redneck2
Member
I had a thread a few weeks ago about binoculars for hunting. I wanted these specifically for a prairie dog hunt.
I did NOT want something compact. I have small ones for deer hunting. I wanted something larger, heavier, and more stable, and that will gather more light. Since I will have a table to rest my elbows, and since I need to see real little bitty critters at long range, 10x or better was my criteria.
I had looked at many different brands. I was pretty much set on getting some Leupold Olympics from a local dealer for $400. I got a response from one of the members here (USSR) that sells Russian mis-surp. The price at $140 seemed exceptional, and the replies and reviews from SnipersHide were quite positive. At $140, I decided to order a pair of 12x50's.
Now, I'll preface this by saying that I'm pretty particular about optics. All my scopes are Leupold VX-III's, Burris Black Diamond, etc. When these arrived, they were the size and weight I expected. They are new and unissued.
First thing I noticed was a yellowish tint. I assume this is for clarity at dusk and dawn. The right eye has hash marks for ranging. Eye focus is individual for each eye. I was very leery of this. In use, it's extremely simple. You focus one eye, then the other. If you change distance, it's quite easy to turn both at once. The other thing I noticed is that I don't experience the typical black outs that I get with most binoculars. I have no idea why this is. They're exceptionally easy to use once you get the eye width set.
I live on a lake, and last night there were boats out at very late dusk. Just looking, I could make them out but see little or no detail at maybe 200 yards. With the binoculars, I could pretty easily make out faces of the occupants. I could read the registration numbers.
I can read the phone number on the realtor's yard signs across the lake, maybe 550-600 yards. I would rate the clarity as outstanding. I saw some that look similar on e-bay, and suspect that the glass was manufactured by Zeiss.
I have a friend that own a gun shop and can get most any brand he wants. He has a pair of Leica's that retail for over $1,200. He bought a pair of these for elk hunting after looking through them.
I had several requests from members (both on the forum and PM's) about my results.
FYI...HTH and all that
I did NOT want something compact. I have small ones for deer hunting. I wanted something larger, heavier, and more stable, and that will gather more light. Since I will have a table to rest my elbows, and since I need to see real little bitty critters at long range, 10x or better was my criteria.
I had looked at many different brands. I was pretty much set on getting some Leupold Olympics from a local dealer for $400. I got a response from one of the members here (USSR) that sells Russian mis-surp. The price at $140 seemed exceptional, and the replies and reviews from SnipersHide were quite positive. At $140, I decided to order a pair of 12x50's.
Now, I'll preface this by saying that I'm pretty particular about optics. All my scopes are Leupold VX-III's, Burris Black Diamond, etc. When these arrived, they were the size and weight I expected. They are new and unissued.
First thing I noticed was a yellowish tint. I assume this is for clarity at dusk and dawn. The right eye has hash marks for ranging. Eye focus is individual for each eye. I was very leery of this. In use, it's extremely simple. You focus one eye, then the other. If you change distance, it's quite easy to turn both at once. The other thing I noticed is that I don't experience the typical black outs that I get with most binoculars. I have no idea why this is. They're exceptionally easy to use once you get the eye width set.
I live on a lake, and last night there were boats out at very late dusk. Just looking, I could make them out but see little or no detail at maybe 200 yards. With the binoculars, I could pretty easily make out faces of the occupants. I could read the registration numbers.
I can read the phone number on the realtor's yard signs across the lake, maybe 550-600 yards. I would rate the clarity as outstanding. I saw some that look similar on e-bay, and suspect that the glass was manufactured by Zeiss.
I have a friend that own a gun shop and can get most any brand he wants. He has a pair of Leica's that retail for over $1,200. He bought a pair of these for elk hunting after looking through them.
I had several requests from members (both on the forum and PM's) about my results.
FYI...HTH and all that
