BUSHNELL'S TRS-26 and Transition 3X Magnifier

FOG HORN

October 2018 Twobirds Flying Publications

BUSHNELL’S AR OPTICS – TRS26

BUSHNELL’S AR OPTICS – TRS26 By: Sal Palma

2018

sight/magnifier package. I don’t know about you but diminishing returns are at play for me. Over the years, Aimpoint failed to introduce a more moderately priced optic, a space that was competently filled by Bushnell with the introduction of its TRS-25.

At the 2018 Las Vegas Shot Show, Bushnell introduced an expanded line of optics to meet demands of sport and tactical shooters. The new products on display included magnified optics, red dot sights, prism sights and spotting scopes; some were high-end offerings others value sights and optics. In 2018, the company added to their growing line of AR Optics originally launched in 2015 if memory serves me. Bushnell’s 2018 portfolio now includes the TRS-26, subject of my review, First Strike 2.0, Advanced Reflex Sight, Transition 3x magnifier, also subject of my review, Incinerate Red Dot, Accelerate Prism Sight, Enrage Red Dot and AK TRS-25. Succinctly stated, shooters have a lot to choose from.

When I first reviewed the TRS-25, I subjected the sight to water, cold, heat and shock; Bushnell’s red dot came through with flying colors, with only an abundance of surface scratches. However, it retained zero and tracked like a bloodhound. Its only significant disadvantage was battery life. The Aimpoint sight has a 50,000+ hour battery life against the TRS-25’s 3,000 hours. So, if you needed an excuse for spending 4 times more for the Aimpoint, you used its battery life. Fast forwarding to 2018, Bushnell’s introduction of the TRS-26 put an end to your excuse with 30,000 hours of battery life (at a brightness level of “6” out of 12 possible settings). So, what makes a great optic?    

optical clarity excellent tracking repeatability mechanical durability

Whenever I talk to AR shooters, Aimpoint’s red dot sights surface as the undisputed king of the reflex sight space, and rightfully so. Aimpoint, of Sweden, pioneered the red dot sight, introducing a well-made and robust sight that was quickly accepted by militaries around the world – no doubt about that. But, quite frankly, it costs an arm and a leg. You can expect to pay anywhere from $1,100 to $1,500 for a

BUSHNELL’S AR OPTICS – TRS26

2018

At an M.S.R.P. of $194.95 you won’t get Zeiss quality glass, that’s a given; however, having said that, the TRS-26 was sufficiently clear to allow acceptable levels of light and image detail. The lens coating did influence color fidelity. As the image above illustrates, there was some color aberration, and the effects of lens coating was noticeable especially under fluorescent lighting. In and of itself, this is not a negative, but before moving forward, I’d like to include a quick note about red dot sight lens coatings and objective lens geometry. The objective lens of a red dot sight is concave, polished and coated to reflect the red dot reticle image back to the eyepiece. The lens coating chemistry is specific to certain wavelengths (colors) – in this case the dot color is red. Because the objective lens is a mirror, it passes less light through the lens and back to the eyepiece. So, with any reflex sight, the image will appear darker than through a magnified optic. The degree of optical brightness is what separates high-end offerings from value sights. However, at its price point the TRS-26 offers very acceptable optical clarity. I would certainly not feel handicapped or disadvantaged.

In assessing tracking, I adjusted elevation first. Notice that the three shoot groups moved vertically down to the X. One click up or down will give you one inch of vertical movement up or down at 100 yards. Next, I adjusted wind moving left past center then back to center.

BUSHNELL’S AR OPTICS – TRS26

Again, notice that wind adjustments moved the point of impact precisely and perfectly horizontally. I was extremely impressed with the TRS-26 and its ability to track exceptionally well. Turret tactile was also exceptional with distinct positive clicks.

I then fired a five shot group with impressive results using Bushnell’s Transition 3x magnifier, which provided an outstandingly clear target image enabling me to hold 1 MOA throughout my range session. I was using surplus M193 5.56x45.

2018

Next, I removed the TRS-26 and reinstalled it on its rail with no loss of zero. One of the difficulties often encountered when red dot sights are used with magnifiers is what has been called the “comet effect.” Sighting through the magnifier the shooter sees a smeared red dot with a red tail similar to a streaking comet. This effect was absent using the TRS-26 and Transition 3X magnifier system. Sighting through the magnifier, the 3 MOA red dot reticle was clear and crisp resulting in consistently tight groups. Bushnell’s Transition 3X magnifier ships with a flip-to-side rail mount that allows the shooter to swing the magnifier out and away from your primary optic. Its elevation and wind adjustment turrets are used to optically center the red dot reticle in the magnifier’s field of view and does not alter point of impact. Operator controls on the TRS-26 are excellent. Bushnell moved away from a rotary dot intensity adjustment to UP and DOWN pushbuttons. To turn the sight on, push on the up arrow and to increase dot intensity push the up arrow repeatedly. Decreasing intensity requires pushing the down arrow. Pushing and holding the down arrow turns the TRS-26 off. There’s no shortage of red dot sights and magnifiers on the market, but you’ll be hard pressed to find anything that comes close to Bushnell’s TRS-26 and Transition 3X magnifiers. For a street price of just a little over $300, you can equip your AR, or other modern sporting rifle, with optical performance capable of delivering excellent tracking, optical clarity, repeatability and durability. Impressive performance from a value priced system by Bushnell. Check it out! -SP

BUSHNELL’S AR OPTICS – TRS26

2018

Manufacturer Specifications:                      

CONFIGURATION: 1X26MM RETICLE : 3 MOA DOT LENS COATING: MULTI-COATED RETICLE COLOR: RED NUMBER OF BRIGHTNESS SETTINGS: 12 PARALLAX: 50 FIELD OF VIEW: (FT@1000YDS/M@1000M) UNLIMITED WEIGHT 170G / 6.0OZ LENGTH 70.0MM / 2.756IN EYE RELIEF UNLIMITED EXIT PUPIL: CLICK VALUE: 1 MOA ADJUSTMENT RANGE: 140+ MOA MOA PER REV: 36 MOUNT: PICATINNY RAINGUARD: NO WATERPROOF: YES SHOCKPROOF: YES FOGPROOF: YES EXTENDED BATTERY LIFE: YES NITROGEN PURGED: YES TUBE DIAMETER:

Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook