Customer Reviews

Bushnell Tactical Elite 1x32 Red/Green T-Dot Riflescope

5 star:		(41)
4 star:		(29)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(20)

 

 

I searched for many an hour on many an AR-15 forum for the best non-magnifying budget optics for my brand new AR-15 (DPMS Panther Lite 16"). I saw this mentioned repeatedly as a good sight, so I went ahead and bought it. Simply put, this is the best red-dot style sight I've ever used. The dot and "T" are super crisp, the brightess settings are actually noticeable (unlike the NcStar on my AK--still a good sight for the money), and the optics are fully multi-coated and fog-proof. Another bonus with this sight is that it has functional iron sights on top.

My only beef with it is that it looks too much like an ACOG, so people think you just bought some cheap piece of crap ACOG clone. It doesn't function like an ACOG, and it's not supposed to, so IMO, it shouldn't be made to resemble an ACOG. Also, the brightest setting produces bloom indoors, however it is very, very minimal. You'd never use the brightest setting indoors anyway, it's VERY bright.

I'm an experienced shooter. I've shot through Eotechs and Trijicons just to name a few. For a non-magnifying red-dot scope, you can't get quality like this without going above the 600$ mark. If you have an AR/AK, or any military style semi-auto rifle (NOT an assualt rifle, semi-autos cannot by definition be assault rifles), this is the sight for you.

I do not rate products on the "cool factor," what other people think since it's not an Acog, or opinions. I rate shooting products on what works and why........function and ergonomics are my two criteria for rating.

Great sight!! #1) The T-Dot is a very good for quick target acquisition. I've used dots, dots with in the circle, etc and I really like the T-Dot a lot. #2) The brightness control knob is large and easy to grasp. I prefer that since I have larger hands. #3) It's built like a tank. It does not have the "flimsy" feel that a lot of the dot optics do. #4) Excellent external coating......almost like a rubber type coating so it is not slippery if you have sweaty or wet hands. #5) Easy to adjust windage & elevation controls. #6) Well worth the $ for what you get. #7) Crisp and clear T-Dot at each brightness level for each color. #8) Dual color is the way to go for daylight shooting.....red for bright lit days and green for lower light times. #9) I use one for the 5.56mm/.223 caliber (AR-15) and 7.62x39mm caliber (AK/SKS). Both sites hold their zero. You won't regret buying this site.

I wanted to put a red dot on my AR-15 but i couldnt justify the price of an Aimpoint or EOTech, and after much research i decided on this Bushnell unit.

It works great, holds zero well, and seems to be constructed very solidly. A bit large and heavy perhaps, but i suppose that is the price you pay for durability in this price range. Overall i am very pleased with it.

One issue that many people have complained about is the tilted reticle, however this seems to be a mounting issue and not a problem with the optic itself. JUST PRESS DOWN FIRMLY ON THE TOP OF THE SIGHT WHILE YOU TIGHTEN THE MOUNTING SCREWS! That leveled out the reticle on mine, and i would be willing to bet that it will work for others with the tilted reticle issue as well.

Let's get the "bad" stuff out of the way first. Yes, the reticle is slightly out alignment. I'd call it about two degrees. Is it the end of the world? Well, since this device will not be used for an engineering project my answer is "no". I found this sight to be very usable.

The second "problem" is that I had no experience with red dot sights so I didn't know what style to get. Something like this, more like a traditional scope, or a more open style. When the Bushnell sight arrived my first thought was that it was too big to use with both eyes open so I also got an ADCO Solo sight (those who play Call of Duty: Modern Warfare will know the shape) so I could compare and see which I felt more comfortable with.

I first sighted in the ADCO and thought that shooting couldn't get much better. Then I tried the Bushnell and found that, yes, it could. Not only was it just fine for closer shooting, it was also pretty terrific for targets farther out. It may be just a function of the reticle style but the center dot with the three lines (two horizontal on each side of the dot and one vertical below the dot) works very well with this style sight. With this sight you get the feel of a scope and the lines help put the target right on the dot so your target's perceived distance is not as far as it is, even with "only" 1x. This sight works well at any distance you can still see the target and can be effective with .223.

Note also that it pairs perfectly with a flat-top receiver and the standard iron front sight (the M4A3 style). I'm told by an armorer at ADCO that any sight with the word "tactical" in the name will co-witness the iron front sight. Beware, this is a great idea but may not be in use industry-wide; some merchandising wonk may think it's a cool word to use with any design. Seems to be true with ADCO and Bushnell, anyway.

So, the ADCO Solo will probably get put on my M590A1 as this Bushnell sight was the surprise winner for me. Note that I have not had it long enough to comment on battery life, my thought would be to always have a few 2032's with you no matter which red dot you buy. As I did with caliber and my rifle choices, I'm sticking with sights that use only one battery size (which may effect your choice; different manufacturers may use different batteries). Less stuff to carry. Also, sight and reticle style will be an intensely personal choice, I'm sure. Best to try out a few before buying any sight if you can.

Hope this helps!

I did quite a bit of searching for the perfect scope for my Bushmaster xm-15 when i ran across this bushnell! i was a little skepical at first not knowing if it would sit high enough on my flat top reciever to see over my front iron sight. i ordered anyways and couldnt be happier. the image is crisp and it is an excellent all around scope. i would recommend this product to anyone.

Upon reading all the reviews for this scope it sounded like it was the sure solution for a good starter red dot for my ar15. It looked really good on my gun when i first got it installed and the T illuminated reticule looks great with the 2 different color settings.(day-red dusk-green) BUT, now here is where the scope started to give me problems. I took it out to the range and fired a few rounds through it. On my 4th shot however, the reticule went out completely. I assumed it was just the battery cap on the side was loose. So i took the cap off, inspected the battery and put it back on, tightening it securely with a screwdriver. I shot 3 more shots and again my T sight would flicker and sometimes go completely out. My other issue with this scope which really is to be expected if you look at the price, but just to warn others. This scope is NOT parallax corrected. This means that when you put your head against your stock and look down your scope your T sight will not always be dead center unless you rest your head in the EXACT position every time. If you look down the scope you can move your head and your T sight will move with you. This can be an issue when you are taking quick shots at a target because your head might not rest in the same spot every time you pull up, thus making the T sight move around. I could still use my front sights on my ar15 since the T sight seemed to sit perfectly between my front sight, but really if i find myself using my front sight through a blank tube why waste the money?

I needed a scope for one of my rifles (beretta cx4 storm .40) which i intend to have handy for home defense purposes. After exhaustive research and after weighing in all the pros & cons including user reviews i decided to purchase this bushnell tactical elite 1x32 red/green T-Dot riflescope. I can say without hesitation that this scope has far exceeded my expectations. It has a very solid construction & it was very easy to mount on my rifle. The T-Dot is bright and very clear with 5 brightness levels for either green or red. I sighted in my scope at 50ft using a laser bore sighter. The windage & elevation dials are easy to use & well protected. The clicks have been accurately calibrated. RANGE TRIAL: At the range the sight performed brilliantly without needing any further adjustment except the initial tweaking. I could easily see the T-Dot on the target with both eyes open and it helped nail every shot on the intended mark. Target acquisition is very fast and it has very good eye relief as well. The battery life is good as long as you make sure to turn it off after using it. Not losing the lense covers could be a challenge since they are not attached to the scope. Overall I am more than satisfied with this scope and I would definitely recommend this product & Amazon (as always) to my friends.

It took a long time for me to pick a decent scope for my AR-15. I wanted a 1x red dot that was a good quality scope and good value for the money, so the top of the line 500 dollar scopes were out for me. After a lot of research and looking through reviews on Amazon and various gun forums, I settled on this Bushnell scope.

After ordering, it arrived quickly, and was in good shape. I was very excited to get it and installed it right away and turned it on. To my dismay, the view of the cross hairs and the dot was horribly refracted. Each line appeared as three lines, one thick line in the middle, and two thinner lines next to it, the dot was the same. It was bad enough that all the lines intruded into the dot's space and the dot itself appeared as several dots and the whole reticle picture was blurred. The rest of the optics were ok, I could see the targets perfectly fine. But with the reticle so messed up, there was no way I could shoot quickly and consistently with this scope.

It could just be one bad sample, but that was my experience with it. It should never have passed quality checks and I'm going with a different brand.

Just returned this scope... Bough it for my wife's S&W 15-22. The scope seemed to have been a "2nd" that didn't pass QC as there were pen marks whee someone tried to cover up the anodizing that didn't take. The recticle was BLURRY. The instructions in the packaging called this a pistol and shotgun scope?? Weird all around on this one... I'll update the review when I get the new one. I'll give it one more chance.

I bought this because I wanted a holographiic sight for my new M&P 15 and I have had an overall good experience with it. The sight however does NOT sit squarely on the integrated picatinny rail on top of the receiver, it sits slightly crooked and will not mount dead center no matter what. The back of the sight is off to the weapon's right side and is not noticable by just casually looking at the sight but when I use the rear sight to look through it, it is VERY noticeable. Also, the screws used to tighten the sight to the rails are somewhat soft. Recoil was making them loosen at the range and when I tightened them down a bit more tightly they started to warp in the groove that the screwdriver fits into, leaving a less than pleasing look to them. Philips head or hardened screws would be better as this is something that is inherent with most flat head screws, or so it seems. The sight is very bright at the highest levels and has several different levels of brightness for both the red and green dots. The T in the sight made it extremely easy to initially "bore sight" my rifle by using the front and rear sights as guides and it was easy to adjust for the final settings. Overall, a good sight, but not a great one by any means.