Help Deciding On A Scope

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kinetic711

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Ontario, Canada
After years of hunting with iron sights, I am going to break down and buy a scope for my trusty 30.06. I have narrowed it down to the Bushnell Elite 3200 3-9x40 and the Nikon Bushmaster 3-9x40. Both seem very good for the money with the slight edge to Nikon for their lifetime warranty. I would appreciate any input from anyone who hunts with either of these scope.
 
Alot of people here have complained about nikons customer service and ability to follow through with the lifetime warranty.
 
Get a quality scope in the first place. If the scope sh1ts the bed, it will probably ruin the hunt no matter the warranty.

Why are you ditching the irons BTW? There are lots of times where I am hunting in rain/snow/fog where I would way rather irons.
 
Winchested said:
Alot of people here have complained about nikons customer service and ability to follow through with the lifetime warranty.
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I've heard alot of guys question the Nikon service committment, but I've never actually heard of a guy who has had a problem.

also check out the Burris Fullfield 11, I would buy it over the above two choices. I would spring for a bit nicer scope though. For $4-500 you can get a Leupy vx11 or used111 or a Zeiss Conquest, all dramatically superior to the ones you have narrowed it down to.
 
What type of hunting do you do in Ont?
There's a few 3x9s on top of our camps locker because guys didn't pay my warning about too powerful a scope for the way we hunt.
 
A good rule of thumb is to spend as much as you can afford on a scope, then buy one worth a bit more.

With that being said, personally I cannot recall ever having any problems with any Bushnell scope. I've owned cheap Sportsmans, Trophies, (great scopes) Banners and even the 3-9 rimfires. I still have two of those and have owned them for years, no problems. The Elites are good scopes for the money and I'm sure they will serve you well. I cannot speak for the Nikon as I've never even seen one I'm affraid.
 
senior said:
What type of hunting do you do in Ont?
There's a few 3x9s on top of our camps locker because guys didn't pay my warning about too powerful a scope for the way we hunt.
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2-7x for all 'round Ontario hunting to me. And even then I hunt with it on 2x, but of course it could vary a lot in any person's case. My go-to gun now wears a 1-4.

RG

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Nothing beats the 3200 Bushnell and for hunting purposes I wouldn't spend more than $250 and don't worry about falling through ice, buy another next year
 
carbonrod said:
Get a quality scope in the first place. If the scope sh1ts the bed, it will probably ruin the hunt no matter the warranty.

Why are you ditching the irons BTW? There are lots of times where I am hunting in rain/snow/fog where I would way rather irons.
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I'm not ditching the irons, they will still be there if needed. My eyes just aren't what they used to be.:(
 
senior said:
What type of hunting do you do in Ont?
There's a few 3x9s on top of our camps locker because guys didn't pay my warning about too powerful a scope for the way we hunt.
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I hunt mostly hardwood bush with a typical shot of 100 yds. There are times I could try a longer shot, but don't feel confident about humanely harvesting the animal with the iron sights. Also, I am going after moose this fall, where longer shots are the norm.
 
Heres a bit of free advice,when shopping for scope mounts and scopes try to pick the components that will keep the back end of the scope as far away from your head as possible and still get a good view .
 
jeff270 said:
Heres a bit of free advice,when shopping for scope mounts and scopes try to pick the components that will keep the back end of the scope as far away from your head as possible and still get a good view .
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Good advice there!

For your hunting sounds like a 3x9 is WAY overkill!
1X is all that's required for a hunting shot in hunting conditions up to 200yds!
See RuffedGrouse's reply for appropiate scope!
I'll go one step further & suggest a 1.5-5x in a quality scope.
I like Burris, Busch & Laumb, Leupold & a few others.
I'm not a big fan of 3200 Bushnell but if you want one in 1.5x4 with Firelite, I have a little used one I would let go.
 
Check out Vortex. I have a Diamondback on a .223 and recently picked up a Viper for my new (not yet purchased) hunting rifle. Prices are good, quality is good and they have a lifetime warranty with a service center in Canada. Not sure if any site sponsors are selling them but I have had exceptional service from Grouse River Outfitters based in Kelowna.
 
Seriously take a look at the Bushnell Legend 2-7x32. The eye relief is much much better than advertised, impressive glass for the price, reasonably light and compact.

This is a great, very under rated scope that doesn't get any attention these days due to the Elite series.

Cost would be less than $180. You could then afford to buy quick release rings for the option of slipping your scope off and using your iron sights.

I'm thinking this would be just about perfect for you, please consider.
 
The 3200 Elite is good value for your dollar, the 2-7x Legend as mentioned by Mount S is economical and also worthy of consideration. It never hurts (except in the wallet) to have higher end optics...Zeiss are nice, and Leupolds, though costly have an ironclad warranty. I haven't actually seen or handled one of the new Redfields, but they are now being built in the U.S. by Leupold. They are much less expensive than the Leupolds, but I understand Leupold's intentions are to cover them with their legendary warranty and service. So far they're getting good reviews in the U.S., and I noticed in the optics EE here on CGN, they're being made available in Canada now. Hell, the shopping is at least 1/2 the fun!
 
Had a 3200 tactical 10x on a savage 110 and didn't like how far away it was from my eye. Maybe it was the base I had. I had to really stretch my neck ahead to see out of it. Made it really uncomfortable to use. Otherwise really liked the scope. Quality for price is outstanding. Obviously 10x power is too much if your making 200yrd shots and less.
 
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