As a hunter and outdoors-man with only one eye, the options for optics that fit my needs are few and far between. This Bushnell Legend Ultra HD Monocular review was born from a desire to see if there was anything better than the Vortex 10×36 monocular I’d been using for multiple years, as it had really been one of the few options available for me.
There is a plethora of options on the market for binoculars which is great for most people, but for me I just need a monocular, and the additional added weight of carrying around a pair of binos is unwanted and unnecessary. This year I was thrilled to find out about the 10×42 Bushnell Legend Ultra HD Monocular and have the chance to test it out in the backwoods. Let’s just say, I was blown away with the quality of the build as well as the image quality this optic provides.
Love optics? We certainly do here at Backwoods Pursuit, so make sure to check out our MONSTER 26 BINOCULAR REVIEW, as well as our massive 19 SPOTTING SCOPE REVIEW. For both of those reviews, we lined up the optics and tested them side by side!
Bushnell Legend Ultra HD Monocular: What’s Included
Out of the box the Bushnell Legend Ultra HD Monocular comes with a semi-ridged, padded oversized case, which is better than most of the cases I have seen optics come with. The case lid can be closed with a buckle at the front and include two generous belt clips at the back that are big enough to attach to a pack. Inside the box you will also find front and rear caps.
The front cap is held on by friction and attaches nicely for a tight secure fit, and there is also a flip cap which is a very handy feature. The rear cap attaches by a light cord which is nice, so that it doesn’t accidentally get lost in the field, and removes easily. It also includes a cord lanyard, which I honestly found to be useless with no clear way of attaching it to the device. A small cleaning cloth is also inside to keep the eyepiece clean and wipe off any debris.
Bushnell Legend Monocular Review: The Specs
The Bushnell Legend Ultra HD Monocular comes in at a mere 13.2 oz and is fantastic for those needing an ultra-lightweight option for glassing, or for the person just wanting a good piece of glass to stash in their rig for those urgent glassing needs.
- Close Focus (m): 6.5 ft. / 2 m
- Color: Black
- Exit Pupil (mm): 4.2 mm
- Eye Relief (in.): 15.2 mm
- Eyecups: Twist Up
- FOV High Power (FT @ 1000 YDS): 340 ft. @ 10X
- Length (in.): 5.4 in. / 137 mm
- Lens Coating: Fully Multi-coated
- Magnification x Objective Lens: 10×42 mm
- PC-3 Phase Coating
- Prism Glass: BaK-4
- Prism Type: Roof
- Waterproof/Fogproof
- Weight: 13.2 oz / 374 g
- Glass: ED Prime
Bushnell Legend Ultra HD Monocular Review: The Glass
The Bushnell Legend Ultra HD Monocular uses their highest quality ED Prime HD glass. This produces extremely high-quality, crisp images. The lenses are fully multi-coated, with anti-reflective and water repellent coatings that will resist moisture and condensation. The full rubber armor covering will protect it in even the harshest of environments.
With a twist up/down eye cup, it is perfectly suited for those with or without eyeglasses.
The Bushnell Legend Ultra HD Monocular also features a picatinny rail suitable for attaching accessories. Personally, the picatinny rail serves little purpose for me and just adds a little of bulk to the unit as a whole. This picatinny rail is attached with a couple of screws so it can be removed if not needed or wanted. For my purposes, however, this is a stand-alone optics piece, but some people out there may have different uses for a monocular.
Bushnell Legend Ultra HD Monocular Review: Focus Wheel
The focus wheel is located at the top of the unit and is very easy to operate with a single finger. The focus is extremely smooth using either index finger and dials the picture in perfectly.
The belt clip is attached at the side with a couple of small screws making it easily removable. It is made of good, stout metal for secure attachment to a belt. Once removed there is an attachment point that I utilized to attach the monocular to my chest harness system.
Bushnell Legend Ultra HD Monocular Review: In-Hand Feel
There are a couple of well-designed features of the Bushnell Legend Monocular that most will probably not notice, but which add a lot of comfort to the grip. First, there is what I will call, a little “thumb ridge.” It’s a great place for your thumb to rest while gripping the optic. Second, there is an angled portion just behind the picatinny rail. While this seems like part of the rail, it actually rests on the pad of the palm of your hand, adding comfort and stability while glassing.
Bushnell Legend Ultra HD Monocular Review: My Testing/Use
After extensive use for the past hunting season, I have to say I am a big fan of this new monocular and so are several of my buddies who I let use it. The glass is crystal clear, though the edge-to-edge clarity is not all the way there. Images do tend to get a bit blurry the closer to the edge you get, but overall it is very clear and was a huge upgrade from what I had been using.
Bushnell Legend Ultra HD Monocular Review: Low Light Performance
In low light conditions the Bushnell Legend Ultra HD monocular did very well. During both sun up and sun down in low light conditions, I was able to see clearly well before and after full daylight hours. I was able to use the Legend monocular in both early morning and late evening conditions with great success. It has much greater clarity than the Vortex that I had used for years. I know Vortex offers a 15×50 monocular that would most likely do better in low light, but that comes at a cost to the wallet.
This little power house monocular packs a lot into a fairly small package. For guys like me, (the single eye-powered kind) this is a fantastic addition to our arsenal in the field. For years many of us have had to carry binoculars which is just extra, unneeded weight and bulk. Not only for folks like us, but for people out there looking for a goof, lightweight option to normal binos, this is going to be a fantastic replacement for those hunts, or just to keep tucked away in your vehicle. I know for me, this will be my go-to glass from now on when I go hunting.
Bushnell Legend Ultra HD Monocular Review: Conclusion
For my purposes and finances, this little gem hits that sweet spot with cost and quality that will be hard to beat. After doing this Bushnell monocular review, I would not hesitate to recommend this to anybody out there.
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