For those of you who don’t know, Redfield scopes have been in the making for almost 100 years. This is a long time for a company to exist, regardless of what they actually produce. Redfield scopes were originally produced in Colorado; however, a few years ago Blount bought the company and the line was discontinued for a time.
While Redfield had enjoyed a popular history and was at one time known as one of the best-known and most popular brands in the industry in the 1990s, Redfield found it difficult to keep up with the competition in the industry. Companies like Leupold were putting increasing pressure on others in the market, and Redfield was struggling to stay afloat. There seemed to be no choice but to take the Redfield line of scopes off the market entirely and lick his own wounds.
All of this changed, almost at the last moment, when Meade came on the scene and took over Redfield. Meade themselves have become known for their excellent quality telescopes over the years and moving to rifle optics made perfect sense. Meade acquired several other companies at the same time and Redfield now makes his home in Georgia; where the 4 lines of Redfield scopes are now produced. They are the Golden Five Star, the Tracker, the Widefield, and the Illuminator.
Some of Redfield’s current oscilloscopes are nothing really “new”. The Widefield scope, for example, was in production long before Redfield ran into trouble. This particular scope features an oval eyepiece and objective lens that allows you to mount the scope lower on your rifle while providing a much wider view than you could normally get.
While the design itself certainly looks a bit odd and is one step away from the normal design of many oscilloscopes, there is no denying the fact that this unique design works flawlessly. When hunting at close range, you can’t ask for better image delivery. In testing, the Widefield produces images that are 30% larger than similar viewers. In addition to a design that truly delivers, Redfield continues to produce high-quality parts constructed from a tough aluminum alloy tube that can withstand some fairly rough terrain and treatment.
With Meade now running the program, Redfield will now not honor warranties on older Redfield scopes models. However, the company offers a lifetime warranty on all new scopes manufactured and sold under the direction of Meade himself.