Today’s hunting optics boast refinements your grandfather would never have dreamed about. Better lenses, improved protective coatings, stronger, lighter materials, countless reticle choices, and optional features have elevated performance, versatility, and reliability.
A few notable trends have emerged. Foremost is a consumer interest in quality. “More people are spending bigger dollars to get better optics,” said Nick Manioudakis, sales manager for Stoeger Canada, which represents Burris Optics. Lana Calder, marketing project manager for Bushnell Canada’s Sports Optics Division agrees. “People appreciate well-made products and extra features and are willing to pay for them,” Calder said.
The integration of electronic technology provides some exciting new options. Excellent optics are now being married to high-tech concepts that enhance performance in the field.
The use of illuminated reticles , now offered by most scope manufacturers, is a good example. The Excalibur Crossbow Company’s new Lumi-zone crossbow scope is just one product that uses this feature. President Bill Troubridge explains: “Hunting optics need to function well in low light when game is most active,” he said. “Illuminated reticles help ensure proper shot placement in those conditions.
Burris has made good use of electronics with its Laserscope. This 4-12X 42-mm riflescope has an integrated laser rangefinder that determines target range to 800 yards, allowing hunters to sight- and range-in simultaneously, a definite advantage in hunting situations. The new Laserscope HD goes one step further, calculating and displaying horizontal distance, making compensation for up- and downhill shooting unnecessary.
Of course, accurate range estimation is also important to bowhunters. That’s why Excalibur is now offering a rangefinder mount that allows most models to be placed atop its scopes.
This jibes with what Shannon Sayler, public relations representative for Nikon Sports Optics, refers to as “niche marketing” – another growing trend. She cites Nikon’s Archer’s Choice Laser Rangefinder as one example of how products are being tailored for very specific hunting activities, in this case bowhunting from tree stands. Sayler also notes that Nikon is decking most of its 2008 sports optics products in camouflage, again in response to specific hunter needs and preferences – another trend that seems to be on the rise.
A Bolder Step
Video technology is an option we’re sure to see more of, too. Bushnell’s Videoscope is an over-the-scope unit that permits the hunter to video the shot using up to 5X magnification.
Elcan’s Digitalhunter Riflescope goes one step further. Hunters sight in via a digital screen much like those on digital cameras. Reticles can be changed, video footage taken, and the image can be magnified up to 16.5X. Ballistics of the rifle can also be pre-programmed to allow “dead-on” aiming regardless of range. It’s military technology filtering down to the sporting realm.
Higher magnification is also an important new element. Swarovski and Bushnell lead the way when it comes to this trend. The former’s new Z6 and Z6i (illuminated reticle) line of riflescopes features a 6X zoom. And Bushnell’s new Elite 6500 boasts a 6.5X zoom. Both allow greater magnification than the standard 3X or 4X zooms, plus longer eye relief to prevent recoil-induced collisions with the scope. “Our customers have told us they want higher magnification,” said Calder.
Leupold has taken a different tack with its low optimization profile on its VX-L line of scopes. Drew Niehuas, public-relations representative for Leupold Optics, says this new profile on the bell allows a larger objective lens, with all its inherent advantages, to be mounted lower, thus allowing a better cheek weld (the way your cheek positions on the stock) and quicker targeting than with traditionally shaped scopes of similar size. The VX-L line will also have illuminated reticles for 2008.
Niehaus says the Acadia series of binoculars, new for 2008, provides Leupold quality at an affordable price. “They’re very light, high-quality, and ideal for bowhunters.”
Back to Basics
Regardless of all the new bells and whistles out there, Stephen Stelmach, marketing consultant for Kindermann Canada (importers and Canadian distributors of Swarovski and Kahles products), says the fundamentals are still as important as ever. “When all is said and done, it’s optics, optics, optics,” he said, “If you don’t have good light transmission and a sturdy, dependable product that won’t fog, you’re not getting maximum value for your money.”
Despite the popularity of Internet purchases, Stelmach cautions about buying products sight unseen. “You really need to hold the product and look through it before you make a purchasing decision,” he said.
Lastly, not all optics utilize glass and magnification. Fibre-optic-based sights continue to gain popularity with shotgunners and bowhunters, too. The trend here is for more versatility, finer pins, and brightness. H-Viz’s new 4-in-1 sight is a prime example. This system can be changed from a front-and-back-sight slug-gun or turkey configuration to beads for waterfowl and upland birds. Different tube colours can be substituted, depending on hunter preference.
When it comes to fibre-optic bow sights, Shannon Bromley-Wheeler, president of Bromley Archery notes, “State-of-the-art sights pack a lot of fibre into them, creating bright, more intense pins. They’re much finer than they used to be, too, and there’s less light overflow, so you can focus clearly on the target.”
BySteve Galea
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