For over 20 years I sent my new PR clients / shooters/ customers/newbies smack into a price point that allowed them to get into the game with a minimum of expenditure and still have a decent time at Base Borden’s (Ontario) Mons Range or Connaught’s Charlie Range and more recently in the past 7 years; Garrison Petawawa’s Bravo Range.
That price point scope was the Bushnell Elite 3200 10 x - 40mm Mildot SFP scope. Sure it wasn’t any special FFP nor did it have side parallax adjustment ability but for the $200 , that scope got many people started. Kinda reminds me of the ubiquitous Honda CB350 from the seventies.
Many people got their start with this scope and as time or experience or skill set or budget or familiarity move forward, they were able to upgrade to other brands/ makes/ models / price points/ ring diameters, etc.
I would often advise my crew that this scope can ALWAYS be relegated to back up rig status or a rimfire trainer or WHY (what have you) purposes.
Well my 20 year old 3200 Elite 10x seemed to give up the ghost. This summer I mounted it on my Savage Rascal Junior Program trainer for my kids to ring steel at 100 yards. For some reason the POI was over on the left by a foot….we continued to dial the windage to bring the POI further to the right. We maxed out the travel and it still impacted to the left.
I sent that scope into Bushnell after downloading their accompanying paperwork from the website. I filled in the world order paperwork and sent the scope to Vaughn, ON Warranty Depot. That scope was back in a month and their crew had it repaired according to the follow up paperwork/receipt.
I reserved my Savage Rascal JR Program shooter (EGW Picatinny rail, and ARMS 22 Throw Lever LOW Steel Tac Rings with polymer ring reducers to 1” for you gear guys). The scope zeroed initially but after trying/testing different brands of .22 ammunition at 50 yards, I had what some Lee Enfield Jungle Carbine shooters would call , “Wandering Zero”.
Now my reticle did not move anywhere and the POI was Wayyyyy the fornication to the left at the dirt backstop. Time to send it back…..
Look what I received a week later…. The metamorphosis…..
Oh yeah, shameless plug for Marten Van R over at MDT because he takes good care of my Junior Program as well as the ORPS/CRPS programs here in Canada.
It’s a Bushy Nitro scope. I had to keep digging further into the details. I was hoping it was FFP and it was (just needed my reading glasses since I’m getting older) and it was issued in MRad version just for me. Darn those folks at the Warranty shops in Vaughn, ON aren’t kidding around. I’m super impressed. Okay, so it’s a 3x-12x. But it does come in 30mm tube and the Butler Creek scope covers are a fabulous touch.
I guess Bushy has discontinued that Japan 10x - 40mm Mildot model from the nineties (Life was simpler back then). And the accompanying receipt said this was the replacement. Take it or leave it…. Twist my rubber arm, I replied. Okay, okay, that’s my weak attempt at humour with some fiction on my end.
As many of you will/might/may / might not know , I’m a brand ambassador for a few optics labels and ironically, Bushnell ain’t one of them. I’m a mere Bushnell fanboy because of their reliable warranty program (always treated me well) and I have used their Vaughn, ON shop a few times now.
I such a fanboy I even mounted my spare HDMR2 on my coyote rig….. only the best for the local ‘yotes’….
Anyways, for my clients reading this post, I’m hoping your decades old Bushy Elite 3200 10x Mildot scopes are still giving you good service, after all the Barrett Rifle makers provided these Bushy 10x Mildot scopes with their .50 caliber rigs right from the factory ; back then. Not sure what they are doing these days.
This Nitro FFP 3-12 will be mounted on my .22 Savage Rascal soon for my 6 year olds to ring steel this coming spring JR Program sessions. I hope this post can shed some light on what happens when you send in a Bushnell scope for repair and it’s out of production.
Well I do have to say, I’m gonna miss their Japan made glass (10x Mildot) but even if this Nitro isn’t made in Japan at least it’s got a pile of features that I can show case to my parents and kids during out weekly practice sessions.
Many thanks to my sponsors for their senses of humour (to put up with my stale jokes) and support over the years!
Be kind since it costs nothing to send out there…. And among us PR/PRS shooters; we are experts in “Sending it!”
Peace Be The Journey! Happy new year , all….. better times ahead!!
Cheers, Barney
That price point scope was the Bushnell Elite 3200 10 x - 40mm Mildot SFP scope. Sure it wasn’t any special FFP nor did it have side parallax adjustment ability but for the $200 , that scope got many people started. Kinda reminds me of the ubiquitous Honda CB350 from the seventies.
Many people got their start with this scope and as time or experience or skill set or budget or familiarity move forward, they were able to upgrade to other brands/ makes/ models / price points/ ring diameters, etc.
I would often advise my crew that this scope can ALWAYS be relegated to back up rig status or a rimfire trainer or WHY (what have you) purposes.
Well my 20 year old 3200 Elite 10x seemed to give up the ghost. This summer I mounted it on my Savage Rascal Junior Program trainer for my kids to ring steel at 100 yards. For some reason the POI was over on the left by a foot….we continued to dial the windage to bring the POI further to the right. We maxed out the travel and it still impacted to the left.
I sent that scope into Bushnell after downloading their accompanying paperwork from the website. I filled in the world order paperwork and sent the scope to Vaughn, ON Warranty Depot. That scope was back in a month and their crew had it repaired according to the follow up paperwork/receipt.
I reserved my Savage Rascal JR Program shooter (EGW Picatinny rail, and ARMS 22 Throw Lever LOW Steel Tac Rings with polymer ring reducers to 1” for you gear guys). The scope zeroed initially but after trying/testing different brands of .22 ammunition at 50 yards, I had what some Lee Enfield Jungle Carbine shooters would call , “Wandering Zero”.
Now my reticle did not move anywhere and the POI was Wayyyyy the fornication to the left at the dirt backstop. Time to send it back…..
Look what I received a week later…. The metamorphosis…..
Oh yeah, shameless plug for Marten Van R over at MDT because he takes good care of my Junior Program as well as the ORPS/CRPS programs here in Canada.
It’s a Bushy Nitro scope. I had to keep digging further into the details. I was hoping it was FFP and it was (just needed my reading glasses since I’m getting older) and it was issued in MRad version just for me. Darn those folks at the Warranty shops in Vaughn, ON aren’t kidding around. I’m super impressed. Okay, so it’s a 3x-12x. But it does come in 30mm tube and the Butler Creek scope covers are a fabulous touch.
I guess Bushy has discontinued that Japan 10x - 40mm Mildot model from the nineties (Life was simpler back then). And the accompanying receipt said this was the replacement. Take it or leave it…. Twist my rubber arm, I replied. Okay, okay, that’s my weak attempt at humour with some fiction on my end.
As many of you will/might/may / might not know , I’m a brand ambassador for a few optics labels and ironically, Bushnell ain’t one of them. I’m a mere Bushnell fanboy because of their reliable warranty program (always treated me well) and I have used their Vaughn, ON shop a few times now.
I such a fanboy I even mounted my spare HDMR2 on my coyote rig….. only the best for the local ‘yotes’….
Anyways, for my clients reading this post, I’m hoping your decades old Bushy Elite 3200 10x Mildot scopes are still giving you good service, after all the Barrett Rifle makers provided these Bushy 10x Mildot scopes with their .50 caliber rigs right from the factory ; back then. Not sure what they are doing these days.
This Nitro FFP 3-12 will be mounted on my .22 Savage Rascal soon for my 6 year olds to ring steel this coming spring JR Program sessions. I hope this post can shed some light on what happens when you send in a Bushnell scope for repair and it’s out of production.
Well I do have to say, I’m gonna miss their Japan made glass (10x Mildot) but even if this Nitro isn’t made in Japan at least it’s got a pile of features that I can show case to my parents and kids during out weekly practice sessions.
Many thanks to my sponsors for their senses of humour (to put up with my stale jokes) and support over the years!
Be kind since it costs nothing to send out there…. And among us PR/PRS shooters; we are experts in “Sending it!”
Peace Be The Journey! Happy new year , all….. better times ahead!!
Cheers, Barney
