Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Bushnell Elite Scopes????

I've never been a fan of Bushnell. However, I see people talking about their Elite series as if they are high end scopes. and they are available everywhere for cheap. Even in the classifieds here. So, here is my question for those with first hand knowledge. How high does the model have to be before it's a pretty good scope? 3200, 4200 or does it need to be a 6500? Or are they just not worth the money at all? Merry Christmas and thanks for any input!!!

Starts with Bausch and Lomb Elite 3000.

The 3200 Bushnell was the first to have the Rainguard I believe and it actually works.

No flies on em.

I have a Elite 3200 2x7 on my muzzleloader and it has Rainguard. Good scope and yes the Rainguard does work.

I still have a Bausch and Lomb Elite 3000 on a 223 that I bought new. Never seen a need to replace it. A 3200 with firefly reticle has been on my Encore muzzleloader for 20 years I'd estimate. Killed several truckloads of deer and again, no need to replace.

Elite Tactical, or bust....

I think I have three or four Elite 6500’s. I’d say they’re a nice scope. I have them sitting on varmint rifles as set and forget scopes.

I bought most as new or barely used on eBay over the years. I think the most I paid was $550 for a ANIB.

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Ive had a couple or three of the Elite 4200s over the years and while decent they've been bypassed by better, glass for less money in recent years. In fact I killed coyote earlier this month and pulled it for an Athlon 1 inch 2-12.

So 3200 and 4200 have the same internals I believe. It’s just that the 4200 is a pretty big step up in glass. Also the 4200 is a 4:1 zoom ratio except for the 3x9. The 3200 is a 3:1 zoom. It depends on the rifle. If it’s something I shoot more and use more I spend extra for the 4200

The 6500 I have one but I thought it tunneled more and wasn’t as easy to get behind. So the 4-16 4200 is staying. I like elites because they are reliable. I like the optical formula of eye box and eye relief. I like the power ring as well. In recent years they have gotten more expensive and harder to find.

I owned a few Bushnell Elite 3200/3500 3-9x40 scopes and they were hands down the best scopes I ever owned for the money....Good luck....Hb

I have a 4200 I bought LNIB on here for $245. It is a dang nice scope. I carried it as a spare on trips I made in my truck for yesrs. It finally found a home on my ML. Dang nice scope.

My late brother bought a bunch of them, 3X9 and 5X15 3200's when they were being closed out, years ago. I ended up with 4 or 5 of them, and am still using them. I really like them, and find them to be about as good a glass as I need.

I have 3 Bausch and Lomb scopes and 2 4200’s, awesome glass all around, have ridden on various rifles and muzzleloaders, have always been up to the task, have harvested a pile of deer. My TC Omega as a 2.5-10x50 4200 on it, and one of my main center fire deer rifles has a B&L 4-16x50.

FWIW, there was a line of scopes made for Browning that were essentially the same as the 3200 and 4200 scopes. I believe they were advertised as being between the 3200 and 4200 in glass quality. I have one, a 4X12, and while a good scope, it's not any better than the 3200's I have.

I had one of the B&Ls, Elite 4000 1.5-6x42, on a Kimber Longmaster .308. Very nice outfit, sacrificed to fix a bum transmission in my Corolla. Liked that combo a lot, dammit.

That was about the time they dropped the B&L name on the scopes, probably due to early wokeness from the snooty old company that owns the B&L trademark.

Most 1 or 1.5 to 6 scopes now are of the LPVO form, with straight tubes, but the ones with larger objectives are pretty nice, bright at all magnifications. Not sure who makes one like that now, maybe Hawke.

4200/4500 is alot of scope for the money. Hard to beat them at their price point. They handle heavy recoil very well and the glass is excellent. Have owned many over the years and have never had an issue. Also, rainguard coating is amazing in bad weather. Scope never fogs

I have one of those Browning scopes on my Browning BAR 270, seems to be decent glass.

Currently have a 4200 1.75-6 with the firefly reticle and a 3500 3-9x40. The 4200 is on my marlin 35 rem., great low light scope. Wish I could find another one for my 30-30 marlin .
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Both the 3200 and 4200 scopes are great scopes for the money.

Just bought a 4500 2.5-10. Everything seems pretty nice so far, generous eye relief. Hopefully get to try in the low light this week.

I had a couple 4200`s.They were great scopes for the money,but I did not like the eye relief.