Bushnell Elite 3200 problems?

MD

MD

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Buddy gave me a new looking Bushnell elite 3200 scope in the box.

Didn't even look like it had been mounted on anything before.

Put it on my rifle, sighted it in and went hunting. Saw a deer last year, aimed at the chest behind the shoulder and dropped it. With a shot right through the neck. Wondered about that.

Fast forward to this year. I took it to the range with a variety of ammo and it was erratic. Sometimes it would group tightly and then on the next three shots all over the paper or tightly in a completely different place on the paper. Took it home. Discovered the bases were loose. Took everything off and tightened everything up and went back to the range after going over the gun. It is free floated, crown is fine, action screws tight. Nice bore. It is a custom built 280 Remington on a Brno M98 action with a new barrel.

Back at the range; same problem. Tight groups some times, wide groups some times and tight groups in the wrong place sometimes.

I'm thinking it has to be the scope. My other rifles shot fine that day.

Opinions?

Should I send it to Bushnell for repair?
 
MD, send it in for repair.
Sounds like you tried everything possible on your end.
But, then thats my lack of logical thinking and problem solving skills ;)
You will be out postage is all if there is nothing wrong with it.
Rob
 
Put it on a different gun, if the results are the same, suspect scope. I've had my 3200 5-15x50 for a few years, although only on a .22. They are a great scope.
 
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I had similar issues with the same scope. Drove me nuts and cost me three deer and a few grey hairs. It was on a Remington SPS/DM in 300 Win Mag. New rings, ensure everything is tight, sight in at the range, shoot 1 MOA at three hundred. Should be good right?
Nope! Missed a nice buck at around 175 yards, down hill shot, twice, same deer. Frustrated, I make a makeshift range in the woods to check zero. 6" high at an estimated 100 yards and 2" to the left. Adjust scope and fire to check, all is good.
Next deer (a meat doe) and she drops DRT. Cool.
A week later we are back in the woods, buck runs out and I miss! WTF! Grrrr! check zero at another make shift range and out 4" high and 2" left. FOOK! But these are still accurate enough for a hunting rifle at hunting ranges right? Well not if you have tolerance stack-up and of course my miss-calculations due to excitement and being somewhat clumsy and the fact that the sun went behind a cloud, as well as the wind changing direction every two seconds, my wife didn't kiss me before I went out, and the cat was yowling (feed me again) the whole time I was getting ready to leave.
Adding the rifle to that equation seemed only logical.
So I sold it.
F-n Remingtons and Bushnells! Bought a Remington 798 in 7mm Rem Mag, topped it with a Leopold VXII/3x9x40 in Leopold rings professionally bedded and haven't looked back.
Sometimes the rifle just doesn't work for you.
Not really sure if that helps you or not.
 
I have owned 7 over the years, and on some hard kickers too, with nary a problem. I second the motion to mount it on a different gun. If the scope is suspect, the second gun will not "shoot" either. I hear the warranty center is actually quite good to deal with.
 
Thanks. I've been itching to put a scope on my old 243 just for the heck of it. Could try that.

Or my dad's 22 hornet.
 
There was a time when I owned nothing but bushnell and B&L scopes. It went OK until everything started piling up at once. Now there isn't a single one on the place. I wouldnt use one to club a fish.
 
I own several 3200 . Ive had issues with the older ones when sighting them in. Seems the internals are a little sluggish . For example move the elevation up six clicks and the reticle only moves three. Add three more clicks and it jumps the full six. Can be frustrating and a little difficult sighting in. I found adj in small increments slowly walk your way to your zero taking a few shots after each adj. once zeroed your good to go. A little bit of a pain but good glass for the money
 
Watched a buddy take nearly a box of shells to sight a 6500 at 100 the other day. 8 inches low and 4 left. 8 moa up and 4 over, scope moves right and doesn't go up at all. Move it up again and this time it jumps up double and windage takes a random jump right. Take half of it out and it gets close in elevation. This is a 6500 "tactical", so if it did by some miracle manage to stay there, what good is a turret scope that doesn't track?
 
Make sure the mounts have seated tight. I have had more then one scope loosen up slightly once or twice after mounting until it seated in firmly to the mating base or receiver even though it was tight initially and remember the blue medium strength on all screws.--Dieseldog!
 
Dogleg said:
Watched a buddy take nearly a box of shells to sight a 6500 at 100 the other day. 8 inches low and 4 left. 8 moa up and 4 over, scope moves right and doesn't go up at all. Move it up again and this time it jumps up double and windage takes a random jump right. Take half of it out and it gets close in elevation. This is a 6500 "tactical", so if it did by some miracle manage to stay there, what good is a turret scope that doesn't track?
Click to expand...

Was it installed correctly? I've seen this happen with newly installed scopes where the rings are over torqued. 15in lbs max. The good thing about Bushnell is the warranty, they will replace that 6500 over the counter no questions asked. I have many Busnell scopes and they all work as expected, but I don't buy anything under the 4200 series.
 
Bushnells have served me well over the years, but one day we lost four scopes.
They are not Lead Sled friendly on larger recoiling rifles.
Yes, four scopes in one day.
A lesson well learnt on anchoring recoil.

I've been replacing scopes as the deals in the EE pop up on Leupolds.
Have the bug for them now.

They just work and work well.
 
kamlooky said:
Bushnells have served me well over the years, but one day we lost four scopes.
They are not Lead Sled friendly on larger recoiling rifles.
Yes, four scopes in one day.
A lesson well learnt on anchoring recoil.

I've been replacing scopes as the deals in the EE pop up on Leupolds.
Have the bug for them now.

They just work and work well.
Click to expand...

so u's the doity bastich snaggling all the leup deals before I even see em. Darned iceholes!
 
kamlooky said:
Bushnells have served me well over the years, but one day we lost four scopes.
They are not Lead Sled friendly on larger recoiling rifles.
Yes, four scopes in one day.
A lesson well learnt on anchoring recoil.

I've been replacing scopes as the deals in the EE pop up on Leupolds.
Have the bug for them now.

They just work and work well.
Click to expand...

Thank you, sir, for communicating in English!

Quote Originally Posted by LeftFootOfDoom View Post
so u's the doity bastich snaggling all the leup deals before I even see em. Darned iceholes!

Snewzse yah lewzses..........................

Dang, back to Babelfish...
 
If heavily loaded down as with a pair of 25 pound weights, the recoil has no where to go.
It's also been noted that rifle stocks have cracked or busted due to the use of these things.
If I use mine now, it goes unweighted.
Take a sledgehammer and heave it against an anvil verses pounding dirt.
 
I can easily understand the stock cracking potential, I'm just trying to picture how the stock taking a beating in a weighted sled would transmit shock to the scope?
I guess if the gun is not tight in the butt cradle I could see it getting a run back and then slamming into the weighted rest but otherwise I'm struggling to see it....

I don't shoot super heavy recoiling guns, but I also put some closed cell foam from a camping mat in the cradle of my lead sled both around it to make it more stable and also behind the butt pad to add more cushion to the recoil impulse. I do use some weight but not enough to actually resist 100 percent of the recoil.
 
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