Bushnell Bear Grylls Monocular Review (9 x 32mm)

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Pros:
- Lightweight and portable
- Inexpensive 9X monocular
- Fantastic optical quality

Cons:
- No tripod mount
- Focus wheel was very stiff at first

Welcome to my review of the Bushnell Bear Grylls Monocular. I’ve grown leery of all of the “Bear Grylls” products out there today, so I was curious just how well Bushnell would craft such an inexpensive item. Let’s take a look, shall we?

What Do I Get in the Box?

The first thing you will probably want to know is what you get for your hard-earned money. When you receive your Bushnell Bear Grylls Monocular, you should expect to find the following items in the packaging:

  • The Bushnell Bear Grylls Monocular
  • An embroidered case

That’s it; just the basics. This is an inexpensive item, so I wasn’t expecting much more than that, but it would have been nice to receive some lens caps!

How Powerful is the Bushnell Bear Grylls Monocular?

This is a 9x32mm monocular, so the magnification is 9X. This is great for wildlife terrain viewing, spotting deer or other wildlife, or even at sporting events like baseball games or football games. You’ll bring the action right up close and personal.

What Type of Optics Does the Monocular Have?

I was shocked when I read that this inexpensive monocular featured BaK-4 roof prism glass, but it’s definitely true. When I hold the monocular up to a light source, the image is clearly the round picture I’d expect from BaK-4 glass.The twist-up eyecups provide long eye relief and variable distance, so you can easily use the monocular whether you wear eyeglasses or not.

16mm of eye relief makes this monocular very comfortable to use, even with my progressive bifocals. The exit pupil diameter is 3.6mm, and the field of view is a broad 315 feet at 1,000 yards.The lens is fully coated, providing excellent protection against glare and reflection. You can get a crisp, clear image even from a mile away, and sunlight doesn’t affect your viewing pleasure.Now, let me make something perfectly clear: the image quality is crisp, clear, and full of contrast, but that’s not to say there’s no room for improvement. This is a very inexpensive monocular, and the quality of the image will not really compare with something like the Bushnell Legend Ultra HD monocular.

With that said, the image quality is very good for the price, and I would feel comfortable recommending this monocular to anybody on a below-$100 budget.The 32mm objective lens doesn’t allow a lot of light transmission, so this monocular isn’t suitable for nighttime or other low-light conditions, but it does work splendidly during overcast days. I’ve used it a number of times on hunting trips when my more expensive monoculars weren’t available (usually because they’d been “borrowed” by friends.)The only problem I had with the Bushnell Bear Grylls Monocular was that at first, the focus wheel was so stiff it would barely move.

After doing some research, and just before I was about to call Bushnell on this problem, I found the solution. The eyepiece was tightened too tightly, locking the focus wheel from spinning. I removed the eyepiece, carefully slid the focus wheel off the housing, and then replaced it. Voila! The focus wheel spins very nicely now, with just enough resistance to prevent accidental adjustments. The only warning here is to be careful when you remove the focus wheel, because the pegs that it slides over are not attached and could fall out if you aren’t careful.

What’s the Body Like On This Monocular?

The entire body of the Bushnell Bear Grylls Monocular is rubber-armoed, providing an excellent gripping surface as well as protection against bumps and scrapes. The bright orange “BG” logo is also rubber, but the focus wheel is plastic and the eyepiece is twist-up rubber.

How Durable Is the Monocular?

Bushnell advertises the Bear Grylls Monocular as being waterproof and fogproof, featuring a nitrogen-charged barrel and O-ring sealed glass. I’ve dropped this thing in the mud, had it fall out of my tree stand, and even stepped on it by mistake…no damage done. This particular monocular is definitely rugged, and is able to withstand a fair bit of use and abuse.

How Well Does the Bushnell Bear Grylls Monocular Work in the Field?

As I said earlier, I’ve used this on several trips when my other monoculars weren’t available. This is definitely a usable alternative to more expensive monoculars, even if the image quality isn’t as astoundingly crisp and clear as the pricier models. I’ve used this particular monocular on several successful hunting trips, spotting deer bedded down in grass that I would have totally missed otherwise.

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Bushnell Bear Grylls Monocular Review (9 x 32mm) Summary

Thanks for reading my review of the Bushnell Bear Grylls Monocular. This particular monocular is inexpensive, but provides excellent value for the price. The image quality isn’t the best in the industry, but it is definitely better than other comparably-priced alternatives. If you are on a limited budget but want a monocular for field use, this is the one to turn to.

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Jeff Byrnes

This post was written by

Hi there! I’m Jeff, an avid outdoorsman and hunter who really likes exploring new technology. I’m especially into hunting optics, which is why I’m writing these reviews! I hope you find my articles helpful in your own shooting and hunting.


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