Rifle Scopes Bushnell elite 4200 good starting scope? Vs 6500?

N

none1

Private
Minuteman
Nov 10, 2009
3
0
55
Northern IL
#1
Hi all.

I'm looking for a good "starting scope" mildot, for a Savage Arms Model 10 Precision Carbine Rifle. 20" barrel, accustock, accustrigger, good reviews. By all reports, this gun should be sub moa out of the box and a good one to learn on. It's going to be used as a deer gun during the season, and lots of target shooting, probably mostly to 600 yards, although maybe up to a 1000 yard range a couple times a year.

The gun costs $700, and I'm not sure if the shooter is going to do enough target shooting to justify a scope = twice the price of the rifle yet.

The Bushnell Elite 4200 has THREE models .... (ok 4 if you count the illuminated rectile at $1000)

A) $700 http://swfa.com/Bushnell-6-24x50-Elite-4200-30mm-Rifle-Scope-P8746.aspx

B) $630 http://swfa.com/Bushnell-6-24x40-Elite-4200-Rifle-Scope-P6911.aspx

C) $550 http://swfa.com/Bushnell-6-24x40-Elite-4200-Rifle-Scope-P254.aspx

These are not FFP scopes, but, with the mildots set at 12X, you can easily range the dots at 6 and 24, which would seem to be a nice feature for a beginner.

My two main questions are:

1) Is the $550 scope fine, or is the additional cost for one of the other two justified?

2) Are there other scopes in the $600ish price range I should be looking at? SWFA SS has a FFP 3-9 x 42 at $600, but the 6 - 24 would seem to be a more useable range? I've considered the $500 Vortex 6.5-20x50 Viper 30mm, I don't have a dealer nearby with one for me to look at, but the glass is reported to be comparable to the Elite 4200.

I'm not STUCK at the $600 range, I'd spend $900 to get a Vortex PST, with $2000 level glass and all the PST features ... if it actually existed to be brought.
smile.gif


3) Similarly, would it be better to spend a little less or the same money, and get a stand alone 10x scope with better glass?

4) Is the 6500 "much better glass"? Should I consider the Bushnell 2.5-16x42 Elite 6500 30mm at $700 over the 4200 at $550?

Thanks much for advice.
 
#3
Re: Bushnell elite 4200 good starting scope? Vs 6500?

I just got a viper while I am waiting on a PST, glass looks nice to me, havent shot it yet but it seems like a nice scope, with that said the bushnells have alot of good comments on the 4200, but not so much with the 6500's. And everybody knows the SS's are tuff as nails but I dont like the single pwr, and not enuff high power on their varible model for my tastes JMHO
 
#4
Re: Bushnell elite 4200 good starting scope? Vs 6500?

I have a Savage model 12 F/TR and I have the Bushnell 6500 4.5-30x50 on it. I am building a AR 10 right now and I think will use the 4200 6-24x50 on it. The 6500 has very clear optics but I don't like the mil dots on the crosshairs. I think the 4200 is better. The interesting thing is that the 4200 costs more then the 6500. Don't get me wrong the 6500 is a great scope and proably the best for the price. I used the 6500 because I wanted the 30 power for the bolt gun.

I wanted to add that the 4200 is more because I was going to use the lighted one and it cost more otherwise the 4200 is less.
 
#6
Re: Bushnell elite 4200 good starting scope? Vs 6500?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: bigsky23</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Viper PST in stock and great prices. Also a SH contributor.


http://www.schryvergunsales.com/ </div></div>

I doubt they're actually in stock, last I heard Liberty Optics said that they were out of stock and didn't have any anticipated "ship" date.
 
#7
Re: Bushnell elite 4200 good starting scope? Vs 6500?

With respect to question 1, Hands down - A.

A. has 50MOA of adjustability, side focus, and tactical turrets.

B. has 40MOA of adjustability and C only 26. Both will be good short to medium range hunting scopes but you probably don't need 1/8" adjustments on a hunting scope. B. might get you to 600 yards with a 20 MOA base but your receiver alighment will pretty much need to be perfect. They will never get you to 1k yards and also let you shoot close range.

With a 20MOA base A will get you just about to 1k yards. I had B. at one point and sold it to get A which I'm still running on a 700.


With respect to question 4, the 4200s and 6500s are reported to have the same glass and there are a number of folks on this forum who have reported that the high magnification 6500s experience distortion at the higher settings. The one you mentioned should be fine based on those reports so it's just preference.
 
#8
Re: Bushnell elite 4200 good starting scope? Vs 6500?

I would buy option A)

I have had my eye on this model for some time and to be honest I really like bushnell products... never had to deal with customer service so cant comment on it, and havnt had anything break on me either (touch wood).

Once you use tactical turrets you wont want to look back. In fact, i question why i would ever want to use a scope without tactical turrets unless i was shooting under 300 yards and had some sort of drop reticle, or mil based reticle.

The turrets are what do this for me. Also that power range does it for me. Its similar to my NXS NF in that respect.

To answer your questions.

1) Yes i believe the extra $150 justifies the Tac turrets and larger objective.
2) I guess so but i think you hit the nail on the head already with this bushnell... maybe a weaver scope Lowlight posted another thread on.
3) Up to you... its all about personal taste
4) I feel the 4200 glass is fine. Ive compared it to other high end scopes and really, theres nothing wrong with 4200 glass its great
 
#10
Re: Bushnell elite 4200 good starting scope? Vs 6500?

Consider your magnification range carefully. Something in the 3/4-15/18 range is going to be much more useful for deer hunting and still get you out to 1000. What are your chances of jumping a bedded deer at 40 yards vs. making it to a place where you'll have both time and room to setup and shoot out to 1000?
 
#11
Re: Bushnell elite 4200 good starting scope? Vs 6500?

OP says shooting mostly out to 600 yards with a "precision" rifle.

I would say most of his time will be spent looking downrange at distant targets... this vs the occasional suprise from a bedded animal would not influence my choice into buying a lower power scope... BUT thats just me.

Come on, you guys are in the states arent you allowed to carry hand guns out hunting?

Shit if i could carry around a sweet revolver just for close encounters, I would! Damn you lucky americans.
 
#12
Re: Bushnell elite 4200 good starting scope? Vs 6500?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Bray</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Do you plan on hunting in the woods where the shots are under 100 yards? Or do you hunt open fields?

If you do any woods hunting I would consider the FFP 3-12x44.

http://swfa.com/Bushnell-3-12x44-Elite-4200-30mm-Rifle-Scope-P45484.aspx
</div></div>

All you will ever need! You won't have to buy another scope later. I think it the best scope(feature rich)on the market,for the money at the moment.When the PST's are available that could change.Even $3000 scopes aren't perfect.I've got a $2700 retail scope that I'm dissapointed with honestly.
 
#13
Re: Bushnell elite 4200 good starting scope? Vs 6500?

I've got the Bushnell 4200 6-24x50 SFP, 30mm, SF MilDot tactical scope and while a bit 'up shy', you should be fine with a 20 MOA rail on it. Quality is pretty robust and the glass is probably a solid 8.5/10.

There's a guy selling a used one here, for $525 shipped. I picked up a minty 3 month old one from here for $465 IIRC, a couple of years back.

Their new 4200 6-24x50 FFP scope also has a illuminated reticle, but streets for closer to $800.

I also have a Bausch&Lomb/Bushnell Elite 4000 6-24x40 that I've run on a Sendero in 7RM and now a 22-250 and it's a pretty clear scope, with the same high level build quality, but it's a 1/8" click scope.

I even have a B&L 4200 4-16x50, so I'm a fanboy.

If you can swing the <$550 (new) for the 4200 6-24x50 SFP, I think it would give you most of what you want and you'd have a bit more magnification for shooting the smaller targets at longer ranges.

Chris
 
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