For the hunter to know how to choose a spotting scope is critical to their hunting career because it will make the difference between bringing home the big game and going home empty handed. The different types of focus mechanisms are designed based on the type of game you are hunting. A single focus knob is the most common but not as accurate as the fine focus. The double knob gives you both course and fine focus capabilities. The helical knob focuses more on birds and other game that change distances quickly.

Other factors in design deal with weather conditions. As you learn how to choose a spotting scope, you will learn that some are not designed to be out in the weather as much. The better scopes handle all types of inclement weather very well, without corrosion. The weight may be a factor for bird watchers who are typically holding the device for hours at a time. For eye relief, eyeglass wearers will want to look for long eye relief in choosing their eyepiece. The idea here is to provide a better range of viewing without having to strain due to your eye actually being 12 to 20 millimeters from the scope due to the eyeglasses.

When learning how to choose a spotting scope there are many factors that come into play based on the purpose for the scope. If you are a bird watcher, having the style that is designed for objects that change distances quickly is helpful. For those hunting big game, having the ability to focus quickly is necessary.

The Rokinon 900mmx60mm Equatorial Refractor Telescope is great for watching meteor showers.

The Ursid and Geminid winter meteor showers are the most famous because they both appear in the month of December. The Geminids appears on winter solstice every year like clockwork. The showers are actually space rock hurtling toward the atmosphere and burning on contact. The Geminids gets its name because the showers appear to originate from Gemini, a constellation of stars. While most are considered to be from a passing comet, the Geminids are thought to have resulted from a passing asteroid. Appearing like fireworks, they are very bright and if you are not aware of them, can be frightening when they first appear.

The Ursid winter meteor showers are not as famous but generally occur near the end of December. This shower sometimes coincides with a lunar eclipse. It is often difficult to observe these showers because they originate from the Ursa Minor constellation, which is near the North Pole. They are faint but shoot at a medium speed. The debris from the comet Tuttle provides what is needed for this meteor showers performance. While the Geminids are often in the hundreds per hour, the Ursid is usually around 12 per hour. This provides the opportunity to enjoy sipping a nice hot cup of cocoa as the show goes on.

With winter solstice and the lunar eclipse occurring at the same time this year, the show should be spectacular. This is the first time in over three hundred years that a show like this will be available due to the two events happening at the same time.

Naturally, a good telescope would be great to view these events.

Pentax 8 x 42 WP II Binoculars Binoculars are a popular modern compact binoculars.

John Flinn has had quite a life. He’s traveled to over 20 countries, climbed the greatest mountain ranges in the world, and even wrestled a bear – all while on the clock. Sound like a dream job? Just another day at the desk for Flinn, who is a column writer for the San Francisco Chronicle travel section.

Being a travel writer entails owning good equipment that will never fail. When your out in some strange foreign land and your camera breaks or your water bottle pops a leak, you can’t just run down the street to the closest Wal-Mart and buy a new one. That being said, Flinn recently published an article about his affinity for his binoculars, which have never let him down, time and time again.

Though his profession isn’t sales, I was sold on the binoculars just from his opening sentence – “For peering into a condor’s nest at Pinnacles National Monument, tracking a fiery space shuttle ascent or inspecting erotic temple carvings in Kathmandu, a good set of compact binoculars is a must.”

The model that Flinn praises is no longer available, though it has lasted him over 15 years. But fear not, there are plenty of other name brand binoculars that are just as good, if not better, such as Pentax, Bushnell, and Canon.

You can read Flinn’s full article here.

Related pages and posts – Binocular Terminology, Types of Binoculars , Binoculars Buyer’s Guide .

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Venus
The goddess planet will be most visible in the early evening. Look for this white planet after dusk in the west.

Mars
Mars is always one of the easiest planets to see because of its dashing crimson color. Look for a star in the sky that appears redder than the others, and chances are it’s the god of war. During this month, Mars will be most visible out west, and high above the horizon.

Jupiter
Though Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system, it’s not always the most visible because of its distance and proximity to earth. May, however, is a good month to see it for all you early birds out there. Direct your telescope or binoculars right around the eastern horizon just before sunrise. As soon as the sun is fully displayed and the sky is blue, Jupiter will disappear.

Related pages and posts – Choosing The Right Telescope, Telescopes Terminology, Telescopes Online.

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More than 400 years ago, Galileo founded modern physics. His discoveries, methods, and creativity provided Isaac Newton with the laws and principles needed for him to discover the laws of gravity. Equally important, he invented and used his telescope to prove our planet is only one part of a sun centered solar system. Galileo records that he designed and built no less than 100 telescopes. But only a handful were good enough to use; efficient enough to bring distant objects 30 times closer.

In 1610 A.D. his finest telescope, the one he used regularly to explore the heavens, provided him with a sharp image only at the center of his lens. Despite fuzziness and “rainbows” surrounding the center image (today called “aberrations”) he was able to explore and understand the celestial wonders his telescope revealed each night. As a result of his explorations, Galileo created an entirely new science . . . Astronomy. Since then, Astronomers have continually strived to perfect the telescope. Indeed, designing and manufacturing telescopes has become a science in and of itself.

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On the other hand, a person who is planning an elk hunt in Montana’s wilderness is probably very concerned with weight and the ability to fit the scope into a pack. Typically roof prism spotting scopes offer the hunter or backpacker a more compact and lightweight design to pack and carry long distances. While some porro prism spotting scopes are quite compact, others can offer larger fields of view and resolution, but they may not be practical to pack into the woods.

Other features for the hunter to consider are rubber armoring to protect the scope from blunt force. A waterproof spotting scope offers piece of mind to the hunter working in rain and snow.

The Leupold VX-L 10×50 is a popular low-light scope.

First, a scope magnifies the target giving the shooter a clearer target picture than with normal eye vision, allowing the shooter to more accurately see the target or game at a greater distance. Using scopes on hunting firearms can give the hunter added hunting time early and late in the day. Scopes accentuate available light, making it possible to shoot in lower light conditions.

Firing a scoped gun can even be safer than shooting with iron sites, since the shooter can better see the target and what’s beyond it. Therefore, he is less likely to shoot something other than the intended game or target.

The right scope also allows shooters to take full advantage of modern calibers and rifles.

Here are some suggestions for the proper scope for various sitiuations.

American Technologies Network Pvs73b Atn Pvs-7 Night Vision Goggles offer a dependable, high-performance design with a body built to US Military specs.

What is the effective viewing range of these devices?
It varies anywhere from 10 to 400 ft. The maximum viewing distance depends on the conditions of use. Overcast conditions, fog, rain etc. may reduce the effective distance of the viewer. An infrared illuminator will increase your viewing range, especially in enclosed spaces like a warehouse, garage or other enclosed parameters.

What do these numbers tell us?
The first number tells us how much nearer objects will look when viewed through the binocular. An object (like a bird, ship, or race horse, for example) that is 500 feet away will appear 1/7 of that distance (71 feet) in a 7x glass, 1/8 that distance (62 feet) in a 8x glass, and 1/10 the distance (50 feet) in a 10x binocular.

The second number tells us first, how big the binocular is. A glass with 50mm (millimeter) or larger objective lenses will be fairly large and heavy, whereas a binocular with 21mm lenses will be small and compact.

These two numbers together tell us the light gathering power of the binocular. Divide the objective size (second number) by the magnification (first number) and you arrive at the Exit Pupil. This Exit Pupil is the small circle of light you see in the eyepiece when you hold the binocular at arms length toward a light source such as the sky or a light colored wall. The larger this exit pupil, the more light is getting through to your eyes, which is a desirable characteristic, especially in dim light.

Related links: UK Goggles, UK Contact Lenses.

Horton 4×32 Mult-A-Range Lighted Reticle Scope features a lighted reticle for low-light shooting.

Magnification: Also called power and indicated by the symbol “x”. A 4x riflescope makes the target appear four times closer than when seen with the unaided eye. Choose high power for varmint shooting, medium power for big game at moderate ranges, and low power for precise, close range shooting at fast targets.

Eye Relief: The distance behind the eyeguard at which you can see a full-sight picture. Bausch & Lomb and Bushnell riflescopes give you an extra margin of comfort and safety with extended eye relief and soft neoprene eyepiece guards.

Field of View: The width of the sight picture at 100 yards. A wider field of view makes it easier to spot game and track moving targets.

Image Sharpness and Brightness: Our distortion-free optics give you a bright, super-sharp sight picture.

Parallax: A condition that occurs when the image of the target is not focused precisely on the reticle plane. Parallax is visible as an apparent movement between the reticle and the target when the shooter moves his head or, in extreme cases, an out-of-focus image. Our centerfire riflescopes under 11 power are factory-set parallax free at 100 yards: rimfire scopes at 50 yards. Scopes of 11x or more have a special range focus to adjust for parallax.

Exit Pupil: The diameter of the shaft of light exiting the scope toward the eye. It is used to rate the brightness of a riflescope’s sight picture. For example, a 4x scope with a 40mm objective lens (the front lens) has an exit pupil of 10mm, a very good rating. The larger the exit pupil, the easier it is to keep the eye aligned with the sight picture, and the better the scope will be in low light.

Rugged Body Construction: Our manufacturers uses a high-durability aluminum alloy formed into a one-piece tube. Each riflescope is rustproof, virtually scratch-proof and a beautiful complement to your most expensive rifles.

Sealed, Waterproof and Fogproof: All 1″ diameter Bausch & Lomb/Bushnell riflescopes are not only nitrogen purged to remove any vestige of internal moisture, they are O-ring sealed to prevent the entry of external dust or moisture. Your riflescope remains crystal clear in all types of weather.

Multi-X® Reticle: A riflescope feature that gives you a clearly visible aiming point. Even when hard-to-see game blends into the background or the light is poor. The fine-line crosshair center section covers a minimum of the target. The heavier outside section leads your eye directly to the center intersection. The result is fast precision aiming.

Coated Optics: Many rifle scopes optical glass surfaces are coated by magnesium fluoride to reduce light loss and glare due to reflection. All Bausch & Lomb riflescopes are multicoated to further enhance viewing and reduce eye strain. All Trophy riflescopes have a special image enhancing amber, high contrast coating.

Holosight: The revolutionary Bushnell HOLOsight gun sight gives you instant target acquisition through the holographic, heads-up targeting system from U.S. fighter jets.