Disappointed! This is the first and ONLY JAPAN MADE scope I have ever purchased that I am REALLY bummed about buying. Even it weren't for the 25 yard minimum Side Focus AO, and if it focused down to 10 yards which us airgunners prefer, I think the 4200 series were much better scopes optically wise. I notice some tunnel vision looking through mine. Eye placement seems rather critical to get a decent sight picture reminding me of cheaper scopes of Chinese origin. Comparing it side by side with my old Elite 4200 of the same magnification range (with its front focus AO) I can't belive this is an evolution of the 4200 and if it is, it is definitely NOT a good one.
I am not sure if its because they changed the design to side focus but I wouldn't recommend this scope and save your money to buy at least an Athlon or BUSHNELL ENGAGE both made in CHINA for the same money this one fetches. I would compare it to the Mueller side focus scope that sells for $219 as a close example.
Not bashing Mueller, just referencing to the selling price. I think the Mueller is a nice scope for the price but not the Bushnell 4500 at double that price. I would be happier if I paid $219 for this one.
Let me restate that, I would be NOT AS BUMMED if I spent only $219 for this Elite 4500 which I think would have been a more appropriate price for this one.
I can see why these 4500s are a HARD SELL when they pop up on the classifieds (ANY CLASSIFIEDS NOT ONLY AIRGUN RELATED CLASSIFIEDS). Many already know better. Unfortuneatly I did not, until TODAY.
My similarly priced CHINA MADE Bushnell Engage 6-24x50 simply BLOWS this (JAPAN) Elite 4500 OUT OF THE WATER optically wise and as an added plus, focus down to 10 yards.
Also recently got a CHINESE DISCOVERY OPTIC scope that at a little less than half the price (when bought in the US) blows it out of the water as well and I would highly recommend checking them out if you are budget minded.
1/4 to 1/3 the price if purchased from AliExpress direct from CHINA.
My CHINESE MONSTRUM TACTICAL (don't laugh now) FFP Side focus also blows it out of the water as well at 1/3 the price.
HA
I just got a PM from someone who has one (NOT SURE if it is the same model scope as mine though) that focuses down to 26 feet at 24x. The parallax side focus yardage marking on mine starts at 25 yards minimum and the closest mine will focus at 24x is 23-24 yards.
Airgunners looking for current Japanese made scopes would probably have to switch to Clearidge (JAPAN) or Weaver (Japan) or try a BARRA (JAPAN) scope.
I am curious about the BARRA since I have never tried one yet.
HA
Disappointed! This is the first and ONLY JAPAN MADE scope I have ever purchased that I am REALLY bummed about buying. Even it weren't for the 25 yard minimum Side Focus AO, and if it focused down to 10 yards which us airgunners prefer, I think the 4200 series were much better...
I'm a springer guy, and as far as I'm concerned, not focusing down to 10 yards is a deal breaker, no matter the other features a scope has. PCP shooters may be OK with it if they do all their shooting at further distances, but that's not me.
The one exception I could live with is the Weaver V24. The printing on the AO bell says "50 Feet" (17 yards) as the lowest distance mark, but I checked a couple of them here and the bell will turn past that mark so it still has zero parallax error at 12 yards. The amount of error if you you shoot at 10 yards would be very small. (You can still see clearly at 10 yards).
It's cousin the V16 does in fact focus down to a real 10 yards as is actually marked on the bell (and even less if you turn it further.
The V24 and V16 are better scopes than this 4500 Elite and I would say comparable to the older 4200 series. Bad news is that I have an 8-32x version of this model 4500 in bound.
HA
Do you have a model number for that Elite 4500 scope? I ask because the ones I found cost more than a Weaver V16 as priced in several places I found.
And, pardon my (obviously-apparent) ignorance here, but won't the company who sold you the 8-32x version let you return it for a refund? OOOHHH, (light bulb goes on), perhaps you are speaking of a private purchase, not one from a dealer. I have a feeling that's what I was missing. If so, my condolences.
Both were purchased from two separate dealers. That was a great idea but returns for defective merchandise only and I had already put it into a set of rings (UGH!). Maybe it is defective according to MY EYES. ??? BH456240. It would be OK for a benchrest gun but not IMHO ideal for an airgun for field use. It is still a clear scope but the eyebox seems very unforgiving. The ELITE TACTICAL is much much much better than this one.
I will know better when I get the 8-32x BH4583240 and won't mount it until I FIRST review it throughly!!!
I bought these because I wanted to use the "clicks" to dial in the shots since Japan made scopes tend to be very reliable repeatable in the clicking department.
HA
Well, my 8-32x40 Side Focus Elite 4500 arrived and it is IMHO a better scope than the 6-24x40 4500 version. The eyebox is not as critical with the 8-32x but still not as forgiving as the 4200 front AO 8-32x40AO I have. Side focus starts at 25 yards with BOTH 4500 models. Image on the 8-32x 4500 seems sharper/crisper at 24x than the 6-24x 4500 at 24x.
Both Elite 4500s are clearer (only when eye placement is perfect) than my Bushnell ENGAGE 6-24x50 and Vortex Diamondback Tactical 6-24x50FFP and Athlon Argos 6-24x50FFP and Aztec Emerald 5.5-25x50FFP and SFP models.
But that is comparing Japanese optics to the rest which are all made in China.
I am curious to see what the Bushnell FORGE looks like but I refuse to pay $849-$949 for a scope made in China but what worries me even more is that even some high end big dollar Vortex scopes are Chinese.
It is just too bad for the critical eyeboxes at higher magnification and the lack of under 25 yard close focus at high magnification.
I have a budget friendly BARRA OPTICS (JAPAN) incoming.
HA
