Rifle Scopes Bushnell's new BTR-MIL reticle questions

[jsulse]

Anyone have the opportunity to look though any of these scopes, the Elite Tactical LRS 3-12x44 in particular?

Seriously looking into this for an AR-15 build. Seems to have everything I am interested in such as FFP, illumination and uncluttered reticle design.

The scope is 100% made in Japan in a factory that builds many other high end scopes so I guess for starters this could speak to it's quality. Questions I have are glass quality, contrast, color, etc. Also, will basically be shooting steel, varmints and paper in that order.

All objective opinions welcome.

Thanks.

 

[Lafayette]

Re: Bushnell's new BTR-MIL reticle questions

Tag

 

[Singlestack_Wonder]

Re: Bushnell's new BTR-MIL reticle questions

My interest in the reticle is whether or not the illumination is daylight visible. I like the reticle layout and if the illumination is daylight visible, I'm in.

 

[cwatson308]

Re: Bushnell's new BTR-MIL reticle questions

I bleive it will be .

 

[jsulse]

Re: Bushnell's new BTR-MIL reticle questions

Pulled the trigger and ordered one of these Bushnell LRS 3-12x44 BTR-MIL recticle from Scott over at Liberty Optics. (Thanks for the GREAT price!) When pressing him for details on the scope he had little to offer only because it was so new and an opportunity to spend some with it had not presented itself. Well, he agreed to look check one out over the weekend and his opinion was very favorable on glass and reticle design. Good enough for me, done. As for illumination and to give a novice's assessment on glass, I will post once it arrives, hopefully by the weekend.

 

[jackinfl]

Re: Bushnell's new BTR-MIL reticle questions

71 Bronco,

Keep us in the loop on this scope. I too want one for an AR and I am just looking for a little nudge to pull the trigger.

Thanks.
Jack

 

[jsulse]

Re: Bushnell's new BTR-MIL reticle questions

Scope came yesterday. Wow, fast shipping from Liberty optics!

My first impressions:

Clear glass.

Great light transmission.

Green illumination (some reticle pics around web shows as red).
Under dark conditions some illumination bleed over to field of view even at lowest setting. Also, the large rectangle sections of the reticle above and below the hash marks show a thin line of illumination to the right border at higher magnifications. Distracting but not a deal breaker. (This is my first illuminated scope so don't know if this is common to all illuminated scopes). Called Bushnell tech this morning for an explanation and was told it's a product of the glass coatings. These lines are ONLY noticeable at really low light conditions. During full day light with illumination on max the center circle is clearly visibly illuminated but not the hash marks. Also, the windage hash marks are illuminated but the elevation hash marks are not. The elevation looks like dash lines, spaces left dark corresponding to elevation hash marks. Bushnell tech also said this is consistent with design. Can anyone tell me the advantage of this? I can only guess that elevation is not important because illumination advantage is at closer distances.

Reticle design is what I was hoping for. Center dot is small and can bet ground squires around my ranch are going to be getting a taste of the AR-15. Seriously, I suspect it will not obscure even the smallest targets.

More to come...

 

[MWM-5150]

Re: Bushnell's new BTR-MIL reticle questions

Some through the scope pics at varying mag's would be great. I know these are kind of a pain, but I have yet to see any with this reticle. Have had my eye on these for a while.

Glad to hear your initial impressions are good. Thanks for keeping us posted.

 

[jsulse]

Re: Bushnell's new BTR-MIL reticle questions

I have some decent pics but don't know how to post them. Any tips on posting pics?

 

[Ajax2112]

Re: Bushnell's new BTR-MIL reticle questions

What I don't understand is, why has bushnell released pictures of the reticle along with wrong information? If you read the article here on the front page of the hide where they talk about the Elite 6-24 BTR they also have a picture of the reticle with only the center portion illuminated in red. These aren't cheap scopes where you can just release what ever info you would like and think the consumer won't be upset when they receive something else.

I have been told that the reticle is not daytime visible. Can you confirm that for us?

As far as the illumination not being crisp in low light situations, I find that odd that's when you want an illuminated reticle and if it's not crisp why have it illuminated.

 

[jsulse]

Re: Bushnell's new BTR-MIL reticle questions

TEST

http://i1305.photobucket.com/albums/s553/jsulse/IMG_5315_zps437fbb18.jpg

 

[jsulse]

Re: Bushnell's new BTR-MIL reticle questions

OK, used Photo bucket to host the pics.

They DO NOT do justice to how clear, crisp and bright the actual image is looking through the scope, night or day. Considerable effort has been given for better pics but ultimately limited by point and shoot camera capabilities. Illuminated pics were taken with max illumination setting to maximize clarity. Could not get decent pics under partial light conditions and low illumination settings. However, to my eyes the pics accurately represents image under these conditions.

I hear you on the conflicting info given by Bushnell on this scope. Starting to feel like I got the old 'Bait and Switch" as far as illumination goes... I understand that this is a brand new scope and, as such, basically the "guinea pig" by purchasing/getting into this scope at this point in time. Question is how hard would it have been to give out correct info? Is this scope still under design? Time will tell. This issue is evolving and interested on how Bushnell responds... Also, as such, don't consider myself obligated in keeping it if I choose send it back.

Illumination aside I think this is a good scope and this opinion is based soley on looking though it, waiting to mount it... Only issue is the illumination and how it was designed and resulting functional application consequences and/or flaws.

 

[Ajax2112]

Re: Bushnell's new BTR-MIL reticle questions

Thanks for posting the pictures and you initial review Bronco. That illumination looks horrible seems like a problem to me. I have seen $100 scopes that have better and crisper illumination than that. You should send those to Bushnell and see what they say about it

 

[MWM-5150]

Re: Bushnell's new BTR-MIL reticle questions

+1 thanks for posting the pics. May just be the images but that center dot seems hard to see in the daylight. I have to agree the nighttime illum. looks a little odd.

 

[Ajax2112]

Re: Bushnell's new BTR-MIL reticle questions

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: MWM_5150</div><div class="ubbcode-body">+1 thanks for posting the pics. May just be the images but that center dot seems hard to see in the daylight. I have to agree the nighttime illum. looks a little odd. </div></div>

I agree the center dot appears to get lost. Especially in the low power.

 

[jsulse]

Re: Bushnell's new BTR-MIL reticle questions

Actually, the center dot is visible all light conditions. It's small but clearly visible to my eyes. The pics don't capture the image quality very well.

I did not include a pic of the reticle illuminated in full day light. In these conditions ONLY the center circle is faintly illuminated to the eye but the camera could not capture the image well enough. You can see in the pics that the center circle is brighter than anything else.

Illumination pics are representative of actual image IMHO.
Aspects of note:
1) Bright right border of hollow north and south rectangles giving a "lopsided" illumination characteristic. East and west hollow rectangles do not get illuminated.
2) Vertical axis hash marks are not illuminated giving a "dash line" effect. The pics show the right tips/edges of the hash marks are illuminated however I can't see that while looking though the scope. Maybe there is connection to the brightly illuminated right border stated above.
3) Horizontal axis is not illuminated although the has marks on this axis are illuminated.

Hoping some illumination experts will chime in on this...

 

[jackinfl]

Re: Bushnell's new BTR-MIL reticle questions

71Bronco,
Thanks for reviewing. That is some beautiful country you live in there.

I have to say I like the design of the reticle, especially if you say the center dot is small and visible to the eye.

Thanks,
Jack

 

[Ajax2112]

Re: Bushnell's new BTR-MIL reticle questions

After reading this and seeing the pictures along with Scott's post in his for sale ad I called FedEx and had them cancel my shipment and return it to the sender. Bronco your reticles illumination is lopsided and Scott posted that the scope he looked at had a lopsided illumination. I think I'm better off buying a different scope. Either bushnell has bad quality control or these scopes are just produced this way. Now I have to decide what scope I should buy all over again.

I really like the reticle design so I hope I can find a scope with a similar design. Does anyone have suggestions?

I should also add that I spoke to Bushnell about the illumination and they didn't seem concerned. I also explained to them that every online store I found had pictures of the reticle and that it appeared to be a red illuminated reticle. They responded with disbelief after having them check the web they then believed me. I also had them check their own web site which has no product description of the illumination and a picture of the reticle which is so small you can not make it out.

I guess I learned a lesson. The best way to buy a scope is to try it out before purchasing it.