I wanted to get through hunting season before I gave my review. I did not get drawn for the hunt that I wanted, which would have allowed a chance to get some really robust use out of the scope. What I ended up hunting was a lot of timbered land that did not require a spotting scope. I tried to...
When I got the Hawke and inspected it, what a mess. It had no tripod threads on the bottom. The female brass coupler was there, but it was slick inside with no threads. The soft case was also put on upside down. It was like they had Helen Keller doing the inspections before items were shipped...
I just spoke to Doug at cameraland about the scopes on my list. He believes the Hawke Endurance ED would be the way to go for me. He told me it was an excellent scope with great glass. I'm buying it today. Once I get a chance to check it out, I will post a review here.
That particular 65 mm Maven also weighs too much. When looking at a scope, or anything for that matter, it is easy to go outside of the parameters. The fact that it is over the budget and weight, makes it a non-starter.
Thank you for your perspective. I agree the vortex probably has the best glass amongst that group. I have not totally ruled it out just biting the bullet and getting that one. I would really like to see the hawke and Vortex side by side to see how they compare and see if the price difference is...
There is no question that Kowa 554 or the Leupold gold ring 60mm are extremely nice, but they are far more than I want to spend. That's why I am not considering them on my list and I am definitely not looking through a Swaro! There is no sense in completely destroying my expectations.
I deploy a lot of trail cameras for work. Most of these are Reconyx standard and Reconyx cell (suck a lot of power). I have never been a fan of using throwaway lithium batteries just because of their expense and it seems wasteful. I used Eneloop rechargeable NiMH in my trail cameras for many...
I appreciate all the suggestions. Keep them coming. I own two 85mm Vortex Razors now ( bought 1 and then came into another 1), and that Razor glass just doesn't blow me away. I expected better.
Thank you for the reply. There's no question that is a very nice scope, but it is more than I can spend for that particular purchase. If my price was going that high, it would open up other options with Zeiss or Maven.
I do back country mule deer hunting in Idaho and am looking to purchase a compact spotting scope to carry with me when I set out on foot. I normally carry 10x42 binos, but am looking for something to get a better look on animals when I glass something up to see whether it is worthy of a stalk or...
As a NR, I hunted Idaho for several years in the Church backcountry. Then IDFG took an enormous dump on NR and cut NR tags by 90%. The Commissioners said the Residents complained about the backcountry being crowded and their mandate was to protect state wildlife for Residents.
I'd hunt all day...
I am a huge Badlands fan. I've carried one of their packs for years on back country hunts. You cannot beat their warranty. I had a buckle break on my pack just before season, they expedited me several new buckles to replace it.
For their clothing, I love their wool shirts. They are a...