Rifle Scopes Bushnell 4200 or 3200??

[CK_32]

So iv been looking at getting either the bushnell 3200 5-15x 40mm or the 4200 6-24x50mm.

Im really into the 50mm and variable zoom range and the side mounted focus nob on the 4200. The one thing that really holds me back on it is that it is limited to 50 MOA elevation adjustments and im looking to shoot 250-850+ yards on average.


I really like the 3200 for the 100 MOA full adjustments and the 40mm lens up front. Only thing that holds me back on the 3200 is the front mounted adjustment and the limited 5-15x range. I figure when i get out to 500-850+ id kinda want to zoom a little farther than 15x..


So pretty much im asking which should i compromise on?? Go with the only 50 MOA full adjustment but have that major zoom range and larger front objective lens? Or go with the 3200 and get the full 100 MOA and put up with the limited zoom range and fromt mounted adjustment nob..

I just cant make up my mind on this one..

 

[CK_32]

Re: Bushnell 4200 or 3200??

I just don't get why the 24x zoom capable scope would have less MOA adjustments than the 15x.. Can anyone explain that to me.. Because that just doesn't make sense to me...

 

[eleaf]

Re: Bushnell 4200 or 3200??

You will be fine out to 850 with the 6-24x50. Get a 15 or 20 MOA base and you're good.

It's a great scope, and head and shoulders above the 3200.

 

[vlcruz2001]

Re: Bushnell 4200 or 3200??

Are you sure that 5-15 has 100 moa of adjustment? I went on the Bushnell website and it says 50 moa, same as the 6-24x50.

 

[BobinNC]

Re: Bushnell 4200 or 3200??

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: CK_32</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I just don't get why the 24x zoom capable scope would have less MOA adjustments than the 15x.. Can anyone explain that to me.. Because that just doesn't make sense to me... </div></div>

It is that way due to optics design limitations. You don't get something like higher zoom power for free, you have to give up something, like internal adjustment range.

You'd have to ask a optics engineer for the exact causes. But any 24x power will have less adjustment than a 15x model, if they are designed the same (like both have 30mm tubes), using similar components.

Now as to Bushnell's 6-24x50mm 4200 Tactical scope, it has around 48 to 50 MOA (I don't care what the spec's say, that real life). That's 24-25 MOA up and down. Add a 20 MOA base, and you now have, 44-45 MOA up and 4-5 MOA down. Not great, but doable.

What you have to ask yourself is why do you really need 24X in the first place, to accomplish what? Fit your scope to your real needs, not your desires.

High scope power is required for precision, but the Mildot reticle Bushnell uses in their 6-24 is pretty fat @24x, and not a good fit for precision. But you can see the damn thing in low light, and against diverse backgrounds. So true precision (in a benchrest scope sense) was not the goal Bushnell engineers desired in designing this scope.

So what are you trying to accomplish with it, if you buy it?

On another note: with a 20 MOA base, 44-45 MOA will get you pretty far on a 308. A typical 175 gr load @ 2600 FPS takes 40.3 MOA + - or so to reach 1000 yds.

Bob

 

[CK_32]

Re: Bushnell 4200 or 3200??

Well the specs on the sites say the 3200 has 100 MOA last i remembered but I could always be mistaken. I know you give or take a good amount away from the actual MOA range due to the zeroing of the scope. But I was planning on getting a 20 MOA base mount but saw some reviews and said it still barely made it out that far with a 20 MOA base mount.

And to answer your question bob I'm mainly looking to get a decent fair priced scope to be able to get to the 1000 yards or close so I can work on the mathematics and form part of shooting out at those distances before I go out and spend another good $2k+ on better glass and upgrade the performance side of my rifle. So I can hopefully be close to the capability of the rifle and utilize most of its potential. So I figured Id the 24x zoom would help rather than shooting at a spec at that distance. But if you think the 15x would let me see out to that distance then ill just go with the 3200 and you basically just solved my delema.

I just don't wanna buy the 15x and end up with an under powered scope for the ranges I'm looking to shoot at and not be able to clearly see the target.

 

[BobinNC]

Re: Bushnell 4200 or 3200??

CK,

The adjustment range from Bushnell on the 5-15 is 50 MOA:

Power / Obj Lens 5-15 x 40mm
Finish Matte Matte
Length (in / mm) 14.5 / 368.3
Field of View (ft@100 ft. / m@100 m) 21/7@5x 7/2.3@15x
Adj Range in@100yds/ mm@100m 50 / 1.4
Weight (oz. / g) 19 / 539
Exit Pupil (mm) 9-2.7
Eye Relief (in / mm) 4.3 / 108
Mounting Length (in / mm) 6.0 / 152
Model 325154T
Click Value in@100 yds / mm@100m .25 / 7

Bushnell 5-15 Spec's

That said the 4200 series has better everything, except price over a 3200 scope.

Scope power is also one of the most overvalued items in scope selection. So how much power do you need? I have no idea, but, scope power should be a function of both the size and distance to your target, as well as the precision required to hit it.

A very small target @ long range will require more scope power. Precision in this case means grouping.

If you want to just hit a steel target @ 1000 yds, and it's big enough, 10x is the minimum power, and precision as in group size is not a required element.....

So what do you want to accomplish?

I posted this many times before, but I will do so again:

Take a 1.5 MOA (15.7") target and place it @ 1000 yds.

It will appear to be through your scope to be at:

10x 100 yds
12x 83 yds
15x 67 yds
18x 55 yds
20x 50 yds
24x 42 yds

As compared to looking at it the target through your naked eye.

I can't tell you what scope to buy. But buying any scope, just because you think you need "x" power just to hit "y" target, is foolish.

Certainly if your driven to set a new world record for 1000 yd benchrest shooting, the scope you would need for that endeavor, would be different from the scope you would need and use for say 1000 yd tactical shooting, where your mission is to merely hit a IPSC size steel silhouette type target.

Get it, mission drives need; not your wants and needs driving the mission.

But if Bushnell is your bag, I would look strongly at one of there new 4200 FFP scopes. They do have a 3-12x44mm with around 80 MOA of adjustment, plus it's MIL/MIL and illuminated to boot in the $700-800 range.

It is not a 1000 yd benchrest scope, but for most other applications out to 1k yds, if you can see your target with it, you might could hit it.

Bob

 

[dareposte]

Re: Bushnell 4200 or 3200??

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: CK_32</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
...
I really like the 3200 for the 100 MOA full adjustments and the 40mm lens up front. Only thing that holds me back on the 3200 is the front mounted adjustment and the limited 5-15x range. I figure when i get out to 500-850+ id kinda want to zoom a little farther than 15x..</div></div>

I have a 3200 and although they advertised 100 MOA when I bought it, it only gets about 70 MOA of elevation, about 60 on the windage. I have the fixed 10x scope, and it's adequate zoom for hitting at 600 yards. 800 gets a little sketchy and I'd like more zoom on smallish targets, the crosshairs get a bit thick that far out.

 

[CK_32]

Re: Bushnell 4200 or 3200??

So it sounds like the 3200 is enough scope to get the job done for what I'm lookin for then. I just wasn't sure if the 15x would have been enough but it seems like it will be enough for the job after all of what you guys were saying.

Thanks for all your help and info guys. Saved me alot of running and shopping around.