Bullpup scope

I’ll be the first to admit I’m no expert on optics but can acknowledge the difference in quality between the Hawke, Vortex and Bushnells I’ve come across. On the ET6245FG, all the turrets feels very smooth to use but this model doesn’t have a zero stop which is the only downside. The positive is it has a 25 yd parallax so I could live without zero stop.

Since you have a Vortex, you can probably relate to this comparison. The clicks aren’t as “clicky” as the Vortex PST-43104 and are more mute sounding. If you’re in a quiet setting, you can hear them but if there’s background noise, they’re harder to hear. It’s like a muted thump vs a hollow click on the Vortex. Feel wise there’s clicks but again, not as defined as the Vortex. My PST-43104 however have tighter feeling turrets so it takes more effort to turn. The edges are kinda sharp too so I would like them to loosen up with usage. The mag knob on the Vortex is much stiffer on mine as well. This is my 3rd Vortex and they were all stiffer than the Bushnell. In a perfect world, I would like Bushnell to have a tad louder clicks but definitely like the smoothness of the turrets and mag knob. Both Bushnell and Vortex are light years ahead of the Hawke though. I remember having a really stiff parallax knob on my 2 Hawke scopes. It’s no wonder they include the large ass wheels. I couldn’t easily use two fingers to turn the parallax knob but instead had to use a vulcan grip to do it. Again, on the Bushnell/Vortex, it seems effortless in comparison.

I don’t have a means to test tracking mechanics but guys over on the centerfire and rimfire forums seems to agree that Bushnells has a good reputation for tracking with minimal errors. That’s where the G2 reticle shines since it allows for quick holdovers shots. Some other model Vortex has the EBR-2C and XLR xmas tree reticle but in comparison, I think I prefer the more simple G2 reticle over those more detailed Vortex ones. I’d never get a Bushnell Tremor reticle though. I’m sure they have their use for long range shooting but it would clutter most airgun shooting and tiny pest we shoot at.

What’s your scope budget and requirements (magnification and parallax)?

I picked up a Bushnell ERS 6-24×50 (ET6245FG]) and it’s great. The G2 reticle is very useful IMO. The glass is also better than the Vortex Viper PST 2.5-10×32 in my opinion. A tad bit clearer and brighter of course due to the objective lens being larger. The parallax goes down to 25 yds on this Bushnell scope vs 35 yds on the Vortex but I can see a clear image within ~15 yds on either at the lowest power, the reticle is just a tad blurred. Optics wise it’s useful all the way up to 24x but above 20x, the eye piece is very finicky as it easily tunnels if you move you head around. Weight wise, it’s about the same as my old Hawke Sidewinder 4-16×50 but optics is unmatched. Of course it’s near double the cost. The Vortex is stupid light at 18.7 oz but given the better optics and magnification of the Bushnell, it’s a better scope for a .25+. Length wise, it’s only 13.5″ which is incredible and won me over since it’s only a tad longer than the Vortex. The ET6245FG can be had at around $800 which is expensive compared to a Hawke but the optics is in a different league and more comparable to optics in the low $1K range.

One thing I hate about Bushnell is their webpage and scope parallex specs. They don’t list parallax and some of their scopes have parallax down to 10 yds but others are 25/50/75 yds. I’d love to get a LRHS 4.5-18×44. Specs are very good and the low profile elevation turret looks really nice but it was like pulling hairs trying to find parallax specs. I finally discovered it’s minimum 50 yds to infinity which wiped away my hopes. The same goes for the DMR 3.5-21×50 you’re looking at. Specs look great but parallax is 50 yds. The ERS 3.5-21×50 is 75 yds.

I did find that the Steiner T5Xi 3-15×50 which has very good optics and specs does down to 25 yds for around the $1,600 price range. It’s cheaper than a $2K March 3-24×42 that goes down to 10 yds but those are elite scopes for an air rifle. If you happen to find other scopes with good glass and parallex down to 25 yds, do share. Weight wise I don’t mind going up to 30oz as with the Steiner given the specs but after having the Bushnell, I’d like all my scopes to be no longer than ~14″ on a bullpup. Bushnell has some great optics on the higher end of the product lines but most aren’t airgun friendly parallax.