Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Bushnell Scopechief VI, 1.5- 4.5x

Any history on this scope as far as quality goes? I just picked up a vintage rifle with this scope mounted on it, and I was wondering about it. The scope appears about new. Thanks for any info.

I bought a Scopechief V back in '73. The VI wasn't available then as far as I recall. The SC V was a nice scope, actually still is. I still have and use it on a 25-06. I think it would probably be comparable to a 3200, but others may disagree.

I had one for a long time on my m77 30-06. A great scope. Took many whitetail with that set-up.

Thanks. It seems like a decent scope, but actual use will tell.

I have one for sale; I had it on my Rem 4200 in 308. In Michigan's woods, few shots are more than 75 yards. I like the ability to go from crosshair to post with cross hair with a flick of the finger. Great field of view & great for early AM or late PM shots/ Chaz

I have a Scopechief, but not the power you have. Mine is a 6-20x and is a very fine scope. I've read nothing but good things about Scopechiefs by others who have and use them, in varying powers.

Don

if you turn the scope over and look on the bottom near the occular you will see a made in Japan and a "B&L" stamp inside an oval. these scopes where mfr. by Baush & Lomb for Bushnell. this was before bushnell bought the sports optics division from baush & lomb and took the Elite line for bushnell. they are a very well made scope with a lifetime garantee. they would cmpare to at least the 3200 elites. once bushnell had the elite line they dropped the scopechiefs but not until after they shipped the mfr. of the last scope chiefs to the phillipines i think and ruined what was once a very nice scope. B&L also mfr. the Banner II series scopes for bushnell for a time. they too will have the same B&L stamp inside an oval on the underside of the tube. they too are a nice old scope, i have both scope chief and banner II series i picked up cheap because someone didn't know what they where. my .02 on the matter anyway.

JimHnSTL,has it nailed.These where a higher end Bushnell scope in the mid 80's.I had a girl aquaintance I knew that worked a B&L(which is headquartered here in Rochester NY) get me a couple at cost(I beleive around $150.00)Still have one(had it mounted on a 300 Roy for many years.Scope I have is a 4x12 AO with BDC(Bullet drop compensator)Guess I was using turrets before I knew what a turret was...

Bingo. I turned it over and was able to see the BL logo and made in Japan stamp. I had a feeling this was a bit better than a take-off throw away. I picked up a minty old BLR with the hang down magazine in .358 Win (already have one, but I thought I would upgrade). Looks like the scope and rifle never saw the woods.

I too had a nice old Banner that I gave away. That person still uses it on his slug shotgun.

Thanks guys. I will get a picture up later. Just got back from hanging another stand. I can't wait for some cooler weather.

Sakoluvr,
I had a couple 1.5-4.5 Scopechiefs many years ago. I ran one on my 35 Whelen and another on a Knight muzzleloader. About the only downside was that low light performance just wasn't up to what I needed. I'm not talking night hunting, just first thing in the morning style low light. I eventually swapped the one on the .35 for various higher powered variables with actual objective bells, and they solved the problem.In the marathon scope swapping session one of them was 2.5-8 Scopechief. The one on the Knight was still on it when it was stolen. I missed the rifle more than the scope, I bought another Knight and put a minty 4X B&L Balfor on it. The only things wrong with that scope were that wasn't a 6X and the eye-relief is a bit short. So is the eye-relief on the 1.5-4.5s, come to think of it. I got clobbered more than once.

model70guy ponits out one flaw with these older but nice scopes. the optics are nice and even better is the fact the adjustments generaly are very reliable and tracks well. however the one thing newer scopes generaly have over these fine made classics is the advanced lens coating for better low light performance. with these older scopes if you realy need to see in low light conditions, keep the power setting as low as that particular scope will go. the combination of lack of better lens coatings along with a smaller objective lens that most scopes of that era seem to have limits their low light gathering ability.but once you get enough light, boy are they clear.

I've got 2 of the '80s vintage Scopechiefs, a 2.5-8x on a Remington Six 6mm and a 1.5-4.5x on one of the Winchester 94 Trails Ends in .25/35. I consider these damn fine little scopes and they compare favorably with most anything short of the European scopes.

I currently have a Scopechief VI 3-9 and an Elite 3200 3-9 (amongst others), and I'd have to agree with you on this. In anywhere like decent light the Scopechief certainly stands comparison with the Elite for clarity, and compares well in all other respects. As the light fades though the Elite shows the value of 20 years development in lens coatings, being usable when the naked eye and the Scopechief agree that it is past the last of the shooting light.

That shouldn't be unexpected, and is no criticism of the Scopechief. It is still a good scope, and I personally rate the optics in front of a number of its contemporaries and ahead of some of the less expensive modern scopes.

to be frank these scopechiefs and banner II series scopes are a good find when you come across one. you can generaly get them at a very decent price and the tracking and optics as already outlined in this thread are on par with anything being made at that time (leupold, weaver).

I have one similar to yours, but with the BDC, that spent a lot of years on a 6mm, and is now working well on a 22. I have another, 2.5x8 that has been on a 12 ga. slug gun for a couple of decades that still functions perfectly- every year. Another 3x9 is on a 257 Ackley. The line was a good one.
All look better that my 30 year old Redfield Widefield. However, there are a couple of recently acquired (last yr or 2) Leupolds that do show a brighter picture, and offer better eye relief.
Net is they are probably better than anything else you could buy for the same dollars.
Good luck with it, I doubt that it will disappoint you.

I have 3 scopechiefs new in the box from the 70's probably, the only thing I am trying to find is how to adjust the dial on the chief 6 . Does anyone have directions for them? It has a visible marker when you look through it, which changes when you change the magnification. It also has a knob on the top that somehow adjusts a yardage?

As I recall you zero it for 100 with adjustment on top under plastic cap (screw slot) then use apropiate white plastic yardage indicator. Worked well on a 6mm I had.