Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Bushnell Elite series

Looking for Leupold options for set/forget scopes.

Whats the skinny on the Bushnell Elite series - 3500/4500/6500? Do they hold zero? I really like their DOA 600 reticle.

Thanks.

I had a 3200 for several yrs. Scope performed really well. A few yrs ago it started fogging. I sent it back to Bushnell and they replaced the Elite due to the 3200 being discontinued.

This Elite stayed on my 280 for several more yrs and just like the 3200 it done really well. Low light was decent as well as clarity. Never had any problems with either "holding zero"..My only issue, to my eyes it "felt" like I was looking through a tunnel, if that makes sense.

I sold the Elite a couple weeks ago due to wanting something different.

I have an LRHS and it doesn't seem that way to me. I've been impressed with the LRHS and was hoping the regular Elite series carried over. The other thing I notice about the elite series is that they aren't flyweight - 17 oz for the 3500.

I’ve had the 4200, plain elite (4200 glass), and the 6500.

They have clear, bright glass and are built like a tank.

I have two elites now. I think they (along with the old conquests) are the best value EVER in scopes.

You can spend more, but it won’t be worth it.

i have the 3000, 3200 and 4200. great scopes for the money. especially the 4200. watch the classifieds here and you can pick them up for <$200

I have three Elites and would have given them a positive report until recently, but last week I reinstalled one and when boresighting it I noticed no movement as I cranked the elevation adjustment. Then, I decided to switch to the windage adjustment and when I twisted it the crosshairs dropped a whole lot in the vertical direction. That's put me off the Elites.

I sold my Leupold LR scopes and replaced them with the BN 3200 3-9x40 w/ Ballistic reticle (tree-style) on our 270s for deer hunting. I can see the glass-etched reticle easily at last light and this year my son hit a spray paint can at 440 yards with his first shot when we were checking zeros for deer season. Hard to argue with that! They're usually very reasonable when you find them for sale but finding one is the trick!

I now have the LRHS 3-12 and 4.5-18 as well so if anyone's looking for an Elite 6500 moa-mil 2-16x42 mil-dot and/or a Weaver Tactical mil-mil 3.5-15x50 Illuminated EMDR - both in excellent condition - for $525/ea shipped.

I’ve had a 4200 a long time on a .270 and have felt no need to upgrade it.

I don't know Bushnell's at all. The LRHS I have is the first in a very long time.

What is the difference between the 4200 and the Elite 4500? It appears the 3500/4500/6500 are all the same except magnfication. Any other differences, especially between the older Elite series and the newer Elites?

I dont think there is any difference between the 4200/4500.

The 3500 is similar to the old 3200.

Basically same scope except newer coatings and I believe they now have taller resettable turrets.

I don’t think 3200 glass is as good as 4200, not in my handling them. 6500 glass may be better than 4200, although pretty close.

I find 4200 glass to be equivalent to VX-3 glass, VX-6 glass better than 4200 or 6500.

IMO.

DF

Here's something from my optics comparison pages.
Speaking of Leupolds: I bought a VX-6 4-24X52 for $1,347. A very nice optics. I compared it to my Bushnell 6500 4 1/2-30X50 for $750 and the Swarovski z5 5-25X52 for $1,500. Whatever I could see on the military optics chart 127 yards away with the VX-6 and z5 I could see the same thing on one power lower setting with the 6500. I called all three companies to check how accurate their settings are. All claim they are spot on. The VX-6, the 6500, and the Swarovski z5 go down at the same time on my low light test.

I sold the four z5's and the VX-6 and kept the three Bushnell 6500s. They, unlike the z5's, move the correct amount when sighting them in. None have changed since they were sighted in. I used the VX-6 for one whole season on several hunts without trouble. But since it was not better than the 6500's and I could get $1,250 on the used market I did.

I have a Bushnell 4200 4-16X40 on my .375. Trouble free since installation.

I have owned several of the Bushnell Elite series 3200/3500 in 3-9x40 and 2-7x32 models and found them to be outstanding optics for the money, I think they compare well with Leupold VX3 scopes though the VX3 scopes do have better eye relief if your mounting the scope on a hard kicker..If I were in the market for a solid, low cost scope I would certainly buy another Bushnell......Hb

I recently put a 3500 3-9x, with DOA 600, on a 700 in 7mm-08. Shot great yesterday, out to 500 yards using the reticle. First time out with the new scope, load, and G-Boe stock.

I had to measure the reticle subtensions since I couldn't find them published by Bushnell. No big deal. Strelok has the reticle in their app, but the picket subtension was way off. Mine is 15 MOA, and gives me a 650 yard hold. The other dotz are spot on for 200, 300, 400, and 500.

Was still able to hit rocks at 625 and 685. It was a hoot, and I normally twist turrets.

Jason

FYI - Bushnell has a new app, but I haven't messed with it.

I own two 4200's, one "Elite" and a 6500 Tactical Elite. All great scopes. Can't say enough good things about them.

Dan

Couple 3500 3-9's and a 6500 4-16. DOA 600 and mil-dot. Great scopes and reticles work well...especially with Strelok + app on phone.

I have he strelok app and have played with it on various scopes. Some times it's pretty close, sometime snot so.much. I plan to call Bushnell to discuss their Elite series.

I have a couple 3200s and a 4200. They have been great scopes. I think they are about all anybody needs for a set and forget scope.

Had a 3200 3-9 for a bit; was decent and Rainguard works. Eye relief was short compared to Leupod, but there was enough tube to mount it properly for me on a Mauser.

Had a B&L 4200 1.6-6x44 (I think). Liked that one a lot.

Only current Bushy's are a couple of Trophy XLTs. Haven't run any tests, but there have been no issues or surprises in use or while sighting them in. The 4-12AO is going on my new SS 455 when my rings get here.

So, in my experience, their scopes, even the mid-range ones, have worked fine thus far. On the other hand, three examples of one model of red dot were crap, and service was slow and frustrating.