Redfield is one of the most respected names in the scope industry, and its return to the mainstream in 2008 after Leupold purchased the company means that its legions of fans now have a chance to sample its world class scopes. Redfield’s Accu-range 3-9x40mm scope was originally used with the USMC M40 sniper during the Vietnam war. The new Redfiled Revolution 3-9x40mm scope is considered to be on the lower end of the tactical scope market, though the Revolution line of scopes represents some of Redfield’s finest scopes that are made in Oregon in the U.S.
Looks
The Redfield Revolution 3-9x40mm Riflescope’s tubes are CNC-machines from 6061-T6 aluminum alloy which gives the scope a look that is very similar to the Leupold VX line. The scope has a matte black finish that is evenly applied over the scope’s body. All markings are done in white.
Optics
The Redfield Revolution 3-9x40mm Riflescope’s eyepiece is done in the traditional non-fast focus style. The entire eyepiece rotates when the user adjusts the focus of the reticle. The reticle itself has a wide threaded area to adjust for the diopter. The lock ring can be twisted until it touches the eyepiece and locks it in place once the user adjusts the diopter. Though this style does just fine, it’s rather slow. The eyepiece has a light knurling on the top part to help the user get a better grip.
The scope has a generous eye relief that ranges from 3.7 inches to 4.2 inches depending on the magnification. This allow the Redfield Revolution 3-9x40mm Riflescope to be used on high-power rifles that have greater recoil. The scope’s lower magnification, however, makes it less suitable for use on high-powered rifles that need more eye relief. The generous eye relief allows for a wider range of mounting options.
The Redfield Revolution 3-9x40mm Riflescope has a magnification of 3.3-8.5x, and is well referenced in the name of the scope. This is something quite unusual because many scopes do not specify their power range. The elevation knob is located externally and is shorter than many scopes in keeping with the scope’s overall compact build. The numbers are clearly marked on the knob from 0 through 14 and 15 MOA. At sea level and standard atmospheric conditions, this is enough to shoot a Sierra Match King bullet at 2600 fps from 100 yards to over 500 yards with just a single rotation of the knob and more than 800 yards using two rotations. The Redfield Revolution 3-9x40mm Riflescope lacks rotational hash marks below the elevation knob to indicate when the knob undergoes a full revolution or to show the total number of revolutions. The scope, however, has enough elevation to take a 308 from 100-1,000 yards as long as it is mounted using a 20MOA canted base.
Windage
The Redfield Revolution 3-9x40mm Riflescope’s windage knob looks very much like the elevation knob with the same nice clicks. It has 15 MOA adjustments per revolution which means that the numbering overlaps at 7.5 MOA, which is enough for a 175 gr 308 to shoot out to 800 yards in a 10mph crosswind without the numbers overlapping. The Redfield Revolution 3-9x40mm Riflescope has 56 MOA adjustment for both the wind and the elevation.
The scope lacks an adjustable objective/parallax, which is typical of scopes under 10x. Scopes with no parallax are usually set at the factory to be parallax-free for up to 150 yards. The scope seems to follow this rule as well.
Miscellaneous
The rest of the scope is free of frills and pretty straightforward. Overall, the scope is small, light and compact. The scope’s 40mm objective lens is small by today’s standards, though it was standard not too long ago.
Verdict
The Redfield Revolution 3-9x40mm Riflescope is priced at $300 (but can often be found for under $200), which puts it at the lower end of the tactical scope market. The scope seems to have sacrificed on magnification range, and the objective lens which is quite small. The scope, however, has good functionality, good accuracy of clicks and is well capable in the 800+ yards tactical shooting range. The Redfield Revolution 3-9x40mm Riflescope does pretty well for a scope in its class.
If you want to get a second opinion on the merits of the scope, check out this awesome overview: