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Good day all!
I figured I would post a quick review of the new(ish) Bushnell BTR 1-4x scope that I just picked up.
I am a competitive shooter in NRA high power as well as the CMP, so optics that are "legal" for competition are my bread and butter. Before getting this Bushnell, I was using the Nikon P223 with the associated Nikon mounts. It was a great scope, but the reticle was a bit dim at 600 yards and made it tough to see the black of the target against the black of the reticle. The Nikon did really well at 100, 200, and 300 yards and the BDC was dead on at those ranges.
I have had an AR series 3-9 power on my 22" AR for several years, and it has been great for holding zero and use out to 200 yards, but not being a match eligible platform I had never tried it at longer ranges, but the clarity and reticle are really good. I figured that the new BTR reticle would only improve on their lineup of AR optics.
The biggest reason I chose the Bushnell is that the BTR reticle is really unique in several ways. When I was looking into illuminated reticles in a variable power scope, most companies just had one red dot illuminated in the center, such as the Vortex Crossfire. That does the average hunter or shooter plenty of good, as you have a defined and bright aim point for targets for whatever range you zero your rifle. It does not give ranging capabilities or fast holdovers the way a BDC does however. I was spoiled by my issued rifle, which had an RCO (ACOG) at first and later an Elcan, and there is no comparison between the Elcan and any other optic out there. Unfortunately, I am not independently wealthy and I have no wish for any of my Uncles to pass away regardless of if they are rich or not.
The BTR reticle has a great center etched reticle that is very visible even with no illumination, and in bright light the red disappears completely. The pronounced "i" at the center makes shooting at the 100 yard line an absolute breeze, it reminds me of my match front sight post. It is designed to use that aim point for both the 100 and 200, although I have not tried it at further ranges yet. The lower hashes are for the 3, 4, 5, and 600 yard lines respectively, shooting a 55 grain 5.56mm with a muzzle velocity of 3240 FPS.
The other cool feature is a First Focal Plane design, which means that as you reduce magnification, the reticle shrinks as well. What this does for the shooter is at 1x you effectively have a red dot style optic that looks very similar to the eye as the horse shoe reticle familiar to those that use an Eo Tech. With the lower power output of the illumination, the red dot will not be nearly as bright as a dedicated 1x style scope, but it will be clearly visible for any indoor situation and the black etching is still very clear on most targets regardless.
The windage and elevation are in mils (vice the reticle which is in yards) which is strange but still useable. With mils, 3 clicks is an inch at 100 yards. Not the easy math that 1/4" clicks give, but still fairly suitable even for Marine math skills. The scope was on paper in 4 rounds, and dead center at 7. Being the ignoramous I am, I sighted it at the local match where we start in the standing position. Hey, ammo is expensive and hard to come by these days, and score means nothing but bragging rights around here. When we did the rapid fire prone stage, I was landing all rounds in the 10 ring with 2 fliers, an 8 and a 9. I had the tightest group ever out of that rifle using this optic.
Eye relief is generous and adaptable, but as with any AR platform, getting a proper mount with a cantilever and height well suited to the shooter is essential. I love the Weaver one piece cantilever mounts, and have three of them for various rifles, they set the scope perfectly forward and proper height for my cheek weld. This will not hold true for every shooter, so if you are unsure, borrow a buddy's where practical and try it out. The Bushnell uses a 30mm mount where the Nikon used a 1" mount, the only difference I really noted was in weight. Opening up the field of view by 6mm is not really enough of a difference to tell for most situations anyways, but the additional 5ish oz of weight may make less sense on a lightweight build.
The evil gremlins are present with this scope as well, unfortunately. Bushnell has yet to find a good power management system, so if you leave the illumination on, the battery will die and fast. I made that mistake last weekend, and when I went to clean the rifle a few days later, the red was a very dim glow. The battery cap is also tough to remove as it has no keyway at all, and is very slim. The turrets for elevation and windage do not lock and require a tool to index back to zero, both of which are not optimal for a competitive shooter. The Nikon had quick index turrets, which I really loved.
Long story short, this is not just an excellent scope for AR platforms, it functions as a decent red dot as well. With an MSRP of $300 it is a steal, and there are 1-8x options for those not limited by CMP rules. I can't truly express how clear and bright the glass was, but I will say that I would take this scope over an ACOG any day for any sort of competitive or accuracy based shooting. I have tried to get pics of the scope in the 1x illuminated, 4x illuminated, and 4x non illuminated settings, but as ever technology is not my friend. I will allow for many a comment over how best to capture reticle pictures with a phone, for I have found no good way.
And for those of you who stuck through my dry and wandering diatribe of a review, here is a link where you can score a similarly awesome scope and 200 rounds of American Eagle .223 ammo as a package deal. Last I checked, with ammo running almost a dollar a round, this is the smoking deal for the 2020 holiday season.
Buy AR Optics 4.5-18x40 Multi-Turret Riflescope & American Eagle .223 Bundle and More | Bushnell
Stay well, and thanks for reading! I especially appreciate comments that are personally degrading and insensitive.
I figured I would post a quick review of the new(ish) Bushnell BTR 1-4x scope that I just picked up.
I am a competitive shooter in NRA high power as well as the CMP, so optics that are "legal" for competition are my bread and butter. Before getting this Bushnell, I was using the Nikon P223 with the associated Nikon mounts. It was a great scope, but the reticle was a bit dim at 600 yards and made it tough to see the black of the target against the black of the reticle. The Nikon did really well at 100, 200, and 300 yards and the BDC was dead on at those ranges.
I have had an AR series 3-9 power on my 22" AR for several years, and it has been great for holding zero and use out to 200 yards, but not being a match eligible platform I had never tried it at longer ranges, but the clarity and reticle are really good. I figured that the new BTR reticle would only improve on their lineup of AR optics.
The biggest reason I chose the Bushnell is that the BTR reticle is really unique in several ways. When I was looking into illuminated reticles in a variable power scope, most companies just had one red dot illuminated in the center, such as the Vortex Crossfire. That does the average hunter or shooter plenty of good, as you have a defined and bright aim point for targets for whatever range you zero your rifle. It does not give ranging capabilities or fast holdovers the way a BDC does however. I was spoiled by my issued rifle, which had an RCO (ACOG) at first and later an Elcan, and there is no comparison between the Elcan and any other optic out there. Unfortunately, I am not independently wealthy and I have no wish for any of my Uncles to pass away regardless of if they are rich or not.
The BTR reticle has a great center etched reticle that is very visible even with no illumination, and in bright light the red disappears completely. The pronounced "i" at the center makes shooting at the 100 yard line an absolute breeze, it reminds me of my match front sight post. It is designed to use that aim point for both the 100 and 200, although I have not tried it at further ranges yet. The lower hashes are for the 3, 4, 5, and 600 yard lines respectively, shooting a 55 grain 5.56mm with a muzzle velocity of 3240 FPS.
The other cool feature is a First Focal Plane design, which means that as you reduce magnification, the reticle shrinks as well. What this does for the shooter is at 1x you effectively have a red dot style optic that looks very similar to the eye as the horse shoe reticle familiar to those that use an Eo Tech. With the lower power output of the illumination, the red dot will not be nearly as bright as a dedicated 1x style scope, but it will be clearly visible for any indoor situation and the black etching is still very clear on most targets regardless.
The windage and elevation are in mils (vice the reticle which is in yards) which is strange but still useable. With mils, 3 clicks is an inch at 100 yards. Not the easy math that 1/4" clicks give, but still fairly suitable even for Marine math skills. The scope was on paper in 4 rounds, and dead center at 7. Being the ignoramous I am, I sighted it at the local match where we start in the standing position. Hey, ammo is expensive and hard to come by these days, and score means nothing but bragging rights around here. When we did the rapid fire prone stage, I was landing all rounds in the 10 ring with 2 fliers, an 8 and a 9. I had the tightest group ever out of that rifle using this optic.
Eye relief is generous and adaptable, but as with any AR platform, getting a proper mount with a cantilever and height well suited to the shooter is essential. I love the Weaver one piece cantilever mounts, and have three of them for various rifles, they set the scope perfectly forward and proper height for my cheek weld. This will not hold true for every shooter, so if you are unsure, borrow a buddy's where practical and try it out. The Bushnell uses a 30mm mount where the Nikon used a 1" mount, the only difference I really noted was in weight. Opening up the field of view by 6mm is not really enough of a difference to tell for most situations anyways, but the additional 5ish oz of weight may make less sense on a lightweight build.
The evil gremlins are present with this scope as well, unfortunately. Bushnell has yet to find a good power management system, so if you leave the illumination on, the battery will die and fast. I made that mistake last weekend, and when I went to clean the rifle a few days later, the red was a very dim glow. The battery cap is also tough to remove as it has no keyway at all, and is very slim. The turrets for elevation and windage do not lock and require a tool to index back to zero, both of which are not optimal for a competitive shooter. The Nikon had quick index turrets, which I really loved.
Long story short, this is not just an excellent scope for AR platforms, it functions as a decent red dot as well. With an MSRP of $300 it is a steal, and there are 1-8x options for those not limited by CMP rules. I can't truly express how clear and bright the glass was, but I will say that I would take this scope over an ACOG any day for any sort of competitive or accuracy based shooting. I have tried to get pics of the scope in the 1x illuminated, 4x illuminated, and 4x non illuminated settings, but as ever technology is not my friend. I will allow for many a comment over how best to capture reticle pictures with a phone, for I have found no good way.
And for those of you who stuck through my dry and wandering diatribe of a review, here is a link where you can score a similarly awesome scope and 200 rounds of American Eagle .223 ammo as a package deal. Last I checked, with ammo running almost a dollar a round, this is the smoking deal for the 2020 holiday season.
Buy AR Optics 4.5-18x40 Multi-Turret Riflescope & American Eagle .223 Bundle and More | Bushnell
Stay well, and thanks for reading! I especially appreciate comments that are personally degrading and insensitive.
