FOG HORN 2014

Twobirds Flying Publication

Copyright 2014, Towbirds Flying Publication. All Rights Reserved.

Bushnell AR Optics 223 1-4 x 24 BTR

By: Sal Palma

FOG HORN 2014

Twobirds Flying Publication

Copyright 2014, Towbirds Flying Publication. All Rights Reserved.

Bushnell AR Optics 223 1-4 x 24 BTR – variable magnification

tailored to your AR

With the ever increasing popularity of three gun

competitions and the realization that one can

only do so much with a red dot sight, I thought I

would present to my readers a magnified optic

from Bushnell that’s ideally suited to the AR

platform. This isn’t a review centered on what

optic is better than some other, it’s about an

excellent mid-priced optic that will address the

overwhelming majority of your needs.

In selecting the Bushnell AR Optics 223 1-4 x 24

BTR, I committed the cardinal sin of reviewing,

which is allowing a single feature to drive my

choice of what to present to my readers. But,

Bushnell’s Tactical Reticle or BTR had me

hooked. Fortunately, as I proceeded with the

review, everything else proved itself to be

worthy of admiration. So, in the interest of

brevity – BUY this optic.

Yes, it has a 30mm tube, resettable tactical

turrets and an illuminated first focal plane

reticle, and I’ll touch on all of those in my

review, but what really excites me is its

awesome BTR reticle.

Meet the Bushnell Tactical Reticle, and it kicks

ass. Up front, I’ll apologize for the colorful

imprecation; however, in the words of Louise

Goodbread, “there are times where a colorful

anachronism more elegantly communicates the

feeling.”

Bushnell’s BTR is exceptionally capable and

lightning fast. Its design draws the eye to the

target better than a simple duplex with a center

dot. It works well with the eye to get you on

target quickly.

Bushnell AR Optics 223 1-4 x 24 BTR – variable magnification tailored to your AR 2014

Copyright 2014, Twobirds Flying Publication, All Rights Reserved

Figure 1 BTR Reticle at 1x

The BTR is a first focal plane reticle so it changes

in size with changes in magnification, and at a

1x magnification is easily lost against the target.

This is true of all first focal plane optics, and it’s

the reason I avoid them on a precision rifle

unless I’m working with a variable power optic

having a minimum magnification of 6.5x. Here is

where illumination saves the day, and at its

highest setting of 11, the BTR at 1x is visible

against most targets including in bright daylight.

The real benefit to the first focal plane is that

subtensions are consistent through the entire

magnification range. This is a very handy

feature when 1x is too little or 4x is too much.

The BTR is also optimized for M193 and M855,

55gr and 62gr respectively. When the center

dot is zeroed at 100 meters1, the holdover

points for longer ranges are provided by

horizontal stadia as follows; 200m, 300m, 400m

and 500m. So, it’s possible for the shooter to

engage a target at those ranges very quickly;

even interpolation is fast and straight forward.

I also like how Bushnell implemented the reticle

illumination in this model, and unlike competing

magnified optics that tend to bloom at the

1 If you don’t have access to a 100 meter range, zero

the optic at 25 meters so that point of impact is 1.5 inches below point of aim. That should give you a reasonable zero at 100 meters.

higher settings, the BTR reticle is quite

comfortable to look at even under low light

conditions.

Figure 2 Reticle illumination at the highest setting

Second on my list of likes is its optical clarity.

This scope is every bit as good as optics costing

two to three times more. Looking through the

AR Optics 223 is like looking down into a clean

aquarium, extremely clear. Images were bright

with no noticeable distortion or color

aberrations at any magnification level. The

shooter is provided with a clear sharp image.

Something to note is that the AR Optics 223 is

not a true 1x so you have a slight amount of

magnification.

Zeroing the AR Optics 223 was a joy; windage

and elevation adjustments are in .1 mil

increments per click - translating that to a more

digestible dimension of approximately .36

inches per click at 100 meters. So, it’s relatively

easy to achieve a high degree of precision. Once

zeroed, the scope stayed zeroed. I fired a total

of 150 rounds in my testing without a single

problem. This scope will keep up with any

modern AR design.

Bushnell used tactical turret caps that are

resettable. Once you’re done zeroing, simply

loosen three set screws to reset the caps. Clicks

are audible and the turrets provide excellent

tactile even with a gloved hand.

Bushnell AR Optics 223 1-4 x 24 BTR – variable magnification tailored to your AR 2014

Copyright 2014, Twobirds Flying Publication, All Rights Reserved

Bushnell O-ring sealed the turret caps to

prevent water from seeping into the

mechanism; however, I feel it could have been

accomplished more elegantly, and when

resetting the turret caps you need to be careful

that you don’t dislodge the O-rings.

The 30 mm tube adds to optical clarity but more

importantly, it provides an abundance of wind

and elevation adjustment. For example,

windage has a range of about 22 mils on either

side of center, in .1 mil increments, so shooters

have plenty of adjustment available.

Overall length is approximately 9.5 inches

weighing in at just a hair over 17 oz., so it’s a

beefy piece of equipment sitting on that top

rail.

Eye relief is excellent at 3.6 inches and the

adjustable diopter lets you get a very crisp

reticle picture.

Bushnell also added a rat tail to the

magnification adjustment ring, which they

market as Thrown Down PCL; the objective

provide a lever for rapid magnification

adjustment. Sometimes I like it or times I don’t

and I guess that all depends on the day of the

week and / or solar activity. However, it is

removable.

For this review, I used a single piece cantilever

mount from Millett that gave me just the right

amount of height. So, I was able to use an offset

rail to mount a micro red dot as a backup.

In closing, Bushnell’s AR Optics 223 1-4 x 24 BTR

gives you tremendous bang for the buck. You

get an absolutely smashing reticle, optical

clarity consistent with higher priced optics,

illuminated first focal plane reticle and a robust

30mm tube at an M.S.R.P of $418.95. You can’t

ask for much more but don’t just take my word

for it, check it out and shop it. It’ll be time well

spent.

-SP

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