Redfield Revolution 4-12x40mm Rifle Scope Review

News that Leupold & Stevens, Inc. had purchased the Redfield name and intended to revive the brand first hit the presses back in the spring of 2009. By the fall of 2009 the new Redfield Revolution line of hunting optics entered initial production and the new models were finding their way into the hands of gun writers at many of the well known publications.In the early months of 2010 the new Redfield Revolution line of optics started showing up on dealers shelves.

And thus is the rebirth of the Redfield brand and it's illustrious history with hunters and shooters alike. Manufactured in Beaverton, Oregon, the new Redfield line of optics is designed by Leupold engineers and built by Leupold employees with the same level of excellence and and quality control found in all Leupold products. As an American made optic at a economical price, the Redfield name is sure to re-establish itself as a strong contender in the market and bring many shooters back to their optical roots.

The model we received for this review is the Revolution 4-12x40mm with the Accu-Plex reticle (#67115) which has a suggested retail price of $219.99. All Revolution rifle scopes feature resettable stainless steel finger-click Accu-Trac adjustments, a lockable Rapid Target Acquisition Eye-Piece, and Redfield's Limited Lifetime Warranty. All models are also waterproof, fog proof and shock proof.

Externally the Revolution is no different than most any other standard hunting scope you would come across. Parallax is fixed at 100 yards so there is no adjustable objective or side-focus knob, and there's no illuminated reticle option so no additional knobs on the eye-piece. What the Revolution does have though are standard low-profile 1/4 MOA finger-click adjustments, your standard magnification ring, and a fast-focus eye-piece. The matte finish is free of defects and to date has proven to be extremely durable. At 12.3 inches long and weighing in at 13.1 ounces the Revolution is right in line with similar scopes on the market.

Internally the Revolution features Redfield's proprietary Illuminator Lens System™ which combines premium lenses with cutting edge multilayer, vapor-deposition coatings to provide unparalleled image quality, a greater usable field of view, and superior light transmission. The main tube is 1-inch in diameter and nitrogen filled.

Optically the 4-12x40mm Revolution offers a field-of-view of 19.9 - 9.4 feet at 100 yards, a 8.9-3.5mm Exit Pupil, and 3.7 to 4.9 inches of eye relief. Actual magnification is slightly less than claimed at 4.5-11.4x.

Looking through the Revolution I was quite surprised by the quality of the view it provides. The image is nice and clear out to the edges with only the slightest hint of distortion at the very outer edge. The image is also adequately bright for most all daylight hunting needs, though at higher magnifications the brightness is borderline for early dawn/ late dusk. The eye-relief is more than adequate and sensitivity to eye-alignment isn't nearly as critical as it is with some other brands.

The tracking proved to be very accurate and repeatable. While not mounted on a hard hitting bolt gun or an abusive semi-auto rifle, I feel confident in praising the tracking system in the new Redfield's. The clicks are tangible and consistent in their travel, but there is a little slop in the turrets on the example I received and the detents were a little on the soft side.

One negative I have is system used to mark and reset the zero on the adjustment knobs. Rather than the knob having a set screw or something similar so you can rotate it back to a fixed mark on the main tube, the Redfield uses a thin ring under the adjustment knob that resembles a piston ring. To reset the zero position you simply rotate the gap in this ring to coincide with the zero position on the knob. Not exactly the best or most user-friendly system out there, but it works well enough so long as you have a small flat-head screwdriver handy.

For a scope line priced to compete with the likes of the Bushnell Elite 3200, Leupold VX-1 and Burris Fullfield II the new Redfield stacks up pretty well. This is by far the most popular market segment (price wise) among hunters, and the new Redfield Revolution line should prove to be very popular choice for the deer woods this coming fall.


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