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Bushnell Elite 4200 vs Hunter Wicked Optics review

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EchoWhiskeyOne View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote EchoWhiskeyOne Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Bushnell Elite 4200 vs Hunter Wicked Optics review
    Posted: March/25/2010 at 16:40
Ok guys, I had told you that I would do an unbiased side-by-side of the two when I had the chance to do so.
 
Well, my Elite 4200 came in the mail yesterday and I took it to my local gunshop to toy between it and their Hunter Wicked Optics line.
 
Right from the get go, the Bushnell has a brighter, clearer view.  It is noticable, but the Hunter isn't like looking up a dog's butt, like I had seen posted about them!  They were perfectly fine, in my opinion, just not quite as good as the Bushnell. 
 
I like the, straight from the factory, reticle on the Hunter better.  It is duplex in fashion, only thicker from the outside in until you get to the center of the crosshairs than the 4200...I don't know, it is just more appealing to me than the Bushnell.
 
I like being able to fine-tune the Bushnell once you aquire your target, though it is clear enough that you don't really need to since the objective is "automatic" on it.  However, though I really like the fully adjustible objective on the Hunter (specifically for target shooting), it COULD potentially eat up precious time on making that shot of a lifetime against a BIG trophy animal that doesn't feel like waiting around.
 
Due to the only Hunter available for me to toy with being a 3x-12x-42mm, my field of view on 9 was slightly larger than the Bushnell, so it's kind of apples to oranges, but a win in that category, none the less.
 
I finally got some feedback from one of the salesmen that I have known for a while saying that they had sold a decent amount of them to magnum owners and that they seem to be holding up to the recoil just fine.  Luckily, there was also a man in there with a picture on his camera phone of an approx 0.75" grouping at 100yds that he pulled with his .300WSM and Hunter 3x-9x-50mm, so they are capable scopes.
 
They also had lowered some prices on them.  The 3x-12x-42mm I had in my hand was selling for $249...so, though it is more than I got my 3x-9x-40mm for, it's really not a bad price for what it is, especially compared to the Elite 4200 in the same variable optics range.
 
The Bushnell has Rainguard, so that is a plus.  However (and maybe i'm just NOT supposed to do what I did) when I put my mouth up close to it and breathed on it to test it's fog-proof capability (maybe it means INSIDE?!?!), it fogged just as badly as the Hunter did.  Seems as though walking in and out of drastic temperature changes effect both scopes greatly, so hopefully, there is enough time between leaving the house and getting to your stand for both to acclimate.
 
All in all, I think that I would buy one of those scopes...I may end up biting the bullet and trying that Hunter I played around with on my .300WSM since that fella at the store said he had his on his rifle for 3 years and probably 10 boxes of ammo without a single issue.
 
I'll let ya'll know and sorry this was so long!
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supertool73 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote supertool73 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/25/2010 at 16:49
Nice review, 4200s are hard to beat for the price.

Any scope is going to fog up if you breath right on it like that.  Rain-guard is to help shed the water off anyway and it does a very good job at that.  
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EchoWhiskeyOne View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote EchoWhiskeyOne Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/25/2010 at 17:00
I figured as much! Loco
 
Oh!  I almost forgot LOOKS!
 
I like the looks of the Hunter better than the Bushnell too...just thought I'd throw that out there!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Steelbenz Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/25/2010 at 17:50
Box test, eye relief, internal MOA........    Anything other than the sales pitch? Rubber on the road stuff. The bushies has been rode hard an put up wet more times than I can count an still come back for more. Is it the top of the optics world NO WAY but it's tried an true. IMHO
"Don't argue with a fool! From a distance you can't really tell who's who!"
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EchoWhiskeyOne View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote EchoWhiskeyOne Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/25/2010 at 18:32
Originally posted by Steelbenz Steelbenz wrote:

Box test, eye relief, internal MOA........    Anything other than the sales pitch? Rubber on the road stuff. The bushies has been rode hard an put up wet more times than I can count an still come back for more. Is it the top of the optics world NO WAY but it's tried an true. IMHO
 
Good points! 
 
1.) I don't know what a "box test" is, sorry, please explain.
2.) Hunter has more eye clearance...anywhere between a half inch to an inch more actually.  So that will suit me well on the .300WSM.
3.) Not sure how to get or calculate internal MOA either...sorry again!  If you know how I can do that, I sure will do it! 
 
My "tests" are only done with what I can get from shot groups, meat on the ground and other personal experiences.
 
I'm right around the corner from my local gunshop, gonna run in there real quick and do a "low light" comparo between the two.  Post back up on the results in about 15-20 minutes!
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EchoWhiskeyOne View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote EchoWhiskeyOne Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/25/2010 at 19:06
Bushnell edged the Hunter out, but not by a wide margin on low light performance.
 
Also, I forgot to add in my last post: 
 
Steelbenz, I am not delivering a "sales pitch".  I am delivering an honest to goodness comparison review of two products.
 
If it were simply a sales pitch, I would say "So and so is cheaper and better so buy it."
 
If you have been following any of my posts over the past few weeks, you would know that I have been looking to all of YOU on this website for information on the Hunter Wicked Optics line and haven't been able to get any, nor have I been able to find much on the internet.
 
I took it upon myself to try and put the information out there as clearly and unbiased as I could...a guinea pig, so to speak.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote neilbilly Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/25/2010 at 19:17
Nice write up Echo

Buy what makes ya smile the most. Big Grin

Appreciate the review of something outside the norm for here.

If we all agreed to and liked the same things, well, it would get a bit dull. Guess that's why they make so many different models and ranges of magnification in optics.
If God didn't want me to play with it, he'd of made my arms shorter.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote EchoWhiskeyOne Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/25/2010 at 19:27
Originally posted by neilbilly neilbilly wrote:

Nice write up Echo

Buy what makes ya smile the most. Big Grin

Appreciate the review of something outside the norm for here.

If we all agreed to and liked the same things, well, it would get a bit dull. Guess that's why they make so many different models and ranges of magnification in optics.
 
If I had to choose between the two, I would go for the Bushnell.
 
But for a 12x, the Bushnell runs over $400 more than I can get the Hunter for.  I'm not positve that I could say without a doubt that the 4200 is THAT much better than this Hunter Wicked Optics for nearing three times the price.
 
Me comparing a 3x-9x-40mm Bushnell Elite 4200 against a Hunter Wicked Optics 3x-12x-42mm, like I said, is like comparing apples to oranges, really...but optically, there isn't a change in the 3-9 and 3-12 Bushnell scopes, but rather a change in magnification and field of view.
 
I would have to buy the Hunter and fire it on 9 power against the Bushnell I just bought in order to make a decision on whether paying all that extra money for the Bushnell 12x was REALLY worth 3 times as much as even the Bushnell 3-9. 
 
That's a PRETTY steep jump in price all across the board.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote neilbilly Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/25/2010 at 19:55
I'm pretty much sold on the Vortex Diamondback line. I've got one and plan on 2 more as soon as finances allow. "I don't target shoot much, except for rimfire due to cost" I like the field of view on the Vortex, and to me the clarity is plenty good for any hunting I do. I get a lot of .... well with this scope you'd have an extra 15-30 minutes of hunting time, but I like that sometimes the critter wins and I have to eat a corndog rather than deer steaks.

It's always fun to hear what other are using and what they are using them for. It's why I'm here and why this site is great.
If God didn't want me to play with it, he'd of made my arms shorter.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote EchoWhiskeyOne Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/25/2010 at 20:04
Originally posted by neilbilly neilbilly wrote:

I'm pretty much sold on the Vortex Diamondback line. I've got one and plan on 2 more as soon as finances allow. "I don't target shoot much, except for rimfire due to cost" I like the field of view on the Vortex, and to me the clarity is plenty good for any hunting I do. I get a lot of .... well with this scope you'd have an extra 15-30 minutes of hunting time, but I like that sometimes the critter wins and I have to eat a corndog rather than deer steaks.

It's always fun to hear what other are using and what they are using them for. It's why I'm here and why this site is great.
 
Good stuff.  Yeah, I'm the same way you are.  I'm no sharp shooter who spends most of my time on the range.  I'm just an average guy who likes to hunt and likes weapons and optics of all kinds.  Heck, one of my favorite rifles is my old Mosin/Nagant 7.62/54 Russian!  That rifle WILL drive nails!  Sure, it's "ugly" and about 50" or so in length overall, but it is tougher than nails and like I said, it can SHOOT.  Picked it up for $65 about 10 years ago. 
 
Obviously, I want to learn as much as I can on this Hunter before I make the purchase.  I'd hate to WASTE money on something, you know?  But everything that I can see from it SO FAR makes me feel pretty confident in it being able to do some pretty good shooting and standing up to a decent amount of abuse all while holding a pretty decent optical view.
 
I think that for hunting purposes, the ONLY thing about the Hunter that I would REALLY have to get used to (and it may end up being a deal breaker...I'll have to ponder on it a bit) is that adjustable objective.  You gotta crank on it a bit between ranges to get it in the sweet spot.
 
Setting it on right around 200yds is kind of "universal" but not fine tuned by any means.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote neilbilly Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/25/2010 at 20:39
I bought one of those surplus Nagants about 15 years ago. At the time all I could get was the corrosive ammo and sold it after putting a monte carlo stock on it. It weighed a ton, shot well, but kicked like a mule, and was too heavy to hump it through the woods much. "also was not a lot of fun to hunt from a box stand as it took a bit of room to move it from pointing out the west window to the east window and you had to be a contortionist to do it without stepping out of the stand" About a month after I sold it the non-corrosive ammo started getting ava.

I might start reloading at some point, but right now it's not an option and I can't target shoot with stuff costing well over a dollar a shot. I took 3 deer this season and used 3 shells. All 3 were dropped with a remington 788 .308 with a Diamondback 3-9 x 40 on it. Longest shot was 120-130 yards, shortest was about 50 yards. If I'd of had to do any cranking on adjustments, I'd of not even gotten a shot off on the one at 120 yards. The other 2 I'd of still been able to get.

If God didn't want me to play with it, he'd of made my arms shorter.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 300S&W Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/25/2010 at 20:49
 Hey nb you wouldn't need an extra clip for that 788 would ya?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote neilbilly Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/25/2010 at 21:02
I have 2 clips now, but might be interested in another. Wink

pm me what you'd have to have for it.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote EchoWhiskeyOne Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/26/2010 at 06:16
Originally posted by neilbilly neilbilly wrote:

I bought one of those surplus Nagants about 15 years ago. At the time all I could get was the corrosive ammo and sold it after putting a monte carlo stock on it. It weighed a ton, shot well, but kicked like a mule, and was too heavy to hump it through the woods much.
 
Heck, looking back, a Nagant took my first deer!  My dad had one that he let me hunt with when I was 11 (two days from turning 12) years old.  1992 season and it was the first season that my folks allowed me to hunt "alone".  Dad didn't tell me until a few years ago that he had been following me around the woods the entire morning just to watch me.
 
A pretty big 9 point following a hot doe stepped between two trees into a clearing and I was just standing there about 50 yards or so from him.  I raised that big ol' heavy rifle up and just as he turned his head to look at me, I let him have it!
 
I was firing 150gr Norma Nosler Partitions through that hog and dropped that fella right where he stood, a hard hit lung shot.  Oh yeah, my skinny little behind shot OFFHAND with that rifle! 
 
I still have that hoss on my wall!

Originally posted by neilbilly neilbilly wrote:

I took 3 deer this season and used 3 shells. All 3 were dropped with a remington 788 .308 with a Diamondback 3-9 x 40 on it. Longest shot was 120-130 yards, shortest was about 50 yards. If I'd of had to do any cranking on adjustments, I'd of not even gotten a shot off on the one at 120 yards. The other 2 I'd of still been able to get.
 
Last season I took two.  A big bodied spike at 257 yards (dad's range finder) with my dad's Rem 700 7mm Mag and a fat doe with my trusty old 30-06 Springfield (iron sights) at about 15 yards!  I was literally having my lunch while sitting up in an old chestnut oak that my brothers and I used to climb in when we were kids.  I guess she was looking for some lunch too and ended up being my dinner.  Ironic. 
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