By: Bob Hendricks
Optics are an integral part in the outdoorsman’s arsenal of tools. Whether you are a bird watcher or a deer hunter you can’t find what you can’t see. Optics play an important role in our outdoor pursuits and as such we need to know a little about them before going out and making that purchase.
BINOCULARS-First let’s talk about Binoculars. There are about as many brands of binoculars out there as you care to count. Some are priced in the thousands and some under a hundred bucks. What makes one better than the other, and what do you need for your particular use? Knowing a little about binos will go a long way in saving you time and money on this important purchase.
binoculars costing more money will generally offer advantages that the lower priced binocular cannot provide. For instance some European makers like Swarovski, Zeiss, and Leica can cost upwards to a thousand dollars but offer sophisticated optical lenses and image stabilizers. The latter uses floating internal lenses that greatly improve the shakiness of images as you pan across an area of view. This is not to say however than a less expensive binocular won’t fill your particular needs.
Binoculars come in a large array of sizes. Each is optimal for its’ own purpose. The first thing to decide is which is best for your own particular viewing needs. Understanding what the numbers used in bino terminology mean will help greatly in making your choice on what pair of binoculars is right for you.
A magnification of 8 is recommended for most general uses that could include sporting events, concerts, and nature viewing. A magnification of 8 will make an object 500 feet away appear as though it were 62 feet away. The equation for figuring this out is to divide the distance of 500 feet by the number 8 that is the magnification.
The next important number to consider is diameter such as in 8x32mm. This means each of the binocular's objective lenses (the ones on the far ends) measure 32mm across. Most common sizes are 32mm and 35mm. Compact binoculars may measure 20 to 25mm. Large sized binos may go up to 50mm. The wider the field of view number the more you will see. Binoculars should have a field of view wider than 300 feet or six degrees. Compact binoculars will offer about a 250 feet of field of view.
Eye relief is an important consideration. This refers to how far back your eyes are from the eyepieces and still see the complete field of view through the binoculars. IF you are an eyeglass wearer you will need a 13mm to 15mm eye relief as well as rubber eyecups. Unless you suffer from astigmatism you shouldn’t need to wear eyeglasses when using binoculars.
While the 8x32 is the most common for general use people such as boaters and birdwatchers prefer full size binos. 10x power binos are recommended for this use but you should realize that this power is going to narrow your field of view. The field of view will be around 143 feet of visible area. Twilight viewing in the 50mm lenses tends to be very good. These larger binoculars are going to be heavier.
It is generally recommended that the exit pupil on your binos be 2mm to 4mm for day use and 5mm to 6mm for low light and at least 6.5mm for night use. The exit pupil refers to the performance of the binoculars in various lighting conditions. A higher number corresponds to better light gathering ability.
So whether you need a full size bino or are comfortable with a compact pair knowing the magnification power and field of view will go a long way in picking out the right binocular for your needs.
SCOPES- When choosing a scope there are countless ones on the market and knowing the things to look for in a scope and how it applies to your particular needs will go a long way in helping you to make an educated decision when it comes time for the scope purchase.
First you must consider what your individual use for the scope is. Is it for long distance shooting, or is the area where you shoot of a short range? For instance if the area where you hunt offers shots of not more than fifty or so yards a 3x or 4x will do the job nicely but if you are shooting long range at three hundred yards you will need more magnification.
I personally prefer a 3x9 x 32 for most of my shooting. This combination will allow you to use a 3or 4 power for short ranges and go all the way up to a 9 power for long ranges but this is not always enough.
Varmint shooters tend to shoot at very small targets at very long ranges. Scopes in 6x-24x or 8x-32x are very popular for this type of shooting.
On the other hand .22 rimfire shooters can get by with a low power and most often inexpensive scope for its’ shooting needs.
In scopes the saying you get what you pay for is a rule of thumb. Putting a cheap scope on a nice rifle is like wearing dirty tennis shoes with a brand new tuxedo. A good rule of thumb is that the scope value will often equal the value of the rifle. This may be hard to swallow but think about it. If your scope fails you on that buck of a lifetime what good did it do you. You must have a scope that will not let you down at the moment you need it and it also must give you a clear crisp view of your target for a clean and humane kill on the animal. If your shooting is strictly target shooting this does not lessen the importance of a fine scope. No matter how tight your rifle groups if your scope fails you, you can kiss your accuracy good-bye.
Let’s take a look at some scope terms and what they mean:
Lens Coating- Reduces the light reflection and affects the amount of light transmission.
Exit Pupil- The width of the viewable area seen through in the eyepiece of the scope.
Eye Relief- The distance from the scope to the human eye that the scope must be held in order to get a full clear view.
Minute of Angle- One sixtieth of one degree or 1/21600th. Of a circle. At 100 yards one MOA is just slightly over one inch. Not being so precise this can be thought of as ½ inch or ¼ inch adjustments on your scope at a hundred yards.
Multicoated- Typically the big lens in front is multicoated.
Resolution- The sharpness of the viewing through the scope.
Widefield- The greatest field of view is determined by the scope size and magnification.
Zero- The convergence of two lines, one representing the center of the rifle bore, and the other the sights or scope.
There are more options for scopes now than ever before. Even a very inexpensive scope on the market today is better than the ones prior to world war II. It is truly a buyer’s market when it comes to scopes and quality and price seem to go hand in hand when it comes to scopes.
Here are just a few of the trends in today’s scopes:
1. Lighted Reticles
2. Extreme zoom ranges
3. Very tall windage and elevation knobs
4. Titanium and other exotic materials
5. Hard coated optics
When it comes to binoculars and scopes it pays to know your optics.
Optics are an integral part in the outdoorsman’s arsenal of tools. Whether you are a bird watcher or a deer hunter you can’t find what you can’t see. Optics play an important role in our outdoor pursuits and as such we need to know a little about them before going out and making that purchase.
BINOCULARS-First let’s talk about Binoculars. There are about as many brands of binoculars out there as you care to count. Some are priced in the thousands and some under a hundred bucks. What makes one better than the other, and what do you need for your particular use? Knowing a little about binos will go a long way in saving you time and money on this important purchase.
binoculars costing more money will generally offer advantages that the lower priced binocular cannot provide. For instance some European makers like Swarovski, Zeiss, and Leica can cost upwards to a thousand dollars but offer sophisticated optical lenses and image stabilizers. The latter uses floating internal lenses that greatly improve the shakiness of images as you pan across an area of view. This is not to say however than a less expensive binocular won’t fill your particular needs.
Binoculars come in a large array of sizes. Each is optimal for its’ own purpose. The first thing to decide is which is best for your own particular viewing needs. Understanding what the numbers used in bino terminology mean will help greatly in making your choice on what pair of binoculars is right for you.
A magnification of 8 is recommended for most general uses that could include sporting events, concerts, and nature viewing. A magnification of 8 will make an object 500 feet away appear as though it were 62 feet away. The equation for figuring this out is to divide the distance of 500 feet by the number 8 that is the magnification.
The next important number to consider is diameter such as in 8x32mm. This means each of the binocular's objective lenses (the ones on the far ends) measure 32mm across. Most common sizes are 32mm and 35mm. Compact binoculars may measure 20 to 25mm. Large sized binos may go up to 50mm. The wider the field of view number the more you will see. Binoculars should have a field of view wider than 300 feet or six degrees. Compact binoculars will offer about a 250 feet of field of view.
Eye relief is an important consideration. This refers to how far back your eyes are from the eyepieces and still see the complete field of view through the binoculars. IF you are an eyeglass wearer you will need a 13mm to 15mm eye relief as well as rubber eyecups. Unless you suffer from astigmatism you shouldn’t need to wear eyeglasses when using binoculars.
While the 8x32 is the most common for general use people such as boaters and birdwatchers prefer full size binos. 10x power binos are recommended for this use but you should realize that this power is going to narrow your field of view. The field of view will be around 143 feet of visible area. Twilight viewing in the 50mm lenses tends to be very good. These larger binoculars are going to be heavier.
It is generally recommended that the exit pupil on your binos be 2mm to 4mm for day use and 5mm to 6mm for low light and at least 6.5mm for night use. The exit pupil refers to the performance of the binoculars in various lighting conditions. A higher number corresponds to better light gathering ability.
So whether you need a full size bino or are comfortable with a compact pair knowing the magnification power and field of view will go a long way in picking out the right binocular for your needs.
SCOPES- When choosing a scope there are countless ones on the market and knowing the things to look for in a scope and how it applies to your particular needs will go a long way in helping you to make an educated decision when it comes time for the scope purchase.
First you must consider what your individual use for the scope is. Is it for long distance shooting, or is the area where you shoot of a short range? For instance if the area where you hunt offers shots of not more than fifty or so yards a 3x or 4x will do the job nicely but if you are shooting long range at three hundred yards you will need more magnification.
I personally prefer a 3x9 x 32 for most of my shooting. This combination will allow you to use a 3or 4 power for short ranges and go all the way up to a 9 power for long ranges but this is not always enough.
Varmint shooters tend to shoot at very small targets at very long ranges. Scopes in 6x-24x or 8x-32x are very popular for this type of shooting.
On the other hand .22 rimfire shooters can get by with a low power and most often inexpensive scope for its’ shooting needs.
In scopes the saying you get what you pay for is a rule of thumb. Putting a cheap scope on a nice rifle is like wearing dirty tennis shoes with a brand new tuxedo. A good rule of thumb is that the scope value will often equal the value of the rifle. This may be hard to swallow but think about it. If your scope fails you on that buck of a lifetime what good did it do you. You must have a scope that will not let you down at the moment you need it and it also must give you a clear crisp view of your target for a clean and humane kill on the animal. If your shooting is strictly target shooting this does not lessen the importance of a fine scope. No matter how tight your rifle groups if your scope fails you, you can kiss your accuracy good-bye.
Let’s take a look at some scope terms and what they mean:
Lens Coating- Reduces the light reflection and affects the amount of light transmission.
Exit Pupil- The width of the viewable area seen through in the eyepiece of the scope.
Eye Relief- The distance from the scope to the human eye that the scope must be held in order to get a full clear view.
Minute of Angle- One sixtieth of one degree or 1/21600th. Of a circle. At 100 yards one MOA is just slightly over one inch. Not being so precise this can be thought of as ½ inch or ¼ inch adjustments on your scope at a hundred yards.
Multicoated- Typically the big lens in front is multicoated.
Resolution- The sharpness of the viewing through the scope.
Widefield- The greatest field of view is determined by the scope size and magnification.
Zero- The convergence of two lines, one representing the center of the rifle bore, and the other the sights or scope.
There are more options for scopes now than ever before. Even a very inexpensive scope on the market today is better than the ones prior to world war II. It is truly a buyer’s market when it comes to scopes and quality and price seem to go hand in hand when it comes to scopes.
Here are just a few of the trends in today’s scopes:
1. Lighted Reticles
2. Extreme zoom ranges
3. Very tall windage and elevation knobs
4. Titanium and other exotic materials
5. Hard coated optics
When it comes to binoculars and scopes it pays to know your optics.