bushnell 3200 VS 4200, how is the 4200 elite better?

[vkvenom]

i have read the reviews on the 4200 elite,greeat scope! but to much money. what are the big diff.?Now how comprable is the 3200 elite ? i like that the 4200 has 95% light transmission,does the 3200 ? this going on a .243 WSSM bolt action for white tail deer. I hunt in the field up to 300 + yard and also in the bush, what all around power scope would be best?

[Zachary]

As for whether the 4200 is worth the extra money - the answer is YES.  As for whether the 3200 is still a great scope for your use - the answer is still YES.  So, if you can't afford the 4200, then don't think that by purchasing the 3200 that you made a bad decision - you won't!  I own an Elite 3200 1.5x-4.5x-32mm on my .375H&H and it works GREAT!

As for power range - I would look at a variable 3x-9x with a 40mm objective.  In fact, I'm going to be buying another Elite scope from Jon at theopticzone sometime this week. :grin:

Zachary

[jathames]

Zachary is the 40mm better than the 50mm... not worth the extra money??

Jeff

As for whether the 4200 is worth the extra money - the answer is YES.  As for whether the 3200 is still a great scope for your use - the answer is still YES.  So, if you can't afford the 4200, then don't think that by purchasing the 3200 that you made a bad decision - you won't!  I own an Elite 3200 1.5x-4.5x-32mm on my .375H&H and it works GREAT!

As for power range - I would look at a variable 3x-9x with a 40mm objective.  In fact, I'm going to be buying another Elite scope from Jon at theopticzone sometime this week. :grin:

Zachary

[Zachary]

jathames,

Some people will say no, but I say yes.  To me, the 50mm objectives, even with a 1" tube, seem brighter than the 40mm versions when dealing at higher magnifications at low light conditions.

For example, a 50mm scope set on 10x will give you an exit pupil of 5mm.  A 40mm set on 10x will give you 4.0mm.  Is 5mm better than 4mm?  Yes, is it worth the extra money?  I think yes, but your pocket book can better answer that question.

Also, what most people seem to overlook is that, even though the exit pupils may be big at lower magnifications, it is still very nice to have.  Why?  Because the greater the eye pupil, the more area your eye has to move around and thus not have a problem with eye alignment.  Think about it like this - your eyes have more room to move around when looking though a 2" pipe than a straw.

Some people may also tell you, and to some degree rightfully so, that all of the above is really not all that important in "real world hunting."  Okay, maybe so.  But when I go hunting, I want everything in my favor.

Let me give you a caveat.  You should also understand that what I am telling you is based on optics that are the same quality i.e. comparing an Elite 4200 2.5x-10x-50mm vs. Elite 4200 with only a 40mm objective.  DO NOT THINK THAT CHEAPER QUALITY OPTICS WITH 50MM OBJECTIVES ARE BETTER THAN HIGHER QUALITY OPTICS WITH 40MM OBJECTIVES.  In orther words, don't think that, say, a Tasco with 50mm objectives is better than a Swarovski with 40mm objectives.

Zachary

[Graybeard]

In spite of Zachary's love affair with those huge objectives  :-D they really do not transmit more light. What they do is to offer a larger exit pupil. Now that's not bad in and of itself. A larger exit pupil means it is easier to line up your eye quickly.

But light transmission thru the scope is dependant on the quality of the glass and coatings and the size of the smallest lens in the system. On most if not all scopes that is the erector lens. They are inside that tube and in a variable inside a tube inside the tube that has to move. That lens or lens system limits the actual light that is transmitted thru the scope. So only by going to a larger tube with larger lens inside it can you actually transmit more light.

While on this subject let me touch on a similar misconception. Many people speak of scopes that "gather" light and that is a frequent claim for the larger objectives, that they "gather" more light. Scopes, optics in general, do not "gather" light. They transmit light. They can transmit ONLY what comes in the objective and is able to pass thru all lens and air to glass surfaces. You lose light in moving thru every single piece of glass and again at every single air to glass surface. How much depends on the quality of the glass and coatings.

So are larger objectives worth it? Not to me. They make higher mounting necessary which makes the quick use of rifle less natural. They are hevier and larger. If ya like them as Zachary does then sure go for it. But in the real world they really aren't a benefit for 99% of the use a hunter will put the scope and rifle to. If you must have the larger objectives then also get a 30 mm tube to take advantage of it.

GB

[jathames]

Graybeard.. What scopes would you look at in the 40mm or 50mm that you like..

Jeff

In spite of Zachary's love affair with those huge objectives  :-D they really do not transmit more light. What they do is to offer a larger exit pupil. Now that's not bad in and of itself. A larger exit pupil means it is easier to line up your eye quickly.

But light transmission thru the scope is dependant on the quality of the glass and coatings and the size of the smallest lens in the system. On most if not all scopes that is the erector lens. They are inside that tube and in a variable inside a tube inside the tube that has to move. That lens or lens system limits the actual light that is transmitted thru the scope. So only by going to a larger tube with larger lens inside it can you actually transmit more light.

While on this subject let me touch on a similar misconception. Many people speak of scopes that "gather" light and that is a frequent claim for the larger objectives, that they "gather" more light. Scopes, optics in general, do not "gather" light. They transmit light. They can transmit ONLY what comes in the objective and is able to pass thru all lens and air to glass surfaces. You lose light in moving thru every single piece of glass and again at every single air to glass surface. How much depends on the quality of the glass and coatings.

So are larger objectives worth it? Not to me. They make higher mounting necessary which makes the quick use of rifle less natural. They are hevier and larger. If ya like them as Zachary does then sure go for it. But in the real world they really aren't a benefit for 99% of the use a hunter will put the scope and rifle to. If you must have the larger objectives then also get a 30 mm tube to take advantage of it.

GB

[Graybeard]

Jeff asks,

Graybeard.. What scopes would you look at in the 40mm or 50mm that you like..

Well Jeff there are NO scopes with 50 mm objectives that I like. I refuse to use scopes with such large objectives.

In the 40 mm range I like the Bushnell Elite 4200s best I guess. I also like the Elite 3200s if you wish to spent less money.

For a down and dirty hunting gun the old Leupold Vari-X II 3-9 was hard to beat when you consider the full package which is size, weight, and optical quality combined with ruggedness. It is far from the best but is a solid choice then and now.

If I had to chose just one scope for a real world hunting rifle that I'd use for anything and every thing it would be the one on my rifle intended for just that. A Leupold Vari-X III 2.5-8x36. Why? Not because it is optically the best because it isn't. But it is a tough scope with excellent optics and a very sound mechanical record. I like the size and weight of it and like the wider FOV it offers than scopes of higher power.

On the three rifles I use most for big game hunting I have a Leupold Vari-X III 2.5-8x36, a Bushnell Elite 3200 2-7 and a Leupold Vari-X II 3-9. On my wife's rifle I have a Bushnell Elite 4200 1.5-6. Those are scopes I think are the proper scopes for real world hunting rifles. That's why they are on our rifles. I could have put any scope made in the world on them but I chose those. I could take any one of those four scopes and put in on all of the rifles and still be happy. Toss in the Bushnell Elite 3200 3-9 even tho I don't yet have one on a rifle we use. I will. It is almost exactly the same size as the Leupold 3-9 with superior optics and coatings. So if you want my advice I say chose from that list.

GB