Tag Archives: optics

Great optics from Zeiss – Craig Boddington

I’m probably not the first person who came up with this, but I’ve long called it Boddington’s First Rule of Optics: You get what you pay for! Sport optics is a very competitive field; there are reasons why Optic A is priced twice (or three times!) as high as Optic B. These reasons include quality of glass, construction, and coatings; and customer service. Now, I’d be the first to say that not every person or application really needs the highest quality Zeiss Sport Optic.

On arrival at elevation in Nepal the first order of business was to check zero (0113), using a .300 barrel with Victory 3-12x56mm scope. That’s outfitter Mahesh Busnyat holding the target: One shot, good enough, ready to go hunting.
On arrival at elevation in Nepal the first order of business was to check zero (0113), using a .300 barrel with Victory 3-12x56mm scope. That’s outfitter Mahesh Busnyat holding the target: One shot, good enough, ready to go hunting.

Also, and this is important, as you move up and down the scales in optical quality, the differences are subtle. No sales hype can possibly explain the value in the price differential. And, guess what, in a brick-and-mortar gun shop—you can pick up one optic after another and compare, but it’s difficult to really see the difference.

After a lifetime of messing with this stuff I’m convinced the differences are there. Now, there’s no question that, just like anything else, some prestigious brands command higher prices. Back to my First Rule, I believe there are sound reasons why those brands are considered “premium!” As to what are the “best” optics, I won’t take that bait! There are great optics, and a lot of really good middle-priced glass, so good that, again, it’s hard to tell the difference, and plenty good enough for most shooters in most applications. I think most of us could agree that top premium optics include classic European brands such as Leica, Swarovski, and Zeiss. In the way these things shift back and forth, all three have been sponsors of TV shows I’ve been involved in, so I’ve used them all a lot.

Continue reading Great optics from Zeiss – Craig Boddington

Craig Boddington: Extending Your Shooting Range in Practice and in the Field

 Range Limits: Longer Than Ever, But Still Not Unlimited / Extending Your Shooting Range in Practice and in the Field
(Craig Boddington)

In recent years I’ve done more long-range shooting than ever before. Ringing steel with relative ease at a thousand yards is not only fun, but also a huge confidence builder.

Years ago I did a lot of prairie dog shooting, which provides a fantastic opportunity for field practice. The target is tiny, and it doesn’t take much wind to blow the bullet clear off the mound, let alone off the varmint. And since prairie dog country is rarely calm, this is a great way to learn to read wind. If you can consistently hit prairie dogs at a couple hundred yards, big-game animals will pose little challenge at considerably longer distances.

Wyoming prairie dogJPG
In years gone by Boddington did a lot of prairie dog shooting. The target is small and the high plains are usually windy; he rates shooting small varmints in open country as some of the very best training for field shooting at distance. “EXTENDING YOUR SHOOTING RANGE”

I view range practice similarly. In a range setting, if you can ring steel consistently at 800, 900, or 1000 yards you will gain a lot of invaluable confidence in yourself and your equipment. Shooting targets at extreme range prepares you for field shooting at longer ranges, and shooting at actual distances is the only way to accomplish this. “Extending your range envelope” is a phrase I like. However, I don’t believe ringing steel at long range enables one to ethically shoot at game at similar distances.

Continue reading Craig Boddington: Extending Your Shooting Range in Practice and in the Field

Gun Optics

For centuries, men have sought to be more efficient marksmen. Since the 17th century, different optical aiming aids have been made and strapped to guns in the hopes of a better shot. The early gun optics were nothing more than primitive telescopic sights and had many limitations. Throughout history, gun optics have improved drastically and new technologies have been introduced, such as integrated laser rangefinders, ballistic support devices, and CCD and LCD technology. These new technologies have made gun optics an incredible new science. Continue reading Gun Optics