Is my scope broken?

[Rod B]

Some would call this a clue. It sounds like you've had more than one warranty claim with them. That would indicate a poor product line. The OP's pic would also indicate that Bushnell puts out a poor product. Some people never learn...

TDC

Bushnell like most optics suppliers offer product ranging from inexpensive to mid priced. I have owned many of their scopes ranging from their Trophy line to the Elite 4200 series. I have been well satisfied with all my Bushnell purchases. That said, I would avoid the lower end optics offered by any of the rifle scope suppliers.

I know of several situations where Bushnell have covered warranty claims that were clearly not a manufacturing defect. In fact in one instance they replaced a scope that had been damaged when the rifle was knocked off a bench & dropped on concrete resulting in a badly bent scope.

The people at their Richmond Hill warranty center are more than fair as long as you are "up front" with them & don't offer a BS story when making a claim.

In regards to the OP's situation, it is possible that the original owner abused & damaged the scope & then dumped it on the EE . He also stated that this was the second time he got burned on the EE, he didn't say it was was the 2nd negative experience with Bushnell.

 

[jjohnwm]

Some would call this a clue. It sounds like you've had more than one warranty claim with them. That would indicate a poor product line. The OP's pic would also indicate that Bushnell puts out a poor product. Some people never learn...

TDC

I believe that I have had three Bushnell scopes that I took in for service, and one of those problems was definitely my fault. All were replaced without drama. Over a time span of roughly thirty years and an ownership of probably 15 or 20 Bushnells, I don't think that's too bad. I've also had three Leupolds that needed attention during that time (out of probably 15 owned) as well as one Swarovski binocular (out of only 2 Swarovski products owned). That might be construed by some as a "clue" that of those three brands, Swarovskis are the most likely to cause problems.

Not all of us can justify putting top-grade optics on all of our guns. For range toys, backyard plinkers and noisemakers, Bushnell products provide good value for money, and the company takes better care of their customers than many more expensive brands...after my personal experience of a 50% failure rate with Swarovski products, I was thoroughly underwhelmed by their handling of the problem.

There is no such thing as a perfect product. Quality of construction and design is important, but quality of customer service after sale is equally so.

 

[Swampy]

FWIW, I am the seller of this scope. The OP sent me a PM and I have replied to him with my contact info. The message he sent was polite and noted the problem he has encountered. I am confident that I will be able to work things out with the OP as I would not intentionally do this to someone I know, let alone someone on this site who is in another province. For those quick with the keyboard here is the rundown. NO, I was not aware of this issue with the scope. If I was, I would not have sold it. I would have gone to the trouble of getting it fixed myself or keeping it.. I have been on this site for a number of years and have bought and sold many items. I have been on both sides of few deals where items bought/sold turn out to have issues. In all cases, PM's & e-mails exchanged have always brought about a resolution. I will attempt to do that in this case and I will let the OP decide what is best for him.

BACKGROUND ON SCOPE:

I bought the scope with a Rifle (Remington Sendero in 300WM) that I purchased on this site from a member here a number of years ago. When I sighted the rifle in with my ammo, I had to do very little adjustments. I loaned the rifle with the above mentioned scope to a friend who bagged an elk with it about a year after I bought the combo. After that, I replaced the Bushnell scope with a variable power Leupold scope that I bought off of.....suprise suprise.....here. At that time the Bushnell scope came off the rifle and went into storage on a shelf in my safe. There it sat for more than a few years. I am starting to sell items, scopes and rifles that I am not using. This was one of the scopes that has been sold off along with a few others. I never man handled or abused the scope, nor have I ever screwed around with it. Anyways, I will let the OP contact me as I cannot find his e-mail address from our dealings. I will let him comment further on this topic as he started this posting to see what he could try regarding warranty work on the scope.

**Perhaps those that have a Bushnell 10X Scope like this can advise if they have ever had this issue with their scope**

 

[Magellann]

Things do happen and it seems your trying to be fair about it, hopefully you fellas will work it out and both be happy. To me selling a defective scope, or anything else is not worth ruining your reputation over on EE.
I hope you both find a happy resolution.

 

[Rod B]

Swampy, Your attitude about this situation does you credit. Glad to see that the OP is contacting Bushnell & hopefully they will repair or replace the scope.

 

[Swampy]

I've sent the OP another PM with my FULL CONTACT info again as I cannot locate his at the moment. To Magellann - You hit the nail on the head. I don't need a happy resolution, the OP does.

 

[muckwa]

I would say yes didn't read post just looked at pic and yes it's official.

 

[TDC]

I believe that I have had three Bushnell scopes that I took in for service, and one of those problems was definitely my fault. All were replaced without drama. Over a time span of roughly thirty years and an ownership of probably 15 or 20 Bushnells, I don't think that's too bad. I've also had three Leupolds that needed attention during that time (out of probably 15 owned) as well as one Swarovski binocular (out of only 2 Swarovski products owned). That might be construed by some as a "clue" that of those three brands, Swarovskis are the most likely to cause problems.

Not all of us can justify putting top-grade optics on all of our guns. For range toys, backyard plinkers and noisemakers, Bushnell products provide good value for money, and the company takes better care of their customers than many more expensive brands...after my personal experience of a 50% failure rate with Swarovski products, I was thoroughly underwhelmed by their handling of the problem.

There is no such thing as a perfect product. Quality of construction and design is important, but quality of customer service after sale is equally so.

The sample size you post is your own. Not a true reflection of the product line as a whole. There's a reason top grade optics cost the price they do. No doubt you pay a portion for the name as well, but you do the same for Bushnell products as well. I can guarantee the profit margin on Bushnell products is higher than those on big name brands. I'll ask you and everyone else this question. If I offered you a Bushnell optic of your choice, or an S&B/Trijicon/Nightforce/Zeiss/Leupold/USOptics scope, which would you take? That's what I thought....

Justifying quality gear isn't a difficult decision. Do you not want reliable repeatable performance? Yes?! Then what's the problem? Buy one optic with a quality QD mount and swap it between firearms. You can only run one rifle at a time. I suspect more people don't do this because they're more concerned with a "collection" than owning functional guns they know well and use a lot.

TDC

 

[jjohnwm]

The sample size you post is your own. Not a true reflection of the product line as a whole. There's a reason top grade optics cost the price they do. No doubt you pay a portion for the name as well, but you do the same for Bushnell products as well. I can guarantee the profit margin on Bushnell products is higher than those on big name brands. I'll ask you and everyone else this question. If I offered you a Bushnell optic of your choice, or an S&B/Trijicon/Nightforce/Zeiss/Leupold/USOptics scope, which would you take? That's what I thought....

Justifying quality gear isn't a difficult decision. Do you not want reliable repeatable performance? Yes?! Then what's the problem? Buy one optic with a quality QD mount and swap it between firearms. You can only run one rifle at a time. I suspect more people don't do this because they're more concerned with a "collection" than owning functional guns they know well and use a lot.

TDC

Good idea! I spent a couple hours shooting today, using a half-dozen assorted rifles. Shoot a centerfire group or two, then play with a rimfire while letting barrels cool. Targets from 50 yards out to 500. I foolishly thought that the efficient way to do this was to mount a scope on each gun, and some of those were Bushnells, which I deceived myself into believing were sufficient for casual rimfire plinking. Now I see that I could have simply bought a Schmidt&Bender and spent the afternoon swapping it around, all the while keeping track of the zeros on each gun and spinning dials like mad! Perfect! Sounds like exactly the relaxing and fun shooting session I had in mind.

Of course I am not indicting Swarovski quality. Of course, given the fantasy-world choice of "any scope" I, or anyone, would opt for a Zeiss over a Bushnell. But in the real world, people are not always willing or able to spend the cost of an entire hunting trip on one scope. For many or most folks, that just isn't a reasonable choice, or a wise one. I'm certain that a hard-core serious pro like yourself moves and shoots in rarefied circles where lives hang in the balance and no expense is spared to achieve cutting-edge perfection by "running" only the finest equipment. The rest of us must settle for our meager realities and make the best of it.

Good Lord! I just realized that my shooting bench is plywood, rather than concrete sunk into bedrock. My spotting scope is a Bushnell, my shooting glasses are right off the construction job-site, and I was even shooting some (gasp!) factory ammo! Sorry to waste everyone's time with my obviously worthless opinion...I'll go quietly now...

And to the OP: apologies for the thread derailment.

 

[TDC]

Good idea! I spent a couple hours shooting today, using a half-dozen assorted rifles. Shoot a centerfire group or two, then play with a rimfire while letting barrels cool. Targets from 50 yards out to 500. I foolishly thought that the efficient way to do this was to mount a scope on each gun, and some of those were Bushnells, which I deceived myself into believing were sufficient for casual rimfire plinking. Now I see that I could have simply bought a Schmidt&Bender and spent the afternoon swapping it around, all the while keeping track of the zeros on each gun and spinning dials like mad! Perfect! Sounds like exactly the relaxing and fun shooting session I had in mind.



Of course I am not indicting Swarovski quality. Of course, given the fantasy-world choice of "any scope" I, or anyone, would opt for a Zeiss over a Bushnell. But in the real world, people are not always willing or able to spend the cost of an entire hunting trip on one scope. For many or most folks, that just isn't a reasonable choice, or a wise one. I'm certain that a hard-core serious pro like yourself moves and shoots in rarefied circles where lives hang in the balance and no expense is spared to achieve cutting-edge perfection by "running" only the finest equipment. The rest of us must settle for our meager realities and make the best of it.

Good Lord! I just realized that my shooting bench is plywood, rather than concrete sunk into bedrock. My spotting scope is a Bushnell, my shooting glasses are right off the construction job-site, and I was even shooting some (gasp!) factory ammo! Sorry to waste everyone's time with my obviously worthless opinion...I'll go quietly now...

And to the OP: apologies for the thread derailment.

Lets start at the beginning. The fact you only spent a couple hours with more than one rifle is evidence that you aren't serious about shooting. What did you hope to accomplish in two hours with half a dozen guns? On average that's 20 minutes a gun if you didn't spend time packing up, observing your handy work, or changing targets. Sounds like a solid waste of time for only two hours at the range.

Second, what's with all the bench work? Unless the rifles are restricted you should be in the sticks. In addition, shooting from the bench gets old, fast. Stationary targets at known distances are less than stimulating unless you compete in benchrest style events, of course if that were the case you'd likely be running pet loads and working with a single rifle with quality glass. Which we know by your post, you neither have nor were doing.

Bushnell optics are fine for rimfire guns, I've run more than a few over the years. For $150 and less they're cheap and effective for rimfire work where spinning turrets isn't the order of the day. As for your comment about spinning turrets. Yes, that's how its done. A quality optic will track true and with a minimal amount of time you can determine the zero for multiple rifles and simply dial them in. Owning fewer optics and fewer rifles would benefit most. Unfortunately, fewer of either means a lower "cool guy" score when discussing your "collection". Larger quantities of lesser quality gear is the order of the day, I see it every time I'm at the range. Guy with 2 or 3 garbage rifles instead of one decent one.

Quality glass is affordable for everyone. It comes down to priorities, and most people simply won't or don't prioritize quality guns or gear over other items like alcohol, video games, vehicles, snowmobiles, etc etc. I've said this before and I will say it again. You can't be involved with more than 2 activities and expect to be good at them. Financially, the vast majority of us can't afford to be seriously involved with more than 2.

The problem with all this you ask? I don't really care what you have or how many. What gets me is the b*tching and moaning about garbage gear that comes from these very people. Too ignorant to accept they bought junk, and too impatient to save up for quality gear that performs. If you buy cheap junk, DON'T B*TCH ABOUT IT! You get what you pay for..

TDC

 

[jjohnwm]

Lets start at the beginning. The fact you only spent a couple hours with more than one rifle is evidence that you aren't serious about shooting. What did you hope to accomplish in two hours with half a dozen guns? On average that's 20 minutes a gun if you didn't spend time packing up, observing your handy work, or changing targets. Sounds like a solid waste of time for only two hours at the range.

Second, what's with all the bench work? Unless the rifles are restricted you should be in the sticks. In addition, shooting from the bench gets old, fast. Stationary targets at known distances are less than stimulating unless you compete in benchrest style events, of course if that were the case you'd likely be running pet loads and working with a single rifle with quality glass. Which we know by your post, you neither have nor were doing.

Bushnell optics are fine for rimfire guns, I've run more than a few over the years. For $150 and less they're cheap and effective for rimfire work where spinning turrets isn't the order of the day. As for your comment about spinning turrets. Yes, that's how its done. A quality optic will track true and with a minimal amount of time you can determine the zero for multiple rifles and simply dial them in. Owning fewer optics and fewer rifles would benefit most. Unfortunately, fewer of either means a lower "cool guy" score when discussing your "collection". Larger quantities of lesser quality gear is the order of the day, I see it every time I'm at the range. Guy with 2 or 3 garbage rifles instead of one decent one.

Quality glass is affordable for everyone. It comes down to priorities, and most people simply won't or don't prioritize quality guns or gear over other items like alcohol, video games, vehicles, snowmobiles, etc etc. I've said this before and I will say it again. You can't be involved with more than 2 activities and expect to be good at them. Financially, the vast majority of us can't afford to be seriously involved with more than 2.

The problem with all this you ask? I don't really care what you have or how many. What gets me is the b*tching and moaning about garbage gear that comes from these very people. Too ignorant to accept they bought junk, and too impatient to save up for quality gear that performs. If you buy cheap junk, DON'T B*TCH ABOUT IT! You get what you pay for..

TDC

Okay, I'll bite once more. Your keen observation regarding the "evidence" of my lack of serious commitment to shooting is uncharacteristically correct. I'm not! Shooting is a hobby I have enjoyed and pursued for 45 years or so, but it's one of several. According to you, this means that I can't be successful at any of them. However, I do them for enjoyment, and since I do indeed enjoy them, I am apparently successful enough for my purposes.

What did I hope to achieve? Aside from relaxation and frivolous pleasure, I wanted to sight in a couple of rimfires with the latest batch of cheap practice ammo I recently brought home. I have two centerfires slated to take on a hunt this fall (another of those pesky hobbies), and am starting to work up some loads for them. I put a new rear aperture sight on a muzzleloader which I wanted to try out. And I wanted to bang the gong a couple of times with my favourite .45-70 Sharps just because I love to shoot it. I achieved all these goals while putting a smile on my face...time well spent. Some of the shooting was from the bench, which I just put the finishing touches on recently, but most was from sitting over crossed sticks. I put up targets once, but also spent time shooting at gongs. No time wasted setting up...my range is right outside my back door...I guess you "serious" guys are willing to drive out to the club, but since I don't compete I just shoot on my own place...I know, what a dilettante...

But the main thing here is that the OP wasn't #####ing about his "garbage" scope...and neither was I...and neither were most or all of the other posters in this thread. In fact, the only one #####ing about it was...hmmm...oh, never mind. I've seen you suck many other members into these ridiculous pissing matches in other threads, and always wondered how you did it. Now I know! Thanks for all the shooting tips and life lessons.

 

[souwest_ghillie]

Larger quantities of lesser quality gear is the order of the day, I see it every time I'm at the range. Guy with 2 or 3 garbage rifles instead of one decent one.


TDC

What exactly is a garbage rifle? When I go to the range all I see is other shooters enjoying their sport......I don't see garbage rifles.

 

[TDC]

Okay, I'll bite once more. Your keen observation regarding the "evidence" of my lack of serious commitment to shooting is uncharacteristically correct. I'm not! Shooting is a hobby I have enjoyed and pursued for 45 years or so, but it's one of several. According to you, this means that I can't be successful at any of them. However, I do them for enjoyment, and since I do indeed enjoy them, I am apparently successful enough for my purposes.

What did I hope to achieve? Aside from relaxation and frivolous pleasure, I wanted to sight in a couple of rimfires with the latest batch of cheap practice ammo I recently brought home. I have two centerfires slated to take on a hunt this fall (another of those pesky hobbies), and am starting to work up some loads for them. I put a new rear aperture sight on a muzzleloader which I wanted to try out. And I wanted to bang the gong a couple of times with my favourite .45-70 Sharps just because I love to shoot it. I achieved all these goals while putting a smile on my face...time well spent. Some of the shooting was from the bench, which I just put the finishing touches on recently, but most was from sitting over crossed sticks. I put up targets once, but also spent time shooting at gongs. No time wasted setting up...my range is right outside my back door...I guess you "serious" guys are willing to drive out to the club, but since I don't compete I just shoot on my own place...I know, what a dilettante...

But the main thing here is that the OP wasn't #####ing about his "garbage" scope...and neither was I...and neither were most or all of the other posters in this thread. In fact, the only one #####ing about it was...hmmm...oh, never mind. I've seen you suck many other members into these ridiculous pissing matches in other threads, and always wondered how you did it. Now I know! Thanks for all the shooting tips and life lessons.

You sir have earned my respect. Not only did you reply with relevant information, you substantiated why you do what you do. Putting a smile on your face is your purpose, to me and I'm sure others, that doesn't qualify as a serious shooter. Personally, I shoot to see results not just hear the report and see a miss. I agree that any rounds down range are better than none, but so few is hardly beneficial for ones overall performance.

What exactly is a garbage rifle? When I go to the range all I see is other shooters enjoying their sport......I don't see garbage rifles.

A garbage rifle is the proverbial turd, an average utilitarian rifle adorned with endless amounts of low quality crap in an attempt to make it "look cool" or "improve performance". All the while the owner/user not realizing their efforts are fruitless. The prime example is the SKS with some form of magnified optic, being fired from the bench. The optic is made by NcStar, the mount out of aluminum foil at best based on the wobbly 'fit" to the receiver. The barrel is rested against the bench, ammo is surplus(not the worst for accuracy but not the best) and the shooter has crammed enough finger into/through the trigger guard to pick his neighbours nose. Upon firing, the trigger is slapped like it owes the owner money, the shooter flinches/squints their eyes as if said slap was applied to their face.

Rather than save up for a more appropriate rifle, or at the very least a quality optic, the above garbage rifle(and accessories) is what you get. Naturally after a long day of frustration (less than 100 rounds) said shooter makes a post on the forum asking how to improve the accuracy of said rifle. Never once, does the shooter suggest or admit that the poor performance is part rifle and part shooter. As we all know, every male is a natural born lover, driver, and shooter. No training required.

Perhaps I'm alone on this, but watching the above shooter and many variations of it. I have a hard time believing any of them are "enjoying" the discipline of marksmanship. What I see are the above individuals BS'ing about their gear and skills so as not to look a fool amongst other similar individuals. Unfortunately, they're not fooling anyone but themselves.

TDC

 

[bearkilr]

This seems to be a case of the adjustment seizing and the user thinking he's turning/adjusting the elevation while actually screwing out the whole assembly. Of course one would only discover this after making an adjustment, something one generally won't attempt before selling a scope. I'd be willing to bet Bushnell will send out a new scope.

As Shakespeare would say; "Much ado about nothing."

 

[Deer_Dreamin]

Hi Guys,

New forum member here, and I have a question for experts. I have recently purchased a Weatherby Mark V used. It had a huge horkin scope on it a Lisenfeld 4-12x56 I believe. I bought the rifle mostly for the rifle and the scope just came along with it. (Bonus I thought at the time) the issue is I can't get it sighted in. I have checked over the rifle and scope and made sure the scope mounts were tight. It is spraying bullets all over the paper at 50 yards in a 2.5 foot diameter circle. I noticed that when I turn the zoom on the scope the crosshairs also zoom or get larger. Is this a sign that the scope is messed up? I have never observed the crosshairs growing on any of the other scopes I have had but I have never owned a German Scope and wonder if this is supposed to happen?

If the scope is indeed damaged does anyone know where I could get it repaired and how much that would cost (and if it would be worth it)? I looked up the company and it seems that they no longer exist so it doesn't seem warranty would be an option.

Any Advice would be very welcomed!

 

[canuckchap]

That likely won't be covered. I just recently had a scope they refused to repair, as they said it was abused, and not normal. The scope in question had never been dropped or bumped. They are not as linberal with their warranty anymore.

To have a turret come out like that...that is not normal at all

 

[TAP375]

Hi Guys,

New forum member here, and I have a question for experts. I have recently purchased a Weatherby Mark V used. It had a huge horkin scope on it a Lisenfeld 4-12x56 I believe. I bought the rifle mostly for the rifle and the scope just came along with it. (Bonus I thought at the time) the issue is I can't get it sighted in. I have checked over the rifle and scope and made sure the scope mounts were tight. It is spraying bullets all over the paper at 50 yards in a 2.5 foot diameter circle. I noticed that when I turn the zoom on the scope the crosshairs also zoom or get larger. Is this a sign that the scope is messed up? I have never observed the crosshairs growing on any of the other scopes I have had but I have never owned a German Scope and wonder if this is supposed to happen?

If the scope is indeed damaged does anyone know where I could get it repaired and how much that would cost (and if it would be worth it)? I looked up the company and it seems that they no longer exist so it doesn't seem warranty would be an option.

Any Advice would be very welcomed!

Having the crosshairs zoom along with the scope itself is normal on scopes with the reticle at the "first focal plane" style scopes. Other than that, it might be worthwhile to start a new post for this topic - sounds like an interesting scope, and equally interesting problem...