I have two disclaimers for this article:
1. For some reason I have always had an aversion to Bushnell scopes even though my Savage 64 carried one for many years.
2. I was feeling somewhat lazy when writing this so I did not properly research the Scope Chief and/or Bushnell optics, BUT given they were made by contract manufacturers in Japan, it’s somewhat hazy the origins and manufacturing processes used for them, my understanding is Japan made Tascos are essentially the same way as well.
Let me start by saying the glass in this Gen 1 Scope Chief is more than adequate, and it appears to be on par with my Lyman Perma-Centers I’m so fond of. The few vintage Bushnell scopes I have experience with have seriously blown me away with the quality/price. Now, the Scope Chief really does look like a knock-off Lyman and I will include pictures to prove it, but it doesn’t feel quite as robust in the hand as my Perma-Centers. After weighing both 4X’s just now, the Scope Chief weighs in at 9.9 ounces and the Perma-Center a solid 10.3 ounces. I am not able to confirm if this is due to the internals, or thickness of the material used for the tubes, but from my perspective, the Lyman gives a slightly better impression of durability.
What do I like better about the Scope Chief than the Perma Center? it pains me to even type that sentence above, as currently being the owner of 4 Lymans, but here we go:
- The reticle is SICK. I am a sucker for weird old reticules and this one I’d never seen before so that’s already a plus, but it is essentially a hybrid of a post and a standard crosshair. Though funky, it seems very utilitarian.
- Price. I picked up this Scope Chief for roughly $35. On EBay they can be found for $75 or less, whereas for a Lyman Perma-Center you’re usually looking at twice that in 4X. Now, I know this isn’t a fair comparison given the Scope Chief isn’t a permanently centered reticule, when looking at the Lyman non Perma-Centers, most are the same price if not more on EBay than the Bushnell.
- Name. Scope Chief is a sweet name for a scope model, plain and simple.
This feels like a great optic for a simple bush rifle, be it a lever gun or a lightweight bolt action for cruising big woods. I don’t think I’d feel the need to baby it one bit and wouldn’t be afraid to put scratches on it like I am with my Lyman’s. Thankfully someone has already broken it in for me, and I can’t wait to update the readers where it ends up. Enjoy the photos!
I mean…… C’mon.
The Scope Chief Post reticle, absolutely love it!
A closer look at the turrets.
Scope Chief Markings, very similar to a competitor at the time :)
A look through the objective lens.
For comparison, a look through the Lyman 4X Perma-Center at the OZKP clarity board at 10yds.
A look through the Scope Chief at 10yds on the OZKP clarity board.
Thanks for reading, if you have anything you’d like to add about the Scope Chief, or any other vintage Bushnell optic, please feel free to reach out at our contact page! Cheers!
- Hayes