Having some scope issues and could use some help ...
I'm looking to do some hunting with my 12 year old son and just bought a new $250 Bushnell Legend Ultra HD 4.5-14x44mm scope for my Benelli R1 semi auto 300 Win Mag. Scope has a standard mil dot reticle, simple crosshairs at dead center, and MOA turrets.
The main problem I'm having is the edge of the exit pupil image seems to occur somewhere OUTSIDE the eye piece housing, which of course makes it impossible to actually see the edge of the exit pupil image. It's as though whatever lens creates the exit pupil image (I think it's the occular lens) might be focused incorrectly ... the exit pupil image created is too big and impossible to be seen inside the size/space of the eye piece housing.
The eye relief spec stated by Bushnell for this scope is 3.7", but I think it's probably more like 1". And I know exit pupil (obj lens / mag) changes in size (and for my scope that is max of 9.7mm and min of 3.14mm), but this is occurring whether I'm on low, or high power, and it occurs regardless of where I place my eye (even if I place my eye at about 1" the outside edge of the exit pupil image is murky at best).
An example of my problem would be a digital projector being improperly "zoomed" so the image becomes too big for the screen ... the outside edge of the image can't be seen. Now, the overly zoomed image is clear (focused correctly), but the "zoom" is the problem.
Of course, if I can't see the "EDGE" of the exit pupil image I also don't ever get the clear black border around the edge of the exit pupil image (I've been told this area of black border outside the exit pupil image is called 'vignette'). And w/out these two things [1. edge around exit pupil and 2. black border outside of exit pupil image] I can't really ever tell if I'm aligned correctly ... and w/out correct POA I'll never be consistent with POI ... and right now my POI is ALL OVER THE PLACE and changes constantly.
Ideally, I would see a full exit pupil image with a CLEAR edge around the entire circle of the exit pupil image, and then I would also have a vignette of uniform thickness outside the edge of the exit pupil to ensure the exit pupil image was actually centered, and then in my peripheral view I would see the fuzzy edge of my actual eye piece housing. But, that's not even close to what I get ... I can't see the edge of the exit pupil, which means I also have no uniform vignette outside the exit pupil. My exit pupil image only goes out to about the middle of my reticle posts and then I get the fuzzy eye piece housing in my peripheral.
Where does this leave me? It leaves me with using the fuzzy eye piece housing in my peripheral view to align the reticle as best as possible, knowing full well the true edge of the exit pupil image is not possible to be seen! NOT COOL, and pretty damn frustrating when this translates into absolutely NO CONSISTENT POI.
I called Bushnell and they said it wasn't too uncommon for a couple of their inferior lines (Banner & Trophy) to have issues like this, but they said it shouldn't occur with their 'Legend' line. Who knows. For now, they wanted me to send it back so they could test it out - which I just did.
We'll see what Bushnell says, but in the meantime I wanted to ask you guys:
1. Am I crazy to think an exit pupil like this would create an inconsistent POI?
2. Has anyone gone through something like this, or does anyone have an exit pupil like mine?
3. Is it possible my ocular lens is simply focused incorrectly and it's creating a bigger image than my eye piece can handle?
4. Is this just simply what you get with a crappy scope - a really bad and potentially incorrect eye box?
5. Is there something else I'm not thinking of?
Appreciate your thoughts.
I'm looking to do some hunting with my 12 year old son and just bought a new $250 Bushnell Legend Ultra HD 4.5-14x44mm scope for my Benelli R1 semi auto 300 Win Mag. Scope has a standard mil dot reticle, simple crosshairs at dead center, and MOA turrets.
The main problem I'm having is the edge of the exit pupil image seems to occur somewhere OUTSIDE the eye piece housing, which of course makes it impossible to actually see the edge of the exit pupil image. It's as though whatever lens creates the exit pupil image (I think it's the occular lens) might be focused incorrectly ... the exit pupil image created is too big and impossible to be seen inside the size/space of the eye piece housing.
The eye relief spec stated by Bushnell for this scope is 3.7", but I think it's probably more like 1". And I know exit pupil (obj lens / mag) changes in size (and for my scope that is max of 9.7mm and min of 3.14mm), but this is occurring whether I'm on low, or high power, and it occurs regardless of where I place my eye (even if I place my eye at about 1" the outside edge of the exit pupil image is murky at best).
An example of my problem would be a digital projector being improperly "zoomed" so the image becomes too big for the screen ... the outside edge of the image can't be seen. Now, the overly zoomed image is clear (focused correctly), but the "zoom" is the problem.
Of course, if I can't see the "EDGE" of the exit pupil image I also don't ever get the clear black border around the edge of the exit pupil image (I've been told this area of black border outside the exit pupil image is called 'vignette'). And w/out these two things [1. edge around exit pupil and 2. black border outside of exit pupil image] I can't really ever tell if I'm aligned correctly ... and w/out correct POA I'll never be consistent with POI ... and right now my POI is ALL OVER THE PLACE and changes constantly.
Ideally, I would see a full exit pupil image with a CLEAR edge around the entire circle of the exit pupil image, and then I would also have a vignette of uniform thickness outside the edge of the exit pupil to ensure the exit pupil image was actually centered, and then in my peripheral view I would see the fuzzy edge of my actual eye piece housing. But, that's not even close to what I get ... I can't see the edge of the exit pupil, which means I also have no uniform vignette outside the exit pupil. My exit pupil image only goes out to about the middle of my reticle posts and then I get the fuzzy eye piece housing in my peripheral.
Where does this leave me? It leaves me with using the fuzzy eye piece housing in my peripheral view to align the reticle as best as possible, knowing full well the true edge of the exit pupil image is not possible to be seen! NOT COOL, and pretty damn frustrating when this translates into absolutely NO CONSISTENT POI.
I called Bushnell and they said it wasn't too uncommon for a couple of their inferior lines (Banner & Trophy) to have issues like this, but they said it shouldn't occur with their 'Legend' line. Who knows. For now, they wanted me to send it back so they could test it out - which I just did.
We'll see what Bushnell says, but in the meantime I wanted to ask you guys:
1. Am I crazy to think an exit pupil like this would create an inconsistent POI?
2. Has anyone gone through something like this, or does anyone have an exit pupil like mine?
3. Is it possible my ocular lens is simply focused incorrectly and it's creating a bigger image than my eye piece can handle?
4. Is this just simply what you get with a crappy scope - a really bad and potentially incorrect eye box?
5. Is there something else I'm not thinking of?
Appreciate your thoughts.
