This Is Not Your Father's Oldsmo... er, I Mean Bushnell

[3MTA3]

When I was a youngin' most of the people we knew used open sights. The few people that had scopes usually had Bushnell's as we were all working class folks without a lot of money. Tasco was that cheap Japanese stuff you bought if you couldn't buy 'Merican (like Bushnell, Redfield or Weaver), and everybody lusted after that Leupold we couldn't afford. My how the times have changed! Over time Bushnell got a reputation as a less than desirable optic as other choices became available and more affordable or maybe we became more equipment snobby and not skill oriented. All I can say is that I haven't looked through one in decades.

It looks like Bushnell has taken some major leaps forward in recent months and years. This video really opened my eyes, and I think I would definitely consider Bushnell if I went lookign for a new hunting scope. I like solid equipment that won't make me cry if I need to replace it.

Who out there is runner a newer Bushnell and what do you think about it?

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[Nosferatu]

Most scopes these days have good image quality, they are all buying their glass from the same few places.

Where the extra dollars gets you is more consistency, better turrets, lower weight and of course different reticles.

The Engage series seems to be a good bang for the buck. I was looking at them a while ago, but ended up with a Trijicon instead.

 

[Caveman Jim]

As you may know, Caveman be old school and rocks a 35+ year old Bushnell Buckhorn on the 10/22 Deluxe. I haven't needed a hunting scope for a decade or more.
Good Luck with them, they look promising though.

 

[oldandbroken]

My Bushnell Elite Tactical XRSII works. Japanese glass.

 

[monkeybutler]

I have a Bushnell Elite Tactical SMRS 1-6.5 which is tip-top. Glass is from LOW (Japan). I think I paid 650 from Eurooptic when they were blowing them out. Nice clean simple reticle.

 

[oldandbroken]

I have a Bushnell Elite Tactical SMRS 1-6.5 which is tip-top. Glass is from LOW (Japan). I think I paid 650 from Eurooptic when they were blowing them out. Nice clean simple reticle.
View attachment 1119940

LOW, yup. Same company that previously made the NF glass and makes high end Vortex.

 

[monkeybutler]

LOW, yup. Same company that previously made the NF glass and makes high end Vortex.

Right. But... who makes NF glass now, for the NXS and NX8?

 

[No_Regerts]

Since the early 2000s when Bushnell brought the Bausch & Lomb line under their name, they've had great scopes that many didn't know about. The Elite 4200 is one of my favorite scopes.

 

[daved20319]

I have one of the Engage series scopes, the 4-12x40 (?), 1" tube, MOA reticle. Nice scope for the money, but I do have a couple of minor gripes with the reticle. First, it's so damn fine that it disappears against a dark background, I had to switch to red targets to see it. Second, with 1 MOA hash marks, it's kind of busy, my Sightron S-TAC with the 2 MOA hashes is a much quieter scope. That said, the Engage is going to bump my Sightron off my Grendel AR, I need to determine if a problem I'm having is a scope issue or an eye issue . Later.

Dave

 

[dangerranger60]

Since the 1970's all scopes have jumped ahead in quality! even very cheap ones.
The cheap scopes of today are of equal visual quality to a good scope from back then.
The last 20 years have had top end scopes make the most improvement.
Part of that is people are willing to spend that kind of money on great scopes.
I would put a new $150 scope up against my Leopold 3x9 Verix from 1977 for visual quality. But anew Leopold has improved too! DR

 

[mhayd93]

I have a Bushnell Prime 3-9x40 with the illuminated reticle. It's mounted on a 300WM rifle; it sighted in easily and has held zero perfectly!

I find the image clarity (and especially color contrast) to be much better than the Vortex Crossfire II that I previously was using. I tried it on a whim because there was a huge sale on Bushnell products at Optics Planet last Summer—I have been pleasantly surprised!

 

[Steel Head]

The bushy elite tactical has always been a solid option.

The tac 15X45 spotters is another decent product.

 

[P7M13]

Is the review in the OP a legit guy, or just someone hawking Bushnell?
I made it five minutes in, and it seems like an infomercial.

 

[monkeybutler]

Is the review in the OP a legit guy, or just someone hawking Bushnell?
I made it five minutes in, and it seems like an infomercial.

I had not watched it before. He does seem a bit biased. My highest-line Bushnell is very nice but it sure does not beat my Steiner military scope.

 

[Mikej]

Does this mean I can take the covering of the NC Star that I put on my AR because I didn't know any better? And I didn't think to consult the good board members first?

 

[3MTA3]

Is the review in the OP a legit guy, or just someone hawking Bushnell?
I made it five minutes in, and it seems like an infomercial.

There are only a small number of YT channels that IMO have high credibility. This one caught my eye because I hadn't seen anything on Bushnell in a long time and was curious. Two things I did note: All the scopes were provided by Bushnell (could be special ones), and he had zero negative comments in this or the the follow up videos. That's one of the reasons I posted this thread - to see what other forum members thought about the current Bushnell line.

 

[P7M13]

There are only a small number of YT channels that IMO have high credibility. This one caught my eye because I hadn't seen anything on Bushnell in a long time and was curious. Two things I did note: All the scopes were provided by Bushnell (could be special ones), and he had zero negative comments in this or the the follow up videos. That's one of the reasons I posted this thread - to see what other forum members thought about the current Bushnell line.

Valid.
Based on a YT review, I recently picked up a Burris Fullfield E1 4.5-14x44 for $175. Review can be seen here.
While I haven't mounted it on my 260 yet, it's been riding on an AR for "look / see" and it has held up to the expectation that the YT reviewer generated.
Not long after ordering it, I bought a used Tasco TR4 from another NWFA member, a model that has what I would call a legendary reputation. The Burris smokes it.
No matter, the TR4 is going on a 22.

Edit to add: For what I would consider a remarkable review, you can look at this one for the Meopta Optika6. I bought the scope based on what I read, and it is everything the writer claimed thus far. Don't think I'll beat it to death like he did his.