That's awsome news Zim has.

I'm not a millionaire by a long shot, but I learned long ago that buying quality gear will save money in the long run. I bet I spent over 5 thousand dollars in the first 10-years guiding hunters buying cheaper optics. They would inevitably fail. Then I got smart and bought Swaros.....havent spent a dime since. One fall I accidentally left my binoculars in a hunting camp. Another guide found them and stuck them in a food barrel. The next spring a bear got into the cabin and rolled the barrel outside, where it rolled down a hill into the lake. By the time I got there the next fall my binos were hardly recognizable....Sent them in to Swavorski and they sent me a brand new pair no questions asked. Vortex or other cheaper brands are fine for some, but if you rely on them quality is always cheaper in the long run. Only thing a hunter uses more than binos is his boots...

When you buy quality you only cry once.

I had been using my lower end Leupold binos for several years and then took them on my first, and so far only, elk hunt. They worked fine for 4 days and most of the 5th. All of a sudden as we stalked into the herd the center focus adjustment would not work. They had not been dropped, hit, or suffered any sort of trauma, they just quit when I needed them the most. By lower end I mean they cost about $300 for 10x42's. Leupold replaced them with a new pair no questions asked a few weeks later, but that doesn't give me confidence they won't let me down the next time I am on a $5000 hunt. I want binos that are robust and reliable first, and have superior optics second. It's not that I don't appreciate the value of superior optics, it's just that I don't want to buy better optics that let me down at the critical moment. I want to have confidence in their reliability and then determine how much I am willing to spend on better glass.

For most people buying optics is a trade off of what a person can afford for what you get .
Some can or need to spend money on high end optics, others not so much .
Everyone has different needs and pocket books .
Doing research and find the best value for the money is a must .
Having spares should be a must also .
Peoples $50,000 vehicles break down too .

I thought you meant the polar vortex.

I think we are having one right now in Wisconsin Boco. I would be happy to return it to you postage paid.

Zim

I'm totally surprised no one hasn't mentioned the Hensoldt SAM 6-24x72 or any of the Schmidt -Bender scopes .
Every hunter should have a couple of each !

Hey Rivers North, now that I think about it some guy just told me I didn't know Schmidt. Also mentioned shoe black or some such thing.

Zim

I don't live out west and am not a big high end optics type of guy. My Vortex Crossfire binocs (at $200) are the best I have ever used.

Are there better out there? Yes, I am sure there are.

These work fine for the areas I hunt though. I am not glassing huge basins for elk with them

Good stuff. thanks for sharing this.

Swarovski or Steiner !

I know of a pair of Swarovski 8x30 cl for $775 anib

Leupold Mojave 8x42 the best binocular for the money I've ever had, and almost the best by a hair I've ever used.

Ever deal with Stiener 's customer service? Not good.

Until you drop that 2700$ pair of binos on the rocks scratch a lens or they go for a swim in the salt! Yeah they will be ok but still gonna tighten up a bit when they fall! lol

If I could afford them I would without thought! Life right now says nooooo!

Leupold's customer service is excellent. During a bear drive in horrendously thick laurel this last November, my feet caught and I fell flat on my face. My 265 pound frame fell flat on the Leupold Mojave binoculars strapped on my chest harness, and the sharp, hard laurel sticks reached up to warmly receive the fall and popped off the center focus wheel. I called Leupold and they said "it's a no-fault guarantee. Send them in and we will fix or replace them at no cost to you." So I sent them in and they said I'll be getting them back any day now. That's frickin awesome customer service.

I was pleasantly surprised that when my new Vortex Diamondback 4-12x40 arrived yesterday it was made in the Philippines so not all Vortex stuff is made in China.

I suspect the hole Crossfire "budget" line is made in china I have 2 of them and like them , I have even shot with my crossfire II 3-9x50 to 500 yards and stayed on target fine as long as I had my dope right


I had called the Vortex office about a week ago and talked to Travis I think it was , I explained my application and that I was looking at the CrossfireII 4-12x44 bdc reticle and the Diamondback 4-12x40 VMR-1 retical I wanted the VMR-1 recital for ranging but it was nearly double the money.
he assured me the Diamondback was definitely a step up in quality and that it would fit my application very well he was also able to tell me what rings he thought would fit best for the gun I was mounting it to , but said if I got the Mediums and it would take lows they would exchange them.

Leupold gets the gold star A+ for customer service this week.
After falling on and breaking a fairly new and really nice pair of Mojave 8x42s, I sent them in. Two weeks later I received back Leupold's newest binocular, which replaces a bunch of others (Cascades, Mojaves, etc.), the Pro Guide HD. This is a really nice binocular which compares favorably to the Swarovski EL 8x42 I just had to look through at Bass Pro yesterday. It's just that the Leupold is $2,000 to $2,500 LESS than the Swarovskis. Yeah, the Swaros are crystal clear, but the Leupold ain't much less.