Bushnell Banner Black Powder on NEF Sidekick

[csi-tech]

Last year my El Cheapo BSA scope's crosshairs started spinning around during ML season. I just bought a new Bushnell Banner Muzzleloader scope. It seems sturdy and it has a small circle with smaller duplex crosshairs in the center of the reticle. I think I will like it. I guess I'm going to stick with the MZ sabots and triple se7en pellets again this year. I guess I'm ready for the range in August! The scope has a limited lifetime warranty. I have never owned a Bushnell. Are they pretty reliable? My BSA sure wasn't.

[bubba]

I put a bushnell banner 4x32 with the circle x reticle on my sidkick. I am very pleased with the performance.  I shoot 60 grains of bh209 by weight which is between 85 and 90 grains by volume.  I akso use a harvestor crush rib sabot with  .430 44 cal hornady xtp 240 grain, and triple 7 primers.  I sm sl pleased with the set up.  I am lookig forward to deer season this fall. 

[stringofpoloponies]

the banners with the circle dot reticles use to be king of the budget scopes. the ones made in china are junk. if you can get a korean made one youll probably have a good one. i have sent back 3 different chinese ones .  for reticle spinning .my new budget favorite is the redfields made by leupold. you can get them online for 130-150$ but a whole other level. 

[csi-tech]

I just used some bluing paste to touch-up a spot on the ol' sidekick. Worked quite well for cold blueing. I'm really on the fence about the BH 209. I love the cleanliness of the stuff, but how reliable is the ignition with the aftermarket breech plug?

[bubba]

100 percent relible

[csi-tech]

I looked on the box and my banner was made in Korea. 

[OldSchoolRanger]

the banners with the circle dot reticles use to be king of the budget scopes. the ones made in china are junk. if you can get a korean made one youll probably have a good one. i have sent back 3 different chinese ones .  for reticle spinning .my new budget favorite is the redfields made by leupold. you can get them online for 130-150$ but a whole other level.

That's funny I have one that's made in China, and I never had a problem with it.  It's mounted on my .243 Handi.  You must have gotten a lemon, or I got the one scope made in China that works. 
I do agree with you regarding the Redfields, they are just a top notch scope. 

[Jal5]

My Bushnell banner scope sits on the 20 ga. Pardner I use for slugs during deer season here in Ohio. Takes a beating and keeps on ticking.
Joe

[stringofpoloponies]

the banners with the circle dot reticles use to be king of the budget scopes. the ones made in china are junk. if you can get a korean made one youll probably have a good one. i have sent back 3 different chinese ones .  for reticle spinning .my new budget favorite is the redfields made by leupold. you can get them online for 130-150$ but a whole other level.

That's funny I have one that's made in China, and I never had a problem with it.  It's mounted on my .243 Handi.  You must have gotten a lemon, or I got the one scope made in China that works. 
I do agree with you regarding the Redfields, they are just a top notch scope.

   i got 3 bushnell lemons. bittered me so that i will never buy a bushnell again. there support stinks too!nothing but a hard time on the phone.  ive got a bunch of banners but the camo 3x9x40-s from china all crapped out. the first china one i got was a spinner. thought i was going crazy. even thought it was my rings being loose. the last one had the reticle blow out and screws rattling. stay away!

[OldSchoolRanger]

See the article at:

http://www.chuckhawks.com/bushnell_banner_scopes.htm

Notice where he says; "Bushnell riflescopes have had varying warrantee periods over the years, but today they are covered by a Limited Lifetime Warrantee.  This warrantee is good for the life of the original purchaser." 

So if there was a problem with the scope, send it back.  On a slightly different tangent, I had a problem with a Tasco scope (made in Japan) that I had for 20 or so years, I sent it back after it fogged up, and was unable to see thru it.  Tasco sent me a new replacement scope (made in China), and it still works great.

What I'm trying to get at is that, the manufactuer (Bushnell) sets the standards, and enforces the quality on their products regardless where it was made.  So if the product is faulty, complain to the company, and get a free replacement.

[stringofpoloponies]

  bushnell is part of a big mix of companies and believe TASCO is  owned by them also.ive been on the phone with them many times  and can speak from experience they arent the best to deal with.the first chinese banner was replaced with a korean one by them. also you just dont send them a broken scope and get a free one. you have to file a form of problem and include 10$ for them to even look at it. i have one more to send back and i will end my relationship with there banner series. 

[walmpus]

the banners with the circle dot reticles use to be king of the budget scopes. the ones made in china are junk. if you can get a korean made one youll probably have a good one. i have sent back 3 different chinese ones .  for reticle spinning .my new budget favorite is the redfields made by leupold. you can get them online for 130-150$ but a whole other level.

That's funny I have one that's made in China, and I never had a problem with it.  It's mounted on my .243 Handi.  You must have gotten a lemon, or I got the one scope made in China that works. 
I do agree with you regarding the Redfields, they are just a top notch scope.

   i got 3 bushnell lemons. bittered me so that i will never buy a bushnell again. there support stinks too!nothing but a hard time on the phone.  ive got a bunch of banners but the camo 3x9x40-s from china all crapped out. the first china one i got was a spinner. thought i was going crazy. even thought it was my rings being loose. the last one had the reticle blow out and screws rattling. stay away!

I am on board with you about the customer support for their scopes. I had the actual occular lense on a brand new scope to come out the day before muzzlelaoder season on a cheap cva ml I have and their support didnt care one bit, didnt really help and wouldnt budge on any options other than sending it to their repair center in kansas. I had to send it in from where I live in ohio and they ended up just replacing it with a new one. And I have to say the new one has been a very solid scope. I have another that a sales guy from natchez talked me into buying (against my better judgement) and put in on a old .303 and its been a real jewel. But even with these 2 scopes I feel confident in saying they will be the last bushnell's (at least the banner series anyway) I will buy. I have a standard gold ring 3x9 leupold on my huntsman I bought in 2003 and I have TORTURED that gun and scope over the years and since the day I sighted it in its never moved. I know money is tough to come by these days and really good optics are expensive, but I have learned my lesson and will just save my money up to get higher end optics.
 
Not trying to ruffle feathers of bushnell fans, just had some tough luck with bushnell and just didnt feel appreciated by their customer service.

[OldSchoolRanger]

walmpus - I personally prefer Nikon, Leupold, & Redfield scopes.  But I don't put the real expensive glass on some of my less expensive guns.  It doesn't make any sense to put a Leupold on a cheap .22 plinker, or a gun that I set up as a loaner for first time hunters.
 
 What I was trying to get across to stringofpoloponies was why didn't he just send a letter/email to the company in question, in this case Bushnell, and request a new scope.  If the problem happened right away, he should have brought the item back to the store, and gotten a replacement, since it was defective.  When I had my problem with the Tasco scope (couldn't see thru it anymore after I took it out from the safe in preparation for hunting season),  I just took another scope off another rifle and dealt with the problem after the season. 
 
 It wasn't smooth sailing either, I had to make numerous calls, all with notes regarding the person with whom I dealt with.  After about a month, and one unfriendly conversation with a customer rep, I received a replacement scope.  To the credit of the last customer rep that I dealt with, he sent me a better quality scope than the one I originally mailed back.  My scope was so old they didn't make the same model anymore.
 
 His comment about his new budget favorite being Redfields ($130-150) also didn't make sense.  You mean to say he bought a $130-150 "budget" Bushnell Banner?  Banners range from $62 to $153 (which is the 6x24 40mm, mil dot version), the scope csi-tech was referring to was the muzzleloader scope which sells for about $85.  The circle dot (actually the circle-x, realtree camo) reticle scope stringofpoloponies was referring to sells for $90.  If your going to compare scopes, please use comparable ones, not $150 scopes against scopes selling for half the price.
 
 You have to remember, these companies are in business to make money, that's why they farm out the products overseas.  I don't know how old you are, but I remember, when everything marked "made in Japan" was junk.  Nowadays, they have better quality control than a lot of American companies.  Especially their car companies, with the exception of, IMHO of Honda.  (I had a lemon,  never going to buy another Honda car as long as I live. 

[walmpus]

Ranger,
 
I hear ya. Its hard enough to save up some money for a gun yet alone an expensive scope. I have never had a nikon but I am not opposed to trying one if I ever get the chance. I have some cheap scopes..ie tasco and bsa as well. My 2 BSA scopes were both about 25 bucks and I have beat them to death without a hitch.
 
You know, if your interested in a really dynamite inexpensive scope for about the same price as a bushnell banner (mine were about $85) you might want to take a peak at the tasco world class scope. For the money, it just might be the best scope out there. You can go to cabelas and read tons of nothing but positive reviews. I have never owned one but a buddy of mine had on a .308 and I gotta say it was pretty d@mn nice. Bright clear glass, easy to use, easy to mount,  and once he sighted it in, it never budged. Plus its wasnt a bad looking scope. So for a 1st time shooter, to put on less expensive gun, or just a beater it really is an option worth looking at. I've never been much of a tasco fan because I always bought the low end models, but those world class scopes are in a differnent category for sure.
 
Your right about these companies in business to make money............once they get your money they dont care! Good customer service goes a looooooong way with me these days. Your also right about japanese products being high quality. The only honda I have ever owned was a 350X 3 wheeler. It was a 1986 model.......the last year you could buy new 3 wheelers in America. That was a japanese product and it was hands down 10 fold better than any other atv I've ever had. That thing was absolutely bullet proof and ran like a sewing machine. Man, I miss that thing. That should give you an idea about my age cause I aint tellin! 

[OldSchoolRanger]

walmpus - I have previously tried the Tasco World Class scopes, and agree with you completely.  For the money, it's a great deal.  I recommended the stainless model to squib for one of his youth guns, on another thread.

[walmpus]

Ranger,
 
How about that..........mediocre minds do think alike       Good luck with the scope you do decide on.

[csi-tech]

I have the blued/wood version of the Sidekick. I don't recall how much it was from Basspro, maybe $169.00. I have since put a $30.00 breech plug in it and a Hubbard's ramrod. It's hard to justify a 200.00 Vari-X Leupold but I do love the NEF. I think the Banner will be a solid scope even though it wasn't expensive. This little rifle has been great. I've owned it for several years now, taken several deer and it has held up very well. It has been more reliable than the Austin and Halleck it replaced if you can believe that. If the Bushnell craps out, who knows?, I may slap a nice one on it.