Bushnell Elite scopes?

I dont think the Tasco World Class scopes were particularly desirable. I have World Class Plus and it has a plastic tube! Stick with the Bushnell Elite series - I prefer the 3200/4200 series over the 3500 series. You can pick up a gently used 3200 or 4200 for a pretty good price these days, with the lifelong, transferable, Bushnell warranty to boot.
 
My acquaintance said Tasco "World Class", not "World Class Plus", was a desirable version. He has sent a 2-7x?? WC to me for a rifle here - I will find out, when it gets here. I have never had one, previously.

But, does cause me to think - was so much made in advertising about a "steel tube" on a scope. Then many became "aluminum". And now apparently a "plastic". So if all are engineered to equivalent strength and meet specs, what is the difference in the scope body material to a user? I do not think there is much "steel" in a modern fighter aircraft or even our passenger cars - but a lot of aluminum, composites and "plastics" - and they are apparently way tougher than anything used previously??
 
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cosmic said:
I dont think the Tasco World Class scopes were particularly desirable. I have World Class Plus and it has a plastic tube! Stick with the Bushnell Elite series - I prefer the 3200/4200 series over the 3500 series. You can pick up a gently used 3200 or 4200 for a pretty good price these days, with the lifelong, transferable, Bushnell warranty to boot.
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For a few short years early 2000s Tasco World Class (Japan) was building the EXP (Extreme Performance) series of optics. Rifle scopes and binos. Thier quality was pretty much equal to the Nikon Monarch optics of similar out of pocket asking price. Not bad at all.
Afterwards these Tascos of the EXP variants thier production went to Korea or China. (junk)
 
I am not sure of the dates, but the Tanross Supply Co. out of Florida, USA created the "Tasco" brand. Basically, Tanross got sued out of existence by the US Navy - a court apparently accepted that games were being played after a contract had been awarded. The Tasco brand was sold by the bankruptcy administrator - I believe is today owned by ATK (Vista Outdoors). Tanross / Tasco never owned a scope factory - never made a single product - would accept orders from wholesale buyers and get a product made, wherever, to that spec. I believe that Tanross may have been early into using the scope making capacity in Japan - but never had a factory there...
 
I do have an older Japanese Tasco 4X that appears to be quite well made. It doesnt have a model name - it says Omni-view Omni-centered on it. I put it through the box test, and it passed well. Adjustments are crisp and correctly calibrated. Cant say the same for the World Class Plus 6X, which now resides on a 22.
 
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Is definitely what I have found with the Tasco branded scopes - is really a challenge to identify what particular model any one really is. We put a 1.75-5x32 Tasco scope on our Dad's M1917 - in about 1980 or so - like an f'n tank, that scope - works, to this day, very well. But I do not know what model it is - other than a "tasco" and "made in Japan" found on it. In about 1999, at age 75, Dad got "bucked out" of a white water float raft on the Kakwa River in Alberta - was on a float hunt with my brother - for whatever reason, would not let go of that rifle - a very crude "submersion" test of that scope and the gun (and him too, I guess!!!). My brother has that rifle and scope today - is bound and determined to get "one more" deer with it. But the way that thing is going, his yet-to-exist great grandson might be hunting with it one day!!!
 
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Potashminer said:
Is definitely what I have found with the Tasco branded scopes - is really a challenge to identify what particular model any one really is. We put a 1.75-5x32 Tasco scope on our Dad's M1917 - in about 1980 or so - like an f'n tank, that scope - works, to this day, very well. But I do not know what model it is - other than a "tasco" and "made in Japan" found on it. In about 1999, at age 75, Dad got "bucked out" of a white water float raft on the Kakwa River in Alberta - was on a float hunt with my brother - for whatever reason, would not let go of that rifle - a very crude "submersion" test of it and the gun (and him too, I guess!!!). My brother has that rifle and scope today - is bound and determined to get "one more" deer with it. But the way that thing is going, his yet-to-exist great grandson might be hunting with it one day!!!
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Great story, I enjoyed reading it.
 
I took a look at a new Elite 4500x in store yesterday, cautiously optimistic. It was a 4-16x50mm with nice glass, but most things look nice in-store IMO. Made in Korea. I liked that it was a decent sized scope for decent money but would need to lay a bead on something across the Pembina valley at dusk to really comment on it.

I might pull the trigger on one, so to speak, for a .300 win mag.

My Prime is made in Korea as well and is fairly new, seems to be a good hunting scope.

My Elite Tactical is the "cheap" 5-15x40mm model but is made in Japan and is rock solid.
 
What would be the differences between the 3200, 3500, 42/6500? Would you have any recommendations for a scope for hunting? I'll be probably buying 2 scopes. One for my rem 788 in 308, I'll probably be hunting deer maybe a elk? Ranges will be from 50 ft up to maybe 300 yards max.

The other gun is a savage 110 in 270, good scope for that?
 
For 99% of hunters with 308 Win or 270 Win, you'll likely see them with 3-9x40 of some brand or other. Has to do with the best compromise of diameter, length, weight, able to use, price, etc. Maybe some might go 2-7 power for the 308. And I am pretty sure most game is shot with 4 power or 5 power - the highest powers are most commonly used for "sighting in" on paper targets. As purely for "hunting" rifles. For many decades, a fixed four power would have been totally acceptable. A few of us use fixed 6 power. A few of us might use fixed 2.5 or 3 power on bigger shorter range boomers like 9.3x62 or 458 Win Mag. The smaller powers tend to be lighter scopes - less inertia - tend to handle the recoil easier - also lower powers tend towards longer eye relief. I think.

Might have to do with age, also - a younger shooter has eye pupil that can open to 7 mm or more pupil diameter. Old guy like me more likely like 4 mm. So divide objective lens in mm by the magnification - is the exit pupil of that scope. So a 3-9x40, at 3 power - has 40 mm divided by 3 = 13.3 mm exit pupil - larger than most humans use up - very large, easy to pick up. At other extreme, at 9 power - 40 mm divided by 9 = 4.44. So likely old guy like me does not see all of it. If it was a 3-12x40 - at 12 power, exit pupil is 3.33 - will be much "dimmer" view for everyone, compared to the lower powers. So a fixed 6 power with 36 mm front sense - exit pupil is 6 - more than my eye can use, less than a younger guy could use. Leupold VX-III 2.5-8x36 - at top end, old guy like me can barely meet that 4.5 mm exit pupil - likely can not - at same time likely looks small or dim to a young shooter.

Do not think that higher magnification will make you a better shot. Read up on small bore free rifle competitions - world class shooters doing 10 rounds into less than 1/2" groups - standing off hand - at 50 meters - aperture sights - no scope. That is what good looks like! Key issue is to get a perfectly repeatable sight picture - and next to be able to break the trigger when picture is just perfect - so a target shape that matches closely / repeatably to the reticle - when younger I shot many 3 and 5 round groups, many much less than 1", from sandbag rests at 100 yards, with a Weaver K3 scope (3 power) on a 243 Win. Have to be able to see a very repeatable aiming point - do not have to be able to see the bullet holes.

Is common to see a bench rest target with a heavy edged white square - when conventional cross hairs placed dead centre on that square, you see 4 white squares formed by the reticle - remarkable how your eye detects the slightest difference or change among them - so, in fact, aiming at "nothing", but aiming very precisely and repeatedly. Do not want bullets striking that square - that changes the view for the next shot. Is common in bench rest to be going for group size, not placement. Placement competitions tend to use larger black bullseye with scoring rings - shooter often does not see bullet holes at all - give shooter pretty much exact same sight picture for each shot.

I believe the various Elite series numbers names might relate to the power change? Earliest variables tended to be multiple of 3 - so like a 3 to 9, or a 4 to 12 power. I believe earliest "2 to 7 power" were actually like 2.2 to 6.6 power. Then came multiples of four - like 3 to 12 or 4 to 16 power. And so on - not sure how many multiples are available today - 6 times(?). I suspect has all to do with angles of internal cams and the distances that certain lenses move inside to get increased powers.
 
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Potashminer said:
For 99% of hunters with 308 Win or 270 Win, you'll likely see them with 3-9x40 of some brand or other. Has to do with the best compromise of diameter, length, weight, able to use, price, etc. Maybe some might go 2-7 power for the 308. And I am pretty sure most game is shot with 4 power or 5 power - the highest powers are most commonly used for "sighting in" on paper targets. As purely for "hunting" rifles. For many decades, a fixed four power would have been totally acceptable. A few of us use fixed 6 power. A few of us might use fixed 2.5 or 3 power on bigger shorter range boomers like 9.3x62 or 458 Win Mag. The smaller powers tend to be lighter scopes - less inertia - tend to handle the recoil easier - also lower powers tend towards longer eye relief. I think.

Might have to do with age, also - a younger shooter has eye pupil that can open to 7 mm or more pupil diameter. Old guy like me more likely like 4 mm. So divide objective lens in mm by the magnification - is the exit pupil of that scope. So a 3-9x40, at 3 power - has 40 mm divided by 3 = 13.3 mm exit pupil - larger than most humans use up - very large, easy to pick up. At other extreme, at 9 power - 40 mm divided by 9 = 4.44. So likely old guy like me does not see all of it. If it was a 3-12x40 - at 12 power, exit pupil is 3.33 - will be much "dimmer" view for everyone, compared to the lower powers. So a fixed 6 power with 36 mm front sense - exit pupil is 6 - more than my eye can use, less than a younger guy could use. Leupold VX-III 2.5-8x36 - at top end, old guy like me can barely meet that 4.5 mm exit pupil - likely can not - at same time likely looks small or dim to a young shooter.

Do not think that higher magnification will make you a better shot. Read up on small bore free rifle competitions - world class shooters doing 10 rounds into less than 1/2" groups - standing off hand - at 50 meters - aperture sights - no scope. That is what good looks like! Key issue is to get a perfectly repeatable sight picture - and next to be able to break the trigger when picture is just perfect - so a target shape that matches closely / repeatably to the reticle - when younger I shot many 3 and 5 round groups, many much less than 1", from sandbag rests at 100 yards, with a Weaver K3 scope (3 power) on a 243 Win. Have to be able to see a very repeatable aiming point - do not have to be able to see the bullet holes.

Is common to see a bench rest target with a heavy edged white square - when conventional cross hairs placed dead centre on that square, you see 4 white squares formed by the reticle - remarkable how your eye detects the slightest difference or change among them - so, in fact, aiming at "nothing", but aiming very precisely and repeatedly. Do not want bullets striking that square - that changes the view for the next shot. Is common in bench rest to be going for group size, not placement. Placement competitions tend to use larger black bullseye with scoring rings - shooter often does not see bullet holes at all - give shooter pretty much exact same sight picture for each shot.

I believe the various Elite series numbers names might relate to the power change? Earliest variables tended to be multiple of 3 - so like a 3 to 9, or a 4 to 12 power. I believe earliest "2 to 7 power" were actually like 2.2 to 6.6 power. Then came multiples of four - like 3 to 12 or 4 to 16 power. And so on - not sure how many multiples are available today - 6 times(?). I suspect has all to do with angles of internal cams and the distances that certain lenses move inside to get increased powers.
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Thanks! Yeah, the higher mag multiplies any shaking. I wish the new "elite" scopes were made in japan, from what I can see they're made in korea. The one that caught my attention is on that is 2.5-10 zoom. Wider zoom so you can crank it down for the real close shots and up to ten for maybe a longer shot?
 
MilitaryCollectorMark said:
Thanks! Yeah, the higher mag multiplies any shaking. I wish the new "elite" scopes were made in japan, from what I can see they're made in korea. The one that caught my attention is on that is 2.5-10 zoom. Wider zoom so you can crank it down for the real close shots and up to ten for maybe a longer shot?
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Is a bit of a fallacy from my experience - when deer busts out at 25 yards to get around corner or behind something else, there is no time to turn the magnification down. You tend to shoot with what you carried it at - then for a real long shot, yes, tend to have time to turn up the magnification. Really helps to learn to shoot with both eyes open - and how to make the rifle LOP and comb fit you - but is all time that is needed to be taken ahead of that really fast shot, up close.

Is mostly a marketing story, I think, about need for variable power scopes. A good 4 power or 6 power fixed scope - inexpensive - learn to shoot with both eyes open - no fussing or worrying about adjustments - put a hole where it needs to be, and find the gutting or skinning knife...
 
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Potashminer said:
Is a bit of a fallacy from my experience - when deer busts out at 25 yards to get around corner or behind something else, there is no time to turn the magnification down. You tend to shoot with what you carried it at - then for a real long shot, yes, tend to have time to turn up the magnification. Really helps to learn to shoot with both eyes open - and how to make the rifle LOP and comb fit you - but is all time that is needed to be taken ahead of that really fast shot, up close.
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Yes, when I'm going to be hunting keep it turned down to lower magnification. If your hunting in a blind maybe a different story?
 
I have, however, watched my Dad and my son search for the deer with their scope - had their other eye closed - wanted to see that deer in the scope - in a rifle that did not fit them - did not work well, in my opinion.
 
Elite 3200 is the least I will put on any of my own rifles. I've got a few of them in many different configurations and will actively seek them when they go for sale. I've only ever had one 4200 and it failed. Sent to Bushnell for warranty, it was replaced with a Forge. I do have a 6500 on my RPR that I'm impressed with.
 
Just stumbled on this one, Ive got a couple 4500's, a 4200 and (2) 3500's all but one on Tikka's, when you live in Prince Rupert the rain guard coating and the tikka stainless is the berries.
 
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