i've run a ton of different scopes from glass that had no name stamped on it to scopes running solidly into the 4-digit price range. lately i have been running mostly zeiss, sightron, and leupold for new purchases.
just to switch things up a bit, when i got my remington r-25 in 308 i decided the bushnell elite 4200 4-16 would be an appropriate scope for the job. i put the scope into some burris rings (can't recall the exact name - the ones w/ 6 screws per cap) and stuck it atop the remington.
i've been working the scope over for a bit, and have been starting to stretch the ranges a little, and have reached a few conclusions.
glass quality is good. resolution and brightness are great throughout the power range.
durability is fine, so far; it hasn't broken, yet.
tracking is fair. the clicks are supposed to be 1/8" at 100 yards and they aren't, but they are close enough that i doubt most shooters would notice.
repeatability is poor-to-fair. i established my 100 yard zero on the 100 yard line, and started cranking knobs. i went to 800 yards in 50 yard increments then came back to the 100 yard line. i dialed in the clicks and fired a group 2-1/2 inches lower than my established 100 yard zero. i dialed in my 250 yard zero and the groups went where they were supposed to.
i ran out of up on the scope at 850 yards.
because the scope is mounted directly to the picatinny rail of the receiver there isn't a whole lot that can be done about windage. however, the scope seems to be a little more sensitive to the windage being centered than i thought it should be. my windage isn't exact center of the scope - it is about 2 moa from center. but as i kept going up in elevation my groups kept moving to the right with every twist of the elevation knob. later, i ran a 'thermometer' target and you could plainly see the shots moving right on the target. instead of a straight line of holes perforating up the target, i have a line that leans to the right.
elevation and windage turret hash marks absolutely suck. probably the worst of all my 'turreted' scopes. they are exceedingly difficult to see and the revolution numbers are very poorly marked. it is entirely possible to be a full revolution off of where you should be with this scope. my biggest disappointment about this scope. being a full revolution off at 850 yards is huge. a full revolution off at 100 yards is plenty big, but at least you'll probably be able to find paper quickly if you do that.
the clicks on this scope are sub-par. they are ok, but they are mushy, not real audible, and once i got to the 700 yard line, the turrets became difficult to turn, making the poor clicks even worse.
bottom line: as a long range scope, or a scope that will be used as it was presumably built to be used, this scope is a fail. for the average shooter who is unlikely to go beyond 300 yards for his/her shooting and doesn't believe in utilizing the turrets, this scope will be great. if you're a turret-twister, skip this one...
just to switch things up a bit, when i got my remington r-25 in 308 i decided the bushnell elite 4200 4-16 would be an appropriate scope for the job. i put the scope into some burris rings (can't recall the exact name - the ones w/ 6 screws per cap) and stuck it atop the remington.
i've been working the scope over for a bit, and have been starting to stretch the ranges a little, and have reached a few conclusions.
glass quality is good. resolution and brightness are great throughout the power range.
durability is fine, so far; it hasn't broken, yet.
tracking is fair. the clicks are supposed to be 1/8" at 100 yards and they aren't, but they are close enough that i doubt most shooters would notice.
repeatability is poor-to-fair. i established my 100 yard zero on the 100 yard line, and started cranking knobs. i went to 800 yards in 50 yard increments then came back to the 100 yard line. i dialed in the clicks and fired a group 2-1/2 inches lower than my established 100 yard zero. i dialed in my 250 yard zero and the groups went where they were supposed to.
i ran out of up on the scope at 850 yards.
because the scope is mounted directly to the picatinny rail of the receiver there isn't a whole lot that can be done about windage. however, the scope seems to be a little more sensitive to the windage being centered than i thought it should be. my windage isn't exact center of the scope - it is about 2 moa from center. but as i kept going up in elevation my groups kept moving to the right with every twist of the elevation knob. later, i ran a 'thermometer' target and you could plainly see the shots moving right on the target. instead of a straight line of holes perforating up the target, i have a line that leans to the right.
elevation and windage turret hash marks absolutely suck. probably the worst of all my 'turreted' scopes. they are exceedingly difficult to see and the revolution numbers are very poorly marked. it is entirely possible to be a full revolution off of where you should be with this scope. my biggest disappointment about this scope. being a full revolution off at 850 yards is huge. a full revolution off at 100 yards is plenty big, but at least you'll probably be able to find paper quickly if you do that.
the clicks on this scope are sub-par. they are ok, but they are mushy, not real audible, and once i got to the 700 yard line, the turrets became difficult to turn, making the poor clicks even worse.
bottom line: as a long range scope, or a scope that will be used as it was presumably built to be used, this scope is a fail. for the average shooter who is unlikely to go beyond 300 yards for his/her shooting and doesn't believe in utilizing the turrets, this scope will be great. if you're a turret-twister, skip this one...
