Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters JB & others, Scope question...

JB,

Have you tested the redfield bear cubs in 2 3/4x and 4x scopes? Just wondering how they compare relative to the leupold 3x and 4x scopes and what your general thoughts are on them, as I have a few and they also seem to go for reasonable $ on ebay. I also have a 4x, non wideview from the 70's that my step dad had, its also pretty darn clear. You dont hear a lot about these scopes, just wondering why?

Thanks,

Tom

I haven't owned one of the Bear Cuns for a while, but from what I recall their lenses were single-coated. Thus they'd compare with the Leupold M8's.

With some exceptions during their later years, the Colorado-made Redfields were pretty tough scopes.

Hello Partridge,

I have three Redfield Bear Cub 4x from the sixties and seventies.
One of them is the 26 mm tube diameter. The other two are the 1" so marked in the left side behind the top turret. They are practically the previous Kollmorgen. Specially the 26 mm tube with their one piece tube and objective bell.
In my view (plus the Kollmorgen and Stith) they are THE BEST fixed power made in the USA. Period!! Their optics easely match (and if you push me a little ...)the optics of the famous Hensoldt/Zeiss Diasta-Diatal of the same period. And the built quality is superb!!! Their general design is perfect and very well balanced: long tube and short bells (for ease of position), long eye releif (4" in mine) and ample field of view (30 feet/100 y). The resolution and clarity in ALL the field is unmatched even by the Zeiss.... I have used one of the 1" tube in my .375 for more than 200 shots. Perfect! I love these scopes and I am convinced the design of these 4x is almost perfect. And also the 6x. May be the only other one 6x to better it is the new Leupold FX 6x42. I am a bit exagerated, but not by much...https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/images/icons/default/grin.gif

I must add that, even with their single coated lenses the low light performance of these 4x is more than addecuate. The 1" ones have the factory Duplex reticle. And I change (an optic shop at Buenos Aires did it) the simple crosshairs in the 26 mm BC for a European N�4 reticle. They also clean the inside of the scope and seems like a new one!!!

PH

I've got 2 2.5X Bear Cubs and 2 4X Bear Cubs (one of the 2.5's is a Stith). They are truly great scopes! They are a little heavier than current designs, but rugged as all get out! The optics approach the quality of current quality scopes, even without modern coating technology. I can occasionally find them for about $100 in old gun shops and at shows (but the sellers at the shows often want too much for them.

Frankly (and here's the heresy part), I prefer them to new Leupold's.