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Current Line of Bushnell Elite scopes
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Not interested in 6500 series.
Anyone have any experience with these. They have offered to sell one at a discount to replace my damaged B&L 8B.

Thanks.
 
Posts: 1700 | Location: USA | Registered: 04 January 2005Reply With Quote
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I can't tell you anything about the current Bushnell other than it is made somewhere in Asia or the Pacific Rim and that its optical clarity will likely be very good (as are all modern scopes), but that its function as an optical gunsight in regard to reticle adjustment, eye relief and eye placement, weight, or bulk may be suspect in various ways.

Since Bushnell no longer even owns the Bausch & Lomb name for sporting optics, I'm surprised that they would offer you anything in compensation for your broken Rochester B&L. I would surmise that whatever discount they are offering still prices the scope near its U.S. "street" market price. Additionally, you'll have to discard your B&L adjustable mount to replace it with a fixed mount for the internally adjustable scope.

As an alternative, why don't you go on eBay and look for a Rochester B&L 8 as a replacement? They usually sell very reasonably -- $100 or less (which is probably significantly less than Bushnell is offering their replacement) -- and you wouldn't have to change anything about your rifle or mount.
 
Posts: 13214 | Location: Henly, TX, USA | Registered: 04 April 2001Reply With Quote
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quote:
Originally posted by Stonecreek:
I can't tell you anything about the current Bushnell other than it is made somewhere in Asia or the Pacific Rim and that its optical clarity will likely be very good (as are all modern scopes), but that its function as an optical gunsight in regard to reticle adjustment, eye relief and eye placement, weight, or bulk may be suspect in various ways.

Since Bushnell no longer even owns the Bausch & Lomb name for sporting optics, I'm surprised that they would offer you anything in compensation for your broken Rochester B&L. I would surmise that whatever discount they are offering still prices the scope near its U.S. "street" market price. Additionally, you'll have to discard your B&L adjustable mount to replace it with a fixed mount for the internally adjustable scope.

As an alternative, why don't you go on eBay and look for a Rochester B&L 8 as a replacement? They usually sell very reasonably -- $100 or less (which is probably significantly less than Bushnell is offering their replacement) -- and you wouldn't have to change anything about your rifle or mount.


Your thoughts are pretty close to reality. However, the scope is an 8B model so it has internal mounts. I also have several of the Bal Var 8 and 8As with the external adjustment mounts. Yes, surprised they offered anything. Another poster had suggested sending it in and see what happened.
 
Posts: 1700 | Location: USA | Registered: 04 January 2005Reply With Quote
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I didn't realize that the designation of the successor scope with internal adjustments was 8B. I know where one is at which appears to be in excellent condition. It would be available for a quite reasonable price.

If you'd like to replace your 8B, go to www.sakosource.com and contact the owner. He was showing me a rifle he recently got in which has an 8B on it and he was planning to remove the scope to sell it separately.
 
Posts: 13214 | Location: Henly, TX, USA | Registered: 04 April 2001Reply With Quote
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Stonecreek, who does own the B&L sporting optics name now?

If Africanhunter's old scope was one of the 'Custom' models, it probably wouldn't be broken. They really are some of the finest scopes I know of and I wish someone made mounts for them to fit modern rifles.

The Balvar 5 I've got has the longest, most flexible 'eyebox' (usable eye relief) I've ever seen, they blend fields like an old Zeiss or Nickel and the fixed powers should be the most waterproof design around.
 
Posts: 4916 | Location: Melbourne, Australia | Registered: 31 March 2009Reply With Quote
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quote:
Originally posted by sambarman338:
Stonecreek, who does own the B&L sporting optics name now?

So far as I am aware, once Bushnell's rights to the B&L name for sporting optics expired (or was not renewed, or whatever), no one else bothered to purchase those rights. I assume that Bausch & Lomb, which no longer produces any optical instruments that I'm aware of, is exclusively in the eye care business (contact lenses, chemicals, etc.) and does not care to lend its name to other products. Or, alternatively, its name is "too old" to command much interest among optics sellers.

If Africanhunter's old scope was one of the 'Custom' models, it probably wouldn't be broken. They really are some of the finest scopes I know of and I wish someone made mounts for them to fit modern rifles.

I've owned a couple of the Balvar 8B's (although I'm embarassed that I failed to recognize the designation) and they are pretty decent scopes. If I recall, they were the first B&L product to be made in Asia (Japan, I think). They were introduced when B&L was shutting down their production in Rochester. So, all they really share with the old Balvar line is the name.

The Balvar 5 I've got has the longest, most flexible 'eyebox' (usable eye relief) I've ever seen, they blend fields like an old Zeiss or Nickel and the fixed powers should be the most waterproof design around.
 
Posts: 13214 | Location: Henly, TX, USA | Registered: 04 April 2001Reply With Quote
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Thanks Stonecreek,
I used to use B&L's contact lenses, too, and though they were good, I prefer their old scopes Smiler
 
Posts: 4916 | Location: Melbourne, Australia | Registered: 31 March 2009Reply With Quote
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Like most scopes the old Weavers etc. the Bushnells were cheap scopes whatever that means, but unless your one of the optic anal users that haunt these walls, it probably has killed enough game to be suitable..I know some non experts that kill their deer and elk every year with old weavers, bushnells, and other less than desirable optics! homer

Kinda like a lightly salted bore on a rifle not being suitable to hunt with but I doubt that many deer have been killed with a clean bore.


Ray Atkinson
Atkinson Hunting Adventures
10 Ward Lane,
Filer, Idaho, 83328
208-731-4120

rayatkinsonhunting@gmail.com
 
Posts: 41763 | Location: Twin Falls, Idaho | Registered: 04 June 2000Reply With Quote
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