Optics Review: Swarovski 10×42 El Range Binocular

Posted by marinetowgunner on March 31, 2013
Posted in: Optics Reviews. Tagged: , , , , , . 1 comment

Swarovski EL Range
Known for producing the worlds best optics, Swarovski has done it again with their EL Range. The EL Range is Swarovski’s first venture into the range finding binocular market. For many years the pickings were slim for someone looking for a range finding binocular with extraordinary optical quality. With Swarovski introducing their EL Range before Christmas 2012, hunters and outdoorsman now have a wide variety of instruments to choose from. The big three (Zeiss, Leica, and Swarovski) all now offer a solution for the hunter and outdoorsman looking for a range finding binocular couple with outstanding optical quality.

Why I chose the EL Range:

With the ability to use all of the solutions that the “big three” have to offer, I decided to stick with the Swarovski EL Range for my personal use for a couple of reasons.

First was the way that the EL’s fit in my hand. Continuing with the design of the EL binoculars line, the EL Range has an open bridge design. I really like this feature for a couple of reasons. First is that the open bridge design allows the user to grasp the entire barrel of the binocular. Instead of having to use a finger tip hold as on other binoculars, the EL wrap-around grip ensures binoculars can be held steadily and focus even the smallest targets at a great distance even with gloved hands. Secondly, the natural way that the fingers grasp the binocular, the index finger is located within perfect reach of the center focus wheel as well as the ranging button.

Secondly I chose the EL Range over the competition because of its intuitive technology. I found that the EL Range had the simplest and most intuitive menu operation when compared to the competition. Again I reiterate the fact that the measurement button is placed ergonomically near the bridge ensuring quick and intuitive measurement even in the dark. By lazing on the upstroke of the button versus the press, I found that it was easier to stay on target while trying to hit targets far away. The display has optional fixed brightness level or automatic brightness adjustment for different backgrounds.

My last deciding factor was the optical quality of the EL Range. Awesome edge to edge quality, razor sharp color,contrast, and resolution, as well as crystal clear quality is what I have come to expect from Swarovski Optik and the EL Range is no exception. It is my experience that people judge optical quality differently. Properties in glass that I see may not be seen by everyone. The EL Range in my opinion preformed the best across the board in terms of the optical system. The EL Range performs on par with the competition during daylight hours, but it out shines them in twilight.

What could have been done differently?

Nothing is perfect, this includes the EL Range. While it is an excellent instrument and I can tell that great care was taken in design and implementation, there are a couple of things that I can think of that may be an issue to some users:

  1. The ranging button may not click very positive for some. The lack of the deep click detent may impair some users when using thick gloves. Doesn’t bother me but I can see how it may be an issue.
  2. 30 yard minimum on the rangefinder. For some this may be an issue. Bow hunters for example would benefit from a 10 yard minimum distance.
  3. No ballistic computer. People are becoming more and more dependent on technology. Competitors offer ballistic compensation based on ballistic curves in their range finding binoculars. The EL Range does not offer this feature to it’s users. To me this is a non issue because I am a shooter and I know the dope of my rifles. True ballistic range is computed by the EL Range and that is all that I need. However, to appeal to less advanced shooters, they missed the boat.

In my opinion the EL Range from Swarovski is the best solution for hunters and outdoorsman searching for a range finding binocular. The range finding ability of the instrument is designed for hunting. It is created fo professional and recreational hunters and outdoorsman looking for an instrument that has the best optical quality offered coupled with a range finding capability that allows for the harvesting of game. What it is not designed for is shooters that are involved in Extreme Longe Range Shooting. While it may be able to serve as a solution for urban or long distance shooters, for those engaged in ELR would be best served investing in something such as the Vectronix units.

The EL Range are offered in 10×42 as well as 8×42 options. Below is a rundown of the spec of the 10×42:

Magnification Level: 10X
Objective Lens Diameter: 42 mm
Exit Pupil: 4.2 mm
Field of View @ 1000 yards: 330 ft
Eye Relief: 17.3 mm
Eyeglass User Suitability: roll out eyecups
Binocular Design: Roof Prism
Twilight Factor: 20.5
Interpupillary Distance: 56 mm to 74 mm
Weight: 32.0 oz
Binocular Body Housing: Magnesium
Nitrogen Filling: Yes
Weather Resistance: Waterproof & Fogproof
Effective Range: 30 to 1500 yards
Target Angle Compensation: yes
Scan Mode: yes
Battery Type: CR2
Warranty: Swarovski Lifetime

Here are a couple of still shots at the range through the binoculars.

Swarovski EL Range Reticle

Swarovski EL Range Reticle

Range Display on Swarovski EL Range

Range Display on Swarovski EL Range

For pricing and availability, or to see the complete line of Swarovski Rangefinders, hop over to SportOptics.com.

Gear Review: Griffin Armament (E-TAC) Enhanced Tactical Scope Rings

Posted by marinetowgunner on November 8, 2012
Posted in: Gear Reviews. Tagged: , , . 1 comment

I’m always on the look out for new accessory manufactures. I’m always interested in anything that can maximize the value of myhard earned dollar. I found a guy by the name of Evan Green, Co-Owner and operator of Griffin Armament. These guys specialize in making suppressors and muzzle devises, but have recently designed a new tactical ring.

What intrigued me about these rings is that they are designed by guys who have extensive field experience. Come to find out, the Griffin brothers moonlight as US Army snipers. With pretty stiff competition out there from guys like Nightforce, Seekins, and Badger Ordinance, these guys have come out with a product that I believe has some nice features that the other guys are missing.

So here is the low down on the Griffin Armament’s Enhanced Tactical (E-TAC) Rings:

  • 30mm ring
  • offered in 3 heights: .86(low), 1.05(medium), and 1.4(high)
  • CNC machined from billet 7075-T6 Aluminum
  • Type III Hardcoat Anodized
  • 1/2″ Drive nuts
  • 8×40 T15 cap screws
  • 1/4×40 threaded grade 5 crossbolt
  • 30mm holes chamfered for resistance to ring marks
  • Corners are radiused and blended

I really like the fact that all the sharp edges are radiused and blended unlike other manufactures in this price range.  I like the fact that the rings are a zero gap ring that use 8×40 screws on the ring caps. For a street price of $124, the  Griffin Armament ETAC scope rings offer a great value to the customer.

Check out this video for more information or give a call to the guys at  SportOptics.com for more details.

Optics Review: Vortex Razor HD 5-20×50 EBR2-B Reticle

Posted by marinetowgunner on November 1, 2012
Posted in: Optics Reviews. Tagged: , , , . 3 comments

I picked up an Accuracy International MKII so I needed a new piece of glass. I usually don’t have trouble picking out a scope, but with all of the great tactical scopes on the market, this one was a tough decision. I’m not one to stick with a particular scope manufacturer…… so everyone has a fair shot at getting my money. With all of the great things that I am hearing about Vortex Optics, I decided to give the Vortex Razor 5-20 with the EBR2-B reticle a shot.

First a little intro to the Razor line of scopes for those not familiar:

Vortex Optics offers two different tiers in their tactical line of scopes. The Razor is their upper tier Japanese made scope and is offered in either Mil or MOA reticle designs (turrets will match the reticle):

  1. The EBR-1 and EBR-2B are offered in MOA. These scopes will have either 15 or 25 MOA worth adjustment per revolution depending on the scope model.
  2. The EBR2-B and EBR-3 are offered in MIL. These scopes will have 5 or 10 Mil worth of adjustment per revolution depending on the model .

I wound up with an EBR2-B in Mil. I don’t really get caught up in the “which is better Mil or MOA argument”. As long as my turret matches the reticle, I’ll work in either system. I find that more of my friends are shooting Mil so I tend to go that route too. It’s just easier when I’m spotting for them to be able to make adjustments if the reticles match and you don’t have to do any conversions (although there would be ways around that by calling out distances in relation to the target….like …..you were half a thickness left or something like that).

Anyway…..moving on……

Scope Specs:

Magnification 5-20x
Objective Lens Diameter 50 mm
Eye Relief 3.9 inches
Field of View 22-5.76 feet/100 yards
Tube Size 35 mm
Turret Style Tall Uncapped – RZR Zero Stop
Adjustment Graduation .1 mrad
Travel per Rotation 10 mrads
Max Elevation Adjustment 36 mrads
Max Windage Adjustment 36 mrads
Parallax Setting 40 yards to inifinity
Length 15.8 inches
Weight 35.2 ounces

What’s in the Box?
The scope came loaded with extras…..here’s what I got:

Voretx Razor HD 5-20X50

Voretx Razor HD 5-20X50

  1. The scope itself
  2. Removable 3″ sunshade
  3. Flip up “bushwacker” scope caps (basically upgraded Butler Creeks)
  4. Anti-Reflective Device (ARD) that fits in the scope cap
  5. Vortex scope mounted bubble level
  6. Lens Cleaning Cloth

I was pretty excited about the extra goodies. My Schmidt Bender came in a box with a cardboard wrapper. They want $100 for their sunshade.

Initial Impressions of the scope:
Taking the scope out of the box the first thing I noticed was that  the scope is hefty.  Off the bat, it feels heavier than my Nightforce, which at 35 or so ounces I guess it should feel heavier……duh!

The clicks on the adjustments are nice. Deep detents but not too deep that they might take a lot of finger dexterity to move them. To compare, they feel like the turrets on the Nightforce. I like the fact that the newer Mil-turret version is now 10 Mil per revolution -vs- 5 Mil. The Elevation turret seems like it is taller than it needs to be. I see the purpose of having a fat gnarled turret for making changes with a gloved hand, but don’t see a need for the turret being as tall as it is.

The high-viz tube on the top of the turret could prove useful in low light conditions  I guess. I’ll have to see once I get to shoot with it.

The clarity of the glass is what I would expect from a scope of this price point. Edge to edge clarity is nice. There is no tunneling when cranking from 5x up to 20x. Nice wide field of view and eye relief stays constant through out the power range. However, the scope is a little touchy once you get behind it. I loose my site picture pretty easily.

This is my first venture into a “Hours” style reticle. I don’t think that the reticle will be too thick at 20x to shoot long distance with. I like that the reticle is open in the center.

The illumination control has nice positive clicks and the adjustment range of the illumination is sufficient. I like that there are off positions between each setting.

The power ring turns smoothly however I am considered that it has a rubber covering over it. Hope that I don’t have an issue with that rubber stretching and coming off in the future. I kind of wish that the whole eyepiece would rotate similar to the Nightforce instead of having to grab the power ring. The way that I have the scope mounted to achieve proper eye relief, it’s difficult to change magnification. I might try adding a switch view to it.

What I’ve learned shooting it:
The scope feels like it as a really long eye relief. When it’s cranked up to 20x, I find that it’s a little difficult to get a good sight picture. Once you get it, you better not move much. It’s not very forgiving in my opinion.

Zeroing the scope is a little different than most. You have to remove the turret and then loosen the second set of turret screws. At this point the scope no longer clicks, but instead feels like the friction turrets of older scopes. Once you zero the scope you then lock the screws back in place to set the zero stop and then replace the turret cap.

I really like the E2-B reticle. Nice balance of thickness on the reticle. It’s thin, but thick enough to pop against a dark background. I don’t find the reticle to be cluttered at all once you get it to the field. I though it was going to be an issue when I was mounting the scope, but that was only looking the scope indoors when I was mounting it. I really like the Open center of the reticle. It makes holding on the “x” ring  or on the center of my diamond targets a breeze.

I’ll be shooting it at a Precision Rifle Class at K&M in January. I’m anxious to see how the scope will preform.

Vortex EBR2-B Reticle

Vortex EBR2-B Reticle (click to enlarge)

So there is the down and dirty on the Vortex Razor. All in all it’s a quality optic and I’m really pleased with it. I think that it was a purchase well worth the money for someone looking for a FFP rifle scope and trying to stay under 2k. I would definitely recommend it to anyone thinking about picking one up.

If there is something that I didn’t cover in my review, let me know and I’ll add it. Also if you guys have any questions, let me know.

Gear Review: Wheeler Engineering Professional Reticle Leveling System

Posted by marinetowgunner on October 29, 2012
Posted in: Gear Reviews. Tagged: , , , , . 1 comment
Wheeler Reticle Level

Wheeler Engineering Leveling System

If you are like me, you love picking up little gadgets and gear that make life easier. I’ve had this piece of gear for a year or so now, but I recently picked up a new scope to go on a rifle. Since I had to break it out I figured why not do a write up.  After looking at the tons of scope leveling kits out there, I decided to give this one a try because of the way it works. Very quick and easy set up and I haven’t met a rifle yet that the system did not work on.

The design of the system is pretty genius and works with just about any firearm in three easy steps:

Step1: Level the rifle by putting the level on the top of the receiver. Once the rifle is level make sure you can lock it in place either in a vise or by suing a swivel bi-pod with a lock.**I realize I snapped the picture before it was level**

Action Level

Leveling The Rifle

Step2: Place the barrel devise on the barrel and true that level to the action level. The thumb screw on the top of the devise allows you to adjust the level.

Barrel Level

Leveling the Barrel Level To The Action Level

Both Levels On The Rifle

Both Levels On The Rifle

Step3: Remove the level from the action and drop you scope into its rings. You can either use the action level on the top of the scope turret or hang a plumb line to level the reticle. I do both. The reason for this is because the reticle could be installed with up to 20 degrees worth of offset depending on the manufacturer of the scope. So even though the scope itself is level, it is possible that the cross hairs are not level. That’s just how I do it….feel free to do it you own way.

So there you have it! Scope is on and leveled.

Gear Review: LaserLyte Laser Trainer Target TLB-1

Posted by marinetowgunner on September 1, 2012
Posted in: Gear Reviews. Tagged: , , , , , . Leave a Comment

Last week Hurricane Issac was bearing down on my hometown in East Louisiana. As we were preparing to hunker down for the storm, I knew that I had to be prepared to keep myself occupied in the event that we would be stuck at home for a long period of time. I had a couple of books to read, but I knew that reading would get old quick. It was going to be windy outside so I wouldn’t be able to shoot my bow. As we were closing up shop at the office, I walked by our LaserLyte display and the LaserLyte TLB-1 Trainer Target caught my eye.  I picked up a target along with a 9mm and 45 ACP training cartridges thinking that if anything else, I might be able to get some good practice in.

Over the next several days while the wind and rain were bearing down on us, a constant click….rack……click…..rack….click sound could be heard echoing through my house. Here is a rundown on my experience thus far:

LaserLyte TLB-1 Laser Trainer Target:

LaserLyte Trainer Target

LaserLyte Trainer Target

  • Packaging and Assembly: The package itself is very simple and easy to open. The cardboard box is made well and I think will serve as storage for the target and cartridges for many years. Opening the box, you find the training target, a screwdriver, instructions, and a set of batteries (which was nice because I didn’t have to use my hurricane batteries). Set up of the target is a breeze. Simple install the provided batteries and use the provided phillips head screwdriver to join the two halves of the target together. Now your ready to start dry firing.
  • Operation of the Target: With it’s simplistic design, operation without reading the instructions is a snap. When you are ready to begin your session, switch the target power switch to the “ON” position and you are ready to go. I recommend shooting 3-4 shots at most, then shoot the “DISPLAY” target to show your shot placement. If your shot placement is the same spot every time, only one shot spotter will display.  That’s why I recommend 3-4 shots. After you display the shots, shoot the “RESET” target to clear everything and you are ready for another round.

LaserLyte Laser Trainer Cartridges:

  • Packaging and Assembly: The trainer cartridges come packed in nice blister packs that look really good hanging in the retail store. The cartridges come with batteries pre installed as well as an extra set. The cartridges work on small lithium batteries so there is no chance of the batteries leaking during long periods of storage like alkaline batteries do. Each cartridge is individually packaged and has the caliber clearly marked on the body of the cartridge.
  • Operation of the Cartridges: The laser pulse is emitted from the cartridge when ever the firing pin strikes the rear of the cartridge. To start your training all you have to do is insert the cartridge into the firearm’s chamber and you are ready to  go. The cartridges have rubber o-rings , one on the front and one on the rear, to hold them inside the chamber. I found that I needed to remove one of the o-rings for the cartridge to fully seat into the chamber of my pistols. On the 45 I removed the rear and on the 9mm I removed the front to see if it made a difference on which o-ring was missing. I found there to be no difference. If you ever need to change the batteries, simply unscrew the rear of the cartridge from the front half to gain access to the batteries.
LaserLyte Training Cartridges

Modified LaserLyte Training Cartridges

How to Change the Batteries



Observations and Thoughts: Practice makes perfect is something that I can remember coaches and instructors drilling into my head throughout my life thus far. However I think it is better to say that “perfect ” practice makes perfect. Sloppy practice could definately produce training scars, so be mindful of how you approach using your target.

The only downfall of the target that I can tell so far is the fact that I can’t use it outside. I didn’t think that it would work seeing as it works on a laser pulse to register “hits”. It would be nice to be able to use it outdoors so that my wife wouldn’t have to put up with all of the clicking. Bright light will effect the unit’s performance.

Whether or not using the target will perfect my shooting abilities are still in question and only time will tell. But it is nice to have something to use indoors when I want to be able to get some dry firing time into my training regiment.

I haven’t been keeping tract of how many times I have been shooting each cartridge to see how long the battery live is.  I’m really not too worried because it came with an extra set so I didn’t even think to keep tract.

Overall I would say that the product is solid in it’s design and operation except for the double o’rings on the cartridges. A single o-ring would have been sufficient. Very simple and easy to use design makes this target a nice addition to my gear collection. For more information or to see other products offered by LaserLyte, check out OutdoorOutfitters.com or got to LaserLyte.com.

Optics Review: Aimpoint PRO

Posted by marinetowgunner on July 26, 2012
Posted in: Optics Reviews. Tagged: , , , , . 1 comment
Aimpoint Pro

Aimpoint Pro

Back in January 0f 2011, Aimpoint came out with a new weapons sight system to market to their law enforcement customers. Named the Patrol Rifle Optic (PRO), the new sight expands on the company’s already proven designs and focuses these features into a no frills optic. The PRO comes in a package that is ready for deployment on an law enforcement officers weapon. Now that it is available to the civilian market, it makes for a great “do all” red dot sight for any shooter wanting to outfit their carbine, shotgun, or sub-gun.

For shooters that are wanting to get themselves a  red dot optic, I would have to say that this is probably the best bang for the buck this year. Pricing from popular on-line retailers, such as SportOptics, usually put the optic somewhere in the $400 price range with free shipping. Features that make this optic a great buy for any shooter include:

  • Always ready – always on  The PRO boasts a 3 year battery life allowing the shooter to leave the optic turned on so that it is always ready. No need to fumble with switches when something goes bump in the night. No need for a patrolman to have to remember to turn his sight on before he deploys his weapon. Always ready, always on.
  • 2 minitue of angle red dot  gives the shooter a precise aiming point for accurate target engagement at all distances. In most situations, a threat will not present a “full frontal” target for us to aim at. A threat is trying to shoot from behind cover just as you are, so having a small aiming point ensures us that we can engage a small target such as an extremity hanging out from a door jam. Add the distance of a large high school hallway, or the large open space of a warehouse and you can imagine how a large dot would make life difficult.
  • Threaded front lens for adding an Anti Reflective Devise (ARD)  if the mission dictates you need it, or for the tacti-cool guys that just need to look hard core.
  • Recessed objective lens helps prevent against impact damage, fingerprints, and scratches.
  • Front and rear flip covers are included with the sight to keep the lenses clean.
  • Transparent rear flip cover that allows use of the sight in an emergency, even if the front cover is closed. If you are shooting with both eyes open you can deploy the sight with the front lens cap down.
  • QRP mount incorporates a torque-limiting twist knob that provides the correct level of pressure on the rail while completely eliminating the possibility of over-tightening. The mount clicks once the proper torque level is achieved. It’s a “grunt proof” mounting system.
  • Removable spacer that allows the sight to be used on a shotgun as well as sub-machine guns.
  • Hard anodized aluminum alloy housing that is extremely rugged.

The PRO is compatible with all generations of night vision devises, and can be used with an Aimpoint 3x magnifier. It is also waterproof down to 15o ft for those really deep puddles LEO may experience (I kid, I kid).

Initial impressions of the PRO is that it’s a complete shooting package. Opening the box, the PRO is ready to be mounted to an AR style rifle. The scope already has the QRP mount on it with the spacer installed. The caps are already on the scope. All the shooter has to do is put the battery into the unit,  mount it up and they are ready to shoot.

Mounting is very simple since the mount comes pre-installed on the scope. Take the PRO out of the box and place it on the rifle. Push forward on the optic making sure that the recoil lug is making contact with the rail system. Next we tighten the thumb screw with out little paws until the thumbscrew clicks. Once it clicks we know that the mount has achieved the correct tension. Pretty grunt proof.

Next we bore sight the optic so that we know we will be on paper once we get to the range. Click adjustments are 1/2″ at 100 yards. I did a 100 yard zero.

Now for the fun stuff……..a little range T&E:

The 2 MOA dot is really nice. I was able to zero at 100 yards very easily. The intensity of the LED is adjustable from one extreme to the other. I had no problem seeing it during the day at the range or running around my house. The first three click are night vision settings.

Running 9 hole drills, I found that the PRO is very easy to shoot with from alternate shooting positions. Having no parallex in the optic means that where ever I put the dot is where I am going to hit, I don’t have to have my head a certain distance for the scope.

Being able to fire the optic and deploy the weapon effectively with the caps closed is pretty neat. I can see how useful this feature would be in certain instances: a patrolman exiting his vehicle in the heat of the moment doesn’t have to immediately flip the caps up to deploy the weapon. If something goes bump in the night and I grab my carbine, you wouldn’t have to flip the caps up.

For some reason I feel like I have to address the issue that people find with the “tube style” red dot sights. Using the sight with both eyes open and superimposing the dot on the target vs trying to use the dot as an aiming point  is the how the optic is intended to be used.  When used properly, I had no issue with accuracy, meaning between 0-100 yards and I was able to put rounds on target consistently. In terms of precision, I was able consistently hold between 1-1.5 moa when shooting from the supported prone position.

In a nut shell, the PRO is a great purchase for any shooter. It’s rugged, reliable, and is ready to deploy right out of the box. If you are looking at scoping out your AR platform with a red dot optic, this is a great route to go.

Optics Myths #1 – “Binoculars With More Magnification Help Me See More”

Posted by marinetowgunner on July 10, 2012
Posted in: Articles. Tagged: , , , . Leave a Comment

The most common statement of buyers remorse that I hear from people after they purchase a binocular, is that they though that a stronger pair was supposed to help them see more/better. Most people are under the assumption that what they need in a binocular is more magnification to see better. In all actuality I don’t believe this to be true.

In my experience, the usable power of a binocular is limited to the steadiness of the hands that they are in. More magnification is not always better.

You can count on the fact that there is going to be some wobble or shake in the image of a hand held binocular. The greater the magnification the more noticeable that shake will be.  In some instances, the wobble will be so great that it will negate the increased resolution that higher magnification will provide.

A birder hiking a trail, a hunter stalking and animal,  or an adrenaline filled infantryman just getting into his position will not be able to hold a pair of binoculars as steady as a person sitting on their back porch, a hunter sitting in their tree stand, or a scout sniper that has been in his hide for a couple of hours.

For a hand held binocular, regardless of application, I usually recommend 10x magnification as the upper limit.  For someone that is walking and glassing all day, I might even recommend a lower magnification as in an 8x. As fatigue starts to set in, it might become more and more difficult for someone to hold the binocular steady. Now add 12x worth of magnification to his binocular and you imagine how difficult stability would be.

To get a sense of how much hand shake degrades the quality of an image, take your binoculars outside and look through them at something with some detail. Now run in place for about 25 seconds and look at the same image again. How’s that image looking now? You may be very surprised in the amount amount  of detail that you loose to handshake.

I have been using a pair of Meopta Binoculars that I really enjoy. I got them for general observation. I use them on hiking trips, birding, and hunting. I got into the  Meopta MeoStar 10×42 HD’s and can honestly say that the quality of image that the binoculars provide is awesome. They perform great in low light conditions. Meopta has recently released their MeoPix adapter which allows me to take pictures through the binocular with my iPhone. In a lower price point, the Meopta MeoPro 10×42′s are an unbeatable product for the money.

Meopta 10×42 HD

To help figure out if a magnification is suitable, take the distance you are viewing the subject at and divide by the power of magnification. That will tell you how close the image will appear. If we are looking at a bird 20 yards away with a 10x binocular, then the bird will seem 2 Yards away. If we are looking at an elk 200 yards away with a 10x binocular, it will seem 20 yards away.

What I want you to take away form this article is that more magnification is not always better. Sometimes what we need is quality not quantity.