When it comes to benchrest shooting I am the lazy guy who sets up about twenty or thirty targets from 25-500 yards and just settles in behind the bench for a day of target shooting. Of course the challenge becomes figuring out where your shots are on the paper, what your groups look like, and which groups you should re-shoot. Most importantly, is being able to see those small .22-.308 holes at 50+ yards without pulling your butt off the bench. This is where a high quality spotting scope is a godsend and the 20-60x magnification Bushnell Legend Ultra-HD Spotting Scope define HD (high-definition).
FIT, FEEL, FINISH, & FEATURES
The Bushnell Legend line is the top end of the Bushnell spotting scope line. These optics feature the most refined and advanced features, the clearest optics from Bushnell, and performance which is superb.
Bushnell does an excellent job to assure quality throughout their entire line, however the Legend series has a noticeable higher quality, fit and finish. One of the last things you want to do is drop a prized spotting scope right out of the case and Bushnell has made things a bit grippier with a rubber coating over the majority of the body. The finish should show wear and tear less than a paint finish and perhaps help provide some minimal cushion. The Legend Ultra-HD spotting scope includes a weather resistant neoprene style zip up case which I can tell you from experience can handle quite an impact as it tumbles out of your truck. There is also a carry lanyard for the case to trek the scope around. To keep the lens clean, Bushnell includes front and rear lens covers and a optic quality cleaning cloth.
When you look through the Bushnell Legend Ultra-HD spotting scope you can see with stunning clarity. Many people at my range have used my spotting scope at one point or another and the comment is always "damn that thing is clear".
The multi-coated optics and whatever ED Prime Extra-Low Dispersion glass is, it certainly does its job. The huge 80mm objective collects light like no other spotting scope I have used before and still delivers a lot of clear spotting even after dusk. In fact, this optic functions so well as our telescope that we sold out real telescope. Bushnell also assures you will have that same perfect clarity during rainy and less than optimal days with RainGuard® HD water-repellent lens coating and a 100% waterproof/fogproof
design.
The Bushnell Legend Ultra-HD spotting scope has a number of features key to the precision shooter who spends as much time behind the spotting scope as behind the rifle. That huge 20-60x magnification power range requires physically a long tube, however Bushnell uses a Porro prism design which folds the required tube length and provides a much more compact scope. BaK-4 prisms assure there is no image or clarity distortion as the image ricochets back and forth inside the Ultra-HD from what you are looking at to your eye.
FUNCTION
Although spotting scopes are a wonderful tool for shooters, the Bushnell Legend Ultra-HD spotting scope delivers some functional advantages for those of us who spend extended periods bouncing in between our rifle optic and the spotting scope.
The long eye relief prevents the user from having to press thier eyeball into the eye cup like so many other high magnification spotting scopes. There is a high speed and fine tuning focus controls which I can tell you prevents hours of cursing when attempting to focus in on a 300+ yard target
As with most spotting scopes, the Bushnell Legend Ultra-HD mounts to any standard camera mount on your choice and style of tripod, bipod, you provide. I mounted mine on an old but heavy and solid camera tripod I found neglected in my Dad’s basement, but you might want to spring for something a little more sophisticated.
FINAL THOUGHTS
As with any optic, you get what you pay for and I will tell you from experience that the $60 spotting scope will delivery you $60 clarity. The Bushnell Legend Ultra-HD is street priced at around $480 which is reasonable considering its clarity is going against spotting scopes nearly twice the price.
The really wonderful thing about a high quality spotting scope it that it can be used for some many great activities outside of shooting, such as bringing the action of star gazing, outdoor sporting events, pool watching from your room, or just to watch your fat neighbor in spandex nearly have a heart attack doing a PX90... there are thousands of entertaining, educational, and relevant uses for a clear high powered spotting scope. Generally mine is usually just sitting next to me offering that perfectly clear view of my group way down the range.
SPECS
LEGEND ULTRA-HD20-60X 80MM 45° 786081ED
ED Prime Extra-Low Dispersion glass
2-speed dual focus controls
RainGuard® HD water-repellent lens coating
100% waterproof/fogproof
BaK-4 prisms
Fully multi-coated optics
Porro prism design
Long eye relief
Close focusing
Zoom eyepiece
Soft case included
Street Price - $480
SOURCES
Bushnell Optics
http://www.bushnell.com