Redfield Scopes -Taking a Turn at the Future
As you may know Redfield scopes have been in production for about 100 years; which is a long time for any company to hang around, regardless of what they happen to produce. Originally of the scopes from Redfield were produced in Colorado; however, a few years ago the company was bought out by Blount and the line was actually discontinued. While Redfield had enjoyed a popular history and was at one time known as one of the best in the industry; by the 1990's Redfield was finding it hard to keep in line with the competition. Companies like Leupold were increasingly putting the pressure on others in the market and Redfield was finding it difficult to stay afloat. There seemed to be no other choice but to pull the Redfield scopes line.
All of that changed; however, when Meade stepped into the picture, a company known for excellence in producing astronomical quality telescopes. With other companies that were almost simultaneously acquired by Meade, Redfield now makes its home in Georgia; where four Redfield scopes lines are now produced and manufactured once again. These include the Golden Five Star, the Tracker, the Widefield and the Illuminator.
Hitting the market with price tags that range from economy sizes to top of the line, the new Redfield scopes are geared toward everyone, regardless of your budget.
In all actuality, some of the Redfield scopes are currently produced are not actually anything new. For example, the Widefield scopes were actually first introduced way back before Redfield started having problems. This particular scope features an oval ocular as well as objective lens that allows you to mount the scope lower on your rifle while providing a much wider view that you would normally be able to obtain through any other similar scopes.
While the design itself certainly looks a bit strange and is a step away from the normal design of many scopes, there is no denying the fact that this unique design delivers perfectly. When hunting in close range, you can't ask for a better image delivery. In tests, the Widefield produces images that are some 30% larger than similar scopes. In addition to a design that truly does deliver, Redfield is continuing to produce high quality pieces built with a rugged aluminum alloy tube that can withstand some fairly rough terrain.
While now under the direction of Meade, Redfield will not honor any warranties on older models, the new company does offer a lifetime warranty on new scopes purchased after the Meade takeover.