Windage Adjustment: 40 MOA
Parallax/Focus: Side Focus/PA
Adjustable Parallax: 50 yds. – infinity
Finish: Matte
Length: 15″
Weight: 27.2 Oz
MSRP: $1,031 – $1,043 (depending on the reticle you choose from Burris)

This scope is covered by the Burris “Forever Warranty – No Questions Asked” where if your scope is in need of repair or replacement there is no receipt required, no registration required, and there will be no cost to you. Burris fully stands behind their optics so you can have the ultimate peace of mind in the field or at the range. The current MSRP for the Burris Veracity 4-20x50mm Ballistic Plex E1 FFP Varmint is benchmarked at $1,031 – $1,043 (depending on the reticle you choose from Burris). A further explanation as to what the Burris Veracity 4-20x50mm Ballistic Plex E1 FFP Varmint is all about can be read below directly from Burris:

The Burris Veracity™ is our top-of-the-line hunting scopes featuring a 5x zoom system, a larger field of view and a choice of front or rear focal plane design. Front focal plane reticle allows the reticle size to increase or decrease with magnification so trajectory compensation is always correct for the selected power setting. Rear focal plane is more traditional, and keeps the reticle clearly visible and the same size in all zooms. Advanced windage and elevation adjustment is accurate and repeatable, and matches the reticle’s MOA measurement system.

Tracking – Burris Veracity 4-20x50mm Ballistic Plex E1 FFP Varmint

A simple test I perform with all optics as part of their initial sight-in process is “tracking.” What is meant by this is if you make an adjustment – through either windage or elevation – by clicking a fixed amount on your turrets, that should actually pan out on paper. This refers to a scope tracking correctly across a paper target or other target you might engage. You never want to adjust your elevation say 10 MOA and then an optic does not act as advertised and only gives you 8 MOA of adjustment.

So, to test the tracking, I shot a 5-shot group. Then, I adjusted 2 MOA to the right. Next, I shot a second 5-shot group, and finally adjusting 2 MOA down. After wandering around my target, the scope gave me the exact amount of elevation and windage adjustment I was dialing in which is perfect. To finish the test, I repeated the process, but performed it in reverse to see if I would finish where I had began. The scope did return to its starting point so it passed the tracking test.

Parallax – Burris Veracity 4-20x50mm Ballistic Plex E1 FFP Varmint

The next test I put the Burris Veracity through was to verify its parallax. The parallax of any scope is a very misunderstood property. Most people tend to believe your parallax knob (if any scope offers one) is there to make your image clear. This is an extremely rudimentary way of expressing what your parallax actually accomplishes.

The parallax of any scope is meant to get your reticle and the object you are looking at on the same focal plane. When this is achieved, yes, your image will look more clear, but once again that is an overly simplistic explanation for what is going on. Most parallax knobs will have yardage markers to indicate at what revolution point on the knob you should hopefully hit that “honey hole” of reticle and target being on the same focal plane. While the numbers are not always perfect, its a good baseline.

Later in our review of this optic, I engaged prairie dogs from 50 – 600 yards. When placing the parallax on varying distances out to 600 yards, all of my targets had good clarity and resolution to make an accurate shot. Moreover, the parallax was very forgiving which means less adjustments were required when engaging targets at multiple distances.

Field Use – Burris Veracity 4-20x50mm Ballistic Plex E1 FFP Varmint

By the time it got to getting out in the field and using this optic I already had a very solid grasp of its performance, but this still would be where the “rubber meets the road.” If we couldn’t quickly engage targets, adjust to varying distances on the fly, and make successful hits on game then the trip would be a bust! Fortunately for us, the Burris Veracity continued to perform exactly how it had during the build up to our trip – lights out.

We battled a lot of difficult elements that Mother Nature was throwing at us. The heat wavered from 90 – 105 degrees during the day with 30 – 40 MPH winds. So, not only were mirages strong on the prairie at times, but we also had a vicious – and often unpredictable crosswind – to contend with. Regardless, the Burris Veracity made life easier coupled with the rest of our equipment, and we were able to eliminate a lot of prairie dogs that a rancher was seeking help getting rid of. By us enjoying some time shooting among friends and harvesting prairie dogs, we made one rancher’s pasture a safer and more hospitable grazing area for his cattle. Wins all around!

Final Thoughts – Burris Veracity 4-20x50mm Ballistic Plex E1 FFP Varmint

So, what are my final thoughts on the Burris Veracity 4-20x50mm Ballistic Plex E1 FFP Varmint?… Overall, the optic performed phenomenally for the task we put it towards. For anyone who is looking for a long-range, varmint riflescope this could be a great tool and asset for your hunting. Also, floating around the $1,000 price-point puts it in a relatively affordable realm for most hunters and shooters alike.

In closing, I want to say thank you to Burris for allowing AllOutdoor and myself the opportunity to try out their Burris Veracity 4-20x50mm Ballistic Plex E1 FFP Varmint. That is greatly appreciated. Also, we would like to know what all of you guys and gals think? Do you believe that the Burris Veracity 4-20x50mm Ballistic Plex E1 FFP Varmint is something worth spending your money? Would you take it hunting with you? To the range for competitive shooting? As always, let us know all of your thoughts in the Comments below! We always appreciate your feedback.

Adam Scepaniak