Bushnell Elite 6500 vs Sightron SIII

I was a big fan of NF, until I sold my fork lift. I could care less what brand name is on the scope. What I do care about is, does the scope track? I can see the target just fine with the Sightron, NOBODY beats Sightron for tracking, I don't give a rats who you are or what you think you are. The cold hard fact that Sightron has made a believer out of me has caused me to dump ever Leupold I had in favor of Sightron. None of what you think about scopes apply when a Leupold quits holding adjustment on a high dollar hunting trip, or durning a match. It's happened to me, and I'm not the Lone Ranger here.
 
alan f said:
IMHO the Elite 4200 is better than the 6500. I too found that the 6500 above 20X the picture quality wasn't there. Since they changed from bausch&Lomb to Bushnell they haven't been the same quality scope.JMHO

alan f
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+1 for What alan f said. Ater the 1st outing with my 6500, I removed it. Above 20x the image quality suffered. The image became cloudy. And when focused at 200 yds or greater, the parallax was really bad.
 
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I have 3 Bosch & Loumb (Bushnell) 6 x 24 x 40 Elite 4000 scopes. The fact that I dropped the dollars for the 2nd & 3rd after buying # 1 clearly states my opinion.

I also have Nightforce, high end Leupold and March scopes so I know what constitutes a good scope.
 
6500 Bushnell

I too am planning to buy another match scope in the price range of the 6500 and Sightrons. I want to for a 223 FTR rifle that I also will use to shoot gophers. I want to shoot the winter practice league with this new rifle and save the barrel on my match rilfes for the big summer shoots.

I don't want a scope the size of the 12 x 42 Nightforces on this rifle and thought the 6500 would be a nice alternative, however, the feedback isn't that positive.

How about the 4200 6 x 24 with the side focus? I have owned several long tube 6 x 24's and they worked extremely well and the side focus model I looked at seemed to have the same turrets etc.

Thanks for any infomation.

Steve
 
I have tried out two of the new Bushnell 6500s. I sent the 1st one back to Bushnell and sold the one they replaced it with on ebay. The glass in them was horrible. I bought a Sightron SIII and have been very happy with it.
 
Shooting1911 said:
I do like the Bushnell 4200's I've owned. In my opinion they're better than the 6500.

Heres a nice review on the Sightron SIII http://www.westernshooter.com/2008/11/sightron-siii-6x24x50-riflescope.html
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The problem is that we can't compare apples with apples in comparing the side focus 6500 scope with the side focus 4200. One goes to 30X while the other only goes to 24X.

If the 6500 had the same fine optics as the 4200, that would have been one really great scope at a reasonable price.....but it's not.
 
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Sightron Slll

Mushroom said:
Hi Guys

I am in the process of buying a scope also for F Class and have narrowed it down to these two...I think. The Bushnell Elite 6500 4.5-30x50 and the SIII 8-32x56.

I like the MOA adjustment of both being 80 and 75 respectively.

I am not sure about the Mil dot reticle of the 6500 compared to the target dot reticle of the SIII.

They are priced about $160 different so not enough to make price an issue.

I would really appreciate your opinions. I have not been able to find much on the bushnell at all in terms of reviews, or the SIII for that matter.

Any thoughts?

Matt
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Hi Matt,
I have a Sightron Slll 6 X 24 30mm tube on a 6mmBR that I am happy with, although I could use more magnification. It tracks very well and the side focus has me spoiled. I also have several Leupold Vari-X llls 30mm tubes in varying magnifications with side focus. Comparing side by side, I would have to say the Leupolds are superior in the upper magnifications. By that I mean they are clearer and the peripheral distortion is not there. With my Sightron 6 X 24, the outer edges (periphery) of the sight picture are not as clear as the center at 24X. I don't see this at the lower magnifications on the Sightron. I don't see it at all with the Leupolds. Nit picky, yes, but I'm trying to give an honest assessment based on what I own and have used. I don't personally know about the Bushnell but a good friend swears by them.

I think, for the money, Sightron has made some inroads into the precision shooting game. I've thought about going with the new 8 X 32 Slll for one of my switch barrel rigs but the sweet siren song of IOR Valdada is pulling me away.

In summation, I feel Sightron makes a damned good upper moderately priced scope. Some will call them junk but not everyone has unlimited funds to buy what they perceive to be the best. You won't go wrong with Sightron. It is my understanding their service is top shelf. Send one of their scopes back for repair and you receive a brand new scope in a shrink wrapped box, no questions asked.

Lou Baccino
 
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Rodin's famous sculpture

Bill Ohio said:
Your posts indicate a certain lack of, um, cognitive thought. Methinks you should spend more time on that stool, in the field or anyplace, pondering like Rodin's famous sculpture, rather than spouting off your mouth like a methane gas pipe from a sewage treatment plant.
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Rodin's famous sculpture you refer to is called 'The Thinker'.

Lou Baccino
 
I've seen many comments on several shooting websites by shooters who've been unable to get satisfaction out of scopes with side focus. They all talk about the situation as it were an 'either/or' deal, where they can use the SF knob to get rid of parallax, or for a sharp image, but not both at the same time. :confused:

Once upon a time, when I still had 20-15 vision, I didn't have much use for the focusing eyepiece/ocular on riflescopes, other than to make sure the reticle was sharp. But today, with 57yr. old eyes, I have to first use the SF knob to eliminate parallax (usually at 600yds.), then go to the ocular and twiddle with it until I get a sharp image. That works with my 2.5-16x42 6500 Elite, just as it does with my VXIII LR Leupolds & Sightron SIIIs.
 
I"ve had my Sightron8-32x56 LRD for several months. I've never owned a scope that has helped me shoot so much better. It is bright, clear,easy to see bullets at 300yd. adjusts easy and holds adjustment. I am going to have the reticle done, the target dot is too big for me...Sightron reccomends a guy and stll warrents the scope...New to the sport, so take what I say knowing that. But I have shot it against my cousins Leopuld 35 target scope same day, same target..and I'll keep the Sightron....matter of fact he will too...
My penny's worth...Rick..New Berlin.Pa.
 
First, I will say I will never own a Bushnell product again. I had a very bad experience with their service department. In my opinion the company has no character, morals or values. I tell my customers not to bring their Busnell products onto my property. On the other hand I own a number of the SIII Sightron scopes 24X boosted to 36X, several a 8 X 32 and 10 X 50 X 60 scopes. I also own several Nightforce scopes, and Lepould Scopes. Nightforce scopes are the most durable hands down. I use to think that Lepould was a good compromise for those who could not afford a Nightforce. The Sightron scopes are target scopes not Tactical scopes they are clear and track as good as any scope made. The Sightron Warranty is second to none. I have not returned a SIII scope but the SI and SII scopes have been replaced with no questions asked. Going to matches around here the Sightron III 8 x 32 and the SII 10 x 50 are making a large presence.
NaT Lambeth
 
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