boong

For consideration, I hope the following related data benefits those interested in optics. I advised the supplier that Bushnell, Leupold, Kahles, Schmidt & Bender, Sightron and Vortex optics are quite popular here in Australia. Then, bearing in mind the previously mentioned list of ‘alpha’ grade binoculars, I asked what he would personally select and/or recommend, and why. Here’s an extract of his response; “It appears you´ve spent a lot of time reading up on binoculars to pick the best model for your needs. I know some of the references you´ve posted, especially Holger Merlitz’s related comparative review, (refer; http://www.holgermerlitz.de/kowa85x44.html) who is some kind of ‘institution’ when it comes to evaluating the technical and optical parameters of binoculars (i.e. the physics and construction). His way of giving credit points in comparison of different binoculars may be questionable, yet definitely knows what he´s writing about very well. Naturally, many reviews and evaluations are quite ‘technical’, focused on the physical facts, which I find a bit difficult because ‘seeing’ is a deeply subjective matter. You can compare field of view, light transmission, weight, eye relief and other parameters, but you still don´t know how it feels to look through the binoculars. That´s always the dilemma when you have no other chance but buying ‘blind’. Disregarding Japan, middle Europe is the heart of the optical industry. It´s almost a question of belief, especially in the community of hunters, whether one prefers Swarovski, Zeiss or Leica in the alpha grade level, respectively Meopta, Kowa, Steiner or Minox in the more affordable range. Vortex doesn´t play a major role in Europe, it´s only little known, probably because of the poor distribution. I personally like Swarovski very much, especially the EL, in my opinion (still) the best binoculars available in defiance of the new Zeiss Victory SF/HT and Leica Ultravid HD-Plus. I think the EL are just perfectly balanced binoculars, with a neutral, absolutely true to color image, excellent edge sharpness and the field-flattening lenses bringing ‘brilliance’ and deepness to the image. Zeiss Victory SF comes close to that, but I must say that I generally don´t like the Zeiss design, which I find a bit too ‘matter-of-fact’. Victory HT are not as good I would say, Zeiss concentrated on maximum light transmission in this model which, in my opinion, has led to a declined edge sharpness and an image that tends a little bit to cold. There´s nothing bad to say about the Leica, yet neither the Leica nor Zeiss can produce the ‘brilliance’ that distinguishes the Swarovski from all the other makes. Like I said, it´s a subjective thing and a matter of taste in the end, when you must choose between several excellent products that differ only in little nuances. Regarding the more affordable binoculars, I´d agree with Holger Merlitz that the Kowa are probably the best optics, Meostar are pretty good too, don´t know the Vortex from personal experience. There´s other binoculars in this price range like Minox HG and Zeiss Conquest HD, but none comes close to the Kowa and Meopta, maybe the new Leica Trinovid HD, they´re pretty good, probably better than Meopta and very close to the Kowa. One word about Steiner, you´ve mentioned the Wildlife XP: for some years, Steiner have been struggling to reach the optical quality of the “big three” with first the Nighthunter XP roof prism models, then the Discovery and now the Widlife XP as their top of the range. However, their efforts were not successful, the Wildlife XP are, like the Dicovery and Nighthunter were, not even as good as Kowa Genesis or Meopta Meostar, yet about 50% more expensive, absolutely no challenge to Zeiss, Swaro or Leica. They´re trying to find a place in the ‘no man´s land’, but this doesn´t work, the less since Steiner have been taken over by the Beretta holding and are consequently being transformed into a “pseudo-German” brand for the US market mainly. Just some short comments on the brands you´ve mentioned… Bushnell: the brand as a whole is not of much interest for me, even though it´s widely spread throughout Europe and other parts of the world. Reason is that European dealers just can´t offer competitive prices for products of US based companies like Bushnell. Even though Bushnell have several branches in Europe with their dealers being distributed directly from a central European warehouse in France, recommended prices for Bushnell optics in Europe are up to double of what they are in the US. So, especially when it´s about export listings for my Australian customers, it just doesn´t make much sense with Bushnell. Kahles: very interesting you mentioned this. Kahles is an old Austrian brand which is only very little known here. I think they´re more popular overseas than they are in Germany actually, possibly because they focused pretty early on exporting rather than struggling for a little share in the very partitioned German market. Maybe I´m going to have a closer look at their assortment at the next opportunity. Schmidt&Bender: very well known and reputable (and expensive) over here. The thing here is: they´re doing only riflescope and won´t supply me. The gun/hunting gear market is a very complicated (restricted) thing here. Manufacturers of top quality riflescopes like Schmidt&Bender, Zeiss and Swarovski distribute their riflescopes through this sector exclusively, i.e. you can get a Schmidt&Bender riflescope only where you can get a gun too. Quite absurd I think, but that´s the way it is: I get supplied with binoculars and spotting scopes from Zeiss and Swarovski and I´m an ‘authorized dealer’ for these product lines, but I can´t order any riflescope from them, not even if I want it for my personal use. Vortex: are little known here. Yes, they´re being noticed in the specialized press and they do attend some trade fairs, but since they´re American and not as big as Bushnell, their European distribution is a bit fitful (quite the same with Leupold, to mention another important US brand). Further, it´s the same here as with Bushnell: European dealers can´t compete with the prices of US dealers by any means (same with Nikon). Furthermore, apart from the pricing problem, there´s several restrictions (set up by the manufacturers) that prevents me from offering all my products to buyers outside the EU". An extract of my response : Being curious about your recommendation of the highly acclaimed Swarovski EL 10x42, I found this informative review that ironically includes some minor references to the selected Kowa unit, refer; http://www.bestbinocularsreviews.com/Swarovski10x42EL-32.htm Note, according to a quick online search, they are available locally for the princely sum of AU$2690 to $3189 !! In hindsight, buying 'blind' is a rather daunting experience. Sure, we can initially take into account the various views and opinions of others but, in reality, 'seeing' and actual handling is in deed a subjective manner. In fact, having only ever previously handled porro prism binoculars, I found the comparatively slim / narrow structural nature of the Kowa roof prism unit to be somewhat awkward. No doubt I'll soon become familiar and competent with their usage. Otherwise, here's some hopefully helpful links about binoculars : The different types of binoculars, refer: http://www.bestbinocularsreviews.com/types-of-binoculars.php Choosing binoculars guide, refer; https://procular.com.au/how-to-choose-binoculars/?gclid=CNXv4Ka####s4CFQsnvQod1g8FiQ How to focus binoculars, refer; http://www.bestbinocularsreviews.com/how_to_focus_binoculars.php A glossary of optical terms, refer; http://www.bestbinocularsreviews.com/glossary-binoculars.php#twilight_factor Some general info about binoculars, refer : http://www.chuckhawks.com/binocular_basics.htm How & why power effects magnification and field of view, refer; http://www.birdwatching.com/optics/education/how8ismorethan10.html Here's one of several reviews that helped me to settle on the Kowa binoculars, refer; http://www.bestbinocularsreviews.com/Kowa10.5x44GenesisXD-31.htm

For several years I've been using rather 'average' quality Bushnell BAK-4 porro prism binoculars for hunting & bird watching, namely, Legend 10x50 and Sportec 7x35. I've long desired a decent quality set that would comfortably cover both activities. However, rather than spending an exorbitant amount on alpha grade binoculars (eg. Swarovski EL 10x42, Leica Ultravid HD-Plus 10x42, Zeiss Victory HT 10x42, Nikon EDG 10x42, Steiner Wildlife XP Ultra HD 10x44) I elected to alternatively compromise on relatively comparable but less expensive units like the following; Meopta MeoStar B1 HD 10x42, Kowa Genesis XD44 Prominar 10.5x44, and Vortex Razor HD 10x42’s. Unfortunately, no one local retailer offers a broad range of brands for a direct hands on comparative test, hence why I essentially relied on related data and reviews submitted online by others. Following much deliberation I finally settled on the Kowa binoculars and duly ordered a set from the following ebay store in Germany, refer; http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/KOWA-Binoculars-Genesis-XD44-PROMINAR-10-5x44-NEW-/350646759830?hash=item51a42cf196:m:mwZi-yt4TwGWB9vBvB3Y57Q http://anderssehen.eu/ (select translation, from German to English) http://www.kowa-prominar.com/product/binoculars/genesis.html However, during my first trial viewing I soon noticed a small but distinctive 'black' chip like blemish INSIDE the right hand side lens assembly (located at the almost 3 o’clock position, just in from the perimeter). I was truly shocked and understandably disappointed because, being their premium line, I fully expected Kowa’s associated quality control to be such that obvious optical defects would be readily identified prior to being inspected, sealed and packaged in Japan - resulting in 'faulty' units being rightly withdrawn from sale. Questionably not so in this case. I immediately emailed my concern to Thilo Anders, the apparent owner of the online ebay store in Koln/Germany, here’s his prompt and praiseworthy reply; "I´m sorry to hear the binoculars you´ve received apparently are faulty in some way. I know that Kowa have a quite good quality control “normally”, nevertheless it happens from time to time that a faulty product comes into sale. You know, we´re selling about 2000 pairs of binoculars plus 500 spotting scopes and riflescopes a year, and I can tell from (painful) experience: there´s not a single manufacturer who does a “100% quality control”. We´ve already had faulty binoculars from Swarovski, Zeiss and Leica, even a faulty TSN-883 scope from Kowa within the last 12 months, so this does happen, it clearly shouldn´t but it does. However, I think in English one would use the term “there´s no use crying over spilt milk” here, so let´s see how we can solve this as best as possible. My first offer to you is, of course, to exchange the binoculars for another pair (which I would personally control before sending them if you agree) and take back yours at our expenses. You can return your pair, I´d refund your postage expenses (Auspost standard parcel with signature or equivalent), and we´d send another pair (and claim yours with Kowa later). Alternatively you could send your pair to the next Kowa representative to have it exchanged there and I´d refund your expenses for this procedure, but I don´t want to ask that from you, so if you want to return it to us that´s fine. Third option is to return your pair for a refund and choose a different make, I´d accept that too". For consideration, to me, that’s what I call outstanding customer service. Following subsequent emails, Thilo also appears to be quite knowledgeable and experienced in various optics. The outcome – we arranged the return shipment, he promptly refunded my related postage expenses, and soon thereafter personally inspected and posted off a fault free replacement. In short, if anyone’s considering the purchase of optics (binoculars, riflescopes, spotting scopes etc) then I’d highly recommend checking out what Thilo has on offer. Sure, you can alternatively buy online from the likes of ‘theopticzone.com’ and ‘amazon.com’ but I’m absolutely impressed with Thilo’s genuine & responsible work ethic, his overall range of products and competitive pricing. Also, if anyone wants further input regarding comparative binocular reviews/links etc, then feel free to message me.

Gafloss, helping each other out is essentially what such forum's are about so if you think the recommended links worthwhile then go for it ! Cheers, Boong.

In line with Fenring recommending sourcing fantastic LED torch & battery deals from online Hong Kong based stores such as Solarforce, http://www.solarforce-sales.com/ and Dealextreme, http://www.dealextreme.com/ I’ve recently discovered that eGlobal, http://www.eglobaldigitalcameras.com.au/ offers substantial savings for photographic products alternatively purchased from either local retailers or from other similar online stores. Note, although their shipping costs are marginally more, their actual purchase cost’s appear to be appreciatively less. Accordingly, I recently had a Canon flash unit home delivered within 3 days of ordering, very securely packaged and conveniently paid for by PayPal (associated savings ranged from 'online' $20 to 'local' $126). So, if you associate photography with hunting etc then seriously consider comparatively pricing items from various sources with those offered by eGlobal.

Thanks to all for your many responses regarding the notion of an EPIRB – particularly when out on your own in the bush. I’ve got a St John’s Senior First Certificate and have literally walked over and / or past about a dozen snakes over the years (Papuan blacks back home in New Guinea; Red-belly blacks (apparently relatively harmless to humans), Tigers and Browns here in NSW). Call me lucky but they still certainly put the wind up me. EPIRB or not, the likelihood of surviving a venomous bite whilst away from a decent hospital would be pretty slim.

Tinyted, you’re right – the thought of a boar taking a chunk out of me with a tusk or two has crossed my mind – particularly if I stumble across some in the scrub. The .243 Browning B78 single shot is my only centrefire rifle. I reload four different bullet types (65, 75 & 87 Hornady V-Max and Sierra 100 SBT’s and simply select according to the relevant game at the time. This particular property offers rabbits, feral cats, foxes, goats and pigs. For relatively close range shots around warrens I’ll be using my trusty 1956 Brno Model 2 rimfire. Note, as usual, I’ll be taking along a basic First Aid Kit – for possible snake bites etc. In the meantime, food for thought ! Who needs an EPIRB, UHF radio, GPS or mobile phone when you can have a ‘helpful’ hunting mate like this redneck… http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=By0oe7BUDWQ

It’s being a year since my last camping / hunting trip and I’m absolutely panting at the bit to go bush during the second week of the school holidays for a few days on a 9,500 acre sheep property up near Mudgee (likely game include rabbits, foxes, goats and pigs). Unfortunately my two regular shooting mates are currently ‘out of action’ (eldest son’s working in London and my younger brother’s apparently experiencing some peripheral vision loss - arising from a recently aggravated old shoulder injury / pinched nerve problem) so my only option is a solo expedition. There’s a lot of uncleared hilly country scattered about so wandering ‘off the beaten track’ to the next cleared section’s my major concern – things like possibly falling and breaking a leg or encountering a mob of feral pigs (whilst armed with a single shot .243) certainly need some serious consideration (not to mention the possibility of snakes this time of year). Mobile phone coverage is unlikely in such an isolated area and possibly next to useless in relation to accurately explaining where you’re located (this will be my third visit and as such I’m not overly familiar with the layout of this large property). It's better to be safe than sorry so, (just in case !) can anyone recommend a suitable EPIRB device for such a ‘what if’ situation ? Cheers, Ross.

Len, I stumbled across the mentioned ‘Stock Pod’ on the net some time back. I’ve never actually seen or handled one but figured if they were locally available then no doubt costly. Where possible, Dad always encouraged us to improvise with various things. My old air rifle stock was the obvious platform as I had successfully adapted an old 4 x 40 rifle scope to it as a novel device for observing birds in my garden. The 26cm or 10 inch long Weaver scope is waterproof, rubber armoured and being only 20 power magnification – very easy to steadily focus on distant game. I’ve also adapted a camera lens filter and an extendible rubber sun shade hood to further protect the objective lens. The current stock mounted viewing device’s overall length is 48cm or 19 inches – rather light and compact, slips easily into my small back pack. For those wanting a bit more power there’s also a 32cm or 12.5 inch long 15-40 x 60mm model, but I’m not sure of its local cost and availability. Refer http://www.weaveroptics.com/pg13/pg13.html I’m conscious of the fact that mounting a spotting scope on a rifle stock and using it for scanning game etc may be interpreted as being an 'inappropriate and dangerous' procedure' - given that from a distance, it may appear to be a scoped rifle. Let it be known to your fellow hunters, just as I purposely make a point of showing it to the officials and nearby shooters prior to observing my targets at the local Rifle Range ! Other cases of improvisation - as mentioned, I often test my various batches of hand loaded ammo at the Range. They had a ‘Shooters Ridge Deluxe Rifle Rest’ on display (refer Shop by Category - Shooting gear > Shooting accessories > Benches & rests on http://www.cabelas.com/ ). I considered it to be was somewhat costly and light & flimsy in construction. Consequently, I’ve knocked up a ‘similar’ 24 kg ‘T’ shaped wooden version, complete with both a modified & padded scissor jack (sourced from a car wrecker) assembly and rifle butt support (a 71 cm x 10 cm x 12 mm piece of steel is simply glued & screwed along the base for a bit of ballast !). It has height adjustable ‘rubber door stoppers’ for legs and is ultra robust and stable. The local Rifle Range Supervisor suggested I adapt two wheels to it for easier transportation – I’m working on it ! Similarly, being new to reloading and needing a bench to tinker on, I scrounged around my workshop and constructed a rather compact /portable/ ‘work anywhere’ wooden box like reloading bench (used part of a solid wooden door, kitchen bench top off-cuts etc - L76 x W41 x H43 cm). Excluding the RCBS Rock Chucker press and a Lee Case Trimmer attached to a fixed electric drill, everything else is quickly and securely locked away inside (including dies, powder, bullets etc). The tiered sequential production line set up has provision for my RCBS Uniflow Powder Measure, Redding Powder Trickler, RCBS Powder scale, a fixed funnel and Cartridge Loading Block. There’s also a dedicated case preparation area equipped with a fixed Lyman utility crank, and other associated deburring / chamfer / tools etc permanently recessed into the bench top – minimises wrist movement; simply twirl inverted cases between finger and thumb – easy ! I would gladly post pics of such shooting related contraptions but I unfortunately don’t yet own a digital camera – hopefully in the near future ! All the best, Ross.

Len, a very interesting observation - rather intriguing. Why do the vertically mounted globes apparently emit more light than the horizontal ? Thanks to your comparative globe replacement cost investigation I will certainly not purchase mine from a Gun Shop. That's what I like about such forums, people unselfishly sharing their collective knowledge etc for the benefit of all - keep it up ! Happy and safe hunting, Ross.

I usually carry my 10x50 binoculars for viewing game etc whilst ‘walkabout’ hunting with my 10x42 scope mounted Browning B78 High Wall. However, I often felt the need for an even closer view – particularly over longer distances. Having recently bought a rather compact Japanese made WEAVER 20 x 50mm spotting scope for usage when testing my .243 hand loads down at the local rifle range, I figured that rather than carrying it about in the bush mounted on a ‘camera’ tripod in a small back pack, I decided to simply attach it to a slightly modified /shortened old rifle stock – complete with a sling and the option of it being carried in the back pack. Very simple and effective – ‘aim and view’ as though it was a rifle.

bigjedd/len/maxx - thanks for your positive feedback regarding the usefullness of red clip-on filters when spotlighting for rabbits and foxes. I'll now go and buy one for my vehicle mounted Lightforce SL240 Blitz, and further field test the scope mounted Lightforce SL170 Striker on my old Browning B78 (powered by a 12 Volt 18 Amp Sealed Lead Acid battery, carried in a small back pack). Hopefully the reduced beam depth will be more than compensated by the fact that the red beam is 'invisible' to such ferals. Happy hunting.

Thanks for your reply Gigitt regarding the red filter. I certainly agree that the RED filter noticeably limits the beam's effective range so I'll just have to trial it a bit more. The old Brno rimfire is hard to beat. I've got a 1956 Model 2. In mentioning St Marys Indoor Rifle Range I figure you must live 'out west' somewhere - I'm at Penrith. With regard your following post - "I'm using an old rectangular handheld that is about 25 years old. My Dad and Grandfather made converted it to have a rifle barrel clamp back then and I am currently still using it today. I have a set of Lightforce 170 on my car, and was wanting to convert one for rifle use... but not scope adapter is sold separately!" Check out the Horsley Park Gunshop (Phone 02 96201313) as they sell a metal dove tailed attachment which slips onto an inverted single scope mount (buy a second hand mount separately) - a special square headed screw threads into the base of the spot light's handle. It's then secured in a special slot on the attachment by one allan head screw, which also adjusts the angle of the light. From recollection, the attachment is sourced from Springvale in Queensland. In short, a very simple and effective method of mounting a spot light to a rifle scope. Cost - about $30

I usually spotlight for foxes, rabbits etc using the normal WHITE beam as I consider it to be generally brighter and clearer than that produced with a clip-on RED filter. Are there any worthwhile advantages of using a clip-on RED filter compared to the normal white beam ? For example, in reality, is the RED beam LESS VISIBLE to such game ? Sincere thanks for any positive feedback.

G'day, my name's Ross. I'm a very keen Recreational Hunter and love being in the outdoors. Other interests include bushwalking, camping, canoeing / kayaking, body surfing, snorkling, listening to a variety of music and tinkering in my workshop at home in Penrith. I'm originally from Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea - settled in Australia in 1975. I'm happily married with 3 great kids - Matt's just finished Uni and is currently travelling overseas, Jonathan has another two years of Uni whilst finally, Emily is in Year 9. My wife, Bernadette, is a Primary School teacher and I teach junior Science in a local co-ed Catholic High School. Yes, the holidays are great for unwinding and going bush ! I'm a firm believer in practising both safe and responsible firearm control - in addition to the humane killing of animals. I've predominantly hunted rabbits on and off over the past 30 years with an old Model 2 Brno but their noticeable population decrease in recent years (most likely due to the calicivrus) has prompted me into buying my first centrefire rifle, a beautiful old Browning B78 High Wall single shot in 243 Win - for hopefully hunting feral cats, foxes, pigs and goats. I've set up a portable reloading press and really enjoy the science of experimenting with different load combinations. I also reload for my younger brother Ian, who lives at Kincumber on the Central Coast. He has a new Remington VLS in 243 Win and we often go hunting together. We've mainly being on properties in the Goulburn area - owned by various boarding school friends (from our years at St Patricks College) but we are currently in the process of investigating a large property up near Mudgee. I've got an standard model 80 series diesel Land Cruiser - it has a homemade detachable wooden swivel chair mounted on a roof rack platform (used for either general day time shooting and spotlighting) plus an extended wooden swivel rifle rest attached to the bull bar - allows a shooting sweep from mirror to mirror. Otherwise, you just can't beat methodically ambling around the gullies etc - the bonus being lots of healthy exercise. I often visit and post on similar Shooting forums in America via the Internet - a fantastic source for the active sharing of knowledge and experience on a range of different firearm related issues - and so I'm absolutely wrapped in being able to join the local AusHunt forum !