Bushnell TRS-25 Review

Bottom Line

The Bushnell Trophy TRS-25 Red Dot may just be the best red dot out there to buy right now.

Let’s face it – it’s very hard to get a good scope nowadays.

Even though you can easily find many different offers on the internet, it’s still a tricky task to find a capable one.

And the biggest problem is that we have plenty of amazing scopes, but not many of them are universal.

You can get a scope that fits your pistol but not your shotgun or hunting rifle, which is the main problem. We also have good scopes that work well but are old-fashioned. Designs change and people expect more.

If a scope is unable to keep up with that, it’s not worth your time (nor money).

So, as you can see, this is a very tricky business. Luckily, you do have a choice. Bushnell TRS-25 is a model that easily stands out here. In this review, I’m going to give you my honest opinion on this highly flexible scope. TRS-25 is absolutely one of the best scopes that you can find under $100, and it’s a scope that can easily compete with the more expensive models. Bushnell TRS-25 is a true showcase of how a top-quality scope should be made.

Before moving on to the review, let’s take a look at the overview of Bushnell as a company first.

The Company Overview

Bushnell is a very strong brand, and it’s a recognizable name among many weapon enthusiasts. But, obviously, it wasn’t always like this. The whole story began in 1948. An entrepreneur named David P. Bushnell went to Japan to celebrate his honeymoon. While he was there, he stumbled upon several different types of binoculars. He immediately got a new business idea and, thus, he decided to start selling these binoculars in his home country. He also decided to use his last name as a label in order to make the binoculars instantly recognizable. And the rest is history!

His business was expanding very quickly, and he would soon start opening new manufacturing facilities in Japan, Hong Kong, and Taiwan respectively. Bushnell knew how to make great binoculars that would be not only very functional but also very affordable at the same time as well. That is a trademark of the company even nowadays. Regardless of financial situations, Bushnell’s products were equally accessible to everyone.

Following the success of these sales, Bushnell also started patenting high-quality optics as well. Once again, we had amazingly functional products for a very low cost. And that leads us to the modern era of this company.

An Ideal Scope

In all honesty, there’s no such thing as an “ideal scope,” but we certainly have “the most appropriate scope that is close to being ideal.” So, before talking about the key features of Bushnell TRS-25, let’s see what kind of scope you should look for.

The first thing that you need is flexibility. Your optimal scope should be customizable, and it should fit different kinds of guns as well. No matter if we’re talking about shotguns, rifles, or even simple revolvers, an ideal scope should fit all of these accordingly.

At the same time, you want your scope to be durable as well. If you buy a new scope that has to be fixed/replaced in less than a year, that is called “a wasted investment.” So, you really want to make sure that you have a long-term solution here.

A good scope should also be precise and accurate. If these two factors are lacking, you will end up missing your target even if you are a seasoned veteran. In that case, you’ll be working against impossible odds, and that’s something that has to be avoided at all costs.

Lastly, an optimal scope should also be as clear as possible. When we talk about any kind of competitive shooting (like hunting, for example), we talk about speed. You need to be able to lock-on to your target in a matter of seconds. Otherwise, you’ll be far off from reaching your target. That’s why you also need the scope to be clear – so that you can quickly fire up those shots without spending too much time to zero in on your prey.

Luckily for us, Bushnell TRS-25 can fulfill all of these standards. Let’s take a look at the features now.

The Features

The first thing you’ll notice here is that TRS-25 is extremely lightweight. With the overall weight of only 109 grams, you can easily carry this scope as you go. The length is well under 100 millimeters in total. Some people may prefer bigger scopes but, based on my experience, this is pretty much a perfect length.

The red dot is 25-millimeters wide, and it’s a part of the self-regulating LED system that is placed inside the tube. In addition to that, you have 11 different lighting intensities that you can adjust depending on the circumstances. That’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to flexibility.

The scope is very clear, and the image quality is truly top-notch. Even some of the more expensive optics struggle with this a lot. You can also adjust both elevation and windage. You might need some kind of utility to do it (a simple coin will do the trick), but the process is very straightforward nonetheless. The lens caps are also adjustable, and you can tweak them as you like.

You will need a CR2032 battery to make this scope operational. This is pretty much default in this field, so an experienced gun enthusiast is probably aware of it already. Nonetheless, we had to point it out for everyone.

The Durability

Bushnell TRS-25 is one of the most durable scopes that I’ve ever seen and, for its price, you will hardly find a better offer.

TRS-25 is waterproof, fog-proof, and shockproof at the same time. You will never have to worry about the moisture and, at the same time, there’s no risk that the fog will reduce the clarity of your scope either. Equally, you can use the scope for hours on end, and you won’t notice any side effects whatsoever.

The knobs are pretty solid, and they’re able to cope with extensive long-term pressure. The gaskets are also durable, and they have a very thick design. The same thing applies to the coating as well. Even if you end up having tons of rust on a daily basis, you won’t notice any difference at all. You can easily tell that durability was a huge focus here.

There’s one more thing that we have to note. The battery should typically last one year, but that also depends on the quality as well. If you buy some cheap batteries, the uptime might be drastically reduced. You need to ensure that you have only the top-quality batteries in order for the scope to work as intended.

The Clarity

The clarity of this scope is truly one of a kind. You will be amazed when you realize how quickly you can lock-on to your target. At the same time, you will also be amazed when you realize how sharp and realistic your images are. For this price, it’s virtually impossible to find the scope with better clarity.

The red dot has 11 lighting intensities. It starts off with 0 (which means that there’s no brightness whatsoever) and it goes all the way up to 11 (which is the highest level of brightness). You can easily change these settings as you like. In our opinion, a lighting intensity of 5 should be ideal for almost any scenario.

The Precision

The precision is the single most important feature that you ought 43to look for (as we noted above). And I can confirm that Bushnell TRS-25 is as precise as it gets. You will be able to mark your targets with great accuracy even if we’re talking about very long distances (above 100 yards in this case). There’s no need for an eagle eye to effortlessly focus on your prey – this scope will automatically do the job for you.

The Conclusion

It’s time to sum things up. Bushnell TRS-25 is a highly functional scope that comes at a very affordable price. No matter if we’re talking about pistols, shotguns or sniping rifles, this scope will be a great fit nonetheless. The beauty (very often) comes from very simple concepts, and TRS-25 is a prime example of that.

Should you buy this scope?

Absolutely.

Do take note, however, that, as a buyer, you will make the final decision on your own. You can always look up the more appropriate offers on the internet but, if you want an outstanding scope for a relatively low price, this is certainly a scope that you have to consider.

I can also add that, if you decide to buy this scope, you will certainly not regret it. It’s worth every penny, and it will pay off in the long run. At the end of the day, that’s what matters the most.

The Pros:

  • A very lightweight scope that you can easily carry around as you gornHas outstanding durabilityrnIt’s a highly flexible scope as well, and it allows you to tweak some of its core features as you likernOutstanding precision and clarityrnGreat mix of price and value

The Cons:

  • You might notice that the red dot turns off on its own in some occasionsrnEven though the precision is great, you will notice that the focus tends to decrease on really long distances

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Mark Simmons

Born and raised in Missouri, Mark now lives in Murray with his wife and two sons. As a gun owner and hunting enthusiast he frequently participates in debates surrounding the Second Amendment.