Bushnell offers spotting scopes in the low and medium price segments. The affordable models from the Sentry series start at less than 200 EUR and are well suited for hunting and sport shooting. Devices with a higher magnification are suitable for birdwatching. High-priced Bushnell devices cost between 1,000 and 1,500 EUR.
About Bushnell
The Bushnell company was founded in 1948 by David Bushnell when he bought 400 binoculars for the Christmas trade on a trip to Asia. However, a transportation strike prevented the binoculars from being delivered on time. Customers canceled their orders and Bushnell was left with his binoculars.
Instead, David Bushnell placed an advertisement in a sporting goods magazine. This is how he started his mail order business with what is now Bushnell Outdoor Products.
Today, Bushnell Performance Optics, headquartered in Kansas, is part of the parent company Vista Outdoor. Bushnell produces and markets its products worldwide. In the United States, the company is now the market leader for optical systems. The German branch of the company has been based in Kolbermoor, Bavaria, since 2007. In addition to the German market, it also covers Austria.
In addition to spotting scopes, Bushnell also offers other optical devices, including telescopes, riflescopes, binoculars, night vision devices, as well as ski goggles and safety glasses, compasses and laser rangefinders.
Bushnell spotting scopes from the Sentry series
With the Sentry series, Bushnell offers particularly compact spotting scopes. The devices are waterproof and weigh considerably less than 1,000 grams. This makes them ideal for traveling, even on long hikes.
The multi-coated lenses enable high light transmission and high image brightness. The magnification is variable, but is a maximum of 36x. The devices are therefore not suitable for observing distant or very small objects such as birds. Hobby ornithologists should instead look for spotting scopes with a larger zoom.
Bushnell also only uses standard glass in the Sentry series. Therefore, limitations in poor lighting conditions and color fidelity are to be expected. On the other hand, the spotting scopes are extremely affordable with prices ranging from 150 to 250 euros.
A compact tripod is included with every model in the Sentry series.
Close-up of the Bushnell 15-45X60 Legend spotting scope.
This spotting scope has a 60mm objective lens and allows magnification in the range from 12 to 45x. It has a straight view and enables bright, detailed images of distant objects.
Bushnell has developed a very high-quality lens with the ED Prime lenses (“extra low dispersion”). This delivers high resolution and color fidelity even in low light conditions such as twilight.
Bushnell has patented the water-repellent coating called RainGuard HD. This protects the spotting scope against all types of moisture. Whether rain, snow or sleet – a clear view is always guaranteed, even in bad weather. The spotting scope has an integrated lens hood for a better view in sunlight.
The Bushnell Legend Tactical 12-45×60 zoom spotting scope is also completely waterproof. The spotting scope can even withstand up to 30 minutes in a water depth of one meter.
With a weight of just 1050 grams, it may not be quite as compact as the devices in the Sentry series, but it is still ideal for traveling and therefore also very suitable for longer hikes.
Bushnell spotting scopes are entry-level and mid-range models with a good price-performance ratio. However, they cannot compete with high-end models such as those from Kowa or Zeiss.
Bushnell spotting scope unboxing
Get a first impression of Bushnell spotting scopes with this unboxing video.
Bushnell spotting scopes in price comparison
The following list shows spotting scopes from the manufacturer Bushnell that are currently available on the market:
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