Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics So What's the Diff?

Back in 2014, I decided that my eyes had aged enough that it was time to give up my fascination with cheap scopes. I had a bunch of scopes from the 70s onwards that I'd acquired under various circumstances. I doubt I'd paid more than $30 for any of them. Between them and my aging eyes, I'd lost a good 10 minutes of hunting on either side of the day. All I was seeing through the scopes was mud.

I had room to experiment. I bought a Bushnell Elite 3-9X40, a Bushnell Trophy 4-12X40 and a Bushnell Banner 3-9X40, all with the Dawn to Dusk Coatings. Along the way, I compared them to a few other scopes-- Leupolds and the like, and I really couldn't tell the difference. All 3 scopes ended up being just fine. I think the Elite went for $320, the Trophy cost $200+ and the Banner went for well under $100. I successfully hunted with all 3 over the next couple of years. When it came time to buy the next scope, I bought a Banner and at last count, I've purchased 6 more since. I've also now got 2 Banners in 1.5-4.5X32 mounted on shotguns. My sons and my granddaughter now have Bushnell Banners mounted on their deer rifles.

Granted, I'm not all that demanding. Most of the deer I take are shot within 200 yards. Most of my hunting takes place in fairly mild conditions, and I am never more than a half mile away from a warm cabin. Still, I've gone 8 years and I have nary a complaint. All the scopes are easy to adjust and keep their zeroes. I seldom have to make adjustments from year to year unless I'm changing the load.

My question to y'all is this: what am I missing? What would I have gained if I'd doubled or tripled my optics budget?

There's got to be something that my old eyes ain't catching. What is it?

In your case probably nothing. You don’t have any serious demands for a scope.

" . . . I'm not all that demanding . . . "

That's the difference.

IME, the Japan Bushnell Elites were tough scopes for set it and forget use. Was a time I didn't give them their due because of the Bushnell name; however, I learned the hard way that the brands I thought were the best were actually inferior aiming devices.

I don't have as much experience with the Korean mid range Bushnells, but a few guys I know ran them with the circle X reticle on slug guns and heavy recoiling levers. They stated that they held up well while a lot of other scopes wouldn't take the recoil.

From my experience with a few banners back in the 90's, they are extremely weak scopes. I remember the last one (the straw that broke the camels back) I bought only lasted a few hours before it went tits up. I took it back to the store and got my money back. I swore them off at that point. Others failed as well. I ran them on 10-22's and a 22wmr. I tried to give them a chance, but with that kind of performance, they are garbage. If you really want a good strong reasonably inexpensive rifle scope, try the Burris FFII 3-9x40 and do yourself a favor and get the one with the ballistic plex reticle. You'll be glad you did.. I'd also like to add that the Bushnell elites are excellent scopes, but don't trust them for dialing. They also didn't make a useable ballistic type reticle, so you are forced to "set and forget" it. Limited on your range as well. Set for MPBR or the like. I much prefer the ballistic plex reticle on the Burris.

I had good luck with a Bushnell Banner on my mid-day varmint rifle, but at dusk you couldn't see half of what I could see in the shadows along a woodline 200 yards away with my Zeiss Conquest. The Conquest easily gives me 30 minutes or more shooting time as darkness falls.

Just ordered another on clearance on Amazon. After taxes was $115.

I have 13 japanese bushnell elites. I probly wont need another scope in my life. I started upgrading to them about 20 years ago. I have owned about every brand there is . They work with my eyes but everyone is different.

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Bushnell Trophy XLTs, now discontinued, have served me and my kids well for a good while on .22s, airguns, and one CF. Don’t know about the new ones. Still, today I swapped out the one on my grandson’s rifle for a $100 Fullfield II, which I regard as more rugged if nothing else.

Had a Banner on a .22 for several decades, but finally retired it for a T-XLT. Too many t-shirt cleanings had taken their toll.

Tired eyes want illumination in every scope, and plan to repace accordingly.

Shaman, I was never very demanding of optics until I started having issues. Cataracts in both eyes, then I started paying close attention to eyewear and optics. I made the mistake of buying a Leica, then some Swarovskis, a Kahles and a S&B. I moved the Burris, Leupold, Bushnells to AR or truck gun duty or sold them outright.

I have 3 Z6 Swaros now and about to try and locate another, 3 - 18 or a 5 - 30 BRH. The minute details and clarity sitting in the blind comparing them to Leica, Leupold, Burris really "opened" my eyes. For me, they just flat astound me everytime I get behind one. They also work for me. I do plan on investing in a March or top tier Tract FFP to see if they are everything I read about them.

I no longer have to carry binoculars to the blind with me, just a range finder. I am going to purchase a new set of the Leica Geovid Rs from Doug, possibly the 15x56 although the 10x42 will do everything I can ever need.

My old eyes ain't catching light at dawn & dusk like they once did, so I can relate. Last year NY state extended hunting hours to a half hour before sunrise to a half hour after sunset. Went to an illuminated reticle and it sure helps in low light. Except I have yet to fill a tag with the illumination turned on. Filled a doe tag at about 3:20 pm in broad daylight. Maybe this fall I could score in low light.

You're a fugking retard.

Cancer isn't going to change that.

Fu.cking savage...

My neighbor has several scopes in the $400-$600 range. He also has a 3-9 Bushnell Sportview mounted on a Ruger M77 30-06 (his go-to deer rifle). He says he keeps thinking about replacing the Bushnell but he never has to adjust it and it gives him everything he needs a scope to do. I bet for most of us we could save a bunch of money if our egos would let us shoot with scopes like those Jap Bushnells.

Just when I thought I had already seen the rudest, most heartless, post on 24CF.
Shame on you.
Rex

P.S. you did manage to spell "you're" correctly, so I reckon it could have actually been worse.

Thank you.

The you're / your thing has bugged me for awhile now. I'm finding it tougher to tolerate retards these days.

Get off my fugking lawn. Tulsi for the win...big ass or not.

It's okay. He follows me around like this. All he ever posts is that I'm a retard. He's really quite harmless as long as you don't try to sit on his park bench.


Thanks all for the comments.

Yeah, the most I do with a scope is to set it and forget it. That may be the best answer to my question. I don't do a whole lot of twiddling with them.

What I will say, in the defense of the current Bushnell Banner, is that I can now see well into the dark. I normally mount my stand a good half hour before legal hunting, and I could easily kill a deer at that time, so long as I could identify it with my naked eye.

I've taken a deer during the last minute of legal hunting with the Elite. However, I believe the coatings on the Banners are as good. I sure can't see the difference.