Which Scope would you Mount?

[Longrifle2506]

Guys I need help deciding which scope to go with on my Sako. It has a Bushnell Elite 4200 2.5-10x40mm on it. For years I've tolerated an uncomfortable eye relief because with the medium Leupold ring mounts, I could not take the scope any more rearward due to the objective bell touching the barrel. So I finally got a pair of Sako Optilock Rings which will allow me to re-mount the scope with proper eye relief. Before, I would mount the rifle naturally, and then I would have to scoot my eye forward to gain full picture in the optics. These higher Optilock ring mounts should fix the problem. However, I have a brand new Burris Signature Select 3-10x40mm scope that would probably look great on the Sako Finnlight as well. I have always loved Elite 4200's and it is a pretty good looking scope too. I think they both are excellent optics. But I wonder which one is more rugged, more recoil proof and dependable? Which one is least likely to fail? I know they are both very bright and clear from edge to edge.





Maybe I should have titled the thread: "Bushnell Elite 4200 vs. Burris Signature Select"
So should I just re-mount the Bushnell, or mount the Burris?
Any opinions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Longrifle2506]

I didn't mean for the pics to be real big; I don't really know how to resize them; yet anyway. I'll have to see what I can do. This is just the second time I ever posted pics.

 

[Abel]

They are both fine. It boils down to which one you like better. That's a nice rifle, in a nice deer caliber.

 

[Longrifle2506]

Thanks a lot; It's my best rifle. I bought the rifle in August 2003; then the Elite scope like a month later. I mounted the Elite 4200 with the Leupold medium ring mounts and have never touched it since then. I took it to New Mexico and scored a hit on coyote at 327 yards. Took a bobcat with it in Texas. I would love to take a trophy Mule Deer with it in the next few years.
I think the Burris would be really sweet in both performance and appearance; but I've always liked the Rainguard coating on the Elite. It's a hard decision because the two scopes are so close optically. I think the Burris might look a little better.

 

[helotaxi]

I'd use the Bushnell. I have 8 or so Bushnell Elite 4200s including a 2.5-10x40 and I kept buying them for a reason. The glass is fantastic and they hold zero. That said, the Burris will likely get the job done as well.

 

[Longrifle2506]

I wish I had bought more of them; Elite 4200's that is; because they are all gone now, and the new Elite is more expensive and I don't know if its any better than a 4200. I am glad to have two of them. One on each of my 25-06 rifles. I just might go with the Bushnell on my re-mounting.

 

[helotaxi]

The new ones are Argon purged but I think that they would be hard pressed to put better glass in them.

 

[Longrifle2506]

Yeah; argon is a step above nitrogen; but I actually read on another forum; a guy called Bushnell's customer service and they told him the optical quality of the glass in the new Elite's are better than the 3200 glass, but not quite as good as the 4200's glass. So if that's true; it does make me glad to have a couple of 4200's; wish I had a couple more. the
2.5-10x40mm is my favorite.

 

[helotaxi]

Darn shame that they downgraded the glass.

 

[adelbridge]

taller rings can mess with your cheek weld. I would leave well enough alone. I was checking a used elite 4200 against a schmidt and bender and a zeiss today indoors and I couldnt tell any difference in optical quality.

 

[Longrifle2506]

That says a lot for the optical quality of the Elite 4200. Supposedly, Schmidt & Bender is the new supplier to the Marine Corps Snipers. Schmidt & Bender got a contract according to my father. The USMC used Unertyl scopes for years and years, and I guess they finally changed. Elite 4200 are very impressive scopes; they are built by a facility in Japan named "Light Optical Works." They make other nice glass like Weaver Grand Slams, Sheppherd, and I believe they build the NightForce(maybe not totally "in-house" but I think they at least put them together).

 

[H2oPumper]

See if the Burris fits any better and offers any better eye relief with your existing rings. It's nice to keep the scope as low as possible.

 

[trapper500]

scope

I like your rig that 25-06 is awesome ENJOY

 

[gamestalker]

I have shot through 4200's and also my share of Burris and Weaver's and find them to be excellent optics. But my life long choice has always been Leupold, which is a company that just seems to get better and better in just about every aspect of quality. Every time I turn around they are improving function and reliability, and always some new added innovative feature that relates to the specifics of it's intended purpose. I have some Leupold glass that is almost 40 yrs. old. And even though they are out dated, they still hold a perfect zero, have never leaked, and they are still as crisp and clean as most $500 optics of todays market.

 

[Longrifle2506]

Thanks Trapper.
I just bought a Leupold a few weeks ago for another project I had. My Remington Model 700 Light Varmint Stainless Fluted. I traded this gun years ago and just got it back from my cousin. But he had the barrel threaded; because he is crazy about his suppressors. He has to be able to put a suppressor on every weapon he owns. So with a threaded barrel, I thought a muzzle break would be cool. I had Gentry Custom make me quiet brake for it. The Leupold's relatively small size is perfect for the Light varmint. But its short action. I didn't think the Leupold would look "in proportion" with the Sako since its Long action. Plus, that dang Leupold set me back almost $600 after getting the flip-back Alumina covers for it. My Cousin also had a black finish baked onto the Light Varmint. It's not very matte, so I thought the glossy Leupold would match better. The finish on the rifle has like a low luster shine to it; but not much. Here's a pic: It's a 22-250; I have a brand new Shilen Stainless Trigger to install too.



I wanted to pick up one more scope. I really love that new Leupold VX-3 but I'm not sure it's worth the extra money. I got the Burris for $299; and the Elite for $309(years ago, from Natchez).

 

[loose noose]

I have a Bushnell 4200 Elite on a Howa 30-06, and a older Weaver 3X9 on a Remington 700 270. Note I bought the Weaver when they were still in Texas, and I believe Bushnell was made in Monrovia, Ca., both have excellent optics to this day. Oh to have quality here in the good ole USA again.

 

[helotaxi]

All my 4200s were made in Japan. Before the 4200s, high end Bushnells were Baush and Lomb branded. The glass has always been Japanese in the good ones. There has never really been a US optics industry.

 

[Longrifle2506]

Burris and Leupold Are about as U.S.-made as you can get. But Burris quit making the signature select line(USA); and their Fullfield production was moved from U.S. to the Philippines. Neither one of them make their own lenses. Burris gets their lenses from Japan, I'm not sure where Leupold's glass comes from. From 2003, up until this past winter; I have bought nothing but Bushnell Elites. I think they are awesome optics. It was just the last month or two when I bought a Leupold and a Burris. I still love Elites. And I'll tell you something about that Rainguard Coating.

My father and I were trying to call coyotes at night time one winter night. We took a break and Dad was making us some chicken noodle soup with his "jet-boil"; But while the rifles lay on the ground, propped against our backpacks; Frost settled onto them, and on the scope lenses too. My Dad's rifle had a Burris Fullfield II on it; he tried to look through it at the full moon. I looked through it too and We could not see the moon at all. Absolutely no view through the scope. It would have been impossible to take down game with the frost on the lenses. However, My elite 4200 allowed crystal clear view through it. My Dad couldn't believe it. He was really sold on Rainguard after that night, and so was I. I just thought that was awesome..... Not only will it disperse rain into tiny droplets so you can see through it; but the Rainguard will defeat Frost too!

 

[TexasPatriot.308]

Leupold

 

[helotaxi]

^^^thanks for that insightful and unsolicited post.

 

[hardluk1]

i am not much for changing just for the sake of something new. If your old bushy works well ,still clear and you know and like the scope why change. I my little group I have an old bushnell 2.5-10 that I am not sure how old it is, maybe 25 years old. Still clear still hold zero and gives me all the light i need before legal light. My other scope I had all intentions of changing 15 years ago when I had my main rifle rebarrled. I will not even say the name as most hate them but it still works great and allows 2" 400 yard groups and can watch deer well before legal light at distance. No need to change what ain't broke. For you older guys a touch of butchers wax works wonders with fog or high humidity.

 

[Longrifle2506]

The thing is; even though I bought my Elite 4200 in 2003; It doesn't seem "old" to me at all. It's in such good condition; the lenses are immaculate; and it's Like New. Not a blemish on it. I just definitely need to change mounts; to fix the eye relief. But I have a Bushnell Sportview from the mid 1980's on my Marlin 882 22 mag; that just couldn't be any better. I mounted an older Bushnell Buckhorn(the ones from early 90's) on my 25-06 Mauser straight pull model 96; and that sucker held a zero just as good as any other scope could do. But anyway; I started reading other forums where people talk about scopes; and one discussion was about how the Burris scopes are "built like tanks." I always liked Burris. When I was 17 I worked all summer at Wendy's and bought a Model 700 Varmint Synthetic in 22-250; I bought a Burris Signature series scope for it; a 3-12x50mm with light collector and adjustable Parallax. This was in 1994.

But in 2003, My dad, cousin and I went on a prairie dog safari in southeastern Colorado. Over the course of 4 days I fine tuned the scope too have an awesome zero with my Dad's handloads; using the same rifle and Burris scope I bought in 1994. On the 4th and last day; I made two shots on two young prairie dogs; My zero was about 300 yards or a little beyond; and I held the duplex at about the top of the chest/bottom of the head; and scored two hits with two shots. I held I little high because I thought the range was a little past my zero. We walked out to the dog mound where the kills lay; and shot a laser range finder back to the Truck; and it was 358 yards. What was awesome is that the impacts were dead center about an inch or inch and a half below where I held; windage was dead center. Of course this was shooting from my dads bench(fold-out legs); off sandbags. Those two consecutive shots were two of the best shots I've ever made in my life, in the field; and I think Burris makes a real quality scope. With targets that small, at a range that far; I'm convinced that the Burris I was using was one heck of a rock-solid scope. I know other scopes can do that; but you know how it is when you experience something like that; it makes you develop faith in a certain product.