Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Talk me out of an illiminated reticle scope

I've never owned a scope that took batterys and I never thought I would, but I swear I'm about to buy one if somebody can't give me a good reason why not to. Specifically, I'm looking at Bushnells 4200 1.25-4x24 with a 4a reticle with the illuminated dot. What could be a better short range brush scope? I'll put it on my .44 carbine or maybe my savage 99. The small light scope with the 95% (claimed) light, rainguard, thick reticle with a small glowing dot in the middle, why wouldn't I want this scope to take in the thick timber?

Sounds like you should get it and let us all know how it works out.

Great scopes with an enormous FOV, tough construction, and great glass. Not to mention Rainguard!

I use a 1.75-5x32 Burris Signature Safari with the illuminated FastPlex reticle and I love it but the Bushnell beats it with it's FOV and that Rainguard.

Don't look to me to talk you out of it. I'm thinking of getting a Leupold VXR myself. I have a Scopechief V that I bought in 1972 with a lighted aiming dot that still works great. One hell of a scope.

If i wanted a scope with an illuminated reticle, I'd probably do a Trijicon. No batteries.
I don't see any flies in the Bushy 4200. I'd like to find one to play with. It's suppose to have something like 4 inches of eye relief which might include a pretty good eye box as well.
My only thoughts against it is why bother with the illuminated reticle at all ? Unless you insist on hunting at night. Even there, they often aren't needed.
That and it's little expensive. It is, however, cheaper than the Trijicon.
I suspect you could spend alot more and not really get anything more. Heck, I've even toyed with the idea of one myself. E

I've been using one for a few years on my predator calling rigs. I like it a lot it is great for shooting running coyotes, seems easier to put the lighted dot on a critter than crosshairs.

Recently I've moved the scope to my 250 Sav carbine for calling big cats out here in the Olympic Pennisula rainforests. The dot and the lens coating make it a natural for here.

The only draw back is the dot is a little too bright for night hunting even on the lowest setting. My Trophy 1.5x6x40 Ill. Dot is dimmer and works much better at night. The 4200 works better overall for me durring legal big game hunting hours.

Erich

I just got the VXR the other day.. I have not mounted yet,but looks good from what i can tell.. The VXR does take a battery but if your hunting and it goes out still have a sight to look at... I almost bought the firefly but its a little longer in length compared to the VXR.. The VXR does have 8 differ brightness to choose from....

The more stuff there is...the more stuff there is to go wrong....

The very best "illuminated" scopes are the $4000 Gen-3 night scopes,, but they aren't legal everywhere.

The Trijicon system is very good, but the recent electronic systems from every company from Burris to Zeiss have also worked well. The batteries last a LONG time, and they do add considerable certainty to aiming at dark animals in dim light.

Even if the batteries die, if the reticle itself is fairly heavy you're no worse off.

Don't buy one.





Did it work? (grin)

I have owned a NF illuminated for 4 years, I have not used the illumination but once or twice, it can help on dark animals against a dark background in dim light, but mostly I do not use it. For a black rifle Trijicon says that their Trijicon ACOG's will withstand 1100 g's for 2 microseconds while their 1-4 accupoint will withstand 500 g's for 1 microsecond. My next will probably be a TA33 which is a fixed 3X scope.

I wouldn't worry about battery life, some National Guard guys that I know just leave theirs turned on all the time and change the batteries once a year, even though they still have plenty of power.

Does anyone know if they are legal in all states?

I've got three. An IOR 4-14, and a Swaro Z6i, and a Aimpoint. If your hunting things that move in first or last light, I'd look real hard at one. The people who are now making these scopes pretty much have the bugs worked out. I would look for ones that just have a dot that lights on the crosshairs. A reticle that lights up completely will over power your game at dusk/twilight.

I bought the Trijicon 1X-4X with post reticle last year and I love it. It appears to be heavier than my other scopes but the reticle is incredible.

We have no shooting hours here and if the weather is warm, the bull moose don't usually respond to calls until it cools after sundown. The green triangle was very bright against the black moose shoulder.

Re: Talk me out of an illiminated reticle scope

Illuminated reticles are for amateurs, those "wannabe I'll kill all their furry azzes" type pretenders. As the head turd, Ingwe pointed out, the more things on it, the more can go wrong. Suck it up and run wit the big dogs......bold reticles are all that's needed. The Elite's are great IMO, without the batteries and illuminated crap.

I tried too, let me know if it half-way works....

Horse and JG, you almost had me going! I don't like the totally illuminated reticles like the firefly, too thick and overpowering. But the red dot in the center of the 4A reticle looks like the perfect medicine for moving game and dark animals in twilight. Last year I had a buck in the 140 range trotting through the brush and I never could settle the crosshairs on him quite right, and I never pulled the trigger. Would a red dot have helped? I don't know, but I like to think so! And if something goes wrong with the dot, I'll still have the same crosshairs as I would have. I thought I would have heard more negs here, looks like I'll be getting a new scope this summer!

i have the exact scope for which you are referring. it is an excellent scope and a very good value. seems like i recall seeing them recently at marked down prices. for the purpose you stated, purchasing it would be a good decision.

best,

scott

Hi,

I have two trijicons, one Acog 3.5 ta11f on a remington 7615 .223 pump gun, the best ever, huge eye relief , both eyes open if you like, great scope.

and a Accupoint 2.5-10 on a 25-06 sporter bolt gun, the clearest scope I have ever seen, adjustable brighness, no batteries, unbelievable light gathering, it is like you have a flashligh when you can barely see with the naked eye, through the scope is like daytime again.

Not cheap, but great, I doubt I would ever buy a non illum scope again, my eyes are not too good, and I hunt in heavy forest and deep valleys which only see light fow a few hours a day in winter.

buy the BEST one you can afford, cheap illum scopes are just that cheap, not saying the Bushnell is cheap, I have a 4200 elite EER 2.5-7 on a smith N frame 357, it has firefly and raingaurd, is good.