I always get the tough SHOT Show assignments—optics this year. There are more optics companies at this show than there are factory-loaded cartridges available. It would be easier to write “Cartridges of the World” than to do a credible job of covering all the optics here. But this is a blog, and I know we can get away with just about anything, so I decided to focus on some things my simple mind could corral: cool new stuff from major companies most retailers carry (or maybe should carry) and the innovative things and news. I should be able to do that in three days. That would leave the final day for me. Day 1 Optics Quest: New stuff. Apparently, bigger is better. For a long time Leupold www.leupold.com resisted the urge to make huge objective lens scopes and tubes bigger than one-inch in diameter, but today, the Oregon company is leading the way in this regard. The 2008 VX 7L models feature huge 34mm tubes that allow for a monumental adjustment range for long-range shooting and the cut crescent objective lens design that allows the scopes to be mounted lower over the receive so the rifle doesn’t need a special cheek piece jutting up into the sky. The new models are 3 1/2-14x56 and 4 1/2-18x56, and they have more features than this blog has space to list. Let’s just sum this up by saying these are pretty cool. They might dwarf your rifle, but is there anything wrong with that? Following in this vein, Bushnell’swww.bushnell.com new Elite 6500 riflescopes feature an incredible 6 1/2 magnification range. The models available include a 2 1/2-16x42, a 2 1/2-16x50, and a 4 1/2-30x50, and all are built on 30mm tubes with long eye relief and offer amazing versatility. This is the new flagship of the increasingly popular Elite line of riflescopes from Bushnell, and the price is far less than what you’d expect, ranging from $700 to $900 retail. I suspect a 1.25-8x36 version would be highly received among one-gun big game hunters who do everything from hunting in heavy cover to open plains—although the 2 1/2 to 16 comes pretty close to meeting that criteria. Two familiar companies are entering the binocular and riflescope marketplace with moderately-priced lines of product, and their names have salability. That alone makes them pretty cool and worth examining for retailers. ATKwww.NitrexOptics.com has introduced the Nitrex TR line, which includes scopes from a 1 1/2-5x32 up to a 6-20x50AO version and a binocular series with compact 8x25 and 10x25s and full-sized 8x42 and 10x42 models. A more expansive line that includes riflescopes, binoculars, and scope mounts is coming from Columbia Sportswearwww.columbia.com. The popular clothing company has partnered up with Kruger Opticalwww.krugeroptical.com to make compact, full-sized, and marine binoculars, riflescopes, a red dot sight, and spotting scopes. They range from the top end Malheur line to the promotional Companion line in binoculars. The riflescopes are all in the mid-priced Timberline line. Kruger has a long working relationship with Japanese optic companies, jointly designing specialty products. For example, the upper lines of the new Columbia optics will feature a patented hard, hydrophobia lens coating that both protects the glass and repels water. Very cool. And you have to like the name of the marine line—Bonehead. My wife would buy me these just on the name alone. Alpen Outdoorwww.alpenoutdoor.com has a great line of binoculars from entry level models to their top end Rainier (with two new models for this year) that rivals Leica and Zeiss in quality. Sightronwww.sightron.com focuses on riflescopes with a broad line that features—like so many of the new scopes announced this year—a new, more durable adjustment system, which has historically been where scopes break. Both companies offer great quality for the price because they don’t spend as much money on promotion and advertising. They also don’t have the name recognition of some bigger brands, which makes them more difficult to sell to consumers. Looking at the top quality binocular lines like Carson, Fujinon, Kowa, Minox, and Pentax (all well known in other venues), they probably don’t get the attention they deserve with the hunting/shooting marketplace. At the end of the day, I was glad I didn’t own a retail store. You can’t carry it all. Quote this article on your site | Views: 138
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