HELP! Is this Bushnell Elite 3200 Reticle Right?

[whitfang]

I have a Bushnell Elite Firefly 3200 2-6x32 scope mounted on an Encore pistol.  At the range, a guy asked to look at it and said the reticle on other Bushnell Elite Firefly scopes he had seen did not look like mine.  Here is a picture of the scope on the Encore (sitting in a wooden cradle).



When I first got the scope, it seemed odd that the outsides of the reticle were so thick - about 6 times the thickness of the center of the reticle.  These outside wide parts are the only parts that glow when charged by a flashlight.  The thinner, normal-reticle-sized parts do not glow.  But I just thought that's the way all Firefly scopes are.

Although you can't see it very clearly in my picture, there are actually two 'steps' in the thick part of the reticle. It starts out very wide (maybe 3/16th inch), then narrows down to about 1/8th inch, then goes to a normal-reticle-sized crosshair.
 
That's my question:  Is this right?  Are the reticles on all Firefly scopes this thick on the ends?
 



If you look at some of the Bushnell Firefly ads, they show one thin reticle all the way across.

[quickdtoo]

I don't have one, but yours sure doesn't look like the one on the Bushnell site.

Tim

http://bushnell.com/general/riflescopes_techtalk.cfm#firefly

[myarmor]

Thats a way heavy post reticle...but should help you get on point. Ummmm that is if your hunting at dusk or the dark break of dawn I have only seen other models -not the 2-6x32 you are refering too-  in the FireFly line, and I don't seem to recall them with such heavy posts. But I could be wrong.
Why not shoot Bushnell an email.

-Aaron

[whitfang]

Good idea.  I can't find an email address for Bushnell but they do have an 800 Customer Service number.

Thanks for the helpful replies.

[whitfang]

Here is a better picture.  I called Bushnell and they gave me an email address to send this picture to.

[kyelkhunter3006]

Holy Smoke!  That's different looking reticle.  It resembles Bushnell's 3-2-1 Reticle, which has 3 steps down to the fine crosshair, but the scope I had with the 3-2-1 wasn't anywhere near that thick on the outer posts.  I'd call them or shoot them an email with that picture and see what they say.

[TheOpticZone]

That looks like the Firefly reticle to me.  The firefly reticle is the same as Bushnell's old 3-2-1 low light reticle.

[wncchester]

The "Firefly" reticle is intended to povide a good image in low light for hunting rifles, not target types.  A typically thin daylight reticle fades too much in low light.  You are only going to shoot with the inner "X" anyway so the thick outer part does no harm in bright light and, when it glows, helps a LOT in low light.  Appreciate it for what it is.

[myarmor]

I could get use to that. The inner hairs look thin, which is nice. But then again, what wouldn't compared to those outer.
And by the way, make sure that thing is unloaded! you wouldn't want to shoot your copy of Halo

[whitfang]

It is unloaded.  If you ever want to waste about 6 hours, try taking a picture of a handgun scope reticle! 

We've probably spent more $$$ playing HALO online than that Encore pistol + the scope are worth!   

[whitfang]

This is what Bushnell advertises their Firefly reticle as:




Tell me that's what you think my reticle looks like!

I know what this scope is meant for and I've taken some nice does with it.

But I've passed up a shot on a deer in low light because:
(1) The center part of my reticle does not glow when charged (it remains black), and
(2) Those massive glowing parts of my reticle obscure completely about 1/8th of the field.  Not exactly helpful when you're trying to line up a handgun shot on a deer in low light conditions.

I've emailed pictures to Bushnell - just waiting on a response from them.
 

[quickdtoo]

I'd say from Jon's input, they've either changed the reticule design, their web page is out of date, or both!!

Tim

[whitfang]

Could be!  I've been trying to take a picture of the reticle when it's lit up and glowing green.  Now there's a challenge! 

[quickdtoo]

Send it to me, I got a camera that'll do it, I'll be sure to get the scope back to ya right away!!!

Tim

[whitfang]

Hey, what a nice guy!   

[sms1717]

Hey, what a nice guy!   

I have a bushnell elite 3200 firefly.  Yes the fire fly reticle is a 3 stage cross hair however mine does not look like that!  And the part that glows is the fine cross hair you see in the center and it extends out through the heavy cross hairs (making it look like one fine cross hair in the dark).  You got a dud and I return it to bushnell for replacement.

[whitfang]

Now that's the response I was hoping for!   

I'm now 'in negotiations' with Bushnell.  Let's see what they say about this.   

But, you know, it still does not look like their advertisements at all! 

[whitfang]

Mailed scope to Bushnell today.

Originally, I had talked to a lady who was very nice, but was determined to just send me some literature on Firefly scopes and thought that would solve my problem. She said I could email her the reticle picture, but now I doubt that she even looked at it.   

Today, talked to Jeff, who listened to my sad story  and then said to just mail it in to Bushnell Cust Service for replacement or repair.  So it's in the mail.   

Incidentally, I was in Sportsman's Warehouse today and looked at an Elite 3200 3-9x40 Firefly (they did not have a 2-6x32) and the reticle did look just like their ads! 

[Zachary]

I have a 3200 1.5x-4.5x Firefly and the reticle is the same.  There's nothing wrong with it.  However, out of personal preference, I don't like it much.

I must say this, however...although the black reticles are thick during the day, when it gets dark and the reticles glow-up (to green), the reticle is actually thinner!

Zachary