Bushnell Elite Series scopes?

[AaronL50]

Has anybody used the Bushnell Elite series scopes? I believe they were revamped a couple years ago. I have my eye on the bushnell Elite 4500 4-16 x 50 as a general all around hunting scope. (whitetails and western) I have found some info online about other bushnell scopes\products but not this particular scope or the Elite series. I do own a bushnell banner 3-9 scope on a ruger 10/22. That scope impressed me for the price. However I have no experience with bushnell's more premium products.

 

[Wrench]

They are good glass, super durable and heavy. They could use a bit more forgiveness on the top end eyebox...but were a bargain. I have several.

 

[AaronL50]

They are good glass, super durable and heavy. They could use a bit more forgiveness on the top end eyebox...but were a bargain. I have several.

I forgot to mention that currently I have a vortex crossfire 2 scope. Do you think the bushnell would be upgrade from that?

 

[Wrench]

I forgot to mention that currently I have a vortex crossfire 2 scope. Do you think the bushnell would be upgrade from that?

In every single way possible.

 

[35WhelenAI]

What range will you be hunting, what cartridge is the rifle chambered for?

Can't speak personally to the Bushnell 4500 series, but I have a Bausch and Lomb 3200 3-9x (40mm) on an '06 and 3200 1.5-4.5x (32mm, firefly reticle) on an 1895SS 45/70. They are good glass for the $$. B&L scopes don't have as much eye relief window as any Leupold I own. I have Leupold scopes (oldest is a 30 year old VXIIc to a new VX3HD CDS) on everything I carry on a regular basis.

My feeling is folks way over magnify and over "objectify" scopes these days. A 3-9x40 or similar is still a great choice for an all-around scope. I would look at the 2.5-10x40 Bushnell Elite before a 4x16x50 if you are going to go Bushnell. YMMV.

 

[AaronL50]

What range will you be hunting, what cartridge is the rifle chambered for?

Can't speak personally to the Bushnell 4500 series, but I have a Bausch and Lomb 3200 3-9x (40mm) on an '06 and 3200 1.5-4.5x (32mm, firefly reticle) on an 1895SS 45/70. They are good glass for the $$. B&L scopes don't have as much eye relief window as any Leupold I own. I have Leupold scopes (oldest is a 30 year old VXIIc to a new VX3HD CDS) on everything I carry on a regular basis.

My feeling is folks way over magnify and over "objectify" scopes these days. A 3-9x40 or similar is still a great choice for an all-around scope. I would look at the 2.5-10x40 Bushnell Elite before a 4x16x50 if you are going to go Bushnell. YMMV.

The rifle is chambered in 6.5 creedmoor. I plan on limiting my range to 500 yards. I'm only interested in hunting, not long range target shooting, or long range hunting for that matter. I'm leaning towards the 50mm objective for better lowlight visibility.

 

[35WhelenAI]

40mm objective on my 20 and 30 year old Leupolds is more than enough to take any shot well past legal shooting hours or stretching daybreak. That's based on experience. As are the 32mm and 40mm objectives on my two B&L 3200's. Don't over objectify. 500 yds definitely doesn't need more than a 9X or 10x on the top end. In most cases more magnification means more weight and more cost when it isn't necessary. But when that's what guys tout I guess you could fall down that rabbit hole. There is WAY too much hub-bub made over big objectives and higher magnification and it's needless in my opinion. Need to mount the scope higher, weighs more and all else equal costs more.

 

[svivian]

I have a bushnell elite 3200 made in Japan scope on one of my rifles and love it. Always dependable

 

[Kurts86]

I had a Bushnell Elite 4200 3-9x40 that I used my first 2 years hunting the west and it was optically good but lacking on features to dial and return to zero. It also took a fairly hard drop and shifted its zero 12 moa. I did manage to use it to kill an antelope at 450 yards the first year but the lack of return to zero burned me the second year.

If you can live with maximum point blank zeros or hunt somewhere with shots inside of 200 yards they are probably fine otherwise they are fairly dated optics.

 

[Weldor]

I had a 1.25 x 8 6500 series , after about 12 yrs the recticle focus went south. I sent it in , not made anymore. Bushnell offered me a credit for close to the amount I purchased the scope for. Can't complain at all about the scope or the new ones . It would be nice if they offered lower powered scopes on the legacy 6500's, great glass for the money.

 

[Cotay]

The only current manufacture "Elite" scopes that are made in Japan are the Elite Tactical scopes (XRS3 and DMR3). Discontinued models in the Elite Tactical, Elite 6500, Elite 4500, Elite 3500, Elite 4200, and Elite 3200 are also made in Japan.

The new 4500s with a "4X" printed on the scope after the 4500 are made in Korea by Su Optics. This includes the 4-16x50 Bushnell you are contemplating. Su Optics makes a perfectly respectable scope, but Bushnell really should be ashamed of themselves for using the Elite name to pass off an inferior product to those made by Light Optical Works in Japan.