Author Topic: Elite 4200 4-16x50 -vs- Monarch UCC 5.5-16.5x44 (Read 1409 times)

RamJohn · « **on:** July 23, 2004, 04:50:05 AM »

Guys, I've narrowed it down to these two scopes. Help me spend 400 bucks. I got the green light from the ole lady, and here are my candidates:

Bushnell Elite 4200 4-16x50 Matte
Length: 15.6 (alittle long)
Weight: 22 oz (wt ok)
Eye relief: 3.6
FOV: 26-9 ft
Exit pupil: 12.5-3.1 and I would need new rings right? (40mm on rifle now)

or.......
Nikon Monarch UCC 5.5-16.5x44 Matte
Lenght: 13.4
Weight: 18.4
Eye relief: 3.2 max
FOV 19.1-6.4
Exit pupil: 8-2.7

Although the 4200 come out on top on paper, and as it is, I've never held either of these scopes, and they are the same price, I can't draw a conclusion. I guess what is holding me back is the length of the 4200. Weight is ok since I need some extra on a .300WM anyway.

Questions for the experts....wire reticle or etched..which has which, 4200 wire? Elevation adjustments..I know the Nikon has 40MOA, but what about the 4200? How about the gear bag offer from Bushnell, anyone have one? Is it worth the promo? Little things like these tend to sway me. I'm leaning towards the 4200, but this is a last minute effort to convince myself. I'll be ordering today.
Thanks....John.

TheOpticZone · « **Reply #1 on:** July 23, 2004, 05:31:11 AM »

John,

Both scopes are excellent. Very hard to tell the different. I would slightly lean towards the Monarch. Oh yeah, Zachary will lean towards the Elite 4200. Both scopes have wire reticles. One advantage that the Bushnell has is the Rainguard feature. Great feature in inclement weather. You will not be disappointed in either scope.

Zachary · « **Reply #2 on:** July 23, 2004, 07:50:33 AM »

Jon's right, they are both excellent scopes, but I lean towards the Elite 4200. In fact, I was faced with the same decision you had, and I went back and forth with it with Jon. Needless to say, I ended up buying the Elite 4200 4x-16x-50mm from Jon and I'm glad I did. I have this scope mounted on a 7mm Remington ULTRA magnum, and it has held up perfectly. Yes, the Elite 4200 is a bit longer, but it had (has) more eye relief, and it has rainguard, which came in handy one day.

I am going to buy a Nikon Monarch 3x-9x-40mm from Jon next week (Jon, are you listening?

) and mount it on a Tikka T3 Hunter in 6.5x55. I say this in part because I also own many Nikon scopes too. However, the Elite 4200 4x-16x-50mm is just an awesome long range scope and I will buy another from Jon in the future to mount it on my .300 Rem Ultra Mag.

So Yea, get the Elite 4200 and thank me after you get it. :wink:

Zachary

RamJohn · « **Reply #3 on:** July 23, 2004, 10:37:28 AM »

here's something else I found.
Burris 3.5-10x50
95% light transmission, less weight, shorter length, wider FOV than both mentioned, granted it's less magnification. eye relief is in between, exit pupil small increase AND it has the illuminated Ballistic Plex reticle. Also about 20 clams less.

How does this scope fit in with the two I mentioned?

Thanks again!!

Zachary · « **Reply #4 on:** July 23, 2004, 12:54:00 PM »

I would pick the Elite over the Burris any day of the week.

Zachary

RamJohn · « **Reply #5 on:** July 23, 2004, 01:08:00 PM »

ok. Besides they dont have that neat looking gear bag.

What about a 4200, 2.5-10x50 30MM TUBE!!! with the #4 reticle with 1 MOA illuminated dot?
I can't find what this reticle looks like ( a clear pic anyway) is there a site with reticle patterns? I think a lit dot would help........and same price as those mentioned.

I know a 4-10 power is alot less that I started out with, but realistically, I wont be HUNTING anything over maybe 250 yards.

Needless to say, I didn't order today...decisions decisions....

Thanks for your patience guys.

Spot Shooter · « **Reply #6 on:** July 23, 2004, 04:59:24 PM »

John,

I have the Elite 4200 4-16x 50OA on my Browning Abolt 300WSM.

hmmm... Sounds familiar!

OK... Here's the deal, it's GREAT! I did compare it to the nikon at Cabela's (they're down the street) and I felt the Elite was brighter. Bushy does have a lifetime warrenty so I got it.

NOW... the only caution is that it's a longer distance scope IMHO. I use it for Mulies typcially shot at 300 yards. NOW if I was elk hunting I'd get a 2.3 to 8x 40mm .... Which is what I have on order for my elk trip this fall... WELL, I'll order it when I can aford it, but I'm going for the firefly instead of the lite cross hairs. You'll have plenty of light so ... the fire fly takes it for me.

At the end of the day, if your shot's are under 200, go for the 2.5 to 8x Elite, if they're pass 200 go with the big dog.

Good luck
Spot

TheOpticZone · « **Reply #7 on:** July 24, 2004, 03:24:12 AM »

John,

Here is a link to the what the reticle looks like. It is not the greatest, but it give a good idea of what it looks like.

http://www.bushnell.com/products/tech_talk/riflescopes.html

It is the bottom right one. Just to let you know that the dot is very hard to see during day light, unless you turn it up to around 8 power on the illum. dial.

Zachary · « **Reply #8 on:** July 24, 2004, 02:08:30 PM »

Quote from: RamJohn

ok. Besides they dont have that neat looking gear bag.

What about a 4200, 2.5-10x50 30MM TUBE!!! with the #4 reticle with 1 MOA illuminated dot?
I can't find what this reticle looks like ( a clear pic anyway) is there a site with reticle patterns? I think a lit dot would help........and same price as those mentioned.

I know a 4-10 power is alot less that I started out with, but realistically, I wont be HUNTING anything over maybe 250 yards.

Needless to say, I didn't order today...decisions decisions....

Thanks for your patience guys.

I bought the Elite 4200 with the 30mm tube and Illuminated Dot for my brother when they first came out - I think about 2 years ago. I don't like it. While the optics are excellent, the electric illuminated dot is VERY VERY dim, even at it's highest setting. Plus, the reticle is VERY THICK - too thick for my taste.

Zachary

RamJohn · « **Reply #9 on:** July 25, 2004, 05:26:11 AM »

I really appreciate all the input. It's a tuff decision for me on what to invest that kind of money. Especially when its hard to come by since my twins were born. I guess I'm being overly cautious... and to make matters worse, I just found a Zeiss Conquest 3.5-10x44 on E-Bay for a buy now price of 461.00, + 9$ S/H....Whats next..LOL My wife doesn't think it's funny that my price is gradually increasing......

Thanks again for the help!!!!!

John

Zachary · « **Reply #10 on:** July 25, 2004, 08:41:04 AM »

I'd be careful about buying scopes on ebay. Some sellers are not authorized sellers of a give product and warranties don't apply. I'm not sure how that might work with Zeiss, but, regardless, it's always better to spend a few extra bucks and buy from a reputable seller.

I say this, in part, because I once saw an Elite scope for sale on ebay about a year or so ago. The price was a little less than what the optic zone sold it. However, at the time, the optic zone was a new sponsor of the site, and many people were happy with him, so I thought it was better to spend the extra money and buy from him in the event that anything went wrong. So I ordered an Elite 4200 4x-16x-40mm from Jon. Soon thereafter I decided to get the 50mm version and Jon exchanged it with no problem!! (with, of course, the difference in price, but still, his service was great!)

Try having a fly-by-night seller on ebay give you that kind of service after a sale! :roll:

Since that time, I have bought, I guess, about 5 or 6 scopes from Jon, and I'm going to buy another one next week. I'm not just recommending Jon because he's a sponsor of this site, but more importantly because he supports you in ways that very few, if any, sellers can.

Trust me, I don't make recommendations unless I stand by them 100%! :grin:

Zachary

RamJohn · « **Reply #11 on:** July 25, 2004, 12:47:25 PM »

Sound advice indeed. I too am leery of e-bay, although there is some good stuff on there if you are careful.

Now, another dilemma: O/Z has a Nikon Monarch 3.3-10x44 for a darn good price. It has a mil dot, which is a compromise for me for the less magnification. 18.5oz, 13in long, e/r is the same as the 4200 4-16, FOV is wider, exit pupil is 13.3-4.4 and it has 50 MOA of adjustment. I'm beginning to talk myself out of the higher magnifications. I hunt primarily, and target shooting is not something I think I will enjoy alot of with a .300WM. I'll save that for a .308 or something.

Whats the opinion of this Nikon?

Thanks again y'all.

John

TheOpticZone · « **Reply #12 on:** July 25, 2004, 03:35:19 PM »

Nikon scopes? 2 words. "GREAT SCOPES".

Spot Shooter · « **Reply #13 on:** July 25, 2004, 05:25:37 PM »

Aren't both Elites by bushnell, and Leupolds under warrenty regardless of where you buy them?

I beleive I've seen this with Bushnell somewhere.

Spot

Zachary · « **Reply #14 on:** July 26, 2004, 05:51:50 AM »

Yes, I believe they are, but why hassle with sending a scope back to the manufacturer and wait a long time to have your problem taken care of, when you can buy from a reputable dealer and have your problem taken care of in a shorter time. I say this, in part, believe I believe that theopticzone has a 30 day return policy. If you buy a scope on ebay, try sending it back to the seller for a return...he'll tell you to send it to the manufacturer.

As for the Nikon scope question posed earlier, Jon is right, they are "GREAT SCOPES." I probably own just as many Nikon scopes as I do Elites, and that's probably because some scopes have different features than others. If the features you want are found on the Nikon Monarch, then get it.

Zachary

RamJohn · « **Reply #15 on:** July 28, 2004, 11:46:39 AM »

Thanks for all the help guys. I really appreciate it. I guess buying a scope is like buying a good pair of shoes. You get what you need for the task. You get what fits, and what's comfortable (and what you can afford).

I think I am going with the Nikon, simply for the Mil dot, and the FOV. Other than that, it was a coin toss. I'll get an Elite 4200 on the next rifle, which I hope to be a Tactical something-or-other in .308!!! Something for a day at the range....

thanks again!!!

John