Burris AR-332 vs Vortex Spitfire: A 2022 Review

These are two of the best scopes made especially for rifles and are as near as you can get to an ACOG (Advanced Combat Optical Gunsight) at half the price.

Both are high-quality, rugged, and dependable with some different uses in different cases.

Read on if you’re having trouble in deciding which scope is best for what! We must point out that they compare very closely and that the final decision rests with you, the shooter, on which sight to acquire. 

Pros and cons follow to start you off on this delicate decision journey:

TL;DR: Burris AR-332 vs Vortex Spitfire 

Relevant Specs: Burris AR-332 vs Vortex Spitfire

First, we will provide a table of relevant specs, a brief description of each will follow.

Magnification

The amount that the target is magnified by. This is 3X in the case of the two scopes being compared here and, although not the worst, the best scope goes up to 80X.

However, the higher the magnification, the greater the price.

Reticle Type

This could be a dot, crosshair, or pattern of lines built into the eyepiece of a sighting device. It normally appears horizontally and vertically with the dot showing dead in the center of the picture.

Reticle Image

What you see lying in the image plane of a viewing scope. This will be an enlarged image of your probable target and can still be seen in the event of battery failure. A great feature of these sights.

Focal Plane

There are two focal planes in a sight, namely, the first and second focal planes. On the first plane, the reticle size increases as you zoom in on the target, while it remains fixed as you zoom in on the second.

Objective Lens

The lens closest to the object that you’re viewing. The purpose of this lens is to gather light and enhance magnification. 

It’s interesting to note here that the image produced by this lens alone is actually upside down and inverted correctly by the time it reaches your eye.

Field of View

The length of an image at a given distance from the lens. This can be horizontal, vertical, or diagonal. There are different fields of view at different distances.

While the latter remains true for a scope, the FOV remains the same in a television or film picture, no matter your distance from it.

Eye Relief

The distance you must hold your aiming eye from the rear lens of scope to see the entire image in the scope. The shorter the eye relief, the better for the shooter.

This, of course, gets shorter and more high-quality in the more expensive sighting devices. 

Weight

The weight of the scope on your rifle is an important consideration when it comes to things like balance, length of time carrying the rifle, what you’re using the rifle for, etc. All things considered, this choice is best left to the user.

Illumination Color(s)

The colors that you see when looking through the viewing apparatus. In both of these cases, you can choose between red and green.

Another wonderful feature considered in the design of these devices is that, should they have no power for some reason, you’ll still see in crisp black color.

Adjustment Resolution

The objective lens is responsible for the resolution of the scope. The larger the objective lens is, the better the resolution becomes. Each scope is fitted with a mechanism to adjust the resolution, and each adjustment turn is represented by a click.

Elevation Adjustment Range

This is the adjustments that are needed depending on the distance of the target from the shooter as well as the type of ammunition being used. For example, a heavier bullet will drop more over a longer distance.

So here we are looking at the “up and down” aspects of good aiming.

Windage Adjustment Range

Windage adjustment range must be taken into consideration when you need to aim left or right of the target because of the effect that wind has on a traveling bullet.

The horizontal aspect of a good shot is accounted for here.

Parallax

This occurs when the reticle and target happen to be on different planes within the scope.

There’s normally no parallax effect when closer to a target. So, if the reticle and target stay on the same plane no matter the position of the eye, there’s no parallax.

Conversely, the further away one is from an object, the more parallax will come into play.

Battery Type

The term CR in battery type means that it’s a coin-shaped lithium-powered battery. The most common and readily available of these is the CR2032. The number relates to the coin’s diameter and thickness, usually in mm.

Attachment Method(s)

The attachment method is how the scope is attached to a rifle. In the case of this comparison, both are attached by Picatinny rails which are machined from steel and are military standard rail interface systems.

Key Differences Between Burris AR-332 and Vortex Spitfire

At this point, we remind the reader that the differences between these two scopes are so small that the choice over which to acquire/use should be left to the individual shooter depending on his or her specific needs.

The key differences that we have found are in the field of view, eye relief, dimensions, weight, windage/elevation adjustments, and reticles albeit that they range from minuscule to very small.

We list below the advantages of each to assist you in making a final decision but we again recommend that readers come to that decision themselves.

Advantages of Burris AR-332

• Two adjustment resolution options - Ballistic CQ and Ballistic 3X
• CR2032 battery is more readily available
• Nitrogen-filled body prevents fogging
• Parallax free
• Shorter and lighter than counterpart
• Slightly better field of view
• 100 yards more effective in distance
• Burris Forever Warranty

Advantages of Vortex Spitfire

• Better eye relief (still small)
• 10 brightness settings
• Better windage and elevation adjustments
• Also nitrogen-filled body to stop fogging
• Prism design
• Vortex Optics lifetime warranty

Use Case Comparison: Burris AR-332 vs Vortex Spitfire

Home Defense

Given that a rifle wouldn’t be the weapon of choice in defending your home, we won’t discuss this subject deeply.

Competitions

A good rifle scope definitely comes into play when shooting in competitions. Either of these scopes will make good companions for your firearm when it comes to competing. 

The Vortex Spitfire gives slightly better eye relief than its counterpart, however, the latter is lighter in weight which is something to consider when speed matters (a big factor to take into account for competition shooting).

All of the other specs are the same for these sights, so bear that in mind when making your final choice.

Target Shooting

The scopes under discussion in this article are both well designed and made to easily fit your rifle. Again, as with competitions discussed above, eye relief and weight are the things to think about and not so much, speed, in this instance.

Hunting

When it comes to hunting, there’s again little difference between these two gun sights except where the distance to your prey becomes important. The preferred weapon for this subject is, of course, a good rifle accompanied by a good sight/scope.

Final Thoughts: Burris AR-332 vs Vortex Spitfire

Having briefly discussed four use case scenarios for these items, the time has come to pick a winner for each.

Home Defense - Burris AR-332 | Vortex Spitfire

Competitions - Burris AR-332 | Vortex Spitfire

Target Shooting - Burris AR-332 | Vortex Spitfire

Hunting - Burris AR-332 | Vortex Spitfire

The above choices weren’t easily arrived at, and the Burris AR-332 has tipped the scales in its favor for the following reasons:

With home defense, competitions, and hunting, Burris gets the nod because of its slightly lighter weight, the fact that its battery type is more freely gettable, and that it’s effective up to a range of 600 meters (compared to the 500 meters of the Vortex).

The Vortex on the other hand wins on target shooting because of the slightly better eye relief, elevation adjustment range, and windage adjustment range.

All in all, these are difficult choices that are best left to the individual with expertise in his or her own chosen field.