NEW SCOPES FROM BSA
"Entry-level pricing for popular scopes"--that could be BSA's company mantra. Four new Panther models feature fully multicoated lenses, built-in sunshades and finger-adjustable dials. These waterproof scopes come in 3-10x40, 2.5-10x44, 6.5-20x44 and 3.5-10x50 versions. Also recently introduced: Sweet 17 Mach II riflescopes. Says BSA's John Schild, "They're designed for .17 rimfire rifles. A trajectory drum calibrated for the .17 Mach 2 bullet helps with zero and holdover." Sweet 17s have adjustable objectives. Choose 2-7x32, 3-9x40 or 4-12x40.
SHORT SCOPES, LIGHTED RETICLES AND A TACTICAL LINE FROM BURRIS
Always keen to expand its selection of practical scopes for North American hunters, Burris came out this spring with "Short Mag" scopes: 1X, 4X, 2-7X, 3-9X and 4.5-14X. These short-coupled sights have generous 31⁄2- to five-inch eye relief and resettable windage and elevation dials. Variables can be equipped with Ballistic Plex reticles. Retail prices range from $316 to $581.
Last year the Signature Select line of riflescopes offered several useful refinements to Burris' top-quality one-inch sights. Rubber grips on power and AO rings, plus a more convenient turret location and index-matched lenses, are now available in LRS versions that offer lighted reticles with up to 60 hours of battery life. If the battery does expire (or when you don't want a lighted sight), you can aim as with any scope; the black reticle is still there. Signature Selects with LRS come in 1.5-6X, 3-10X and 4-16X configurations, all with resettable windage and elevation dials.
Burris has also been working on tactical sights and related gear. It's a good bet that a lot of civilian shooters will buy the new Burris XTR sights. Xtreme Tactical riflescopes in 1.5-6X, 10X and 3-12X feature 30mm tubes with side-mounted parallax adjustments and steel-on-steel target-style windage and elevation knobs. All models offer illuminated reticles but without the bubble of the LRS ocular housings. The Burris Tactical series includes a SpeedDot sight and Laser flashlight you can mount on the rail of your black gun. To install your XTR scope securely, Burris suggests you use rings of the same name, with six screws each. Available in four heights, from a quarter-inch to one inch, Xtreme Tactical Rings are designed for Picatinny rails.
BUSHNELL IS NOT JUST SCOPES
Reporting on the annual Bushnell announcements is like delivering a wrap of Major League baseball rosters the first day of spring training. Bushnell sells more sporting optics than any other U.S. firm. Bringing Tasco and Browning into the fold has not diminished its own new-items list. This year there are cameras that shoot movie clips at 20 frames per second, cameras that you set on game trails to catch a photo of that buck you never see at his scrape, cameras you can also use as binoculars, even a camera in a spotting scope.
In rifle sights, Bushnell offers two more Firefly models. They're Elite 4200 scopes, a 1.5-6x36 and a 2.5-10x50, priced at $604 and $748. "The reticles can be illuminated by the blink of a flashlight and give you a bright aiming point just when you need it, without batteries," explains Laura Olinger at Bushnell. "The charged reticle goes to black until shooting light fades; then it glows." Elite scopes come with the RainGuard lens coating that breaks up water droplets so you can see clearly through a wet lens. RainGuard has been improved for 2005.
Bushnell Night Vision
Bushnell's 3200 line boasts another Varmint scope. It's a 7-21x40 with front AO sleeve and fast-focus eyepiece. You get 3.7 inches of eye relief. Another 3200, a 3-10x40, is a versatile sight for hunters who want quality at a bargain price. It lists for $298 (the 7-21X costs $550). In the Legend line, you'll find a 4-12x40 with front AO at $266. The Banner Super 17 AO scope includes a bullet-drop compensator for .17-caliber bullets, though specifications don't identify the .17 cartridge. At $134, the Super 17 lists for a couple of dollars more than Bushnell's new 1x28 Red/Green Dot Trophy scopes. Pick a red or green dot, three MOA or 10 MOA, a crosswire or a circle dot. There's always an instant choice, with unlimited eye relief. An alternative for hunters who kick the thickets for whitetails is the new HOLOsight. It's lighter in weight and lower in profile and now uses AAA batteries. With a $300 sticker price, it's less costly than earlier models.
Bushnell's rangefinder series includes the new Elite 1500. It has a 7X eyepiece and 26mm objective. It's waterproof and wears RainGuard lens coating. Powered by a nine-volt battery, it can determine distance to 1,500 yards. It costs $574.
Produced under license and marketed by Bushnell, last year's first Browning optics included riflescopes of standard specs: 2-7x32, 3-9x40, 3-9x50 and 5-15x40. This year a 4-12x40 and an 8-24x40 join the line. They're priced at $450 and $590.
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