Training and Tech

Burris Veracity PH Riflescope

By Mike Dickerson

A long-range game changer

Current aiming systems for taking extended-range shots on game often leave much to be desired. With a riflescope equipped with a MOA turret, you may have to range the target, enter the distance into a ballistic calculator on your cell phone, and then dial to the proper setting. This approach works, but it’s slow. An alternative is a custom-engraved turret matched to the load you’re shooting, which lets you range the target and dial up a solution. It’s faster, but it may be off a bit if you hunt at an elevation or in environmental conditions that drastically differ from what the turret was cut for. Both approaches require you to lift your eye from the scope to make elevation adjustments.

The Veracity PH system uses a variable-illumination Head’s-Up Display (HUD) that shows all the critical data needed to make the shot. This includes turret position in yards, meters, or MOA, rifle angle, rifle cant, and distance-accurate wind holdover. Simply range your target and dial the Programmable Elevation Knob (PEK) to the correct distance, and pull the trigger. It’s easy, fast, and proved quite accurate during testing.

Burris has come up with an entirely new approach in its Veracity PH riflescopes that I believe will be a game changer. The new system employs a variable-illumination Head’s-Up Display (HUD) that shows you all the data you need to make the shot, including turret position in yards, meters, or MOA, as well as rifle angle, rifle cant, and distance-accurate wind holdover. You simply range your target, look through the scope and dial the Programmable Elevation Knob (PEK) to the correct distance without having to move your eye from the scope. It’s fast and, as I discovered in field testing, quite accurate.

The BurrisConnect app allows you to connect to your riflescope via Bluetooth and upload custom rifle profiles, choose from a vast library of factory-loaded ammunition and each cartridge’s specific ballistic specs, and will automatically input environmental data — all in an effort to make your ultra-important long-range shot as accurate as possible.

The PEK eliminates the need for any mental mathematical gymnastics because you use the BurrisConnect app to upload your rifle data, environmental data and chosen load data via Bluetooth from your cell phone. The beauty of the system is that once you upload your data to the scope, you can forget about it. I am sufficiently Man Primeval that I found the app a little tricky to navigate, but it got easier once I got the hang of it. I especially liked the ability to choose ammo from a factory ammo library. I easily found the load I wanted to pair and uploaded ballistics data, changing only the velocity to match actual measured velocity. The app also lets you produce a customizable dope card so you can confirm that the data in the HUD is correct and even use the scope without the batteries required to power the HUD.

The Veracity PH features zero-stop adjustment knobs to quickly return to the original zero. The elevation turret is good for 66 MOA of elevation adjustment, while the windage turret is capable of 37 MOA.

The scope sent to me for testing, the Veracity PH 4-20X50, is a first focal plane design with a 30mm tube, zero turn stop adjustment knobs to quickly return to the original zero, and a side parallax adjustment knob. Field of view varies from 26-5.5 feet, and eye relief varies from 3.5-4.25 inches. Exit pupil size ranges from 12-2.5mm. Turret adjustment range is 66 MOA for elevation and 37 MOA for windage.

The reticle crosshairs are a progressively thick design. They’re quite fine in the middle but get thicker away from the center to provide for fast target acquisition. Because the scope is a first focal plane design, the size of the crosshairs changes as you change magnification, but trajectory compensation remains proportional to the chosen magnification level.

The Veracity PH is currently only offered in a 4-20x50mm magnification range, which is a solid spread for mid to longer-range shots in the field. The scope had very good clarity, color rendition, contrast, and edge-to-edge sharpness.

My testing of the scope wasn’t scientific by any means because I judge scopes using the only instrument that matters to me — the standard-issue human eyeball. I found the quality of the index-matched, multicoated glass to be quite good for a scope in this price category (MSRP $1,199) compared to scopes with a similar magnification range. The scope had very good clarity, color rendition, contrast, and edge-to-edge sharpness. Low-light performance was good, although fine, non-illuminated crosshairs can always be a challenge under very dark conditions. Tracking testing was on the mark. Overall, the scope edged out some more expensive scopes in my collection.

The large 50mm objective lens provides an advantage in low-light conditions. Flip-up lens caps are part of the package. The Veracity PH is waterproof and nitrogen-filled to prevent fogging and is covered by the automatically transferrable, no-questions-asked Burris Forever Warranty.

The scope is waterproof and nitrogen-filled to prevent fogging and is covered by the automatically transferrable, no-questions-asked Burris Forever Warranty, which covers everything except loss, theft, deliberate damage, or cosmetic damage. See the Burris Veracity PH scope in person at your nearest dealer, or for more information, contact Burris Optics; Tel.: (888) 440-0244; Web: www.burrisoptics.com.