On the Subject of Cheap Scopes
Up until recently, I considered myself a connoisseur of cheap scopes. Bushnell Banner was about as expensive as I’d go, and I’d shot probably most of my deer with $30 scopes.
I’m reforming. I started after last season pulling off cheap scopes and putting on something better.
I bought a Bushnell Elite 3-9X40 for my new Hawkeye and couple new Bushnell Banner 3-9X40 and a Bushnell Trophy 4-12X40. I have to report they were all worth it.
Bushnell Trophy XLT Multi-X Reticle Riflescope, 4-12×40
It’s because:
1) The clicks are not even. 1 click may be 1/4″, but 8 clicks might be more like 5 inches.
2) Reversing the clicks is not the same; I may go 5 clicks in one direction and then put it back 5 clicks later and the POA is way off. As a result, I sometimes have to go chasing my zero all afternoon. In the end, I decided the cost of the ammo I would save would justify a better scope.
3) Another thing I’ve noticed about these newer scopes has been the lack of glare. I have been looking right at a buck on Opening Day, thrown up my rifle and all I’ve seen is a yellow fog from sun glare. I’ve tested all these new scopes– just can’t seem to repeat the problem with them.
Bushnell Elite 3-9X40 Rifle Scope
The big thing is how clear the new scopes are to the old cheap ones. I had a 80’s vintage $100 Bushnell Banner 4-12X40 on my Win 70. It was my best scope for low light. I was still having to stop hunting a good 10 minutes before the end of legal hunting, because deer were disappearing into a foggy murk. My new 3-9X40 Bushnell Elite keeps it crisp. Amazingly, on my treestand gun, a Savage99, I replaced the $30 Simmons with a Bushnell Banner 3-9X40– less than $70 and I have had similar luck early in the morning. By swapping all these scopes, I’ve added 20 minutes of hunting time– and here I thought it was a middle-age thing with my eyes! Well, it probably is a middle age thing. Truth is my eyes are getting worse as I age, and I either had to step up to better optics or start contemplating giving up. Cheap scopes are definitely a young man’s thing.
Now that I have had these rifles out to the range a few times, I can give some practical thoughts. If you look at the cost of these scopes and how they perform, there is a difference. The Bushnell Elite 3-9X40 was the easiest to sight-in. I had it zeroed 2″ high at 100 yards and printing sub-MOA in no time. Of course this is a new $800+ rifle with a $270 scope. You have to figure I’d get some quality for that kind of coin. The reason I sprang for the expensive scope was the exceptional coatings. This is on a stainless rifle and it will be out in the elements.
The Bushnel Trophy 4-12X40 ($120) was also quick slam dunk. Could I see a difference between it and the scope that cost $150 more? I’ll give it a tentative yes. The Elite is supposed to have 95% light transmission. The Trophy has 91%. The Bushnell Banner ($70) has no rating listed on light transmission, but it appears comparable to the Trophy.
The Banner only cost $70, but how did it stack up? Look, the last two rifles I was able to get sighted in had Banners on them. My Savage 99 has always been finicky on loads. The Winchester 670 has been re-purposed for my 16 year old son.  They are the last two to get sighted in. However, I had one weekend where wind was a definite problem and well. . . this is the kids first year hunting as an adult. We’ll give him and the scope some slack. I think I made a good choice. In the case of the Savage 99, the Banner will be more than adequate for treestand-type distances, even in the early morning gloom. In the case of Angus’ 670, his young eyes were picking up bullet holes on the paper that I was hard-pressed to see with the 60X spotting scope. As I said, cheap scopes are a young man’s thing.
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