Bushnell Elite Tactical Scope
Lewis Creek Shooting School 05.17.12
I was really impressed with Bushnell’s new Elite Tactical 6-24 x 50 scope. With a 30mm tube and bright optics, the Bushnell Elite Tactical’s light transmission qualities are better than a standard of the competitive shooting community when compared side by side. I really like the turret system. Its positive, large, and easy to operate turrets are zero-able using the supplied allen wrench. The clicks are strong and tactile as well as audible. Eye relief is a paramount issue on a scope meant for tactical use because different positions can create problems if the scope isn’t forgiving and the Elite shines in this department. The parallax adjustment ranges from a very close 25 yards to infinity, allowing use of the scope for very close in precision shooting. The focusing ring on the ocular end is smooth and fast, as is the power adjustment.
I would have liked to see more elevation adjustment than the 50 minutes the Elite offers. Long range shooters may need to incorporate a 20 minute inclined scope base but these are easy to find and might not be needed with flatter shooting calibers. The reticule is a second focal plane system and I actually prefer this for most shooting I do since I rarely need range finding capabilities through the scope. There are advantages to small, constant sized crosshairs for precision shooting at high magnification. The Elite has mil-dot hash marks on the reticule that are correct at 12 power which still allows ranging capability. Perhaps a detraction for some, but an advantage for me are the ¼ minute adjustments. I won two 1,000 yard service rifle championships with ½ minute adjustments on my M14 and didn’t feel handicapped. I mounted the scope on a heavy barreled AR15 and it tracked perfectly. Overall this is the best precision scope from Bushnell I’ve ever seen and it’s certainly as good as anything near its price range and a far better value than many scopes currently being used.
Dick Jones is an award winning outdoor writer and a member of the Southeastern Outdoor Press Association Board of Directors. He writes for four North Carolina Newspapers as well as regional and national magazines. He’s hunted and fished most of his life but shooting has been his passion. He’s a former High Master, Distinguished Rifleman, and AAA class pistol shooter. He holds four Dogs of War Medals for Team Marksmanship as shooter, captain and coach. He ran the North Carolina High Power Rifle Team for six years and the junior team two years after that. Within the last year, he’s competed in shotgun, rifle and pistol events including the National Defense Match and the Bianchi Cup. He’ll be shooting the Bianchi, the NDM, the National High Power Rifle Championship, The Rock Castle AR15.com Three Gun Championship and an undetermined sniper match this shooting season.
He lives in High Point, North Carolina with his wife Cherie who’s also an outdoor writer and the 2006 and 2011 Northeast Side by Side Women’s Shotgun Champion. Both Dick and Cherie are NRA pistol, rifle, and shotgun instructors and own Lewis Creek Shooting School.
