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Old December 15, 2019, 06:42 PM   #1
kilotanker22
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Bushnell Forge Rifle scope

Now that the Bushnell Forge has been around for a little while. Who has one and what do you think of it?
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Old December 17, 2019, 03:26 AM   #2
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Hmmm, hearing crickets so far.

Get a Sightron, be happy, and go on with life.
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Old December 17, 2019, 11:03 AM   #3
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Bush bell Forge line is an adequate scope for its design. It will not wow nor will it leave you feeling you overpaid for what you have. Tracking is good on lighter calibers and not had any chance to test it on something with any kick so YMMV. Glass is on par with other offerings in its price range but eye box is a little and I mean little finicky. I haven’t really given it any durability runs out in the field and it hasn’t shown any issues from just normal truck gun use.
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Old December 17, 2019, 09:06 PM   #4
reynolds357
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Originally Posted by kilotanker22 View Post
Now that the Bushnell Forge has been around for a little while. Who has one and what do you think of it?
From the sale prices I am seeing, it looks like Bushnell is having problems selling them. I own a lot of Bushnell, but will not buy anymore due to their poor customer no service when warranty work needed.
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Old December 17, 2019, 09:53 PM   #5
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Thank you for the replies everyone.

I have been resisting the urge to buy one for a bit now. I do however really enjoy the vortex scopes I have bought over the last year.
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Old December 18, 2019, 12:31 PM   #6
Don Fischer
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I have a very old Banner on my 25-06, been a great scope. When I got my 6.5x06 I tried a Bushnell on it and it was a waste. Took it back and replaced it! Haven't tried another one since but I doubt many get by that are as bad as the one I'd bought. I tend to favor Nikon and Redfield scope's, I've used Redfield all my life and in fact still use two I bought new around 1970! I favor more inexpensive scope's I guess mostly because I can't afford more expensive scope's, or maybe I'm just a tight wad! About customer service, Nikon is guaranteed for life and I tried to send mine in to replace the BDC reticule as I think it's junk. Well they wouldn't do it! I bet Leupold would have! Other than that the Nikon's have been good for me.

Had to pull up the scope. For that kind of money I'd bet it's a decent scope. Problem is if it's junk they won't sell many and selling is what they want to do! The cost is what would scare me off though. Nice looking scope though and if the almost $800 didn't matter to me, I'd give it a go! Problem with pretty much anything is your gonna find people that hate the product and people that love it. So who you gonna believe? Pick your expert. As I said if the money didn't matter to me, I'd give it a go.

That aside, I was reading a guy trashing a casting reel to someone asking about it. Didn't sound to me like the guy trashing had ever tried one! So for $40 I dcided to get one and check it out, never heard of the brand before. Turned out it is a really nice reel. But had it been say $75 I would not have tried it and never known about it. As it is I have two reels from that company now! Deal is if you like the scope and can live with the price, give it a try and let us know what you think. It is the only way you'll ever know for sure. The Bushnell I got and didn't like I took back to the store I got it from and they refunded me my money.
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Old December 19, 2019, 10:10 PM   #7
ms6852
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Now that the Bushnell Forge has been around for a little while. Who has one and what do you think of it?
I just ordered my second one yesterday. I bought the first on to put on a 10/22 build I did to take out to 400 yards. I had been thinking of the Vortex Diamond back but than I saw the Bushnell Forge and this checked a majority of the boxes I wanted. First of all It has 84 moa of internal elevation which I need for a 22. Gives you 20 moa per revolution. The clicks are very pronounced and lock in place, tracks perfectly, and it has a zero stop as well. The best part is the glass it is pristine exactly what I expect to pay for a $800 to $1000 scope. The one I got is a 3-18X50 and they are on sale now for 50% off. So I paid $399.00 plus free shipping at midway. This is a second focal plane but you can get a first focal plane for about $100 more. The one thing that was a con to me is that the reticle is wire not ectched but I don't mine that much as they are for a 22lr, and an AR15. I would definitely recommend this scope without hesitation. It is better than my Sightron Big Skys and my Nikon Monarchs of which I own several of.
By the way they have a rebate on top of the sale where you get to order custom Kenyan knobs for your turrets valued at $99.
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Old February 2, 2020, 09:45 PM   #8
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I am hearing its Chinese. If true, its a deal breaker for me.
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Old February 3, 2020, 03:22 AM   #9
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it probably is. They don't really list where its made or what lenses are in it.
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Old February 3, 2020, 09:12 AM   #10
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Just a note on Bushnell customer service:
A few years back I bought one of their Elite 6500 series scopes for a varmint gun I had gotten. It had the mil dot reticle. I didn't know I was getting cataracts at the time and when I got the scope I couldn't see the dots in dim light or when aiming into a shaded area. I bought the gun on line from a place in CA., not from Bushnell. I called Bushnell and told them what my problem was. They offered to let me return the scope to them, not to where I bought it, and refunded all of my money including postage. In about two weeks I got a full refund under their warranty. I can't even imagine how any company could do more than that. I ended up getting eye surgery the following year and I purchased another Bushnell scope. I think their customer service is top notch. You hear a lot of complaining on line about every company's customer service, but remember that there's always two sides to every story.
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Old February 3, 2020, 09:43 AM   #11
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I did use for a long time a Bushnell, 3-9X40 Sportview on one of my '06s, and it was a really good scope...until it fell on some rocks with me on top of it. It WAS a good scope, completely dependable.

Now, for near all of my shooting and hunting needs, I use Leupold. So far, I haven't needed any repair on any of them.

I know Vortex's C.S. is first rate. I had one of their straight 6Xs that needed repair, sent it in, and was told that the scope wasn't in their line anymore. They sent me a brand new 3-9X40 Crossfire II to replace it FREE, a definite upgrade on the 6X. After the visit on the phone with the Vortex rep., It came in less than a week.
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Old February 4, 2020, 11:45 AM   #12
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Bushnell is a good scope I have a cheap Bushnell banner mounted on my 30-06 that has wire reticles and it is still on that rifle that I bought 37 years ago. I don't care where it is made.

My neighbor bought a stove because it was American made and 6 weeks later it's busted and has been trying for 2 months to get customer service to repair it. I advised him that just because it's American made that it does not signify quality, as our nation's foundation is built on capitalism, in other words its about profit. So I guard my money and buy the best product in the price range that checks all my boxes, regardless of its origin.

There used to be a time where companies would take pride in their product, now they make their money on the services they provide for their products that break down.
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Old February 4, 2020, 07:08 PM   #13
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Bushnell is a good scope I have a cheap Bushnell banner mounted on my 30-06 that has wire reticles and it is still on that rifle that I bought 37 years ago. I don't care where it is made.

My neighbor bought a stove because it was American made and 6 weeks later it's busted and has been trying for 2 months to get customer service to repair it. I advised him that just because it's American made that it does not signify quality, as our nation's foundation is built on capitalism, in other words its about profit. So I guard my money and buy the best product in the price range that checks all my boxes, regardless of its origin.

There used to be a time where companies would take pride in their product, now they make their money on the services they provide for their products that break down.
Whatever. "Made in China" on a scope means crap glass.
Most of my glass is Japanese or Austrian. I am not a fan of American glass. I bet your almost 40 year old Banner is not Chinese. Its probably Japanese. You do know Bushnell has changed ownership many times in those years?
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Old February 4, 2020, 09:41 PM   #14
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Leupold's glass isn't even American glass. Vortex uses Japanese and Philippine glass. Most of the good quality optics use glass that is Asian or European and buy their lenses from the same sources. They all seem to agree that The process and treatments to the glass are more important than the glass itself.

I have had plenty of excellent Bushnell optics, but I have never purchased their lower end Banner scopes. I had a Trophy XLT once on which the Turrets broke, but Bushnell sent me a new one. Took about 3 weeks.

Vortex has an amazing warranty. I called them last week to inquire about direct order from them for their LE/Military discount. I literally had a real person on the phone in less than a minute and an answer to my questions just as quickly. I asked where the lenses were made on a few of their scope models. They were straight up with me, and the technician seemed to know exactly what he was talking about. He thanked me for my service, and I even got a follow up email for customer satisfaction the next day.

Couple their customer service with the pretty steep discount they offer service members and I am pretty sure that is the direction I am headed. Either Vortex or Riton optics.
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Old February 5, 2020, 12:18 AM   #15
ms6852
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Whatever. "Made in China" on a scope means crap glass.
Most of my glass is Japanese or Austrian. I am not a fan of American glass. I bet your almost 40 year old Banner is not Chinese. Its probably Japanese. You do know Bushnell has changed ownership many times in those years?
Whatever. "Made in China" on a scope means crap glass.
Most of my glass is Japanese or Austrian. I am not a fan of American glass. I bet your almost 40 year old Banner is not Chinese. Its probably Japanese. You do know Bushnell has changed ownership many times in those years?

Yes I do know that Bushnell has changed ownership. I also know that comparing my Bushnell forge to my Nikon Monarch and my Sightron Big Sky the glass on the Bushnell Forge is better and brighter. Can't compare it to anything else because all I own are Nikons and Sightrons and Bushnell. By far the Forge is the best scope that I own from all the other scopes I have. So it is not a slouch and I paid more money for the Nikons Monarch's and the Sightrons than I did on the Forge which was 50%. off and might still be.
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Old February 5, 2020, 09:43 AM   #16
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Whatever. "Made in China" on a scope means crap glass.
Most of my glass is Japanese or Austrian. I am not a fan of American glass. I bet your almost 40 year old Banner is not Chinese. Its probably Japanese. You do know Bushnell has changed ownership many times in those years?

Yes I do know that Bushnell has changed ownership. I also know that comparing my Bushnell forge to my Nikon Monarch and my Sightron Big Sky the glass on the Bushnell Forge is better and brighter. Can't compare it to anything else because all I own are Nikons and Sightrons and Bushnell. By far the Forge is the best scope that I own from all the other scopes I have. So it is not a slouch and I paid more money for the Nikons Monarch's and the Sightrons than I did on the Forge which was 50%. off and might still be.
How is the Forge in low light?
From what I have read and heard, terrible.
I love the 6500 Bushnell, but they definitely dont have Chinese glass.

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Old February 5, 2020, 12:38 PM   #17
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How is the Forge in low light?
From what I have read and heard, terrible.
I love the 6500 Bushnell, but they definitely dont have Chinese glass.
In all honesty I do not know how it does in low light as I have not used for hunting, only target shooting. I have it mounted on a 10/22 custom ruger that I built for long range. I've shot it at 200 yards and it remains bright through all magnifications and it remains sharp and crisp without becoming blurry like some cheaper scopes. These scopes had an msrp of $800 to $1000 depending on focal plane and magnification specs. The Elite tactical are Bushnell's top of the line glass and the forge is just below that. You can get the higher end forge with the etched glass but they go for one to two hundred more. I don't mind the wire reticles as I stated before this is mounted on my 10/22. Wouldn't mind it on my 30-06 but more than 50 years of hunting experience has shown me that I've never used more than 7X power to kill deer or elk.


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Old February 5, 2020, 03:03 PM   #18
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I don't care as much where the lenses are made. Like I said earlier. Most optics companies would agree that the coatings and stuff are far more important than where the lense was made.

With their warranty I wouldn't be afraid of buying one.
Last week I ordered two rifles and I am ordering another one this afternoon. I guess Maybe I should Buy my top three and compare them.

Bushnell Forge 2.5-15x50 FFP
US Optics TS12-x 3-12x42
And the Vortex Viper HST (Undecided on magnification.)
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Old February 5, 2020, 07:04 PM   #19
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I don't care as much where the lenses are made. Like I said earlier. Most optics companies would agree that the coatings and stuff are far more important than where the lense was made.

With their warranty I wouldn't be afraid of buying one.
Last week I ordered two rifles and I am ordering another one this afternoon. I guess Maybe I should Buy my top three and compare them.

Bushnell Forge 2.5-15x50 FFP
US Optics TS12-x 3-12x42
And the Vortex Viper HST (Undecided on magnification.)
On the Vortex Viper HST the 6-24X44 only has 65 moa of adjustment and the 4-16X44 has 75 moa. Now if you were going to decide on the Vortex Viper HST in the 4-16X44 you might want to consider the Vortex Tactical diamondback 4-16X44 as this give you more adjustment elevation at 85 moa. They both have the same coating but the tactical is $100 or more cheaper than the HST. For me I find sometimes if I can't decide between two scopes I let the adjustment factor be the deciding point that makes my choice been all else is equal.

Of the top 3 you have listed, it goes without saying that the U.S. optic is in a class of it's own.
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Old February 5, 2020, 08:55 PM   #20
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All three scopes are withing $100 of each other.

The reason I was headed for the Viper HST instead of the Diamondback Tactical is two fold. Although the HST is more expensive, It also has much nicer feeling turrets and a zero stop. Although with the HST It is only offered in Second Focal Plane, But that is not really a deal breaker for me.

The US Optics TS12-X is the one I really want to compare to more popular optics, because everything else they make is generally considered to be a tier one optic. The TS line being their more affordable option is still bound to be pretty awesome, considering the reputation of US Optics.
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Old February 6, 2020, 02:52 AM   #21
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All three scopes are withing $100 of each other.

The reason I was headed for the Viper HST instead of the Diamondback Tactical is two fold. Although the HST is more expensive, It also has much nicer feeling turrets and a zero stop. Although with the HST It is only offered in Second Focal Plane, But that is not really a deal breaker for me.

The US Optics TS12-X is the one I really want to compare to more popular optics, because everything else they make is generally considered to be a tier one optic. The TS line being their more affordable option is still bound to be pretty awesome, considering the reputation of US Optics.
You know, there is also the Meopta Optika 6 rifle scopes that are pretty awesome, I believe they are still being made with Schotts glass which is a premium glass. Every time I think about them it is after I have purchased another scope, or never have what I really want. They should be within your price point too.
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Old February 6, 2020, 03:49 PM   #22
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All three scopes are withing $100 of each other.

The reason I was headed for the Viper HST instead of the Diamondback Tactical is two fold. Although the HST is more expensive, It also has much nicer feeling turrets and a zero stop. Although with the HST It is only offered in Second Focal Plane, But that is not really a deal breaker for me.

The US Optics TS12-X is the one I really want to compare to more popular optics, because everything else they make is generally considered to be a tier one optic. The TS line being their more affordable option is still bound to be pretty awesome, considering the reputation of US Optics.
It interests me, but my only hang up with it is its length. It is very short. In my past experiences, I prefer the image depth of long tube.
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Old February 6, 2020, 05:46 PM   #23
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It interests me, but my only hang up with it is its length. It is very short. In my past experiences, I prefer the image depth of long tube.
Hmmm.... Interesting. That is something I am gonna have to pay attention and look for that now...
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