Great Values in Hunting Optics
If there is one area that has had great improvement over the last decade, it has been optics. Even “middle of the road” riflescopes, rangefinders, and binoculars are better today than the top of the line just a decade ago. Here are some examples.
Burris Fullfield E1 3-9 x 40mm Riflescope
A riflescope with fully multi-coated lenses, an innovative etched holdover reticle, a scope that hold its zero, in a model long known for uniform quality, and all for $200 American dollars in 2012. It is the very best value in a hunting scope today.
Bushnell® Legend Ultra HD Binoculars
As of right now going in the $250 area with a fifty dollar rebate in addition to that, in either 8 x 42mm or 10 x 42mm these are excellent sets for about $200 net.
Hawke Panorama Model HK 5160 3-9 x 40 mm IR Riflescope
This Hawke Panorama EV has features that are not easily found in a scope, much less in a riflescope this good and this affordable. This Hawke has 90 inches of internal adjustment, roughly 50% more than generic scopes so this alone can be a blessing in several applications. Not just a glass-etched reticle, this is a 1/2 Mil-Dot reticle offering you twice the precise aiming points of a standard Mil-Dot, a reticle normally only available as an extra-cost option. Not only is it an illuminated reticle with five settings, it is dual color . . . use the blue during the day, the red at dusk. The “EV” (extreme view) design of this Hawke offers approximately a twenty percent wider field of view than conventional scopes. All in all, it is a very impressive offering in a approximately $180 street price optic.
Hawke Optics 3-12 x 50 Endurance 30 Riflescope
For applications like bear hunting, coyotes or hogs at night, and just all-around big game hunting this is a very well thought-out scope. The strong 30mm tube and the coil spring enhanced 4:1 ratio erector assembly is confidence-inspiring. Not only is the L4 reticle a standout, but the illumination adjustment on the side of the scope is easier to use and more cosmetically appealing compared to "top of ocular mounted" controls. The Endurance 30 gets the most from the 30mm platform while maintaining usable exit pupil size throughout the zoom range augmented by generous eye relief and reasonably low scope mounting. With nothing else out there that compares to this optic, for the dollar. this offering is highly recommended. It comes with anodized, threaded scope covers and in a hard carrying case. If the low price point for this platform doesn't win you over at about $340, the Hawke L4 illuminated reticle surely will.
Hawke Frontier ED 8 x 43mm Premium Binoculars
With ED glass, a magnesium frame, an ounce lighter than the $2200 Nikon 8 x 42 EDG binoculars (one example), with a better close focus distance and a 63 foot wider field of view at a thousand yards there is nothing that touches this set at a street price of $350 that I've ever seen. These Hawke Frontiers will satisfy anyone.
Leupold 2011 RX-1000i TBR Laser Rangefinder
The RX-1000i is outstandingly good product. There's nothing remotely close to it in its price range, something like $350 street for the basic model and $400 for the TBR model. this a superb palm-sized rangefinder, ruggedly built, excellent battery life, excellent optics, blazingly fast range acquisition, weatherproof, lightweight, with essentially silent operation. The personal laser rangefinder is the single most valuable hunting tool to appear during my lifetime. We've come a very long way from steps, paces, long one and short one type of thinking. Most of the earlier units were characterized by dim optics, dark and slow liquid crystal displays, whirling and clicking sound effects, poor battery life, and excess bulkiness. This Leupold exhibits none of these unfortunate propensities.If you're in the market for your first rangefinder or an upgrade to the old dark, clicky, slow, whirling, battery-sucking gizmo-finders of a few years back, the Leupold RX1000i is easily the best in its class.
Minox ZA 5 1.5-8 x 32mm German #4 Riflescope
One of the newest from Minox, with a 5:1 zoom ratio, light weight, superb image quality including low-light, generous internal adjustment range, a superb power ring, and a diminutive size that won't overpower lightweight hunting rifles, it is one of the best new scopes I've tested in a long while. German engineering, Schott Glass, and American assembly at about $480.
Copyright 2011 by Randy Wakeman. All Rights Reserved.
