New Optics: Affordable Bushnell Engage Optics

With a full selection of riflescopes and binoculars priced for any budget, the Bushnell Engage optics line is focusing on the entire firearms market.

Shopping for optics can be a humbling experience. Few things can make that take-home pay seem more inadequate.

Easily, scopes have become the most expensive part of the setup, in many cases equaling if not exceeding the sticker price of the firearms on which they’ll be mounted. But for those with thick billfolds, the results are worth it once that bit of high-tech glass is dialed in and doing its job at the range or in the field.

Thankfully, in recent years, manufacturers have turned an eye to the rest of us, producing quality optics that don’t automatically draw a bead on your bank account. One of the latest optics manufacturers to offer both performance and affordability in a new line is Bushnell, who introduced its Engage precision optics at the 2017 NRA Annual Meetings and Exhibits.

The nine scope models in configurations ranging from 2-7x36mm up to 6-24x50mm (also four models of binoculars) boast MSRPs from $149.99 to $449.99, putting the Kansas company’s new line within reach of nearly any shooter.

“The Engage line is built to outperform all other comparable scopes and binoculars and completely dominate the elements,” said Curtis Smith, global product director for Bushnell. “The only sure thing about any environment is that it will change, but Engage optics were built from the inside out to deliver world-class performance every time, in every condition.”

To that end, Bushnell is fully coating all of its optics with its EXO Barrier, which should go a long way in ensuring top performance in any environment. In addition to sharpening images and enhancing the scopes’ light gathering abilities, the barrier also plays a role in keeping the lenses clean. Filling the microscopic pores of the glass, EXO creates a slick surface that repels oil, water debris and dust, thus helping it maintain a crystal clear sight picture.

The variable-powered scopes also feature Bushnell’s Deploy MOA Reticle that provides shooters with 1-MOA windage and elevation marks. Though, because these are second focal plane scopes, the reticle’s subtension is constantly changing with magnification. In turn, to put the marks to the best use, a shooter will have to be set to a specific magnification.

Four of the Engage Precision Riflescopes also come with Tool-less ZERO Reset Locking Turrets that offer ¼ MOA per click adjustments and quick and easy adjustment.

Bushnell’s new Engage Binoculars include similar features as the riflescopes, including rugged construction, fully coated optics (PC-3 Phase Coating) and multiple configurations (8x42mm to 12x50mm). They also come outfitted with ED Prime Glass, cutting down on chromatic aberration and delivering razor-sharp images. The MSRP on the Engage Binoculars runs from $349.99 to $409.99.

For more information on the Bushnell Engage optics line, visit Bushnell's website.