[FubbyFifi]

Hi folks! I am thinking of getting one of the Bushnell elite 4200 scopes for my Barrett M99. Has anyone ever used it on a big bore gun such as a .50 caliber and is the scope really as good as scopes 3-4 times the price as they say in advertisements? I am thinking of getting either the Bushnell Elite 4200 Scope 8-32x 40mm Adjustable Objective Multi-X Reticle Matte or the Bushnell Elite 4200 Tactical Scope 30mm Tube 6-24x 50mm Side Focus Mil-Dot Reticle Matte. One thing I don't understand is why they have a larger objective on the lower powered scope then on the higher powered one. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. I know you gotta pay to play but I spent all my money on my rifle and saving up for a better scope is just taking a very long time and I am just not that patient.
Lary

 

[FubbyFifi]

Back up Iron sights for a Barrett M99

I forgot to ask if anyone knew if there are any aftermarket parts that would allow me to put iron sights on my M99.
Thanks again,
Lary

 

[Rich Z]

I believe Barrett was offering a Bushnell scope with the model 99 at one time. Not sure of the model number, though.

One of the most important measurements you need to pay attention to is eye relief. Figure on 4 inches to play it safe. Otherwise bring a box of bandaids to the shooting range....

Make sure the scope is rated for a .50. The backlash of the muzzle brake will destroy many scopes after about 30 rounds being fired.

I'm kind of concerned about my Shepherd scope I have mounted on the M82A1, because when I bought it, they advertised it as being compatible with the .50s. But now I don't see that caliber listed any longer. I hope that doesn't mean that they discovered that they will NOT hold up!

 

[FubbyFifi]

Rich Z,
Thanks for the information. When I bought my M99 it came with a Bushnell elite 3200 10x40. I used it for a few rounds and then mounted on my Remington 700 which is chambered for a 300 ultra mag round. Even though the marines have used a 10x scope for their sniper rifle for years I just think it would make better sense to put a more powerful scope on a rifle with the capabilities of the M99. Plus I'm not a sniper so I think I can use the help lol!

 

[Rich Z]

When I bought my M95, it came with a variable 6x24 Swarovski. VERY nice scope, but completely unsuitable for a .50BMG. Eye relief was only about 2 inches. LESS at 24x. I hope whoever originally had that gun didn't fire it using that scope. :bounce01:

I took it off the M95 and mounted a Nightforce scope on it. MUCH better eye relief. Those are EXCELLENT scopes, btw. I put the Swarovski on a Remington in .308, which is much better suited to that scope.

 

[neolithic hunter]

rich i had the chance to look through one of those Bushnell elite 4200 scopes today. not bad optics for a Bushnell scope, it surprised me. they've improved over the years, not the best of scopes, optical wise but for the price not bad either.

 

[Rich Z]

rich i had the chance to look through one of those Bushnell elite 4200 scopes today. not bad optics for a Bushnell scope, it surprised me. they've improved over the years, not the best of scopes, optical wise but for the price not bad either.

You just need to make sure that it will hold up to the .50. It will be pretty darn frustrating to spend hours sighting in the scope and use up 20 or 30 rounds and THEN find out the reticle has busted loose. Then you have to get another scope and start all over again. Been there, done that.... :nuts:

Cheap scopes can be expensive.

Kind of interesting, but I have heard that many scopes will fall apart when put on spring action pellet rifles. It's that push-pull motion that knocks the stuffing out of them.

 

[neolithic hunter]

are you trying to convince me your 50 browning has recoil like a pellet rifle??


the last one i shot the recoil wasn't that bad. now the muzzle blast sucked big time, and shot complete threw my 600 yrd berm, lucky the 800 yrd berm stopped it. first time and last time a 50 was shot on my range. a 15 ft wide berm ain't enough.

 

[Rich Z]

are you trying to convince me your 50 browning has recoil like a pellet rifle??


the last one i shot the recoil wasn't that bad. now the muzzle blast sucked big time, and shot complete threw my 600 yrd berm, lucky the 800 yrd berm stopped it. first time and last time a 50 was shot on my range. a 15 ft wide berm ain't enough.

Basically the same, only the scale is different. When you fire a spring activated pellet rifle, the spring pushes the pellet, then recoil backwards, making a push-pull effect on the scope. When you fire a .50 BMG, the recoil sends the gun backwards then when the gas hits the muzzle brake, it pulls the gun forward. That sort of action is death to a lot of scopes, regardless of scale.

What is the berm constructed of? When I would shoot my .50s I used a clay hill as a bullet stopper and it worked just fine. That hill is no more than 8 feet wide.

 

[neolithic hunter]

What is the berm constructed of? When I would shoot my .50s I used a clay hill as a bullet stopper and it worked just fine. That hill is no more than 8 feet wide.

just good old sandy loam. it gets torn up pretty easy, every couple of years i have to reface them. between bullet impacts and rain they keep trying to disappear on me. when the 50 went through it it left a 3 foot by 2 foot hole in the back of it. wasn't pretty but the fix was easy. the berm i think i cold push my dozer through it with one try if i wanted to. its 20 ft thick at the base but 15 ft thick at target level. it works good for the little stuff, but its not packed anything like gumbo clay can get, that stuff is like soft concrete.