Bushnell, the workhorse sport optics brand trusted in the field since 1948 and part of the Revelyst Inc. portfolio, today announced that the R7 4-20x50 FFP riflescope has been named the Editor's Choice winner as the top hunting scope of 2026 in the annual Outdoor Life Optics Test, the industry's most rigorous independent evaluation of the year's new hunting optics.
In its published review, Outdoor Life named the R7 the best overall hunting scope in a field of 25 competitors that included new releases from the category's leading brands, awarding it top honors for its versatility and performance across a wide range of targets and distances, as well as its flawless handling.
The review credited Bushnell with "restoring its relevance as a first-order hunting optic brand," citing the scope's ED Prime glass, clear indexing and tight, positive turret and focus controls, along with an illuminated Hybrid Dot Tree first-focal-plane reticle that bridges precision shooting and hunting — enabling exact dialed solutions as well as fast holdovers and wind-informed shots on game.
The R7 also proved its durability. In the test's inaugural drop test, the scope was dropped three times from three feet onto padded concrete — and retained its zero throughout.
Reviewers highlighted the scope's handling in the field: a pull-to-turn locking elevation turret that moves with clear, positive indexing, a zero stop that provides a solid backstop on elevation travel, capped windage, side parallax correction from 15 yards to infinity and 11-step center illumination. Each scope ships with a sunshade, flip-up lens caps, a 3-position throw lever and a multi-tool. Outdoor Life's verdict positioned the R7 as a true crossover — a scope equally at home in rimfire and long-range competition that transitions seamlessly into a big-game hunt.
The review also recognized the strategy behind the scope, noting Bushnell's heavy investment in the R7 line as the pinnacle of the tiered R-Series riflescope family that launched with the R3 and continued with the R5 — a deliberate good-better-best architecture built to meet hunters at every price point without compromising on durability or glass.
"The R7 rounds out what we started with the R3 and R5 — a complete R-Series line built on one promise," said Carlos Lozano, Head of Brand at Bushnell. "It combines the glass, the reticle, and the controls hunters actually want in one durable, ready-to-work package. This award confirms what we engineered it to deliver: an optic you can trust in the field, without compromise."
The Editor's Choice-winning 4-20x50 anchors a four-configuration R7 riflescope line released this year — a 1-8x24 LPVO, 2-10x42, 3-15x50, and 4-20x50 — with the two higher-magnification models offered in first- or second-focal-plane reticles and MOA or MIL configurations. The R7 4-20x50 FFP carries an MSRP of $949.95, a price Outdoor Life called fair for the scope's versatility and handling. Every R7 is backed by the Bushnell Lifetime Warranty.
The award caps a year of expansion for Bushnell's R-Series, which now includes the R7 binoculars and the R5 Broadhead 2 rangefinder alongside the R7 riflescope line — extending the same purpose-built performance across the optics a hunter carries from scouting to shot. The full R-Series lineup is available now at authorized Bushnell retailers and at bushnell.com.