Preview: Burris BTS35 v3

Previous to my range testing, I had the opportunity to join four other industry professionals for a coyote hunt that went well into the evening hours. As these dogs are equally active at night, we used the cover of darkness to put some fur on the ground. Burris’ BTS35 v3 thermal riflescope proved to be an amazingly capable little unit, and I thoroughly enjoyed working with it on our multi-day pursuit.

I found the 400x300-pixel resolution to be more than adequate to identify coyotes at the distances we engaged them, and the internal battery life simply could not be beaten. Charging it up in the morning yielded enough run time for several nights, which saved a few of us who had forgotten to plug them in. During our downtime, I scrolled through the settings and found navigation to be intuitive, as it revealed important features such as reticle selection and picture-in-picture zoom for tighter shots.

Being that thermal imaging presents a two-dimensional re-creation of a three-dimensional scenario, any feeling of depth perception is lost. Therefore, the flat-shooting nature of the 22 ARC was well-suited to this style of hunting. It didn’t matter if the dog was at 20 yards or 206—just putting the reticle in the vitals and pressing the trigger proved successful. If those numbers seem rather specific, it is because they were confirmed through real-world use. With an MSRP of $3,000, Burris’ relatively affordable thermal can be fit into the budget of many hunters.

For more information about the BTS35 v3 riflescope, visit burrisoptics.com.