Optics
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Scott from MO asks:Hi Bill, I'm starting to get back into bow hunting. I'm shooting a Mathews Lx with aluminum arrows and the old Keller Pendulum sight. I'm changing over to carbon arrows and pin sights. I would like to get a rangefinder . In your opinion do you think all the angle technology is worth it or should I go with a regular one? Is there that much difference? Can you please help me out a little not sure which way to go here. Thanks ScottWinke Responds:Scott, Unless you are going to take long shots in very steep country, you really don't need the angle adjusted rangefinder for bowhunting from a tree stand. The difference in impact is just an inch or so, under most conditions. However, nearly all the good rangefinders are angle adjusted now so you may end up with that as a bonus. I have been using Nikon's Archer's Choice Max and it is an excellent model, but it is angle adjusted as most are today. Good luck. Happy New Year (12-31-11)
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rob from IA asks:Bill i have an optics question my wife gave me a new pair of nikon monarch binos 10x42 i love them. (I was using a old pair from the 80`s before so i was waaay overdue for an upgrade)These things are so nice I`m worried about keeping them that way. Public land is what i hunt so they have to come with all the time through alot of thick nasty stuff, any tips you have would help alot. Thanks RobWinke Responds:Rob, The S4 Gear Lockdown harness (www.s4gear.com) looks like a good system to keep your binos stowed and protected and it is not too expensive. Check it out. I think you will like it. Have a great day and enjoy the new binos.
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Terry from AR asks:Hey Bill, love the show as well as the website. My question is regarding binoculars, my current pair are 10x42 pentax which are a little heavy so many times I won't take them. I have been looking at the monarch ATB's and wonder for bowhunting would 8x36 or 8x42 be suitable? I know the 8x42 would provide better low light performance but I would like to carry something small and light. What do you carry? Thanks!Winke Responds:Terry, I carry the 10X42. I like the 10X because I sometimes hunt along larger fields and having the extra power helps me see antler tines on distant bucks. I also used to hunt out west a lot and the 10X is really nice there. However, for most situations in the whitetail woods, the 8X is enough. I want to see everything and often use my binos like night vision glasses to see what is in a field before I cross it in the dark. For that reason I want the 42mm size. That is my reasoning, but each person has their unique set of conditons. However, I do feel that the Monarch is a great value. Good luck.
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Tracy from IA asks:Hey Bill, I was just wondering if you had tried the Dead-On Rangefinder sight accessory, and if you think it would be a good thing to have for judging distance when you can't use a rangefinder? Thanks, TracyWinke Responds:Tracy, I have tried them and they make total sense as long as all the deer are the same size. They loose their accuracy when you start to see variations on body size. This is called a stadia rangefinder - it compares a gap to the size of the deer's body. As the deer gets farther away, it appears small and thus produces a longer range reading in the stadia rangefinder. You can also do this with moderate accuracy using your pins. Experiment and learn the distance that the deer must be away from you to perfectly fit between your bottom two pins and then the second from the bottom and the third from the bottom. Take a few measurements between the bottom of the chest and top of the back of typical deer harvested in your area and make a few marks on a cardboard box to represent this distance. Just move forward and back until those lines fit perfectly between two pins. You have a stadia rangefinder. Some guys even do the same thing with certain 3-D targets to help them shoot better in 3-D tournaments. Again, it works well as long as the animals are of a consistent size.
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ryan from NJ asks:hi bill, i know that nikon is your sponsor and you hve to promote their best products, but i was wondering how big of a difference there is between the trailblazer binocular and the monarch's?Winke Responds:Ryan, I have no problem recommending value products. I love value products. However, usually with binos, you get what you pay for. That product category is very competitive and if a company had an underperforming product at a certain price, it would soon come off the market because no one would buy it. I have not used the Trailblazers, but I know the Monarch to be a good set of binos. Pretty darn nice, actually. Not as good as the Monarch X, but good enough for most hunters. I suppose the only true way to know the difference between teh Trailblazer and the Monarch is to go to a big retail store and compare them. My guess is that you will see a noticeable difference. Good luck.
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Jon from MN asks:Jim, I know you've answered this question more than once, but I can't seem to find your response for it anywhere. What range finder would you recommend? Looking for something low cost and would for the most part used only for archery hunting, so it would not need to be real high powered. Also, is the Archers Choice the only finder that takes the degree of the shot into account when determining the distance? I usually use range flags, but there have been times that I have shot just over or under the deer while trying to compensate for the downward angle from my stand. Any information would be much appreciated. ThanksWinke Responds:Jon, There aren't a lot of low cost angle adjusting rangefinders. Since Nikon is a sponsor we use Nikon, but I have been a Nikon fan since way before starting this show. However, there are other models that fall into this category. Your best bet is look at KeystoneCountryStore.com. If you can't get to a store, look at their catalog or on-line. Again, I don't think you'll find both cheap and feature-rich in one unit, but you might find something that makes for a suitable compromise. Personally, I don't account for shot angle from a tree stand. The only way to know if you need to or not is to take practice shots at various known distances from a tree.
