A close friend of mine has a couple of these brand new Busnell Elite 4.5x30x50mm scopes on his 1,000 yard BR Rifles.
I got to put them through their paces (right alongside 2 NightForce variable BR types by the way!) today.
It has been a VERY long time since I had anything good to say about a Bushnell scope!
And to say I was impressed with the Bushnell Elite would be an understatement!
I would MUCH rather own the Bushnell Elite than the NightForces!
I am still in a bit of shock over these scopes that are about half the price of the NightForces in fact!
And speaking of NightForce scopes I hear the Bushnell Elite 6500 is made in the same Japanese factory as the NightForces are!
AND the Bushnell Elite is way smaller than the NightForces of similar powers!
These Bushnell Elite 6500 4.5x30's are SO impressive optically that my mind started spinning out scenarios where I could afford one as soon as I inspected them!
At $700.00 or so deliverd to me I am VERY tempted to jump on one of these by Christmas time!
I posted this "optical" impression here in the Varmint Rifles section because that is what I would be interested in using this new Bushnell for - Varminting!
I mean this scope was IMPRESSIVE in every regard!
My friend has competed with one of these scopes already and liked it so much he bought another!
This 4.5 to 30 power range could make this scope THE ultimate Varminting scope!!!
Way to go Bushnell!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

welcome to the party varmentguy. while i do not wish to turn this into a debate for others on which brand is better and why or eye relief, or eye box, i just want to say what took you so long to see for yourself the quality the elites have? i have a 3200 and 4200 elite, i have not had the oportunity to look through or use the 6500's but so far i have been very pleased with my other two. tracking has been spot on, resolution good, and basicly a very fine and dependable scope. i have others i like too such as sightron and leupold, but for those who ask why Bushnell, well you need to get a hold of an elite and use one for a while and then you'll know why. exelent quality and at a decent price.

I have been wanting to look at one for a while...and finally got a chance at the Cabelas in Lacy...

nice optics and nice features...

heavy as hell tho! definitely for a stationary varmint rig...not a walking varminter..

power range was sumpin, wasn't it??

it was pretty clear on both 4 and 30 power, which is pretty impressive...

I talked myself out of getting one, but compared to a Nightforce and the price.. I'd definitely go with the 6500... I am not that impressed with the 4200 Series...

if the price comes down a little more on the 6500s, I may reevalutate my desire for one...

the biggest draw back for me, that nixed the getting one, was the 30mm rings being needed..but that is too big a scope to do with a 26mm/1 inch tube..

I have two 4200s and a 6500 2.5x16x50MM mounted on my AR-15. I've looked through NXS and IORs no way do I see a $1,000 dollar difference in glass quality and definitely not with the NXS.

I got one of these a few months back and I was wowed myself. I now own 3. Two with the mildot and one with the duplex. Best bang for the buck. I don't want to hear anything about Leupold anymore. I was sold on the 4200's before these 6500's came out. Bushnell hit a homerun with these!

What is the latest information about the 8500s? When are they coming out?

I just bought another VXIII. I used it and it's twin all summer shooting groundhogs. I hunted early muzzle loader with a Nikon Pro-staff. I can not se the money difference on those eiter. So next scope for a walker will be a Nikon Monarch. That said, I am building a cross over gun. One for live varmits and egg/grounhog shoots. Prone and bench alike. This seems to be the ticket. Good info.