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Specializing in New & Used Hunting, Target & European scopes — NightForce, Sightron, Swarovski, Kahles, Zeiss, Leupold, Bushnell, B&L, Redfield, Unertl, BSA & other scopes.
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on the contrast of the target, weather conditions, background, and amount of daylight. Aside from simple testing, nearly all of our use was in the Bulls- Eye mode, as our team of shooters had a very good idea of where our rounds would be hitting at specific ranges, but the extensive ballistic tables with hold- over information definitely are a very useful feature.
TESTING
The accuracy of the Fusion was tested by ranging targets at various known and previously measured yard- ages out to 400 yards. Bushnell claims accuracy of +/- one yard, and our expe- rience was that the unit was right on and very accurate. We were able to range one particular mound at 630 yards that after a few shots being guided in by two trusty spotters, resulted in a prairie dog kill by the author. We also ranged various other small targets at distances out past 500 yards, and later verified by ranging back to large targets such as our truck, with the two yardages being within a yard of each other. The Fusion unit provided every bit of optical quality that Bushnell’s line of Elite riflescopes are well-known for, and from my experience the optics stack up very favorably against well-known high-end binoculars from other manu- facturers. Both eyecups are adjustable for comfort, and each is individually adjustable for focus as well. The form, weight, ease of use, features, and accu- racy of ranging were all spot-on.
This unit was designed primarily
with big game hunters in mind, and for that intended purpose worked almost flawlessly when ranging targets during low-light conditions typically encoun- tered when hunting early or late in the day. The dimmest level of the display still allowed a clear, bright picture of the target and surrounding area. After all, what good is a rangefinding binocular that won’t allow you to glass big game in low light?
CHALLENGES
In bright midday sunlight with no shade, dry conditions, and very little color contrast throughout the prairie dog town, our test team had difficulty reading the display, including both the numeric yardage display, as well as the circular aiming reticle. We tried a num- ber of different things to work around this problem, including changing to a brand-new battery, ranging a target, and then using our hands to try to limit the light entering the binocular, and we still ended up struggling with the brightness of the display and being able to discern the yardage. In very bright direct midday sunlight, we were often simply unable to read the display or aim the unit properly. During early or late- day shooting or overcast conditions, we had no problems with the display. DESIGN
The Bushnell design team was
exceedingly helpful and forthright when I contacted them with questions about the performance of the Fusion
in bright sunlight, and they provided some more background and insight. Essentially there are currently two basic designs for rangefinders that Bushnell produces, those that use liquid crystal to display yardage typically in dark or black numbers, and those that project a viewable image onto the field of view. As the Fusion was produced primarily for big game hunters, an emphasis was put on low-light performance and the design using the projected image was selected because of its superior perfor- mance and ability to read the display in low-light conditions.
Bushnell engineers were quick to acknowledge they absolutely are aware of the challenges with performance of the Fusion’s display in bright light. Because the two technologies used for displays are completely different, the solution is not as simple as switching the color of the display. If you are like me, you want to be able to use one single unit like the Fusion for multiple pur- poses, including ranging prairie dogs as well as big game. The units that use liquid crystal typically do not function nearly as well in low-light conditions. So, the design team chose to leverage reliable technology that would pro- vide the greatest level of performance across the widest range of conditions at a price point that is dramatically less than most other high-quality rangefind- ing binoculars on the market. They hit the mark absolutely dead on with the design, performance, and price of the Fusion, but do acknowledge that the display can be difficult to read under very bright conditions. SOLUTION
The question remains, how can the bright-light performance of this otherwise flawless-functioning unit be improved? Again, the engineers were quick to offer thoughts and sugges- tions based on their own field testing. After a quick chat and Internet search, I purchased two 58mm Neutral Den- sity (ND2) filters intended for use on an SLR digital camera lens, finding them online including shipping for $6.
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