I'm looking at this scope

http://cameralandny.com/spec-sheet.html?catalog[name]=Bushnell-Elite-Tactical-LRS-3---12x-44mm---Illuminated-BTR-Mil-%23ET3124FJ-bushnell&catalog[product_guids][0]=1115801

Is there a better scope for the money?


I will be putting this on my 300WM hunting rifle.

Great scope.

I agree, pretty nice optic.

I probably wouldn't spend $1000 on one though.

Here's mine .

So if you had a budget of <$1,000 where would you spend your money?

Probably PST gen 2 ffp.

Is that PST Gen. 2 > the Athlon Ares product line?

I don't trust Athlon yet. They are new to the market and have had some issues.

Other scopes I would look at are the SWFA super snipers, Burris XTR II's and if you can stretch the budget the Bushnell HDMR II.

Is illumination a must?

If not then this is a better buy.

Made in Japan always trumps made in the Philippines in my book.

I've got one of those scopes in a 6-24 with the G2 reticle in it and they are great scopes but I don't think its worth 1K. You can get a LRHS probably in a 4-18 for right around there which has a little better glass, zero stops, 10 mil turrets, etc. I know you can get a 3-12 LRHS for that money. This assumes illumination isn't mandatory. As others have the Gen 2 PSTs are worth the money, I've only played with a 3-15 and it was pretty good glass and the turrets felt good.

+1...PST Gen 2

Good advise.  I have the new Athlon Ares BTR, and it is a solid scope, so disagree a little there.  Also the higher-end Chronos has shown to be a very, very good scope, but not in this price range.  The Ares is solid, and great optics.  Turrets are a little mushy, and I found the focus on parallax to be less forgiving in FOV/ Depth of focus than others, but at $800 street price, it is one to look at and will turn heads.

I also have the Burris XTRii, and very happy with it.  I would also look at the used market and focus (sorry about a pun) on the NF SHV F1 and, like said above, the newer Bushnells.  Be careful with the ERS.  I say this, as Bushnell has called many different scopes ERS.  The current ERS 3.5-21 is really like a DMR-1(a), and not as good as a DMR-2, both of which are good scopes, and used can be had in the $900 to $1,250 range.  The high-mag ERS is a rebranding of a lesser scope.