jtallen83 Posted August 7, 2017 Report Share Posted August 7, 2017 Had a rain day today so started to get to know my new scope. Fantastic glass, I have been looking at scopes for a bit now and can't say I remember a big difference from this scope to several other high dollar scopes I have eyeballed, Sig, Nightforce, Steiner, S&B. I haven't had them side by side but this will be plenty clear enough for me. Really like the reticle so far. The knobs are nice, you can hear them sucking air past the O-rings when you lift them and the clicks are solid and loud enough. No wobble or play in any of the adjustments. 1 hour at between 200 and 225 in the oven and everything felt the same, except I had to use a towel to touch it. It will spend the night in the freezer, the real cold test will come this winter when it gets good and below zero in Iowa, that will test the high speed coating, I've yet to find a scope that didn't get a little foggy when breathed on at 15 below. Sorry about the poor quality pics, all I have with me is my phone, if anyone wants a better look at something let me know and I will get more pics with a quality camera when I get home. Once it is mounted I will do some tracking test on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blue109 Posted August 7, 2017 Report Share Posted August 7, 2017 Love the smell of fresh baked optics Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtallen83 Posted August 7, 2017 Author Report Share Posted August 7, 2017 7 minutes ago, blue109 said: Love the smell of fresh baked optics Didn't even think of that aspect, pretty much scent free, just a hint of yesterday's fish from the oven, maybe they pre-bake? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unforgiven Posted August 7, 2017 Report Share Posted August 7, 2017 Rain day ??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtallen83 Posted August 8, 2017 Author Report Share Posted August 8, 2017 13 minutes ago, unforgiven said: Rain day ??? Yep, only worked 8 instead of what has been 14 hour+ days, 6 days a week. Got a pile of comp time built up to use for cold weather testing! Sick of driving 200 miles a day on this blue ridge parkway for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rsquared Posted August 8, 2017 Report Share Posted August 8, 2017 There's worse places to be than on the Blue Ridge. Some totally gorgeous scenery. But I totally understand the "daily grind" aspect of it. Every drive sucks after a while. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unforgiven Posted August 8, 2017 Report Share Posted August 8, 2017 Worse part of the job is the fukin drive. 9 hours ago, Rsquared said: There's worse places to be than on the Blue Ridge. Fuk yea beautiful area..... could be Gary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtallen83 Posted August 8, 2017 Author Report Share Posted August 8, 2017 (edited) Very true, I don't know how you city boys do it, at least I can run over the traffic out here and not get in trouble. Damn deer behind every rock! 5 deer in that last picture if you look close, they wait till you get close then run in front of you. Edited August 8, 2017 by jtallen83 Context Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GRA Posted August 12, 2017 Report Share Posted August 12, 2017 On 8/8/2017 at 2:29 PM, jtallen83 said: Very true, I don't know how you city boys do it, at least I can run over the traffic out here and not get in trouble. Damn deer behind every rock! 5 deer in that last picture if you look close, they wait till you get close then run in front of you. I have always wanted to drive this Parkway. I've heard it's a sight to behold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GRA Posted August 12, 2017 Report Share Posted August 12, 2017 On 8/7/2017 at 2:29 PM, jtallen83 said: Had a rain day today so started to get to know my new scope. Fantastic glass, I have been looking at scopes for a bit now and can't say I remember a big difference from this scope to several other high dollar scopes I have eyeballed, Sig, Nightforce, Steiner, S&B. I haven't had them side by side but this will be plenty clear enough for me. Really like the reticle so far. The knobs are nice, you can hear them sucking air past the O-rings when you lift them and the clicks are solid and loud enough. No wobble or play in any of the adjustments. 1 hour at between 200 and 225 in the oven and everything felt the same, except I had to use a towel to touch it. It will spend the night in the freezer, the real cold test will come this winter when it gets good and below zero in Iowa, that will test the high speed coating, I've yet to find a scope that didn't get a little foggy when breathed on at 15 below. Sorry about the poor quality pics, all I have with me is my phone, if anyone wants a better look at something let me know and I will get more pics with a quality camera when I get home. Once it is mounted I will do some tracking test on it. Looks great !!! Sounds like it has 1st. class features. I have read the glass on that one is premium. How's the weight? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtallen83 Posted August 12, 2017 Author Report Share Posted August 12, 2017 7 hours ago, GRA said: Looks great !!! Sounds like it has 1st. class features. I have read the glass on that one is premium. How's the weight? Heavy! Don't have a scale to check Bushnell's claimed 2 pound 5 ounces. by the time I add the mount and some lens covers it will be knocking on 3 pounds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GRA Posted August 12, 2017 Report Share Posted August 12, 2017 3 hours ago, jtallen83 said: Heavy! Don't have a scale to check Bushnell's claimed 2 pound 5 ounces. by the time I add the mount and some lens covers it will be knocking on 3 pounds. That's interesting. You know out of all the gun shows I've attended here through the years I cannot recall seeing anyone selling one of those specific models. It must be one of Bushnell's top-end models. Our gun shows are fairly big and often with more than 1 or 2 optics vendors per show and Bushnell is popular but I don't recall seeing anything that scale ever offered. This is most likely because most folks won't spend that money or the vendors don't have the capital to tie up for that very long. Of course this is what causes me to be interested in that model. How's the mount you got for it? Does it look like it needs to be honed? It would be nice to see some photos of it mounted up and maybe take some measurements. Congrats again on the purchase. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtallen83 Posted August 12, 2017 Author Report Share Posted August 12, 2017 (edited) Scope is with me in Virginia and the mount was shipped to home in Iowa so it will be a few weeks yet before they are introduced. If the mount would need honed then it gets sent back, they guarantee it lines up perfectly. It is Bushnell's top of the line long range scope. There is lots of testing data for it listed on the Precision Rifle Blog. It was in the top ten list for the PRS circuit for several years, granted in the lower tier of the top ten but just getting there says a bunch. The version I bought has updates meant to address some of the turret issues exposed in the below links. I predict their will be a new version of it issued soon, there are wholesalers blowing them out now for just a bit over half what they were selling for just a year ago, if you could find one. http://precisionrifleblog.com/2014/09/19/tactical-scopes-field-test-results-summary/ http://precisionrifleblog.com/2017/03/03/long-range-scopes-pros-use/ http://precisionrifleblog.com/2014/10/24/best-tactical-scopes-what-the-pros-use/ Edited August 12, 2017 by jtallen83 added links Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GRA Posted August 12, 2017 Report Share Posted August 12, 2017 10 minutes ago, jtallen83 said: there are wholesalers blowing them out now for just a bit over half what they were selling for just a year ago, if you could find one. http://precisionrifleblog.com/2014/09/19/tactical-scopes-field-test-results-summary/ http://precisionrifleblog.com/2017/03/03/long-range-scopes-pros-use/ http://precisionrifleblog.com/2014/10/24/best-tactical-scopes-what-the-pros-use/ I agree with this. I've searched this pretty good within the last year and this model was NEVER lower-dollar. I've looked it up on Optics Planet and DVOR as well as some of the other vendors and it was pricey. Problem is I just don't have a range I can take one of these to put it to the test it deserves. I might have actually read some of those reviews previously (or similar other reviews) and one thing that always stood out is it had great glass and the 34MM allowed a lot more natural light in compared to the 30MM lens. Maybe I'll get a chance to check one out this coming year at a gun show once it gets closer to the holiday season. Cannot even find one in the Academy stores around here and usually they have at least one of everything. Last time I was in there our local Bass Pro Shop didn't have one neither. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtallen83 Posted August 12, 2017 Author Report Share Posted August 12, 2017 The vendor I got mine from listed Dallas as the origin but the scope shipped from Overland Park, Kansas, Bushnell HQ is there. This vendor still has one listed for $1499 but I know he will take less. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GRA Posted August 12, 2017 Report Share Posted August 12, 2017 Just now, jtallen83 said: The vendor I got mine from listed Dallas as the origin but the scope shipped from Overland Park, Kansas, Bushnell HQ is there. This vendor still has one listed for $1499 but I know he will take less. That article still shows them at $2149.00 ... OUCH !!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GRA Posted August 12, 2017 Report Share Posted August 12, 2017 1 minute ago, jtallen83 said: The vendor I got mine from listed Dallas as the origin but the scope shipped from Overland Park, Kansas, Bushnell HQ is there. This vendor still has one listed for $1499 but I know he will take less. Now that I think about it he probably drop-shipped straight from Bushnell. DAMN ... these things have a markup !!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtallen83 Posted August 12, 2017 Author Report Share Posted August 12, 2017 Just now, GRA said: That article still shows them at $2149.00 ... OUCH !!! and it is one of the cheapest scopes used in the review! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GRA Posted August 12, 2017 Report Share Posted August 12, 2017 2 minutes ago, jtallen83 said: and it is one of the cheapest scopes used in the review! Still impressive ... Notice they rated it higher than the US Optics model .... hhhmmmmmm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtallen83 Posted August 12, 2017 Author Report Share Posted August 12, 2017 Just now, GRA said: Now that I think about it he probably drop-shipped straight from Bushnell. DAMN ... these things have a markup !!! It wasn't a professional/factory pack job, very much overdone on the peanuts and airbags, with handwritten addresses, could be someone stole a case and is selling them through another party on that auction site, registered it with Bushnell and never heard anything so maybe not...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GRA Posted August 12, 2017 Report Share Posted August 12, 2017 Just now, jtallen83 said: It wasn't a professional/factory pack job, very much overdone on the peanuts and airbags, with handwritten addresses, could be someone stole a case and is selling them through another party on that auction site, registered it with Bushnell and never heard anything so maybe not...... Very well could be but again I think the word about that would've been out by now. To be honest I think there is simply an enormous markup on these things these days. Now that I think of it ... I don't think I even own a weapon that is more than $1,500.00 value. That scope is more than the weapon itself. Amazing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtallen83 Posted September 3, 2017 Author Report Share Posted September 3, 2017 (edited) Mounted and boresighted the scope. Very impressed with the Aadmount, leveling the crosshair was a snap with the built in level. The tritium makes a world of difference picking up the tiny vial and all my checks show it to be very precise, maybe sensitive to the point of irritation at times. Very easy to get just the right amount of pressure when adjusting the scope so it moves smoothly and evenly when getting it leveled, no doubt due to the very precise machining of the rings. I was going to take a few pictures but Aadland Engineering has such a nice spread figured I would just post the link; http://www.aadmount.com/30mm/index.html The first trip to the range ended up a WTF trip. Got near the bullseye with 5 rounds but the mirage off the suppressor was a surprise at 20x, forget the 30x, didn't seem to matter much with the 1-6.5 I had been running. Four inches low and two inches right when I took it back on. Groups started getting real shabby on me, 1.5 moa that I was used to with this rifle but only when I loaded one round at a time, second and third shots from the mag would be a couple inches any old direction they chose from the first round. Shooting PMC 150 gr. and FGMM 168's, no appreciable difference. Another irritant was the charging handle randomly hitting me in the nose. Something is up with this rifle, Matrix build, wish I had the AR-10 available but it is half apart waiting for parts to add a free float tube, 51T FH, and an adjustable gas block so it will be suppressor ready. Off to the basement and a diagnostic session with the Matrix......... Almost forgot, what I could tell of the scope I like, clear glass, positive adjustments, using the FFP mil reticle for making adjustments worked great. Looking forward to getting a rifle sorted out and putting it to use at some longer ranges. Negatives, parallax says it goes down to 75 yards but for me the 75 yard setting was barely on for the 100 yard line, short of that is not the domain of this scope. Another factor for my eyes is the higher magnification seems to mess with my vision after 15-20 minutes straight use, gets a blur that doesn't go away for a half hour or so. Edited September 3, 2017 by jtallen83 correction Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GRA Posted September 3, 2017 Report Share Posted September 3, 2017 15 minutes ago, jtallen83 said: Mounted and boresighted the scope. Very impressed with the Aadmount, leveling the crosshair was a snap with the built in level. The tritium makes a world of difference picking up the tiny vial and all my checks show it to be very precise, maybe sensitive to the point of irritation at times. Very easy to get just the right amount of pressure when adjusting the scope so it moves smoothly and evenly when getting it leveled, no doubt due to the very precise machining of the rings. I was going to take a few pictures but Aadland Engineering has such a nice spread figured I would just post the link; http://www.aadmount.com/30mm/index.html The first trip to the range ended up a WTF trip. Got near the bullseye with 5 rounds but the mirage off the suppressor was a surprise at 20x, forget the 30x, didn't seem to matter much with the 1-6.5 I had been running. Four inches low and two inches right when I took it off. Groups started getting real shabby on me, 1.5 moa that I was used to with this rifle but only when I loaded one round at a time, second and third shots from the mag would be a couple inches any old direction they chose from the first round. Shooting PMC 150 gr. and FGMM 168's, no appreciable difference. Another irritant was the charging handle randomly hitting me in the nose. Something is up with this rifle, Matrix build, wish I had the AR-10 available but it is half apart waiting for parts to add a free float tube, 51T FH, and an adjustable gas block so it will be suppressor ready. Off to the basement and a diagnostic session with the Matrix......... Almost forgot, what I could tell of the scope I like, clear glass, positive adjustments, using the FFP mil reticle for making adjustments worked great. Looking forward to getting a rifle sorted out and putting it to use at some longer ranges. Negatives, parallax says it goes down to 75 yards but for me the 75 yard setting was barely on for the 100 yard line, short of that is not the domain of this scope. Another factor for my eyes is the higher magnification seems to mess with my vision after 15-20 minutes straight use, gets a blur that doesn't go away for a half hour or so. Thank you as this is the review I've been waiting for. Interesting review. Going to be even more interesting when you get it on the AR10. Please provide updates if you find anything out of the ordinary with the Matrix you had it on. Sounds like you definitely got the best mount. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtallen83 Posted September 3, 2017 Author Report Share Posted September 3, 2017 Had to edit the POI shift with the suppressor info, The shift given was after putting my second SDN-6 on after making adjustments with a couple groups using no suppressor. Swapping them out helped minimize the mirage issue but didn't eliminate it. My usual send it fast as I can get on target pace just isn't going to cut it with this optic and a suppressor. Swapped the BCM CH for a TacOps, maybe just a little movement on the BCM when latched while the TacOps is solid. I'm going to have a broken nose if the TacOps whacks me! No unusual marks inside the Matrix, receiver or the BCG. Headspace checks out fine, nothing loose. Nothing bad on the brass, actually lighter ejector swipes on both brands of brass than I am used to seeing which doesn't make much sense. Looking like shooter error, just need a longer get to know you period for that heavy duty scope I guess. Next trip out I may drag the lead sled along and see if I can remove some of the human error factor. Should get a read on the return to zero capability having taken the mount off the rifle and reinstalled per the manufacturer's directions. Once the corn is out this fall I will be able to stretch it out a good bit. For now......need more ammo! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GRA Posted September 3, 2017 Report Share Posted September 3, 2017 (edited) 14 minutes ago, jtallen83 said: Had to edit the POI shift with the suppressor info, The shift given was after putting my second SDN-6 on after making adjustments with a couple groups using no suppressor. Swapping them out helped minimize the mirage issue but didn't eliminate it. My usual send it fast as I can get on target pace just isn't going to cut it with this optic and a suppressor. So if I understand you right this scope is mostly for the upper echelon slower precision shooting than anything else (so far), right? I guess that makes sense. More for controlled precision intended at a slower rate of fire. Try it slow both with and without a suppressor next and see what happens. Edited September 3, 2017 by GRA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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