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Bushnell scope ?
- Thread starter rebs
- Start date
I've shot many Bushnell scopes over the past thirty years. For a long time, Bushnell was the "everyman" scope and you can still find them in bubble packs in the big box stores. Many of the rifles I see on pawn shop racks have Bushnell scopes mounted and I own several myself. The vast majority of them provide yeoman service for the guy on a budget, who can't afford to spend multiple hundreds of dollars on a rifle scope he'll use three months out of the year. The optics quality is about what you'd expect for a $100.00 scope, which means that it's light-years ahead of the optics we had 40 years ago. Some of the high-end Bushnells are very nice scopes and some of the lower end scopes do just fine. In optics, as in all things, you get what you pay for, but it's my experience that optics are generally better now than they were in the past.
NoSecondBest
New member
I currently own five Bushnell scopes and over the years have owned many more. Like all manufacturers they sell a full line of optics. They have very high end scopes, mid priced scopes and low priced scopes. The very low end scopes are comparable to everyone elses low end scopes. They are made in China and the quality can be all over the map. Chinese products are hit and miss. They can make a thousand of something and they can all be bad, or at best half bad. Bushnell sells a lot of introductory scopes on firearms sold at places like Dicks Sporting Goods that come on the rifle. These scopes that they say are a hundred dollar value can be found selling brand new on the internet at a number of sources for anywhere from twenty-two dollars up to forty-five dollars. Some of my friends have them and they seem to work OK but they shoot very little. I've seen a couple quit working after just a couple of shots. My experience has been that the mid priced and high end hold up very well. If I were you, I'd keep an eye out for year end clearance on the mid priced and "dropped" models of their Elite series of scopes. You can get one of those for around two hundred dollars (sometimes less) and they offer their lifetime no BS guarantee with this series which they do stand behind. I've never had an Elite have a problem and I shoot a lot. Just my two cents.
Brian Pfleuger
Moderator Emeritus
I've had many Bushnell scopes. Only one has given me an issue and that was mounted on a 12ga and wouldn't hold zero fired in a lead sled. Rough test for a $100 scope.
They're mid range scopes are not as good as Mueller, IMO.
Higher end are decent but not as good as Sightron.
They're mid range scopes are not as good as Mueller, IMO.
Higher end are decent but not as good as Sightron.
Saltydog235
New member
Their lower end Banner Scopes are junk and I wouldn't put one on a BB gun.
Step up to the 3200 Elite's and you have decent peice of glass that'll give good service.
Go up to the 4200 Elites and you have a peice of glass comperable to the VX3and other mid grade glass at a lower price point. I have two 2.5X10X50 with the #4 Ill Reticle on a couple of hunting rifles and they are great for their purpose. They aren't target scopes with the thicker reticles but early dawn and dusk hunting conditions they really do the work.
The 6500 and Tactical are really nice glass but cost considerably more than the 4200's did with no noticable tradeoff to justify the price for me.
I haven't looked through any of the New Elite sereis that replace the 3200 and 4200 series but wouldn't think they made a step down.
They also have a high end series for the LE and Military but I cannot remember what they are called other than expensive.
Like others have said, Bushnell is a multilayer company offering a lot of different lines of product. My understanding is the better glass came off of the aquisistion or rebranding of the Baush and Lomb brand.
Step up to the 3200 Elite's and you have decent peice of glass that'll give good service.
Go up to the 4200 Elites and you have a peice of glass comperable to the VX3and other mid grade glass at a lower price point. I have two 2.5X10X50 with the #4 Ill Reticle on a couple of hunting rifles and they are great for their purpose. They aren't target scopes with the thicker reticles but early dawn and dusk hunting conditions they really do the work.
The 6500 and Tactical are really nice glass but cost considerably more than the 4200's did with no noticable tradeoff to justify the price for me.
I haven't looked through any of the New Elite sereis that replace the 3200 and 4200 series but wouldn't think they made a step down.
They also have a high end series for the LE and Military but I cannot remember what they are called other than expensive.
Like others have said, Bushnell is a multilayer company offering a lot of different lines of product. My understanding is the better glass came off of the aquisistion or rebranding of the Baush and Lomb brand.
wnycollector
New member
I am looking at a 4-16 x 40 for my AR-15 I know its cheap at 100.00 for a scope
I have two Bushnell Trophy XLT scopes. They are decent quality but they were in the $200 range. Every lower tier Bushnell I have seen, the quality of the glass was sorely lacking.
If you want a decent higher power scope check out the Mueller 4.5-14x40 APV. I own three of these scopes and they are a lot of bang for the buck. The quality of the glass on the Mueller scopes is much better than their price point would suggest.
the rifleer
New member
Yep, I have a 3200 10x mil dot on a K31 and I am very happy with it. I was shooting at either 100 or 200 yards, don't remember which, but I calculated that I needed 80 clicks up to shoot at 600 yards. So, I moved it 80 clicks up and fired a round and I was on target. Granted it took a few adjustment clicks to get it exactly in the X, but shoot, if I can move back to 600 yards and move it 80 clicks up like i calculated and be on target, I'm happy.
NoSecondBest
New member
If you want a decent higher power scope check out the Mueller 4.5-14x40 APV. I own three of these scopes and they are a lot of bang for the buck. The quality of the glass on the Mueller scopes is much better than their price point would suggest.
wnycollector
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The Mueller APV is a rimfire scope not reccommended for use on a centerfire rifle. It's a decent rimfire scope (I have one) but it is not intended for the recoil from anything other than a rimfire.
I have a banner with the illuminated center fire reticle, it has etched hashmarks, so I may not be prone to broken crosshairs.
The only flaw, that's not a flaw for my application, is when you turn the brightness up it floods the scope. I only use it on the dimmest setting and I don't see the need for the brighter settings. But, this may be an issue for others, I only noticed it on accident, as I turned the knob the wrong way.
The only flaw, that's not a flaw for my application, is when you turn the brightness up it floods the scope. I only use it on the dimmest setting and I don't see the need for the brighter settings. But, this may be an issue for others, I only noticed it on accident, as I turned the knob the wrong way.
wnycollector
New member
The Mueller APV is a rimfire scope not reccommended for use on a centerfire rifle. It's a decent rimfire scope (I have one) but it is not intended for the recoil from anything other than a rimfire.
I believe the APV is designed for "smaller caliber rifles" so long as the OP's AR-15 is 5.56 he should be good to go.
Brian Pfleuger
Moderator Emeritus
I've seen numerous references of the APV on fairly significant center fire rifles. 7mm-08 and 30-06 in particular. I haven't seen reports of any problems. I have no idea what they're designed for but they apparently hold up to recoil just fine.
NoSecondBest
New member
Quote:
The Mueller APV is a rimfire scope not reccommended for use on a centerfire rifle. It's a decent rimfire scope (I have one) but it is not intended for the recoil from anything other than a rimfire.
I believe the APV is designed for "smaller caliber rifles" so long as the OP's AR-15 is 5.56 he should be good to go.
Go to Mueller's web site. They specifically list the APV as a rimfire scope and will not honor the warranty if put on a center fire rifle. There is a wealth of info if you do any research on this and a lot of very disappointed people have ruined this scope shooting it on a centerfire rifle. You can put any scope on a centerfire and say you don't have a problem but shoot it a while and see what happens. If you don't shoot much at all it may last a little while. However, when the manufacturer advises against it, it's probably a good idea to take their advice.
Weaver now owned by the firearms conglomerate ATK makes some pretty good scopes in the $100+ range. They use japanese glass I think which is pretty high quality than the cheap stuff from China.
I have a Weaver 2x7x32 Rimfire scope which is just as clear or better than a Leuphold counterpart for nearly half the cost.
I have a $50 Bushnell 4X32 scope which holds its zero but its like veiwing in the dark in comparison. I think the high level Bushnell stuff is pretty good but the low end is pretty comparable to all the cheap Chinese stuff with brand names BSA, Simmons, Tasco, etc the low end of consumer products sold at Academy, Walmart, and Gander Mt.
In optics you generally get performance comparable to the price you are willing to pay. The law of diminishing returns starts to apply after you reach the $500 range.
The sub $100 entry level stuff is junk only suited for plinking. The midlevel stuff is generally where you start to see quality and performance (optical quality) and may scopes approach $200 and above.
I have a Weaver 2x7x32 Rimfire scope which is just as clear or better than a Leuphold counterpart for nearly half the cost.
I have a $50 Bushnell 4X32 scope which holds its zero but its like veiwing in the dark in comparison. I think the high level Bushnell stuff is pretty good but the low end is pretty comparable to all the cheap Chinese stuff with brand names BSA, Simmons, Tasco, etc the low end of consumer products sold at Academy, Walmart, and Gander Mt.
In optics you generally get performance comparable to the price you are willing to pay. The law of diminishing returns starts to apply after you reach the $500 range.
The sub $100 entry level stuff is junk only suited for plinking. The midlevel stuff is generally where you start to see quality and performance (optical quality) and may scopes approach $200 and above.
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wnycollector
New member
Go to Mueller's web site. They specifically list the A as a rimfire scope
I agree that if you go to the Mueller webste and click Rimfire Scopes you will see the APV listed there. You will also find the APV listed under Big Game, Tactical, Target and Varmint. I think the APV does really live up to its name All Purpose Variable.
Japanese/Chinese glass has came a long way in the last few years. I refuse to pay more than a couple of hundred dollar for a scope. Now if I was going on my dream hunt to Africa, Alaska for bear or whatever I would put the finest glass I could buy on my rifles just to make sure it worked, but to punch paper or go after a pig or whitetail in the next county if it breaks I just pick up a new one at Dicks on the way home. I have a 100 dollar Bushnell that I have been using for load development on a AR platform for years now.