Easily mounted on your favorite firearm, the Venom Vortex and the Burris Fastfire 3 holographic sights are specifically designed to provide quick target acquisition and a wide field of view for both hunting and self defense.
Holographic sights are both lighter and less bulky than red dot sights and, both the Vortex and Fastfire 3 sights feature an automatic brightness level adjustment setting so that you can always see your reticle regardless of how bright it is outside.
In this article we are going to examine both of these sights so you can decide what is the best sight for you.
Vortex Venom vs. Burris Fastfire 3
Although both the Vortex Venom and the Burris Fastfire 3 holographic sights have a very similar size and appearance, there are some differences between the two.
Weight
Both sights feature a rugged aluminum housing to protect the sight window and the internal electronics.
However, the Vortex Venom sight weighs 1.1 ounces whereas the Burris Fastfire 3 weighs 1.5 ounces. So, while this is only a difference of less than half an ounce, some shooters may prefer the lighter weight sight.
Winner: Vortex Venom
Reticle Size
In addition to the Venom sight weighing .4 ounces less than the Fastfire 3, the Venom also features a slightly larger sight window which measures 26.4mm by 16mm compared to that of the Fastfire 3 which has a sight window that measures 21mm x 15mm. Thus, the Vortex Venom will provide shooters with a slightly wider field of view which may be advantageous when trying to acquire a fast moving target.
Winner: Vortex Venom
Reticle Coating
The lenses on both sights are made from high quality optical glass that are fully multicoated which increases light transmission and eliminates reflections,
Winner: Tied
Dot Size
Both sights feature a single red dot reticle that cannot be changed to any other reticle style and they both feature 3 Minute of Angle dot sizes.
However, the Vortex Venom sight also provides shooters with the option of choosing a sight with a 6 MOA red dot instead while the Burris Fastfire 3 provides the option of choosing a sight with an 8 MOA red dot.
Thus, you should choose a sight with the larger dot when shooting at close ranges and choose one with a smaller dot when shooting at long ranges.
Winner: Tied
Brightness settings
The ability to adjust the brightness of the reticle is another key feature of any holographic or red dot sight and both the Vortex Venom and the Burris Fastfire 3 holographic sights feature manual brightness controls.
However, while the Venom features 10 levels of manual brightness control, the Fastfire 3 only provides shooters with 3 levels of manual brightness control.
But, both sights also feature an automatic mode in which the sight automatically adjusts the brightness of the dot based on the ambient light levels so that shooters will be able see the dot even in bright sunlight.
Winner: Vortex Venom
Battery life
While the ability to adjust the brightness of the reticle is a key feature on any holographic sight, so is the life of the battery.
After all, having a holographic sight mounted on your firearm is not particularly useful if you have to turn it on and off before and after each use because you are concerned about depleting the battery.
But, not all holographic sights have the same battery life.
The Vortex Venom sight has a battery life of 30,000 hours on the lowest setting and 150 hours on the brightest setting.
The Burris Fastfire 3 on the other hand has a battery life of 5,000 hours on the lowest setting and an unknown amount of time on the highest setting but, probably somewhat less than the Venom.
So, if extended battery life is of importance to you, then the Vortex Venom may be a better choice.
Winner: Vortex Venom
MSRP
Next of course, there is the issue of cost. While the Vortex Venom holographic sight has a Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price of $349.99, the Burris FastFire 3 has an MSRP of $299.99. Thus, the difference in cost is a mere $50.99 which is surprising given the added features of the Vortex Venom.
Winner: Burris FastFire 3
Value
Finally, there is the issue of which sight provides better value for the money since, with a lighter weight, a larger sight window, three times as many manual brightness level settings and, a significantly longer battery life, the Vortex Venom would appear to be the better value.
On the other hand, some shooters may find the Venom's 10 manual brightness level settings to be overly complicated and that it takes too long to cycle through them.
In addition, although the Burris Fastfire 3 weighs 0.4 ounces more than the Vortex Venom, the added weight may be due to a more rugged construction. Thus, some shooters may prefer the Fastfire 3 over the Venom.
However, the fact is that both sights provide shooters with a good value for the money in their respective price ranges and their rugged construction ensures that both sights will last for the life of the shooter.
Winner: Vortex Venom
Vortex Venom Specifications
The Vortex Venom is a low profile holographic sight with a rugged aluminum housing and a large sight window for a wide field of view.
It also features your choice of 3 MOA or 6 MOA bright red dots and an automatic brightness setting combined with 10 manual brightness settings.
Plus, its extended battery life means that you can leave the sight on all day long so that it's ready when you need it.
In addition, the Vortex Venom features a wide range of mounting options from Weaver to Picatinny and thus, it's the perfect holographic sight for mounting on a handgun, rifle, or shotgun.
Plus, it can also be paired with a Vortex VMX-3T 3 power magnifier for those shooters who like the convenience of a holographic sight but want to combine it with 3x magnification.
- Mount type Picatinny/Weaver
- Magnification 1x
- Reticle Size 26.4 mm x 16 mm
- Reticle Coating Fully multicoated
- Dot Color Bright red
- Dot Size 3 MOA or 6 MOA
- Brightness Settings Automatic or 10 manual levels
- Battery Life Brightest setting: 150 hours Lowest setting: 30,000 hours
- Waterproof/Shockproof Yes
- Length 1.9 inches
- Weight 1.1 oz.
- Adjustment Graduation 1 MOA
- Max. Elevation Adj. 130MOA
- Max. Windage Adj. 100 MOA
- Eye Relief Unlimited
- Parallax Setting Parallax Free
- MSRP $349.99
Burris FastFire 3 Specifications
Like the Vortex Venom, the Burris Fastfire 3 holographic sight is also a light weight, low profile, holographic sight with a rugged aluminum housing and its waterproof and shockproof design will stand up to years of hard use.
In addition, the Fastfire 3 also has a wide field of view and is available in your choice of 3 MOA or 8 MOA bright red dots for quick and accurate target acquisition.
Plus, with both an automatic brightness setting as well as three manual brightness settings, the Fastfire 3 is quicker and simpler to operate than the Vortex Venom.
- Mount type Picatinny/Weaver
- Magnification 1x
- Reticle Size 21 mm x 15 mm
- Reticle Coating Index Matched Hi-Lume Multicoating
- Dot Color Bright red
- Dot Size 3 MOA or 8 MOA
- Brightness Settings Automatic or 3 manual levels
- Battery Life Lowest Setting: 5,000 hours
- Waterproof/Shockproof Yes
- Length 1.9 inches
- Weight 1.5 oz.
- Adjustment Graduation 1 MOA
- Max. Elevation Adj. 115 MOA
- Max. Windage Adj. 86 MOA
- Eye Relief Unlimited
- Parallax Setting Parallax Free
- MSRP $299.99
Conclusion
So, which sight is better?
Well, that is difficult to say since it's really a matter of opinion.
But, what we can say is that the Vortex Venom is lighter, it has a larger sight window, it has more manual brightness settings and it has a significantly longer battery life than the Burris Fastfire 3 sight does.
On the other hand, the Vortex Venom may or may not be quite as rugged as the Burris Fastfire 3 because the Venom is 0.4 ounces lighter than the Fastfire 3.
In addition, the Fastfire 3 is simpler to operate with only three manual brightness level settings. Plus, the Fastfire 3 has an MSRP that is $50.00 less than that of the Vortex Venom.
Consequently, the question of which is the better sight is best left up to the shooter since opinions and experiences vary widely.
But, both sights are made by manufacturers with a solid reputation for producing quality optics and thus, either sight would be a good choice.