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Top of the line Bushnell rifle scopes: How good? Login/Join 
You're going to feel
a little pressure...
posted
Hey all-

How good are the premium Bushnell scopes? Are their best anything worth considering?
I have a chance to buy one scope at a very favorable price. I am looking for something for longer distance and higher magnification.

Bruce






"The designer of the gun had clearly not been instructed to beat about the bush. 'Make it evil,' he'd been told. 'Make it totally clear that this gun has a right end and a wrong end. Make it totally clear to anyone standing at the wrong end that things are going badly for them. If that means sticking all sort of spikes and prongs and blackened bits all over it then so be it. This is not a gun for hanging over the fireplace or sticking in the umbrella stand, it is a gun for going out and making people miserable with." -Douglas Adams

“It is just as difficult and dangerous to try to free a people that wants to remain servile as it is to try to enslave a people that wants to remain free."
-Niccolo Machiavelli

The trouble with fighting for human freedom is that one spends most of one's time defending scoundrels. For it is against scoundrels that oppressive laws are first aimed, and oppression must be stopped at the beginning if it is to be stopped at all. -Mencken
 
Posts: 4245 | Location: AK-49 | Registered: October 06, 2011Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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I haven't tried the very latest Top of the line Bushnells but I have a few of the older Elite series. The 4000 Series Elites I found to be better than Leupold Vari-X III's which were the leopold higher line hunting scopes at the time. I had a couple of their 30mm Tube Elite Tacticals and their Glass was on par or maybe slightly better than Nightforce NSX. I don't know if they were as tough as Nightforce but I haven't broken one yet at still have them after more than a decade.

If I were you I'd make sure that they have enough elevation adjustment for the distances you are shooting but I wouldn't worry about the quality of the glass if it's a Japan made Bushnell. I'd pass if it's a Chinese built scope.

I think it was a HUGE mistake for Bushnell to do away with the Bausch and Lomb label for their higher end glass. It really separated them from the cheaper and not near as good Chinese made Bushnell Scopes. Now you really have to examine each particular model to know if it of the higher Bausch and Lomb quality type or less expensive Bushnell.

There are some good scopes and bargains to be had. Just don't expect Swarovski or Schmidt und Bender level glass.


Remember, this is all supposed to be for fun...................
 
Posts: 4123 | Registered: April 06, 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Truth Wins
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I had a Bausch and Lomb Elite 4000 that was fantastic. Great glass. Held zero year in and year out. It was on top of a Ruger M77 .30-06. I unfortunately damaged it on the very first shot when it slipped in the rings and impacted where the tube funneled up to the magnification ring. I lapped the rings, used touch up paint to cover the mark, remounted an re-zeroed. It held zero through many, many rounds, and quite a few deer. It's still on that rifle with my son, still going strong.

I also had a Trophy (with the high contrast yellow coating) back in the very early 90s on a Weatherby Vanguard in .270 Winchester. That was a very good scope, too, that held zero year in and year out and, and help me take several deer with that rifle.

I haven't had a Bushnell since my Elite 4000. But I suspect Bushnell's top end scopes are good. I see a lot of them on the range.


_____________
"I enter a swamp as a sacred place—a sanctum sanctorum. There is the strength—the marrow of Nature." - Henry David Thoreau
 
Posts: 4285 | Location: In The Swamp | Registered: January 03, 2010Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Bruce, need to tell us which one. The Country of Origin would be the deciding factor for me. If it is made in Japan I would consider it. If made elsewhere I would bag it. What scope is it?



"Practice like you want to play in the game"
 
Posts: 19111 | Registered: September 21, 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
You're going to feel
a little pressure...
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ORC, I legitimately don't know. I have a chance to buy anything they sell through an employee purchase program, at work. I was asking for opinions so I can know if I should even bother researching.
At a glance, I think the 3.5-21x56 looks like it would do nicely.


Bruce






"The designer of the gun had clearly not been instructed to beat about the bush. 'Make it evil,' he'd been told. 'Make it totally clear that this gun has a right end and a wrong end. Make it totally clear to anyone standing at the wrong end that things are going badly for them. If that means sticking all sort of spikes and prongs and blackened bits all over it then so be it. This is not a gun for hanging over the fireplace or sticking in the umbrella stand, it is a gun for going out and making people miserable with." -Douglas Adams

“It is just as difficult and dangerous to try to free a people that wants to remain servile as it is to try to enslave a people that wants to remain free."
-Niccolo Machiavelli

The trouble with fighting for human freedom is that one spends most of one's time defending scoundrels. For it is against scoundrels that oppressive laws are first aimed, and oppression must be stopped at the beginning if it is to be stopped at all. -Mencken
 
Posts: 4245 | Location: AK-49 | Registered: October 06, 2011Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Green grass and
high tides
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I am sure the expert F class paperpunchers will be along to tell you they do not compete with the premier scope brands. And that is probably true. The top of line Bushnell scopes are pretty darn good though. So if you can get a deal and they are made in Japan or Europe than I would give it some consideration. Look on Swfa's sample list site for more info.

Good luck brother!



"Practice like you want to play in the game"
 
Posts: 19111 | Registered: September 21, 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
You're going to feel
a little pressure...
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I would love to have a $3000 Schmidt and Bender but it's not in the budget. However, if I can have a $2000 Bushnell for $800, THAT I can budget.

Looking forward to hearing more impressions of current offerings.

Bruce






"The designer of the gun had clearly not been instructed to beat about the bush. 'Make it evil,' he'd been told. 'Make it totally clear that this gun has a right end and a wrong end. Make it totally clear to anyone standing at the wrong end that things are going badly for them. If that means sticking all sort of spikes and prongs and blackened bits all over it then so be it. This is not a gun for hanging over the fireplace or sticking in the umbrella stand, it is a gun for going out and making people miserable with." -Douglas Adams

“It is just as difficult and dangerous to try to free a people that wants to remain servile as it is to try to enslave a people that wants to remain free."
-Niccolo Machiavelli

The trouble with fighting for human freedom is that one spends most of one's time defending scoundrels. For it is against scoundrels that oppressive laws are first aimed, and oppression must be stopped at the beginning if it is to be stopped at all. -Mencken
 
Posts: 4245 | Location: AK-49 | Registered: October 06, 2011Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Green grass and
high tides
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i do not think the LRS is a current offering but a pretty darn good scope. Sounds like this is also pretty good. And at the top of their line. At least last year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mByTTU2XR3E



"Practice like you want to play in the game"
 
Posts: 19111 | Registered: September 21, 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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I have owned a Bushnell Elite handgun scope (LER)for many years (2x6?)It has served me well.
 
Posts: 4609 | Location: Chicago, IL, USA: | Registered: November 17, 2002Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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I checked it out on the Bushnell Website:

https://www.bushnell.com/rifle...pe-black/P01560.html

The last line of the spec sheet was the most important one for me. It's made in Japan.

Looks like an excellent scope to me. If I had the funds for one I wouldn't hesitate using one.......


Remember, this is all supposed to be for fun...................
 
Posts: 4123 | Registered: April 06, 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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I have a Bushnell Elite Tactical DMR and Elite Tactical XRS. Both are very good scopes and at the current prices they are selling at exceptional values. I haven't done a side by side comparison of the glass, but I would say they are pretty close to my Vortex Razor scope. I've shot the DMR out to 1000 yards and don't feel like the scope held me back.
 
Posts: 541 | Location: Gunnison, CO | Registered: March 25, 2003Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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quote:
Originally posted by RNshooter:
How good are the premium Bushnell scopes? Are their best anything worth considering?
I have a chance to buy one scope at a very favorable price. I am looking for something for longer distance and higher magnification.

I recommend looking through any scope prior to buying it. The specs for the higher end Bushnell scopes look good, however your eyes are the key factor. ED glass and a zero stop will be important for your long distance targets. IMO getting a feel for the turrets and observing the reticle is important.

There is a growing number of higher magnification scopes which tout short overall length. I don't know if Bushnell is in this category or not. But I've looked through a couple of short-ish models by respectable brands and found that (1) the center of the scope was really clear and (2) the optical clarity decreased noticeably towards the edges of view. Now for someone who only uses the center of the reticle as an aimpoint, this makes no difference at all. However, for those who regularly hold off elevation and wind, the lack of clarity isn't optimal.

Again, see if you can get behind your preferred model(s) prior to buying.
 
Posts: 7853 | Location: Colorado | Registered: January 26, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
You're going to feel
a little pressure...
posted Hide Post
I hope that one of the instructors has one of these scopes that I can look through. One of them is a "King of 2 Mile" guy so I am hopeful that he has one. If not, I will just go with the best advice and hope that I am happy with it. If not, I should be able to break even if I sell it, given the company discount.

Bruce






"The designer of the gun had clearly not been instructed to beat about the bush. 'Make it evil,' he'd been told. 'Make it totally clear that this gun has a right end and a wrong end. Make it totally clear to anyone standing at the wrong end that things are going badly for them. If that means sticking all sort of spikes and prongs and blackened bits all over it then so be it. This is not a gun for hanging over the fireplace or sticking in the umbrella stand, it is a gun for going out and making people miserable with." -Douglas Adams

“It is just as difficult and dangerous to try to free a people that wants to remain servile as it is to try to enslave a people that wants to remain free."
-Niccolo Machiavelli

The trouble with fighting for human freedom is that one spends most of one's time defending scoundrels. For it is against scoundrels that oppressive laws are first aimed, and oppression must be stopped at the beginning if it is to be stopped at all. -Mencken
 
Posts: 4245 | Location: AK-49 | Registered: October 06, 2011Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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I have both the 2 DMR's and 2 ERS.Both are3.5-21X50mm. Both track perfectly and optics are very crisp with no CA to my eyes.I am a Nightforce guy. Are the equal to the NXS line, no but are darn close.After buying 7 NF scopes thought I'd try something more pocket book friendly. Have not been disappointed at all.
 
Posts: 1836 | Location: Arizona | Registered: June 20, 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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