Bushnell Banner Dusk and Dawn 3-9x40?

[cherokee75]

Just looking for thoughts and opinions and/or experience with this scope.  Will it last on an 870 slug gun or .50 cal ML?

[quickdtoo]

Which one, they may 6!! I think I'd choose one of those 4" or 6" of eye relief, the 71-3948 has just 3.3", other than that, they should be fine. I've got the 1½-4½x32 on a 45-70 that works fine with hot loads.

Tim

http://bushnell.com/general/riflescopes_banner.cfm?section=Hunting

http://bushnell.com/general/riflescopes_banner_71-3944.cfm

http://bushnell.com/general/riflescopes_banner_71-3947.cfm

http://www.swfa.com/c-183-bushnell-banner-dusk-dawn-rifle-scopes.aspx

[cherokee75]

quickdtoo-
Sorry it is the 71-3948F.  I just saw the Bushnell website says it has 3.3" of eye relief.  The associate at Gander Mnt. told me it had 5".  It does seem more like 5" than 3".  The website doesn't list the model with an F after the model #.  I wonder if this somehow has more eye relief.

[The Sodbuster]

I just saw the Bushnell website says it has 3.3" of eye relief.  The associate at Gander Mnt. told me it had 5".  It does seem more like 5" than 3".

Look through it at different magnifications.  Could be it has up to 5" eye relief at 3X and more like 3.3" at 9X.

[quickdtoo]

It's possible that Bushnell has made the "F" model as a special order for Gander too, it could have the longer eye relief of the other models. You can check the eye relief real simple, shine a small flashlight thru the ojective lens, the light shining thru the ocular(eye) bell will focus a crisp image at the eye relief distance from the lens, I use a 6 LED flashlight cuz it's easy to see the crisp image. At the store, just lay the scope on the counter, lay the flashlight so it's real close to the objective lens, place your palm near the eye bell and move it away until the image is crisp on you hand, check it on both ends of the power range of the scope, as Sodbuster mentioned, higher power will reduce the eye relief.

Tim

[Snareman]

I have experience with the scope...

For daylight shooting I thought it was ok.

When it comes to dark shadows and early morning or later evening light situations, it suffered terribly.  I quickly learned the true measure of an optic, in my opinion, is not only it's clarity, but it's ability to see into the shadows and under lowlight conditions.  Every whitetail hunter knows the first few minutes of early morning shooting light and the last few minutes of last legal shooting light, are also PRIMETIME for whitetails to show up. 

One evening I was combing an edge of woods at last light with my Pentax binoculars and spotted 3 deer working their way into the field clearing.  I saw them in the woods.  I brought up my rifle which had the same scope you mention and barely.... and I mean barely could make them out.  I didn't have enough light to make an ethical shot.  I had under 10 minutes of legal light left and a scope with better % light transfer is what I needed that evening.  I finally chose the Nikon Monarch 3-9x40 with an excellent 95% light transfer.  I heard 97% is theoretically as high as it gets.

The Banner you speak of will work for daylight, but won't bring home the bacon in low light situations in my experience.  I don't know considerations one should think about when coupling scopes with shotguns or muzzleloaders.  My scope is on a rifle.

Snareman

[james]

I have the Banner 4x12 and 6x18 that have kept their zero but don't seem to be as durable as some other scopes.  The AO on the 4x12 has tight spots and is difficult to turn since it got bumped on a tree.  The 6x18 has some scratches that makes me question the durability of the finish.   I've had them on a .223 or 7.5x55 Swiss K-31 which are plinkers and not my serious hunting rifles.  The lighter 3x9 will be less affected by recoil than the heavier scopes.  For the money, I think they are good scopes but they are not comparable to the higher priced Leups and Nikons.   

[Zachary]

I don't think that the Bushnell Banner will hold up too long on the recoil of a pump slug shotgun.  I would at recommend that you step up to a Bushnell Trophy or, better yet, the Elite 3200 (which, admittedly, is a bit pricier, but which has been recoil tested to 1,000 rounds of .375H&H Mag.

Zachary