Selecting hunting optics is a prime priority for rifle shooters and hunters. Good optics give you a major advantage with your long distance shooting and general accuracy. Some optics that you need to select include binoculars, scopes and other select optic equipment for hunting. Note that hunting optics can be expensive so it is important to know where to buy this equipment at the best prices. Your favorite magazines can provide assistance and nowadays it is common to buy optics on eBay as well where you can really pick up a bargain.
Hunting optics are manufactured by brands such as Swarovski, Bushnell, Leupold, Zeiss, ATN, and Nikon. All of these brands provide top quality optics and you will not go wrong with any of them. The key is to find the correct optics to fit your rifle, your shooting style and your particular needs.
What sort of hunting optics do you need? There are a number of different optics you may want to consider, including: rifle scopes, scope mounts, night vision scopes, spotting scopes, laser scopes, range finders, binoculars, and monoculars. Monoculars can be used on a tripod or just like binoculars. They are a single eyepiece, not a dual eyepiece like binoculars. They are ideal as they allow you to use one eye to look through them and the other to look around as normal. You can also purchase night vision monoculars.
Range finders are a popular hunting optic. They are a little more high tech than traditional hunting optics in that they can calculate the distance between your target and you by use of a laser. Range finders are becoming more and more affordable. A popular and highly rated product is the Bushnell Yardage Pro 450. The number in the product name generally refers to the distance it can range.
You can buy binoculars particularly for hunting. There is no point doing this with astronomy or bird watching binoculars! What you need is something like the Burris Landmark or Nikon Buckmaster which are excellent binoculars. The way you select your optics will depend on the type of hunting you do. If you hunt in the close to medium range you'll want a laser scope. If you hunt long distance then a rifle scope with high magnification is important. You'll also want a larger objective lens diameter.
If you often hunt in unpredictable weather then you'll want to select weatherproof and waterproof hunting optics. Scopes and binoculars are available in fog proof and waterproof varieties. Weight is also a consideration when selecting optics. A fixed magnification scope for example will be lighter as will one with a smaller objective lens size. This is an important consideration if you are carrying your gear for long periods of time.
Other aspects you'll need to look out for when selecting hunting optics include magnification, field of view, exit pupil, eye relief and objective lens diameter. Once you have a good idea of your hunting needs, you'll be able to best select optics to suit your particular style.
