A Hunting Guide's Perspective on the Quality of Swarovski Optics

[ADMIN]

Not everyone may be able to justify the price, but being an outfitter looking for giant bucks for my clients, I feel it is essential for me to be carrying the best optics on the market. Each little advantage adds up to more success, and it all adds up to more successful hunts. So for now I see no other brands that compare to Swarovski. I have looked through every brand on the market, and I am comfortable saying that there is nothing even close to Swarovski. If there was anything better out there, I would be using it. Read More...

This is a thread for discussion of the article, A Hunting Guide's Perspective on the Quality of Swarovski Optics, By Robb Wiley. Here you can ask questions or make comments about the article.

 

[SansSouci]

Excellent and informative article.

A friend had his inexpensive scope fog on an early morning of a Utah deer hunt. Not good.

I've used only Leupold scopes because, well, just because all of the other hunters I've hunted with when I was a teenager used them. I've never had a problem with a Leupold scope. I probably own a half-dozen of them, all Vari-X II, Vari-X III and VX-3's. My favorite is an approx 25 year old Vari-X II 4x12 AO that sits atop my 7MM Rem Mag. BTW, while this is personal preference (we all have personal preferences), I prefer smaller objective lenses so that my scopes sit as low as possible on my rifles.

Nothing compares with German anything. I used to own cheap binos. What the heck did I know? Not a heck of a lot. After glassing with cheap binos, my eyes would hurt. Finally I figured it out. I bought a pair of Zeiss 10x42 binos with zero buyer's remorse. I can glass for hours a day with absolutely no eye fatigue.

We might look though our scopes for 5 minutes a day. We'll glass for hours a day. Hence, I'd recommend a pair of German binos.

I do agree with the thesis of this article: buy the best glass you can afford. I'd go big on what is used most, and that'd be binos. Then I'd buy the best scope I could afford. If I were able to sink a couple grand in a German scope, I'd do it. But in reality, for my needs a Leupold is hard to beat. I shoot only to sight in, which amounts to a couple times a year.

To me, it doesn't make sense to invest big $$$ on a hunting trip and use equipment that is prone to failure. This goes for guns and scopes. A shot of a lifetime is just that: a one shot opportunity. I wouldn't want to blow such an opportunity because I went the wrong way on a scope.

 

[FieldTrainingOfficer]

Excellent and informative article.

A friend had his inexpensive scope fog on an early morning of a Utah deer hunt. Not good.

I've used only Leupold scopes because, well, just because all of the other hunters I've hunted with when I was a teenager used them. I've never had a problem with a Leupold scope. I probably own a half-dozen of them, all Vari-X II, Vari-X III and VX-3's. My favorite is an approx 25 year old Vari-X II 4x12 AO that sits atop my 7MM Rem Mag. BTW, while this is personal preference (we all have personal preferences), I prefer smaller objective lenses so that my scopes sit as low as possible on my rifles.

Nothing compares with German anything. I used to own cheap binos. What the heck did I know? Not a heck of a lot. After glassing with cheap binos, my eyes would hurt. Finally I figured it out. I bought a pair of Zeiss 10x42 binos with zero buyer's remorse. I can glass for hours a day with absolutely no eye fatigue.

We might look though our scopes for 5 minutes a day. We'll glass for hours a day. Hence, I'd recommend a pair of German binos.

I do agree with the thesis of this article: buy the best glass you can afford. I'd go big on what is used most, and that'd be binos. Then I'd buy the best scope I could afford. If I were able to sink a couple grand in a German scope, I'd do it. But in reality, for my needs a Leupold is hard to beat. I shoot only to sight in, which amounts to a couple times a year.

To me, it doesn't make sense to invest big $$$ on a hunting trip and use equipment that is prone to failure. This goes for guns and scopes. A shot of a lifetime is just that: a one shot opportunity. I wouldn't want to blow such an opportunity because I went the wrong way on a scope.

Let me first say that my favorite rifle to shoot, a 70's model Ruger MKI in .220 Swift, has a VX-III 20x on it. I love looking through this scope as it is a target model with fine crosshairs that make precision shots an absolute breeze. I use this rifle for teaching young hunters how to shoot as its accuracy and shootability combined with absolutely unnoticeable recoil seem to really boost confidence in the young folks. But the VX-III, while at home on the range, delivers ho-hum results in the field...mainly because of lens clarity and light transmission.

I just haven't found found a way yet to cut a corner and end up with the Swarovski experience. I've used Meopta, Zeiss, S&B Classic, high end Vortex, Docter, and Kahles. The Docter was my first premium optic that I purchased 15 years ago when I was just out of college. It really opened my eyes to the giant leap from the very solid Leupold VX-III to the clarity in the German glass. I was hooked. Since then I've bought other German brands that I've been happy with but I finally stopped chasing the Swarovski glass and decided just to pony up the cash for the real thing. I'll be the first to admit, it stings to fork over so many of those hard earned dollars but I've never regretted it.

 

[Crunchyfuego]

I like his example of why high quality optics are important. Those slight color variations.
Ahh one day.

 

[MtPockets]

Ahh one day.

Thats what I keep saying.
"Maybe by the time Im old and grey."
Then I look in the mirror...

 

[Crunchyfuego]

Thats what I keep saying.
"Maybe by the time Im old and grey."
Then I look in the mirror...

There are times when I can, and should buy one. is just so painfull.
I would almost say too much money intangible edge, or is it? Maybe I've glassed over that big bucks, not realizing he was there....