Zachary, Bushnell 3200 1.5-.....

[Buckfever]

Zachary you have mentioned that you have a Bushness 3200 low power variable with Firefly on your .375.  I have a 9.3x62 that I will be using for a Canadian Moose hunt in 2007.  I am collecting information as what to put on it.  The shots are under 200 yards in most cases under 100 yards.  I also use this gun for bear hunting and dusk is the best time.  Needless to say black scope lines on a black bear at dusk make for a tricky situation.
Next is eye relief when shooting a 285 grain bullet there is a manageable but stout level of recoil.   Could you please tell me if you would use the same scope you have on it?  If you would change what would it be?  Your choice was of high interest to me because it seemed to hit both of my species in the sweet spot.  A moose is like shooting something the size of a horse or larger, MOA is nice but not necessary.  If I remember correctly you didn't like the thick scope matrix which I am assuming may affect precision shooting.  Thanks  Buckfever

[Zachary]

Hi Buckfever,

Sorry for the late reply.

Yes, I have the elite 3200 1.5x-4.5x-30 something (32? 36?) mm with Firefly on my .375H&H.

This scope has held up PERFECTLY.  I manage less than 1/4" groups at 100 yards, and that's with a .375!!!

As for the reticle, it is like a modified german #4, which I don't personally like, although many other people do.  Instead of having the traditional 2 thickness levels - thicker outside and thin inside, it has 3 thickness levels, which means it is a 3 step reticle.  The outside portion is VERY thick.  The middle portion is about what you  normally see, and the inside portion is thin as normal as well.  For me, the outside reticle is too thick DURING daylight.  It kinda seems to block a lot of sight. 

However,  interstingly enough, during the evening, when it gets dark, the reticles (when they glow) seem much thinner.  The thick outside reticle seems much thinner when you look at it when the firefly is glowing.

I have used this gun on hog hunts during the day and late, late evening.  The  firefly reticle works great.  However, keep in mind that the glows gradually goes away as time passes.  From its brighest glow to no glow, I would say that it is probably about 30 minutes, or maybe a bit more (I never really timed it). 

As for eye relief, it has a constant 3.6" which I was initially concerned about.  However, I  must say that the scope has never touched me, even on such a hard kicker.

If I could make changes on this scope (personally) I would make the cross-hairs thinner, and increase eye relief just for my own mental desire.

Don't get the impression that I don't like this scope.  In fact, I like it very much, especially for the price.  I think that, overall, you  will be pleased with it.  However, if you get a chance, try and look through one and see if you are okay with the 3-step reticle.

Let me know if you need anything else.

Your friend,
Zachary

[Buckfever]

Zachary, thanks for the information.  If you were to go a different way as far as scope selectionb for your .375 what other scopes would you consider?  This has been very helpful for me to help me make an informed decision.   Thanks  again!    Buckfever

[Zachary]

Actually, I absolutely love the Zeiss Conquest 3x-9x-40mm because it has 4" of constant eye relief.  Would I need 9x magnification on a .375 for 100 yards shots?  No, I would only use it at 3x or so.

My other choice would be a lower magnification (say 1.5x-4.5x or so) in the Leupold VX-III, or maybe even the VX-II.  I think that the VX-II's tube is a 2 piece, so I wanted to stay away from that for such a hard kicking rifle.  No, I have not heard any problems with this scope, but, if you can afford it, get the VX-III instead - you really can't go wrong with it.

So, my recommendations, not necessarily in any order, are:

Elite 3200 1.5x-4.5x
Zeiss Conquest 3x-9x-40mm (but actually use the lower settings)
Leupold VX-II or III in 1.5x-4.5x or maybe 2.5x-8x magnification.

Hope this helps my friend.

Zachary

[rickt300]

Zachery, I am looking for a scope that will be primarily used on feral hogs at night. Do you feel the reticle would be easy to use after the firefly coating goes dark using a million candlepower spotlight? I also hear that you can easily get teh firefly glowiing again by hitting it with light from a flashlight. I bet a second or so from said spotlight would get it glowing again or would it? The rifle I am going to use will ber my Browning BLR in 358 winchester. Ranges will be less than 50 yards and the hogs can be huge on our lease.

[rickt300]

I decided to go with a Mueller 2x7. Whjy not with all the good reports on it. I ordered it a few minutes ago and hope it gets here before the 20th of January.

[Zachary]

Zachery, I am looking for a scope that will be primarily used on feral hogs at night. Do you feel the reticle would be easy to use after the firefly coating goes dark using a million candlepower spotlight? I also hear that you can easily get teh firefly glowiing again by hitting it with light from a flashlight. I bet a second or so from said spotlight would get it glowing again or would it? The rifle I am going to use will ber my Browning BLR in 358 winchester. Ranges will be less than 50 yards and the hogs can be huge on our lease.

1 milion candlepower?  lol!  You  don't need that much!  I used just a regular flashlight for about a min or two and it lasted for about 20 to 30 minutes.

Yes, the reticle is very easy to see at night.  Keep in mind that the glow gradually goes away, and initially it is very bright - which may seem too bright.  When it's dark, you really don't need that much reticle brightness, so the gradually decreasing glow is actually a good thing because it corresponds with the darkening sky.

The Elite 1.5x-4.5 Firefly would be a very good choice for your gun and conditions.  I forgot how much I paid for mine, but I  bought it from Jon at the opticzone about 2 or 3 years ago.  Go to his website and take a look.  It should be around $200 or so.

Hope this helps.

Zachary