Bushnell Legend 10x42 vs Bushnell R7 10x42
Quick take: The Bushnell Legend 10x42 costs $310 less; the Bushnell R7 10x42 has a wider field of view (345 vs 315 ft @ 1000 yds).
Field of view, to scale
Top-down view · drawn to true scale — no exaggeration
Which one to buy
These sit at opposite ends of Bushnell's range, $310 apart. The Bushnell R7 10x42 is the elite tier of the new R-series, which replaces the Forge line: ED Prime glass, field-flattener optics, a Schmidt-Pechan prism with dielectric and phase coatings, a magnesium chassis and a locking diopter. The Bushnell Legend 10x42 is discontinued and has a newer replacement.
Legend owners describe budget-glass competence: a clean center out to about 70% of the field, a smooth focus wheel, and sealing that survived a field test from summer heat to ten below without fogging. They also describe the limits the R7 is built to fix: soft edges in the outer 30% of the view, color fringing in high-contrast light, and eye relief around 15mm that sits on the boundary for glasses. The R7's field flatteners target the edges, and its 18mm of eye relief against 15.2mm targets the glasses problem. It also has a wider 345 ft field against 315 ft and 5.0 ft close focus.
The Legend is lighter, 22.8 oz against 27.2 oz, and the R7 is too new to have a track record, so its promise is unproven in the field. Still, a discontinued Legend at $290 is hard to justify; at that money you are paying for leftover stock, and the R7 is the one worth saving for if long glassing sessions and sharp edges matter to you.
Bushnell Legend 10x42
Only sensible if found well below $290, for a whitetail hunter who wants a light 10x and doesn't glass for hours.
Bushnell R7 10x42
Worth the extra $310 for serious glassers who want flat-field edges, 18mm of eye relief and a locking diopter in a current model.
| Spec | Bushnell Legend 10x42 | Bushnell R7 10x42 |
|---|---|---|
| Approx. price | ~$290 | ~$600 |
| Use case | Hunting | Hunting |
| Magnification | 10x | 10x |
| Objective | 42mm | 42mm |
| Exit pupil | 4.2mm | 4.2mm |
| Field of view | 315 ft @ 1000 yds | 345 ft @ 1000 yds |
| Eye relief | 15.2mm | 18mm |
| Close focus | 6 ft | 5.0 ft |
| Prism | Roof | Roof |
| Glass | ED | ED |
| Coating | Fully Multi-Coated | Fully Multi-Coated |
| Weight | 22.8 oz | 27.2 oz |
| Dimensions | 5.5 x 5.0 in | — |
| Warranty | Limited Lifetime | Limited Lifetime |
Feature comparison
Bushnell Legend 10x42
- ✓ED Glass
- ✓Phase-Corrected
- ✓Dielectric Coating
- ✓Waterproof
- ✓Fogproof
- ✗Image Stabilized
- ✓Tripod Adaptable
- ✗Magnesium Body
- ✗Locking Diopter
Bushnell R7 10x42
- ✓ED Glass
- ✓Phase-Corrected
- ✓Dielectric Coating
- ✓Waterproof
- ✓Fogproof
- ✗Image Stabilized
- ✓Tripod Adaptable
- ✓Magnesium Body
- ✓Locking Diopter
What birders say
Bushnell Legend 10x42
- ✓One owner of the line reported clean, distortion-free optics out to about 70% of the field before edge softening begins - respectable for the price bracket
- ✓An owner comparing tiers found the Legend L-series 10x42 outperformed a Leupold BX-1 McKenzie 12x50 outright
- ✓Phase-corrected BaK-4 prisms and fully multi-coated optics - the spec sheet reads a class above the sub-$200 price
- ✓Water-repellent exterior lens coating sheds rain, sleet, and snow - proven 'as advertised' in extended field testing of the line
- ✓Light for a full-size 10x42 at under 23 oz, easy on the neck for all-day carry
- ✓Smooth focus wheel and soft-touch rubber armor drew consistent praise in hands-on testing of the current generation
- ✓Nitrogen-purged and genuinely fogproof - the line ran from summer heat to minus-10 winter sits without internal fogging
- ✗Eye relief around 15mm is the line's known weak point at 10x - reviewers called it 'right on the boundary' for eyeglass wearers to see the full field
- ✗The 4.2mm exit pupil gives up low-light performance to the 8x42 version, a real trade-off for last-light deer movement
- ✗Absolute sharpness trails premium glass - in comparison testing the Legend family ranked below $400+ competitors even if the gap was small in practice
- ✗Edge-of-field softness in the outer 30% of the view, noticeable when panning or star-testing
- ✗Chromatic aberration is visible in high-contrast scenes, and an owner comparing generations noted Bushnell's newer budget lines still fight fringing
- ✗Confusing model history - Legend Ultra HD, E/L/M series, and the current Legend all share the name with different optics, muddying research and used-market shopping
- ✗Basic included accessories, with no premium case or harness in the box
- ✗Not suited to long open-country glassing sessions - field testers drew that line for the whole Legend family
Bushnell Legend 10x42 vs Bushnell R7 10x42: common questions
Is the Bushnell R7 10x42 worth $310 more than the Legend 10x42?▾
For long glassing sessions, on paper yes: field flatteners, 18mm of eye relief, a wider 345 ft field and a magnesium body. Legend owners say their binocular is not suited to long open-country glassing, which is exactly the job the R7 is built for.
Which is better for eyeglass wearers, the Legend 10x42 or the R7 10x42?▾
The R7, with 18mm of eye relief against the Legend's 15.2mm. Legend owners describe its eye relief as right on the boundary for glasses wearers, with some losing the edges of the view even with the eyecups down.