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Author Topic: What features do you look for when buying optics?  (Read 1212 times)

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Offline chk

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What features do you look for when buying optics?
« on: March 28, 2003, 04:58:23 AM »
I'll start this off with my criteria. I like a wide field of view and generous eye relief. 300 yards is probably the longest shot I'd take after practicing. I have a 1.5x6 and a 2x8 on my centerfire rifles. I wonder why so many hunters are in love with high end magnification varible scopes. I know they make it easier to get small groups from the bench. I don't hunt from a bench and find it easier to hit accurately off hand using lower magnification. I have a set of B&L Discoverer 7x42 binos for hunting. I like the rain guard coating, overall size, and light gathering capability of them. I had to buy new binos because I started wearing glasses so I wanted twist up eye cups not the fold down type. IMHO most hunters start out with a cheap scope and get the higher power vaible model scopes to compensate for lack of clarity. This trend to use the higher magnification scopes carries over when they buy better quality scopes out of habit. With good quality optics I've found I can do more with less magnification. An example of this is the Weaver V10 scope I had on my .243. I could see at 200 yards as well with my 1.5x6 set on 6 power as the other set at 10 power. I see the need for high end power for varmints and target shooting. For big game I don't.
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Offline Zachary

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What features do you look for when buying o
« Reply #1 on: March 28, 2003, 08:25:19 AM »
I had a poll on this topic recently, but I'll go ahead and tell you what my favorite features are.

First and foremost, I want QUALITY glass and construction.  I guess that pretty much sums it all up, but there are a few other things too.

I also like scopes with Illuminated reticles, I love the rainguard feature, and I only buy, and use, variable power scopes.  I am one of those people that tend to buy scopes with 50mm objectives and higher then normal magnifications (i.e. higher than 3x-9x - like up to 12x or 16x or, like my Nightforce NXS scope - 22x).  To me, I have no problem shooting a deer at 100 yards when the scope is on 10x or even 14x.  Yes, I can shoot it as low as 4x I guess, but I don't have a problem.  

Now, let me emphasis that I always start out at the lowest possible setting that has the widest FOV.  Then, if there is no other animal around the targeted animal, THEN, and only then, will I crank up the magnification.

Oh, I am also a nut for long eye relief scopes.  I don't care too much for Leupold Vari-X IIIs (even though I own a couple), but there is no denying that they have the best eye relief.

Zachary
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Offline chk

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What features do you look for when buying o
« Reply #2 on: March 28, 2003, 09:16:05 AM »
Zach, I wasn't aware you had posted this recently. Some of my co-workers discussed this the other day at work. I knew of your post on eye relief vs. field of view. Dave
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Offline Zachary

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What features do you look for when buying o
« Reply #3 on: March 28, 2003, 10:17:15 AM »
It's no problem. :wink:   Let's try this out and see where it goes.

Zachary
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Offline SeanD

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What features do you look for when buying o
« Reply #4 on: March 29, 2003, 12:02:08 AM »
1.  Dependability

2.  Eye relief

3.  Light in weight and small in size

4.  Clarity and brightness

Pretty much in that order when it comes to a hunting scope.  I dont hunt at night, and most any mid range scope is clear and bright enough to shoot any big game animal i am after.  And a good warranty is important if you want a scope to be a one time purchase.  

I like leupold.  Looking for a good used 4x at the moment...
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sean

Offline jhm

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What features do you look for when buying o
« Reply #5 on: March 29, 2003, 01:33:07 AM »
I guess I am the odd one in the bunch as I try to match the scope up to the rifle, meaning if the rifle is of the 60s 70s I try to locate quality scopes of that vintage for the rifle I wont put a brand new scope on a 30 or 40 yr old gun which are the ones I personally like the best.  It sometimes means the rifle will sit without a scope for awhile until the correct one is located or returned from being rebuilt.  But with that said I like the old Denver made redfields by brand decent field of view and in their time the cost to rifle was within reason. :D   JIM
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Offline chk

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What features do you look for when buying o
« Reply #6 on: March 29, 2003, 05:38:41 AM »
jhm, I think that's pretty neat. Most of the old scopes I've been lucky enough to look through were pretty clear and bright. That didn't suprise me. The old Weavers and Redfields were great optics for their time. The new lens coatings are great as are some of the more recent recticals that weren't available but it's hard to beat a great classic. Dave
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Offline Naphtali

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What features do you look for when buying o
« Reply #7 on: April 06, 2003, 06:14:57 AM »
I'll preface by saying I use traditional muzzleloaders without telescopic sights. My comments pertain to binoculars.

Zachary, as usual, is point on. One feature of quality and durability that is difficult to verify in the store is hardness of the exterior glass. When you buy top-quality binocular, you buy for the remainder of your life.

My experience with binoculars tends to be uniform. Top quality binoculars are just that.

But . . .

German and Austrian optical glass is harder, more scratch resistent than Japanese glass. Why? I've asked around. The answer that makes the most sense is that glass chemistry is slightly different.

I believe this becomes significant after several years of normal hunting use. Watching football, boating, and other moderate activity probably have little effect on exterior surfaces.

You can control this somewhat by using lens protectors, but the "crazing" on exterior glass surfaces reduces light gathering -- reflection reduction wears away -- and sharpness of image.

Please note that I placed a discussion topic on maintaining lenses. There's good stuff there in response.

So do I put my dollars where my mouth is? I own Zeiss 8x30 BG/A IF Olive binoculars.

I have owned Zeiss-Jena 7x40 EDFs and Leitz Trinovid 6x24 and 10x40 binoculars.
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Offline DeeGee

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What features do you look for when buying o
« Reply #8 on: April 23, 2003, 01:23:44 PM »
Perhaps the most important criteria, almost never discussed, is the coating or coatings on the lenses themselves.  Coatings govern the visible "light" spectrum that enters and is processed by the lenses. A very brief overview.  There are three commonly listed coating techniques in the product specifications found in your catalogs or tech. specifications.

When the specs tell you this scope is fully coated.  That means the all lenses will have a single coating applied.

A multicoated lense will have only one lens with a multicoating applied. Might be the objective lense.

OR the fully multicoated lenses which means that all lenses are multicoated.

You get what you pay for.  The fully multicoated is the best choice of the three.   At least that's the way it used to be.

I just looked at the Natchez catalog and found all three processes in the Simmons line.
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Offline longwinters

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What features do you look for when buying o
« Reply #9 on: April 25, 2003, 03:22:42 PM »
Clarity and Durability every time.  If you get this, you will probably get many of the other charactoristics previously mentioned, because you will have a good piece of glass.
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Offline sebastian

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Re: What features do you look for when buying optics?
« Reply #10 on: May 06, 2003, 02:35:37 AM »
Quote from: chk

...........I know they make it easier to get small groups from the bench. I don't hunt from a bench and find it easier to hit accurately off hand using lower magnification.
...............With good quality optics I've found I can do more with less magnification.
.............. I see the need for high end power for varmints and target shooting. For big game I don't.


chk, perhaps you're right on these. But if you like "detail shot" (say you want to hit its brain/ear/heart) and 'longer range"(say more than 200yards) you will know the difference........
Just my 2cents. :toast:
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Life is like a story, it is the "content" and not the "length" to make it good....

Offline chk

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What features do you look for when buying o
« Reply #11 on: May 07, 2003, 03:11:45 AM »
Sebastian, that's a good point. When I remarked " I don't hunt from a bench" I wasn't puting down those that do. I have come across some that do and I don't disagree with their method. It's not for me but if it makes them happy so be it. Each of us has our own likes and dislikes. I noticed the beer mugs on your post and that's a perfect example. So many things in life are like beer. Everyone has their own tastes and that's why there are so many to chose from. I like the dark and heavy kind the best.  :gulp:
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Offline Power

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    • http://www.powerandfury.com/hunt.html
What features do you look for when buying o
« Reply #12 on: June 17, 2003, 08:19:13 AM »
Used to have a 3-9x40 Nikon. Last season at first light I had 2 legal Bull's around 250 yards away. Since there were a lot of other hunters in the area I didn't have many options but to sit there and try to figure out if they were legal. I just didn't have good enough glass to tell at that range, with that light.

BOOOOOM!!!

My brother in law was about 100 yards closer and a couple hundred yards to my right. He shot the first spike (spike-only here in WA). I never was able to 100% confirm the other until talking to him later that morning while helping him get his out.

Since WA has a 3-pt. min. for deer, elk are spike only, you REALLY have to size up your animal before you can shoot. I want the very best glass I can afford as the sagebrush areas around here is wide open and you need to do a lot of glassing. That's why I now have a Zeiss 4.5-14x44 Conquest. It's not compensating for anything, I just want as much advantage as I can get. Elk meat is that yummy!

By the way I did get my first elk after 8 hard years finally later that week (Halloween morning, sick as a dog). The story is here.[/u]
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-Power

Offline sebastian

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What features do you look for when buying o
« Reply #13 on: June 17, 2003, 10:07:11 AM »
Nice pics and story, Power.... 8)
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Life is like a story, it is the "content" and not the "length" to make it good....

Offline Power

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What features do you look for when buying o
« Reply #14 on: June 17, 2003, 10:32:34 AM »
Quote from: sebastian
Nice pics and story, Power.... 8)


Thanks! I actually got my 2001 Turkey story published on another site this spring. I try to write to entertain and inform. Glad you liked it.
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-Power
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