The Bushnell Banner Dusk & Dawn 4-12×40 Rifle Scope is probably the best scope available in its price range.
Review of the Bushnell Banner Dusk & Dawn 4-12×40 Rifle Scope
It comes with a surplus of features that allow it to compete with scopes twice its price, and its performance in low light conditions is nothing short of remarkable. Its admirable performance makes it one of the best scopes on sale today.
Features
- Great for shotguns (Deer & Turkeys)
- Adjustable objective ideal for long-range shooting and airguns (what is the objective lens on a scope?)
- Parallax focus from 100 yard-Infinity
- Magnification: 4 to 12x
- Objective lens: 40mm
Magnification, Field of View & Resolution
Since the primary function of a scope is to bring an image of the target to the eye, magnification is the most important function in any scope, and the Bushnell Banner Dusk & Dawn does not disappoint in this department. It offers a variable zoom from 4X to 12X, making it suitable for any range of shooting distances.
Variable magnification offers the user unprecedented flexibility in their aim, allowing them to account for the distance the target is from them, something fixed magnification scopes can not offer. So should you be forced to aim at a buck far away, you can use the highest magnification setting to ensure a kill. However, if the target is closer, then you can use any of the other magnification settings to optimize the field of view to your liking.
The field of view is also an important section of any good scope. It is the measure of the environment visible in the scope, which is always an important factor for any hunter. A larger field of view allows you to locate targets through the scope readily and also makes tracking moving targets a cinch.
The Bushnell Banner Dusk & Dawn has a field of view of 29 feet at its lowest magnification of 4X, which is quite good for a scope in its price range. The variable magnification allows you to adjust the field of view because the amount of terrain you see in the scope increases as the magnification decreases. All in all, the Bushnell Banner Dusk & Dawn covers both departments admirably.
Lastly, to complete the image, the Bushnell Banner Dusk & Dawn offers an excellent resolution, producing a crisp and clear image for the user. Because it is optimized for use in low light conditions, few other scopes can match its performance in terms of resolution in low light conditions.
Objective Lens diameter
The objective lens is the foremost lens in the series of lenses that makes up the scope. By foremost, it means closes to the target, hence the first one to receive light. Therefore, its importance in the performance of any scope is undeniable. An important measure of the objective lens comes from its diameter, which gives us an idea about its size.
Generally, the larger the objective lens is the more is the amount of light that can enter the scope, hence making the image brighter and clearer. Also, the larger the objective lens, the more terrain it reproduces in its image, increasing its field of view. However, as the diameter of the objective lens increases, scopes tend to become bulkier and heavier, causing mounting and aiming them to become tiresome.
Therefore, a compromise has to be done, which the Bushnell Banner Dusk & Dawn manages admirably. It has an objective lens of 40 mm, which is typical of scopes in its price range, creating a bright and clear image for the person using it. But what is unique about the Bushnell Banner Dusk & Dawn is that its objective lens is adjustable to allow for parallax correction, which often creeps up in long shots.
Parallax errors occur due to a difference in the angles between the reticle (the crosshair) and the target’s image due to slightly moving the head. To account for this, the Bushnell Banner Dusk & Dawn allows adjustment of the objective lens, ensuring that any shot you make is deadly accurate.
Eye Relief & Precision Adjustments
Any sort of gun is a dangerous device, and the foremost danger for users who employ the services of a scope is the scope eye. Scope eye refers to the injury sustained due to a gun recoiling, causing the scope to hit the user above the eye, leaving a nasty cut.
To reduce the probability of this happening, scope manufacturers design scopes such that the best image is seen some distance away from the ocular lens (which is the lens nearest to the eye). This distance is called the eye relief of a scope (Scope Eye Relief explained). The Bushnell Banner Dusk & Dawn has an eye relief of 3.3 inches, which is quite good for a scope in its range, making it suitable for high powered rifles and even shotguns, ensuring that you never receive an unsightly gash above your eye.
To account for variable conditions while aiming, high-quality scopes usually contain knobs allowing you to adjust the windage and elevation. This adjusts the reticle, making sure that the bullet goes exactly where the reticle is pointed at. The Bushnell Banner Dusk & Dawn is no exception and allows both types of adjustments to ensure that every shot counts.
Optical Coatings & Water/Fog Proof
The quality of glass used in the lens is vitally important as well as the type of coatings used by the manufacturer. These coating come in four major qualities:
- Coated: A single layer on at least one lens surface.
- Fully Coated: A single layer on all air to glass surfaces.
- Multicoated: Multiple layers on at least one lens surface.
- Fully Multicoated: Multiple layers on all air to glass surfaces.
The number of coatings is usually a good indication of the quality of the scope. However, coatings also tend to increase the cost of a scope. The Bushnell Banner Dusk & Dawn creates a good compromise with multicoated lenses.
This translates into a great improvement is image quality, because these coatings help to gather more light making the Bushnell Banner Dusk & Dawn an excellent choice for low light conditions thanks to its specialized Dusk and Dawn coatings. Apart from coatings to enhance the image, other coatings have to be used to make a scope reliable in all conditions.
The Bushnell Banner Dusk & Dawn excels in this section, giving you a water and fog proof scope that can be used in rain or shine. So no longer will you lose a target due to your scope fogging up or water entering your scope, making it truly practical.
What Do the Numbers Mean on a Rifle Scope? – Guide to Scope Numbers
Optional Accessory Attachments
The right accessories can make or break a good scope, so always be sensible when choosing additional accessories. One suggestion made by all hunters is to invest in a flip-open scope cover, because although the Bushnell Banner Dusk & Dawn is fog and waterproof, it can not stop snow, mud, or dust accumulating on the lens. A flip-open lens will save you precious seconds over a scope cover while ensuring that your scope’s lens remains crystal clear.
Another good choice is scope rings needed to hold up the scope. Always make sure that the rings are practical to use. They should be light but strong and more importantly, keep the scope in a position that is suitable for your style. A cheap, readily available option, scope rings are a great choice for an optional accessory for your Bushnell Banner Dusk & Dawn (How to Measure Scope Ring Height?).
Click on the links below to see more information on some of the mentioned attachments:
Butler Creek 10-11 Eyepiece Multiflex Flip-Open Scope Cover
AIM Sports 1″ Rifle Scope Picatinny Ring (check out whether Weaver or Picatinny mounting rails are better!)
Pros & Cons
The Bushnell Banner Dusk & Dawn competes against some of the best scopes in its price range and manages to hold its own thanks to a plethora of features. Its great compact and sturdy design, coupled with its shockproof construction makes it a great choice in the field. The special coating on the lenses, the variable magnification, and the great field of view, make it excellent for use in low light conditions, making it the hunter’s choice. Its parallax correction through objective lens adjustment is a definite bonus not found in many scopes in its price range, greatly adding to its accuracy in long shots. Its great eye relief means that there is a very slight chance of injuring yourself, whether you are using a low-powered air gun or a shotgun. And the icing on the cake: it is also fog proof and waterproof, making it the best scope in its price range. As a testament to its greatness, no users have had to report any criticisms about its performance, saying that it blows away any competition in its price range and also manages to compete with some more expensive scopes.
Customer Reviews
You can find a lot of reviews on Amazon for the Bushnell Banner Dusk & Dawn 4-12×40. Read more customer reviews about the Bushnell Banner Dusk & Dawn 4-12×40 Riflescope
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