Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Are any of the new Bushnell scopes made in Japan ?

Just curious as the 32/4200 and 35/4500 are some of my all time favorites. Looks like they went full tacti-[bleep] with the new lineup and I’m having trouble figuring out what is what. They of course don’t list where anything is made which is not a good sign

Smells like Chinese diarrhea...hope I’m wrong

they are keeping much of their tactical lineup, this was already what they had been making for years. the elite tactical and the tac optics are made in japan. if you look at the cuts on the turrets and power adjustment ring, you can tell these are not changed from what they had been selling for years. The other scopes that are new, I think are actually made in korea instead of china. I keep trying to tell everyone this. bushnell has a marketing problem. a pretty darn big one actually. The company was worth billions at one point. its now a shadow of its former glory. The problem is market share. They only are able to get a couple of their products in stores these days. I think bushnell made the decision that their product line wasn't making enroads in the retail market. I am sure they felt like hey no one is buying our high quality japanese built scopes. The stores aren't seeing a niche so they aren't ordering product. I think bushnell decided to broaden their medium to low end product line, probably targeting nikon's market share. from a business standpoint I don't know if bushnell had many other options. They don't have the brand name to compete with nightforce toe to toe, despite the fact I think much of their line compares well to nightforce. bushnell is in a box. they aren't known for really high end stuff, They are more known for cheaper stuff actually. Its hard to change brand identity.

Looks like the parent company VISTA owns a lot of junk. Its like the Pure Fishing of the gun world LOL.

Hope Bushnell changes hands or holds on or something. Their Jap scopes are some of the best and most durable ive ever used regardless of price. The definition of sleepers.

vista is like the freedom group. everything they have bought has turned to crap. but some would say its not all vista's fault. bushnell has been run into the ground for years.

indeed it has. Sad to see it happen though...i sure loved those japan made elites.

Back when I was a kid, my dad bought a couple of Bushnell scopes and binoculars. Even at a young age, the products struck me as mediocre, and I concluded that Bushnell made entry-level stuff, and once you got serious about your optics you moved on to other brands. That is still my impression, and it would take a lot of convincing to get me to mount a Bushnell scope on one of my rifles. Not saying that they don't have a couple of good items in their product line, but why would I bother taking a chance with so many known good options available.

With the 32/35 and 42/45 lines...you were taking no chances. They were likely the toughest variables ever made and their glass and internal adjustments were spectacular. Better than anything Leupold ever made...and I don’t mean in the same price range.