Agreed, that's the info I'm looking for.
BTW the cheapest high-powered SS variable starts at $700 and it's not even illuminated.
here's one for $299 in 10X
https://swfa.com/swfa-ss-10x42-tactical-30mm-riflescope-3.htmlif you are looking at seriously shooting long range on a budget, your gonna have to make some decisions about what features are really useful and which ones aren't. I'm goping to provide some arguments and examples, but ultimately it's your money, your rifle, your choice.
I would argue that adjustments, glass quality, and reticle are the most important things in that order. If you have good glass and a good reticle, you don't need all that magnification, if you are shooting in a warm climate you probably can't use anything over 12-14x anyway due to mirage (heat waves), my scopes at 10x start to get a little wavy after a 5 shot group when it's above 90 degrees (barrel heat contributes), and they do so about 10 minutes in the sun at 105.
The reticle on the bushnell is only "useful" (it's utility can be argued if your load doesn't exactly match the hashlines) at full power. If you dial down to 9 power on a hot day, its just stuff in your view. That is why you see the high $$$ stuff for long range shooting is moving toward First Focal Plane reticles, where the reticle changes sizes with your magnification and the subtension of the markings is accurate no matter what power you have the scope set to. If you're not going to pay for that, you are probably better going with a fixed power and not sweating what magnification is good for your field situation vs. your reticle subtensions. (fixed powers also have less lenses to break/absorb light/ reflect light and generally dollar for dollar are clearer/ brighter than an equivalent variable.
If you are planning on shooting at 100 only to sight in and then move out to 300-1000 or whatever, then you don't need the low end of a wide range zoom anyway.
There are lots of guys here who shoot those 6x super snipers out to 1000 and more, PErfect adjustments, clear glass, and functional reticles with known subtensions allow that. I promise you if you decide to upgrade in the future, you can get the vast majority of your money back on the classifieds of this forum. That bushnell you'll be lucky to sell at any price.
I made the same mistake when I thought I would get into long range shooting back in the day. I bought the biggest baddest 8-32x56 or whatever BSA scope I could find... I think I had to get it mail ordered from Cheaper than Dirt when AOL wasn't even a thing yet... Adjustments worked for sighting in but I needed a screwdriver to dial (didn't understand dialing at that time), the glass was like looking through a milk jug, the fine duplex was very precise (didn't understand milradians and didn't like the idea of mil-dots and MOA adjustments which were about all that was available at the time), and the full magnification range was all but useless under anything but the perfect conditions.
My point is, don't make the same mistakes I did by finding a cool feature or two and buying an untested scope based on that and overlooking what is really important in accomplishing your goal. For $300 there are better, proven options out there for shooting "long range".
Oh yeah, and gun writers/ magazines are all full of it, if they didn't make everything sound amazing, they wouldn't sell any advertising. They do a good job of doing their job. Just know that their job isn't to be objective, it's to sound objective and make take really awesome cover photos, while keeping the sponsors happy. (Except for Gun Tests and a few others that buy their review pieces off the shelf and make money without advertising)
