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Another Good Read By JB |
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jwp475
Optics GrassHopper Joined: July/02/2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 19 |
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Posted: February/10/2009 at 15:03 |
range it,check the wind, dial in correction,aim,squezze and only one Shot......
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RifleDude
MODERATOR EVIL OPPRESSOR Joined: October/13/2006 Location: Texas Status: Offline Points: 16337 |
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Excellent post! Welcome to OT jwp475!
I also moved this into the binoculars forum, since the main focus of the article is binocular use.
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Ted
Money can't buy happiness... but it's much more comfortable to cry in a Porsche than on a bicycle. |
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lucytuma
Optics Jedi Knight Joined: November/25/2007 Location: Wisconsin Status: Offline Points: 5389 |
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Another good article, thanks!
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"The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not." - Thomas Jefferson
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Roy Finn
MODERATOR Steiner Junkie Joined: April/05/2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 4856 |
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I hoping maybe he can do an update perhaps on Best Buys for Bino's, hint...hint.............
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John Barsness
Optics Optimist Joined: January/27/2009 Status: Offline Points: 785 |
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Obviously "Looking Long" appeared a while back, but a lot of it is still valid.
I do have a binoculars-for-hunting piece on the list for OpticsTalk, though I am not as likely to list every darn binocular and how they appear to rate for me. For one thing, I haven't kept up like I used to, simply because there are too darn many binoculars out there--and they all seem to get upgraded every year.
But there will be some more stuff about hunting with binoculars, and some technical updates as well.
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medic52
Optics Professional Joined: October/05/2006 Location: Missouri Status: Offline Points: 893 |
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Being a hillbilly it took awhile before I learned the importance of a good pair of bino's. I have two pair now and will upgrade shortly.
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"The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him." G.K. Chesterton
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shooter4
Optics Apprentice Joined: February/11/2009 Status: Offline Points: 177 |
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I have to say its good this article was posted here. I guess I would not have read it if it was only listed in the Binocular section. Good reading - opens my eyes to new things. THANKS.
Next question - what is a good binocular for a starter on a budget?
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John Barsness
Optics Optimist Joined: January/27/2009 Status: Offline Points: 785 |
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What kind of budget? And where do you hunt, and for what?
JB
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mike650
Optics God Joined: May/14/2006 Location: West of Rockies Status: Offline Points: 14569 |
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“A hunt based only on trophies taken falls far short of what the ultimate goal should be.” – Fred Bear
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Horsemany
Optics Journeyman Joined: February/28/2008 Location: Nebraska Status: Offline Points: 643 |
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Me first. Me first. Under $400. South Dakota/Nebraska Prairie Dogs 200-700yds. What would you recommend? Thanks in advance.
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John Barsness
Optics Optimist Joined: January/27/2009 Status: Offline Points: 785 |
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Actually that's not difficult. I'd go with a 10x42, out there on the open plains. There are a bunch of very good roof-prism models available for $300-$400. In alphabetical order I would suggest any of these: Nikon Monarch ATB, $320
Minox BV, $299
Pentax DCF WPII, $385
Swift Ultra, $320
Vortex Fury, $360
Weaver Grand Slam, $400
These are all so close optically that I would hate to recommend one over another, because some individual's eyes will like one more than another. Another thing that not many people consider is how a binocular feels in your hands, especially when buying one for constant glassing as in PD shooting. I have had good luck with ALL the brands listed, and in reality would be happy to use any.
Another really good 10x that I use a LOT myself is the Burris 10x50 Signature Select. This is a little pricier than your budget limit, $478.
Roof prisms of course are the thing these days. That said, here are a few good porro prism binoculars available, and they provide optics a shade better than roofs in this price class. Most are also waterproof these days. In theory they aren't quite as tough as roof prisms, both because of how the prisms are mounted and the hinge system, but if you're not beating the snot out them in really tough hunting, then they will last a long, long time. I still have my first really good binocular, a 7x35 Nikon porro purchased around 25 years ago, and it is still just as sharp and bright as ever, and perfectly collimated. Both my wife and I hunted with it for many years.
One real sleeper of a porro-prism glass is the 10x42 Leupold Green Ring Cascade. I have been using one for a couple of years now. Last spring my wife and her brother and I went to Yellowstone Park to look for elk, bighorn sheep, wolves, grizzlies, etc. We took three binoculars to see how they compared, my 5-year-old Leica 8+12 Duovids, a new 8x42 Zeiss FL--and the Leupold 10x42 Cascade. We were glassing up to two miles away, and we all traded the 3 binoculars back and forth. There was no instance where one of us spotted something and the others couldn't pick it up quickly, and just as often the initial spot was made with the Cascades. They are waterproof and so far have proven pretty tough, so at $285 I would rate them a steal.
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SChunter
Optics Journeyman Joined: December/02/2007 Location: usa Status: Offline Points: 376 |
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How about under 1K for general hunting?
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SChunter
Optics Journeyman Joined: December/02/2007 Location: usa Status: Offline Points: 376 |
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Low light performance first, glassing and ID/eval of big game for a little more info to the previous post!
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Horsemany
Optics Journeyman Joined: February/28/2008 Location: Nebraska Status: Offline Points: 643 |
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Thanks a bunch John. That speeds up the process for me.
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John Barsness
Optics Optimist Joined: January/27/2009 Status: Offline Points: 785 |
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For a "general" glass I would go more for an 8x42 (or thereabouts) rather than a 10x, or maybe even an 8x32 if a little lighter glass is desired. If more open country is the "general" use then I would go to a 10x42, but in general 10x32's in this price range aren't quite good enough, because of exit pupil and other issues.
Those I have tried and been impressed with are:
Bushnell Elite 8x43
Leupold Gold Ring 8x42
Meopta Meostar 8x42
Minox HG 8.5x43
Vortex Razor 8x42
All of these retail in the $800 range.
If you want an 8x32 I would suggest the Nikon Premier. For a 10x42 I like the Meopta Meostar.
Once you get into this class, you're looking at a "lifetime" binocular, or something approaching it. So I also look at ruggedness, which necessitates long-term use, not justa quick evaluation of optics. I also tend to like a heavier binocular for longer-term glassing, because it steadies things down a little, reducing eyestrain over several hours or days, so the weight of the Leupold and Meopta don't bother me.
I have pretty much given up trying to evaluate every binocular on the market for tiny differences in optical quality, for several reasons. First, optical quality is getting so good overall that minor differences are really minor. This is because competition is so fierce--and because so many binoculars are made by the same factories.
Also, EVERY company upgrades (at least theoetically) their binoculars every year or two. I simply do not have time to look through all of the new models side-by-side every year--and even then somebody else's eyes might not agree with mine.
Another big factor is that the advances made are so tiny that older binoculars from the same company aren't that far behind. I am not about to get rid of my 8x32 Nikon Premiers (or are they LX's, the previous name?) even though they were made 7 years ago. The newer ones no doubt are slightly improved, but the old ones are still great binoculars.
Finally, with the great binoculars we have today, even in the $300 range, skill in glassing is often more important than minor differences in optics. See my previous post for the in-the-field evaluation of the Leupold 10x432 Cascades, for instance.
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medic52
Optics Professional Joined: October/05/2006 Location: Missouri Status: Offline Points: 893 |
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I am at the point now that I want to buy a lifetime pair. I do some varmint hunting in the plains and deer hunt in the Ozark Hills. I have been considering the Razor, but my issue is do I want the 8x or 10x do I even consider a 12X. I would love to look thru a pair......being color blind is there thing I should consider? What you guys think appreciate your thoughts
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"The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him." G.K. Chesterton
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SChunter
Optics Journeyman Joined: December/02/2007 Location: usa Status: Offline Points: 376 |
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John, because most of my hunting is in SC where we have one hour pre and post sun rise for deer hunting, I had been contemplating the Razor 8.5 x 50. What are your thoughts? And what about the Meopta's separate themselves from the others in the 10x category sub 1K? Thanks for your reply! |
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John Barsness
Optics Optimist Joined: January/27/2009 Status: Offline Points: 785 |
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The 8.5x50 Razor should work very well for your specific purpose, the almost 6mm exit pupil combined with the 8.5x magnfication.
The Meopta 10x42 isn't just very good optically. It is also quite stout. I have used one for lots of hunting under various conditions from the deserts of North America to the rainforests of New Zealand, and it just keeps truckin'. I also like the combination of weight and balance, which for me at least is pretty much ideal for serious glassing.
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SChunter
Optics Journeyman Joined: December/02/2007 Location: usa Status: Offline Points: 376 |
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Thanks, John.
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John Barsness
Optics Optimist Joined: January/27/2009 Status: Offline Points: 785 |
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medic52,
Sorry I missed your post. The color-blindness problem is very perplexing. One of my hunting companions (another hunting writer) is partially color-blind, and on one hunt partially sponsored by a certain optics manufacturer about 6 of uf were using exactly the same 8x42 roof-prism binocular, a very good glass in the $800 range.
After a day or two he kept insisting they were a real POS, because he couldn't see much of anything in dim light. Finally I started switching glasses with him, because he just might have gotten a bad glass (this happens too). Instead I could see just as well with his as mine.
It turned out his color-blindness just didn't match well with the color "bias" (as it's called) of the binoculars we were using. He was missing parts of the spectrum in low light.
So it's really hard to make recommendations with the problems involved. All I can think of suggesting is going to a high-grade sporting goods store (or trade show) with a lot of different binoculars--and then looking through them where the light is dimmest.
Again, this is why I tend to avoid making firm statements about this or that binocular's optics these days, especially with various binoculars being so close in quality. I also have a friend who has close-set eyes--who absolutely could NOT use the Nikon Premier 8x32's that are among my favorites. It's problems like these that complicate evaluations.
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