Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics B&L Elite 20-60x80 spotting scope

There's a B&L Elite 20-60x spotting scope for sale locally, and I'm in the market for a new spotting scope. As far as I know, this company was bought by Bushnell, and thus no longer exists? As such, I can't find any prices for it on the web to see waht it's worth. First off,are they any good? It's listed for $250,does that sound about right? I don't have a lot to spend,so it would be great if the scope is good.

all depends on what you want it for i suppose...if it's plastic housing/ plastic tripod & the lens isn't multicoated I'd shy away. why put good money after bad...unless you just want to one to take to the range for sighting in and such but i bet you can do better than $200 bucks for something like that...

It sounds like the 8omm elite model with ED glass, still being sold as the Bushnell elite 80MM that would be a smoking deal if it is in good shape. You will not find a better 80mm spotter than this for less than $800-1000

B&L made the elites in 60,70 and 80mm-only the 80mm had ED glass. All three are still being made by Bushnell as their top of the line. Bushnell still warranties B&L products.

Make shure it is a real Elite-go to bushnells website and look at the Elite 80MM-still looks exactly the same.

As Timberbuck says if it is an elite 80mm and it is in good shape its a steal!!! That is the scope that I use it is very good with the 20-60x eyepiece and great with the 30x fixed wide angle. I have copared it with the leica telovid sp? 77mm and other than edge clarity the B&l was its equal to my eyes. Dean

Since the late 70's/early 80's until recently, Bushnell was licensed to use the B&L name, it's factories, and in the early years it used B&L engineers and designs using both the Bushnell and B&L names. As the expiration of the licensing agreement neared, he B&L labeled optics were transitioned to the Bushnell name starting sometime in the last 4-5 years...or so.

The quality is solid in the Elite line. The optics are very good for the price. A B&L Elite spotter is at least 4-5 years old, and can be as much as 20 years old.

My go-to spotter for hunting is my B&L 15-45x60 Elite--it's very light, has been used and abused since I bought it in the early 90's.

$250 isn't a bad price......offer him $200 for starters......



Casey

I have that same spotter myself, the B&L 15-45x60. Great little spotter. If I'm not mistaken, Bushnell landed some sort of military contract with that scope with the only difference being that the military version has a mil-dot reticle in it. The 20-60 scope being discussed is a very impressive spotter. Depending on when it was made (mid to late 90's) versions also had the Rainguard coatings.

here's a link that shows the legal agreement between B&L & Bushnell when the sporting optics division was being transfered to bushnell or so as i understand it. i don't understand a ot of legal mumbo jumbo but it is an interesting read just the same.

http://www.nysdta.org/Decisions/819883.dec.htm

Yes, I saw one of the military versions last year. Somebody mentioned they were for sale on ebay for $250 for a while.


Casey