October 25, 2010
By Wayne van Zwoll
Bushnell's Elite riflescopes are grouped into 3200, 4200 and, most recently, 6500 series.
By Wayne van Zwoll
The Bushnell 4200 doesn't cost a fortune but does offer a lot of features.
Bushnell's Elite riflescopes are grouped into 3200, 4200 and, most recently, 6500 series. If you're looking for a scope with a bundle of useful features but a price that won't keep your kids out of college, the 4200 is a good place to start. It's a notch above the 3200 in quality and comes in nine eminently useful configurations, which you can check out at bushnell.com.
All have fully multicoated optics, resettable quarter-minute finger-click adjustments, one-piece alloy tube and RainGuard HD lens coatings to provide a sharp, clear sight picture even in rain. The 4-6X and 6-24X models feature a turret-mounted parallax correction dial. Recoil-proof? Tests include a beating equal to 10,000 rounds with a .375.
I like the bright images a 4200 delivers--also the satin finish and the generous amount of free tube for mounting options. While a standard plex suits me just fine, you can also buy a 4200 with four other reticles, including an illuminated mil dot. The 2.5-10x40 I have weighs a svelte 16 ounces, making it a good match with lighter rifles.
In an optics field crowded with gadgets, Bushnell's 4200 remains a solid, classy variable with all the right features--when all you want is just the right features.