Bushnell R5 Binocular Provides Quality Glass at a Great Price

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Whitetail hunters appreciate good optics that are reliable, durable and offer clear views from dawn to dusk. Many also have limited budgets that preclude them from making a significant investment to acquire such capabilities. Rather, they tend to look for quality options that meet both their hunting needs and their financial requirements.

Bushnell’s new R-Series optics perfectly fit this niche. The series currently consists of the R3 and R5 product lines, which include binoculars, riflescopes and laser rangefinders. All are purposefully designed to meet the demands of whitetail hunters while also remaining highly affordable. The R3 line is intended to offer the performance and features that whitetail aficionados need, while the R5 line is a step up, providing enhanced optical performance, upgraded materials, and advanced features and capabilities.

For starters, the R5 bino utilizes an HD Optical System, which incorporates fully multicoated lenses and BaK4 prisms with dielectric and phase coatings. The result is excellent light transmission (88 percent), high resolution and accurate colors with rich contrast. In those low-light moments around dawn and dusk, the R5 bino delivered clear, crisp images during testing. Good contrast, meanwhile, helps hunters differentiate between a whitetail’s brown hide and other varying shades of brown naturally present in many of its habitats. I glassed deer with the R5 during my introduction to the bino last spring while turkey hunting and looked over plenty more of them in the fall as well. In each case, finding deer amongst their environments proved easy due to the R5 binocular’s ability to produce bright, true-to-life images.

Of course, an optic’s durability also matters greatly to all hunters. The R5 features a dual rubber-armor overmold that is both highly grippy in adverse conditions and sturdy enough to handle abuse in the field. The binocular is nitrogen purged to prevent internal fogging, even during vast temperature swings, and it carries an IPX7 waterproof rating. Like every optic in the entire R-Series, the R5 wears Bushnell’s EXO Barrier glass coating, which repels water, oil, dust and debris and resists smudges and scratches.

Beyond a textured, rubberized grip, the R5 bino utilizes a coarse knurling called “diamond tread” on the center focus wheel and the diopter adjustment ring. During testing, I found the center wheel was easy to feel without removing my eyes from the bino and offered quick, precise adjustments in focus. Opposite the focus wheel on the hinge is a tripod adapter socket, accessible by unscrewing a simple cap.

The hinge on the R5 I tested was appropriately stiff. This ensured the barrels wouldn’t move once I set the bino for my eye-to-eye width. I was able to pick up the R5 and quickly start glassing.

The R5, like every R-Series optic, comes with Bushnell’s lifetime unconditional warranty. If something goes wrong with the binocular, Bushnell will repair or replace it at no charge. I never observed any damage or flaws during my time with the R5 bino, but the added insurance of a fully transferable, no-hassle warranty should be comforting to anyone who’s ever accidentally damaged a piece of gear while hunting. That’s most of us.

Some hunters like to carry a binocular on a neck strap, while others (myself included) prefer using a binocular caddy or harness. Thankfully, Bushnell provides both options with the R5 bino. The neck strap is padded and comfortably totes the binocular. However, it doesn’t hold a candle to the functionality offered by the included Vault Lite Binocular Pack and Harness (a new entry to Bushnell’s Vault Modular Protection System line).

Harness straps easily adjust to accommodate any user while keeping the bino secure and handy, and a simple elastic-cord latch offers quiet access. Many current bino caddies utilize magnetic latches on their lids, which while effective can snap shut a bit loudly. These types of systems are also generally inadvisable for hunters with pacemakers, who are cautioned not to place magnets near their chest. As someone falling into this category, I appreciated the more traditional cord latch.

The binocular pack also features two MOLLE strips on either side for attaching other Vault system accessories. This is exactly what I did with the Vault Lite rangefinder pouch, which comes with Bushnell’s new R5 2000 AB laser rangefinder. The rangefinder pouch attached perfectly to the binocular pack, keeping both together and easily accessible—something anybody hunting from a treestand should value.

With Bushnell’s new R5 binocular, hunters get quite a bit in terms of performance, features and accessories—all for around $220. I’m impressed with the performance and features offered at such a reasonable price point. Whether choosing the 10x42 mm version (which I tested), the 8x42 mm or the larger 12x50 mm, deer hunters get everything they need to find, observe and judge their quarry. And they get it at a price that fits most budgets.

SPECIFICATIONS: Bushnell R5 Binocular

• Magnification: 10X (tested)
• Objective Diameter: 42 mm (tested)
• Field of View @ 1,000 yds: 330'
• Eye Relief: 15 mm
• Focus Range: 2.7 yds. to infinity
• Lenses: fully multicoated HD Optical System
• Prisms: roof; dielectric- and phase-coated BaK4
• Length: 6.18"
• Width: 4.92"
• Weight: 24.9 oz.
• MSRP: $219.99
• bushnell.com

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• This article was featured in the December/January 2025 issue of Game & Fish magazine. Click to subscribe.