My dad has a wood stocked Remington 700 BDL in .30-06 Springfield. I don’t know when he got it but it’s likely of 1980’s vintage. This gun, which I’ve grown up all my life seeing my dad carry in the deer woods sports a Widefield 3X-9X. Still clear as a bell and still sits atop this rifle to this day. Given this, I’ve always been a little intrigued by Redfield scopes. In their heyday, and even still some loyalists say they’re clearer and better built than comparable Leupolds.

The history of Redfield is pretty complex and unfortunately we won’t be diving in too deep into their full history, but in short form Redfield really assisted in the rise of popularity in the variable 3X-9X scope found on so many popular sporting rifles of today. One of the most interesting innovations contributed by Redfield was their Widefield variation. This Widefield design, often referred to as a “TV screen” featured a more oval shaped ocular lens, or sometimes both ocular and objective lenses depending on the model. The wider lenses were suppose to contribute to a wider field of view, hence the name. Some folks call this a gimmick, but I do believe there is some truth to the design. Unfortunately due to the shape, a lot of hunters laughed at them and it is believed this is why they never became wildly popular. This particular model only features the wide ocular lens, though one of the major benefits of the model featuring both ocular and objective wide lenses is you can mount them extremely low to the rifle, pretty handy if you ask me. The glass is extremely nice, even on this example where it’s evident the tube is contaminated due to off-gassing. This optic features a wonderful duplex reticle and the variable range is smooth yet solid. If I can describe the Widefield in one word it’s timeless. It looks beautiful and it’s still evident it was designed to last. The features, such as the metal bead for the variable adjustment are sleek and subtle. I can already imagine this on the OZKP test rifle for its maiden voyage in the squirrel woods. Enjoy the pictures!

A very nice gloss black finish, perfect for almost any rifle of the same vintage.

Very clean markings, somewhat resembling similar Leupold’s of the time as well.

Very nicely textured variable adjustment, and I really appreciate the metal bead for the extra purchase.

Patent and serial number markings.

Closer look at the turrets.

The Widefield ocular lens.

Objective lens.

20yd clarity board test on 9X. There is some vignetting/distortion along the sides that becomes less noticeable at higher magnification.

10yd clarity board test on 3X. Very bright colors and nice clarity but it’s worth noting the edge distortion/vignetting.

10yd clarity board test on 9X. Good definition given the shaky-handed photo and cloud cover!

Thanks for reading, if you have anything you want to add to the Redfield Widefield 3X-9X, please feel free to write us. Cheers!