Burris Eliminator 6 review: a rangefinder and ballistic computer inside a hunting scope
Our verdict: 4.5/5. The Burris Eliminator 6 4-20x52 is a hunting scope that ranges the target for you. Press a button on the scope or on the included wireless remote, and the built-in laser rangefinder measures the distance, the scope combines it with its own temperature, pressure and angle sensors and your uploaded ballistic profile, and it lights one of 177 LED aim points on the X177 reticle as your hold. Owners praise the glass and the time saved by not reaching for a separate rangefinder or a drop chart. It loses points for honest reasons: it is expensive, it weighs a listed 30 oz, it is a second focal plane scope with only 40 MOA of dialing travel, setup runs through a phone app, and the owner record is small. If you hunt open country at unknown distances, it puts ranging, environmental correction and the hold in one scope. If you dial for competition or shoot beyond 1,000 yards, look elsewhere, starting with our best long range rifle scopes or the Nightforce ATACR, a 34mm line of dialing scopes.
OpticsPlanet shoppers rate it 5.0/5 across 13 reviews. The model we review here (200177, black) sells for around $2,500. Check price and availability on OpticsPlanet; confirm the current price on the retailer page.
How we reviewed it: a research-based review built from the retailer's specification table and listing, all 13 reviews the retailer holds for this scope, Burris's own product page, its award announcement and the Eliminator 6 user manual published on Burris's site. Where Burris's documents disagree with each other, we show both figures. Third-party research leads we could not confirm on Burris's site were left out. We have not field-tested this scope; the score is our editorial opinion and owner ratings are shown attributed to their source. See how we evaluate.
What the Eliminator 6 is
The Eliminator 6 is a rangefinding riflescope from Burris. It looks like a conventional 34mm scope with a 4-20x zoom and a 52mm objective, but it carries three systems a normal scope does not:
- A laser rangefinder. Burris's product page says it ranges 2,000+ yards on reflective targets and 1,400 yards on deer hide.
- Environmental sensors. A built-in thermometer, barometer and inclinometer, which Burris says automatically measure density altitude.
- A ballistic display. The X177 reticle has 177 LED aim points, and the heads-up display shows up to 10 data points, such as the ranged distance and a wind hold value.
The result is a one-button workflow: range the animal, and the scope lights the aim point for that distance. Burris's manual says the reticle keeps its size through the zoom range like a second focal plane reticle, but automatically adjusts the lit aiming point for the current magnification, so the hold stays correct at any power (our FFP vs SFP guide explains why that normally matters). You set it up once in Burris's BurrisConnect app: the manual describes building a ballistic profile in the app and uploading it to the scope over Bluetooth.
Burris also built in what it calls digital guard rails. The display can show bullet velocity and energy at the ranged distance, and the Shotcall Indicator shows an "X" when the ballistic performance you set as your minimum is not met, a cue to pass on a shot that is too far for your bullet.
Awards: Burris announced that the Eliminator 6 was named 2025 Optic of the Year by American Rifleman, with the 2025 NRA Golden Bullseye Award (source: Burris, citing American Rifleman). Burris's product page also lists Ballistic's Best Editors' Select and the Born Hunting Excellence Award.
What owners say: glass and one-step ranging
All 13 reviews we could read are five stars, from 12 reviewers (one person wrote two, and the second is about the purchase rather than the scope). Two themes carry the record. The first is glass clarity, which four reviews single out, including an owner of the Eliminator 3 and 5 and one reviewer who compares it with German glass.
“The glass is much much clearer and the images are sharp out to 1000 yards”
Brian Rowland (MS), Verified Owner, via OpticsPlanet
That owner reports zeroing at 100 yards and then hitting 8 inch steel at 300, 550, 750 and 1,000 yards, which is one owner's report, not a test we ran. The second theme is the workflow: several reviewers value not carrying a separate rangefinder or ballistic table, and a prairie dog hunter likes skipping the switch from rangefinding binoculars to the scope.
“Awesome. No need for range finder or ballistic tables as they are built in. Simple to set up and sight in.”
Oger (MI), via OpticsPlanet
“Perfect for shooting prairie dogs. Internal range finder saves a step from range finding binoculars transition to the scope.”
Cliff (MI), Verified Owner, via OpticsPlanet
One reviewer notes that the laser can be fired from the button on the left turret or from the included remote. Burris's manual says the remote has a non-directional signal with a 30 ft range and can be mounted on the rifle, worn on a lanyard or kept in a pocket.
The honest catches
Price. One reviewer lists "Not cheap! Expensive" as the con, and another says it does not come cheap. You are paying for a scope and a rangefinder in one body.
Weight. Burris lists 30 oz and 14.6 inches. One reviewer lists weight as the con. On a light mountain rifle that is a real cost; on a predator or open-country rifle it matters less.
It is a hunting scope, not a dialing scope. Burris lists 40 MOA of elevation and 40 MOA of windage adjustment in 1/8 MOA clicks, and its manual lists a maximum bullet drop the reticle can show of 63 MOA at low power and 35 MOA at high power. Past that, the manual says the display tells you to zoom out or that the target is too far for a hold. How many yards that is depends on your cartridge. One owner sums up where it fits:
“I probably would not use this on a long range (>1000yds) gun, as other scopes are more suited for that task.”
MartyP (WA), Verified Owner, running it on a .243 predator rifle, via OpticsPlanet
Electronics and the app. The rangefinder, display and Bluetooth run on one CR123A battery, and the remote on a CR2032. Your holds are only as good as the profile you upload, and the manual says any change must be uploaded again. One reviewer reminds owners to update the ballistic data in the Burris app, and another reports that a first unit did not link, which that reviewer believes was user error.
A small record. Thirteen reviews is a thin sample, so treat the perfect 5.0 as early evidence rather than a settled verdict. One reviewer also says it took a long time to find one to buy.
Trade-offs, plainly
- Premium price for a hunting scope; the cost includes the rangefinder you no longer carry separately.
- A listed 30 oz and 14.6 inches, heavy for a light carry rifle.
- Second focal plane with 40 MOA of dialing travel and a reticle hold limit of 35 to 63 MOA depending on magnification (Burris manual): built for holding, not for dialing long strings of targets.
- Setup depends on the BurrisConnect app and batteries; a hold is only as good as the profile you uploaded.
- A 34mm tube needs 34mm rings or a 34mm mount, whatever the retailer's web address says (see our scope rings guide and how to mount a rifle scope).
- Only 13 retailer reviews so far.
Key specifications
| Model (carded row) | 200177, black, illuminated X177 reticle |
|---|---|
| Magnification | 4-20x |
| Objective | 52 mm |
| Tube | 34 mm (the retailer's web address says 30mm; the product is 34mm) |
| Focal plane | Second focal plane (Burris's manual lists the focal plane as "Rear") |
| Reticle | X177, 177 aim points (Burris) |
| Illumination | Red LED, 9 brightness settings (retailer spec table) |
| Click value | 1/8 MOA |
| Elevation / windage adjustment | 40 MOA / 40 MOA (Burris) |
| Maximum bullet drop (reticle) | 63 MOA at low power, 35 MOA at high power (Burris user manual) |
| Parallax | 25 yds to infinity, side focus |
| Field of view | 30.5 ft (4x) to 6.5 ft (20x) at 100 yds |
| Eye relief | 3.4 in |
| Exit pupil (Burris) | 8.6 to 2.9 mm (objective / magnification arithmetic gives 13 to 2.6 mm) |
| Laser range (Burris product page) | 2,000+ yds reflective, 1,400 yds deer hide |
| Environmental sensors | Thermometer, barometer, inclinometer; density altitude measured automatically (Burris) |
| Heads-up display | Up to 10 data points (Burris) |
| Length / weight | 14.6 in / 30 oz |
| Batteries | Scope: one CR123A. Remote: one CR2032 (Burris) |
| Operating temperature | -4 to 110 °F (retailer spec table and Burris user manual) |
| In the box | Scope and a Bluetooth enabled remote (retailer listing) |
| Made in | Philippines (Burris user manual) |
| Warranty | Burris Forever Warranty (Burris user manual) |
Figures match on Burris's product page and the retailer's specification table unless marked. Two figures need a note. Exit pupil: Burris and the retailer list 8.6 to 2.9 mm, while the plain objective-divided-by-magnification arithmetic gives 13 mm at 4x and 2.6 mm at 20x (our calculation, not a measurement); we did not find an explanation for the difference on Burris's pages. Deer-hide range: Burris's product page says 1,400 yards and the spec table in its user manual says at least 1,800 yards; we lead with the lower figure. The retailer listing also carries a government export restriction notice. OpticsPlanet's "Best Rated Product" label is a store rating, not an editorial award.
Should you buy it, and what else to consider
- Buy the Eliminator 6 if you hunt deer and other big game, predators or prairie dogs in open country where shots come at unknown distances, and you want ranging and a correct hold without taking your eye off the animal.
- Prefer a scope plus a separate rangefinder if you want a lighter rifle or more dialing travel. Start with our best long range rangefinder or best hunting rangefinder guides, and work out your drops with our ballistic calculator.
- Dial for competition or shoot past 1,000 yards? A first focal plane scope with more travel fits better; see the best long range rifle scope guide and our Vortex Razor HD Gen III review.
- Choosing by use? See the best scope for deer hunting and best scope for 6.5 Creedmoor guides.
FAQ
Is the Burris Eliminator 6 worth it?
For a hunter who shoots at unknown distances in open country and wants ranging, ballistic holdover and environmental correction inside one scope, the owner record says yes: it holds 5.0 out of 5 across 13 OpticsPlanet reviews, and every review we could read is five stars. The praise is about glass clarity and not having to carry a separate rangefinder or ballistic table. The honest reasons to skip it are the price, a listed weight of 30 oz, a second focal plane design with limited dialing travel, and a setup that runs through the BurrisConnect phone app. The review record is also small.
How far can the Eliminator 6 range?
Burris's product page says the built-in laser ranges out to 2,000+ yards on reflective targets and 1,400 yards on deer hide. The spec table in Burris's user manual lists at least 2,000 yards on highly reflective targets and at least 1,800 yards on deer hide, so the two Burris documents disagree on the deer-hide figure. Treat 1,400 yards as the conservative number. Ranging distance is not the same as the distance the scope can give you a hold for; see the next answer.
Is the Eliminator 6 a 30mm or 34mm tube?
It is a 34mm tube. Burris lists a 34 mm main tube, and so does the retailer's specification table. The retailer's web address still says 30mm tube, and one reviewer warned other buyers that the listing had been labelled 30mm, because it matters for ring choice. You need 34mm rings or a 34mm mount.
How far can the Eliminator 6 give a holdover?
The limit is the reticle, not the laser. Burris's user manual lists a maximum bullet drop of 63 MOA at low magnification and 35 MOA at high magnification. If the hold falls outside the view at your current magnification, the manual says the display shows ZOOM OUT, and if no magnification can show it, TOO FAR. How many yards that equals depends on your cartridge. One reviewer who runs it on a .243 predator rifle inside 600 yards says they would not use it on a gun meant for beyond 1,000 yards.
Do you need the phone app to use the Eliminator 6?
You need it for setup. Burris's manual describes building a ballistic profile in the BurrisConnect app and uploading it to the scope over Bluetooth, and it notes that any change to the profile must be uploaded again. One reviewer reminds new owners to keep the ballistic data in the app up to date.
What warranty does the Eliminator 6 have?
Burris's user manual states that the Eliminator 6 riflescope is covered by the Burris Forever Warranty, which it describes as repair or replacement with no charge, no warranty card and no receipt needed, automatically transferred to future owners. It does not cover loss, theft, deliberate damage or cosmetic damage that does not affect performance.
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