By Paul Erhardt, Editor, the Outdoor Wire Digital Network
I am not a long range shooter. Er, uh, I wasn’t a long range shooter but then I got to do some serious long range shooting.
I’m not talking just a couple hundred yards. No sir, those are rookie distances. I’m talking really reaching out there. You know, 800, 1,000, 1,300 yards out there. And, of course, 1 mile.
I hit targets at all those distances. I was using a very well set up custom rifle designed for precision rifle competition use. But still, a rifle can only do so much, and the shooter has to do his or her part. And, not to brag, I did my part.
But I did have a little help. A secret weapon, if you will. So, what was my secret weapon?
Glad you asked. All that rifle, and all my innate long range shooting talent (which I didn’t know I had up until that point) amount to nothing without a solid piece of glass to help you aim. The scope I was using was the recently announced Match Pro ED 5-30×56 FFP Riflescope from Bushnell.
Back in July, I was invited to participate in a media event hosted by Vista Outdoor’s Bushnell and RCBS brands out in Wyoming where we were introduced to the new scope.
Matt Rice, the Sr. Manager Media Relations & Consumer Marketing for Vista, addresses the assembled outdoor media members to introduce the new Bushnell Match Pro riflescope which we’d be testing during our stay in Wyoming. Photo by James Schierman
I am not going to pretend be an expert on riflescopes, or shooting optics in general. However, I do know about photography lenses and the value of having really good glass that is both bright and sharp.
The new Bushnell Match Pro delivers in both regards. It didn’t hurt that we had great weather and plenty of sun when shooting, but clear is clear regardless of weather conditions and there wasn’t any issue in finding and setting up on the targets at any distance.
There are probably a few much more technical reviews you can find from the other writers that attended the media event, so I won’t try and get technical – because I can’t, really.
But I can tell you this without any reservation, I really liked shooting this scope. It has some excellent features I didn’t know I needed because I hadn’t spent a lot of time shooting behind a scope. But they are the kind of features you think ought to be on all scopes.
Aside from the 34mm tube and the 56mm objective lens, which helps to collect and transmit more light back to the shooter – yes, I know the glass and coatings do a lot, too – the thing I noticed right away were the turrets.
The turrets are super easy to read to the point they’re almost idiot proof (speaking as a confirmed idiot). Because we were shooting targets from 400 yards out to a mile, the turrets got a lot of use, and they were also very easy to use because of the raised crown.
Minimally marked turrets have a learning curve to them. The turrets on the new Match Pro are easy to read and adjust, even for a minimally experienced shooter. Photo by James Schierman
The elevation turret also features an Easy-Set zero stop which makes returning your scope to zero a breeze. It also has a Rev-Indicator so when you’re going around the world with your dialed elevation you can tell where you are. It shows red on the second rotation and then stainless on the third.
Up until the moment I had to dial past a full revolution in elevation I had no idea how much I needed this feature. And while this might not exactly be splitting-the-atom tech, it’s pretty awesome to have this feature on your scope.
It has some other features that will interest shooters, like a throw lever to help you get from 5 to 30 magnification in a hurry. Oddly enough, I never used this feature out in Wyoming, opting instead to work from just one point of magnification which still allowed me to hit from 400 out to a mile. But I didn’t have to use it to know how valuable this can be, particularly in a competition setting.
And that’s what this riflescope is designed for – competition. If you’re getting into long range rifle competition, like PRS, then you might want to check out the Match Pro ED 5-30×56. I have a yet to be released/announced rifle coming my way which is chambered in 6.5 PRC and this new Bushnell Match Pro would be just about ideal for it.
Now, for the best feature of this new riflescope…its price. I was surprised, and pleasantly so, when they told us at the media event that the Match Pro would have an MSRP of just $699.99. I was honestly expecting something more akin to their Elite Tactical scopes which are $1,500 and $1,700, depending on the model. At $700 the Match Pro is perfect for those just getting started in precision rifle competition.
Sitting atop a $4,500 custom rifle, the Match Pro at just $700 was right at home, and more than enough scope to run targets from 400 yards to a mile. Ask me how I know. Photo by James Schierman
For me, $700 means I’m getting a lot of riflescope for the money, and I don’t have to stress test my credit card to get the kind of performance I already know the Match Pro delivers.
In a nutshell, I really do like this scope and I would most definitely recommend it to any of my friends who were looking for a long range shooter with the versatility for both hunting and competition.
