Optics

Swarovski EL Range: Top End Rangefinding Binoculars

Online Editors — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 14:57:12 -0500

The El Range is Swarovski's first crack at rangefinding binoculars, and they nailed it. The EL range can judge distances out past 1,500 yards and are built with Swarovski's classic high quality. The binos also have a gradometer, which can judge the angle of a shot or call the angle-adjusted range.

Kowa Optics Introduces New Line for Hunters

Online Editors — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 14:42:47 -0500

Kowa optics introduced a new line of binoculars that range from $100 to about $300. In the past, these otpics have been mostly used by bird watchers and competitive shooters, but they make for great hunting glass too.

Review: Nikon Monarch 3 Binoculars

Sarah Smith — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 10:55:41 -0500

by David E. Petzal

I’ll spare you my usual Scrooge-like rant this year and simply state that since this blog is largely about greed, covetousness, and the acquisition of hunting gear in the first place, what follows should be perfectly in keeping with the holidays. So in the days to come I will present you with a number of items that you can lust for and whine about until you get them.

First on the list is Nikon’s new Monarch 3 binocular. A hunter without a binocular is like a cowboy without a pickup, or a Congressman without a slush fund. Most of the binoculars I write about range from medium-priced to the cost of a good heart transplant, but these Nikons are not in that bracket. The MSRP is $249, and that seems to be the real-world price as well.

I can’t find Monarch 3s on the Nikon website—they may be too new—but I can tell you that they bear none of the hallmarks of inexpensive binoculars. They are bright, sharp, have good controls, no gimmicks, and are light and waterproof. The pair I have is a 10x42, and I presume they make them in 8X as well. The overall impression is of quality way beyond price.

They will get the job done for you, and it’s hard to do better than that.

Score Some Bucks, Win a Bushnell Scope--Final Round!

Sarah Smith — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 12:45:13 -0500

by Dave Hurteau

And so we have come to the final buck in our scoring contest—and your big chance to win a new Bushnell Elite 3-9x40 DOA 600 scope.

All you have to do is guess the gross B&C score of this here buck I took in Wyoming last month, add it to your guesses for the first three bucks (linked below), and post your grand total in the comment section below. Remember, fractionals count.

Whoever’s grand total is closest to that of the four bucks’ actual gross scores (which I will post next Thursday) wins the scope. If there’s a tie, I will post another buck for the finalists to guess at.

So, the four bucks you should include in your grand-total guess are the one pictured below and the three linked here:

Buck #1

Buck #2

Buck #3

Only your first guess counts (unless it’s an obvious typo or such). You have until first thing Thursday morning (December 15) to post your guess.

And as always, if you win and we find out that you are a friend or family member of one of the hunters shown or you are affiliated with Bushnell or F&S, then we are going to ring your doorbell, kick you in your privates and take the scope back.

Okay, go for it—and good luck.

Score Some Bucks, Win a Bushnell Scope, Round Three

Sarah Smith — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 09:32:46 -0500

by Dave Hurteau

Here is yet another fine whitetail taken on my recent hunt at Wyoming’s Trophy Ridge Outfitters—and the next buck in our scoring contest. Remember, you are playing for a new Bushnell Elite 3-9x40 DOA 600 scope.

To recap, yet again: I will post a total of four bucks photos, one per week, for one month. (Click here if you missed the first one and here for the second one.)

You will guess the gross B&C score of each and keep track of your guesses. Fractionals will count. When I post the final buck, I’ll ask you for your grand total. Whoever is closest wins the scope. If there is a tie, we will have a tiebreaker buck.

Now, what do you think this buck scores?

Bushnell Scope Buck-Scoring Contest, Round 2

Sarah Smith — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 10:08:32 -0500

by Dave Hurteau

Okay people, here is another fine-looking whitetail taken on my recent hunt at Wyoming’s Trophy Ridge Outfitters—and the next buck in our scoring contest. Once again, you are playing for a new Bushnell Elite 3-9x40 DOA 600 scope.

If you are just joining us: I will post a total of four bucks photos, one per week, for one month. (Click here if you missed the first one.)

Now, have a close look at this buck. What do you think it scores?

Score Some Bucks, Win a Bushnell Elite Scope

Sarah Smith — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 10:24:24 -0500

by Dave Hurteau

I just got back from hunting whitetails at Trophy Ridge Outfitters in northeastern Wyoming (more on that soon) with representatives from Browning, Winchester, the NSSF and Bushnell.

For the hunt, the last gave me the use of a Bushnell Elite riflescope with the company’s DOA reticle, which allows even the simplest of riflemen to figure bullet drop at a glance, and which performed very nicely indeed. (All of the bucks I’ll post for this contest were taken on this trip and, I believe, taken with some version of this scope.)

I mentioned to Paul Arnold of Bushnell that an Elite scope would make a slick prize for our next scoring contest, and he agreed. So now all you have to do is score some bucks, as usual, to have a chance at hunting the late season with this new Bushnell Elite 3-9x40 DOA 600 scope.

For anyone new to this game: I will post a picture of a buck each week, for one month. You will guess the gross B&C score of each and keep track of your guesses. Fractionals will count.

When I post the final buck, I’ll ask you for your grand total. Whoever is closest wins the scope. If there is a tie, we will have a tiebreaker buck.

Okay. Here’s your first buck. What do you think it grosses?

How To Punk Your Buddy's Trail Camera

Sarah Smith — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 11:23:19 -0400

--Chad Love

Here's one from the "Why Didn't I Think Of That?" files...

Everyone knows that punking your hunting buddy's trail cam with fake creature photos is a real time-consuming pain, what with all the getting in and out of fake Bigfoot suits, leprechaun knickers and alien bodies and such. So don't. If you've got even marginal Photoshop skills then don't bother taking the creature to the camera, instead just take the camera to the creature...

From this story on thechive.com:

Brilliant! But seriously, would you be angry if someone were to do this to one of your trail cameras, or would you get a laugh out of it?