GearExpert

Nikon Shooting Competition Preview!

Jun 22 • News, Videos • 4224

One of the cooler things about working here at GearExpert by OpticsPlanet is that we’re invited to exclusive events in the hunting and shooting industries. Next week a couple lucky members of the GearExpert team, Kate and Trevor, get to partake in a Nikon Shooting Competition!

Trevor is one of the product specialists here at OpticsPlanet, and he’s super excited to get his hands on some of the great new gear from Nikon, and we saw Kate’s shooting prowess during her Hog hunt back in April. As a fun twist, Kate and Trevor will be on different teams in the competition. I can’t say how much trash-talking will take place, but win or lose they’ll both get to try out some of the best new Nikon Riflescopes!

We’re not 100% sure which scopes each will shoot with in the competition, but I’m betting Kate and Trevor will be lucky enough to take a few shots with models of the Nikon M-223, M-308, P-223, P-22 Rimfire, Monarch X, Monarch 4 and Monarch 5 Rifle Scopes. These were all big hits at SHOT Show last January, and I know we’ve all been super excited about them since their debut. In most shooting competitions I’d say the guy or girl using a Nikon Riflescope is going to win, but since everyone is going to be shooting with top notch glass I guess it’ll actually test their skills!

Check out the video above as Kate and Trevor tell you a bit more about the trip, and keep your eyes glued to GearExpert and the OpticsPlanet Facebook Wall next week as I’ll be posting exclusive photos and video from the Nikon Shooting Competition in Utah!!!

OpticsPlanet • 4 Comments on Nikon Shooting Competition Preview!
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Tough Shots, Long Shots and the Perfect Shot with Trijicon ACOG!

Jun 13 • News, Videos • 8755

I like to always make my shot. I like to line up my rifle and hit a target at whatever distance is necessary, and I like to do it fast. I tend to bang my scope and rifle around and I need to know it’s going to last. I like tough guns and I like tough rifle scopes. I like the Trijicon ACOG. Let’s talk about why.

Trijicon ACOG Rifle Scope

Tough? Oh, the ACOG is Tough Alright

One of the first things I look for in a scope is its toughness. Can it handle a beating? It doesn’t matter if you’re out hunting or on the battlefield, at some point you’re going to slam your rifle against something or drop it. Maybe you have to drop to the ground at a moment’s notice. I’d hate to have my rifle scope suddenly fail me because of a little jarring. That’s never a worry with the ACOG. Check out the video above. Chase is one of our resident Product Specialists, and like he says, the ACOG is a tough and reliable scope. He used his in the Army, and he’s not the only one. The Trijicon ACOG is widely used by military professionals. The US Military loves the ACOG, and that’s no surprise since these scopes were originally designed for the military. Fortunately there are ACOGs available for everyday folks like you and I.

ACOG Tethered Turrets Caps

Check out the ACOG 4×32 M150 Rifle Scope. It has solid aluminum forging for incredible durability, and this is further complemented by the easy to use windage and elevation adjustments, which feature tethered aluminum caps (you DON’T want to take a cap off and have to put it in a pocket or hold it in your hand. That’s an easy way to lose them!) and the scope is internally adjustable so you don’t have to worry about a little shaking or bouncing around to throw you off target.

But when you think toughness, that’s all about relying on your scope, right? You need to KNOW your scope will perform well at all times. Well, there are other scopes that are tough, but you’re running around, using it for long hours and then the battery dies. And we all know the battery always dies at the WORST possible moment. That’s another place the ACOG beats other scopes. It uses a combination of fiber optics and tritium to light up the reticle. The fiber optics gathers ambient light, which is really the best way to light up the reticle, since in bright light you’ll need a brighter reticle. In low light you wouldn’t want a super bright reticle because it would make it difficult to see your target. Fiber optics give you balanced reticle brightness.

But isn’t the ACOG Tritium Powered Too?

The ACOG has Fiber Optics and Tritium Power!

While fiber optics are one of the best ways to light up a reticle without needing a battery, at times there simply isn’t enough ambient light for you to get the reticle you need. Because of this Trijicon added Tritium to give you enough power for any situation. When I say there’s a ton of reliability here, I mean it. You can always count on your ACOG, even in extremely low light situations.

So the ACOG is Reliable, but is it Versatile?

Much of what makes the Trijicon ACOG so reliable also makes it one of the most versatile rifle scopes on the market today. The fiber optics and tritium enable you to use the ACOG in virtually any lighting conditions, and he one-piece aluminum waterproof construction, tethered turret caps and super tough design make it capable of withstanding almost any beating you throw at it.

Trijicon ACOG Flip Covers closed to open

Check out the picture above. Those lens caps are great for keeping your lenses clean and scratch free, and they flip open in next to no time. But what if you’re in the field and you need to take a shot RIGHT NOW? Not in two seconds. Not in one second. NOW. Even though the lens caps flip up really easily (seriously, check out the video, it’s a breeze) sometimes you can’t take the time to move your hand up to the cap. Trijicon thought about this too, which is why the caps are transparent. They provide great protection for your lenses, but if needed you can see through them. Sure, you won’t have as bright and clear an image as with them open, but when it’s a matter of life and death you will still be able to take a shot.

And if for some reason you don’t like the lens caps you can completely remove them. This makes the scope a little more compact (and it’s already only about 16 ounces and 7.3 inches long) and allows you to use it the way you want.

Versatility… Reliability… What DOESN’T the ACOG have?

Well… it pretty much has it all. The Trijicon ACOG is one of the best fixed lower power scopes on the market today. It’s been popular year in and year out since it first hit the market, and while Trijicon will no doubt find little ways to make improvements, there are few improvements to be made. It’s just that good. The Army uses them. Hunters around the world use them. If you’re not already, you should be using them. The ACOG you buy today is going to be the best scope available for years and years. You don’t have to worry about it becoming dated. We love the Trijicon ACOG Rifle Scope, and you will too.

OpticsPlanet • 4 Comments on Tough Shots, Long Shots and the Perfect Shot with Trijicon ACOG!
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10 Days, 6 Planes, 4 Countries, 3 Trains and 1 Maxpedition Fliegerduffel

Jun 7 • News • 7705

Hey everyone, Kelly is one of the behind-the-scenes guys here at GearExpert and he recently got to try out the Maxpedition Fliegerduffel Bag on a trip through Europe and was kind enough to write up a bit about his experience. I have to say I’m super jealous of his vacation but I’m glad to learn a bit more about the versatile Fliegerduffel. Read on!

Last month, I was fortunate enough to take the trip of a lifetime with three of my closest childhood friends. It had been in the works for years, and we finally had pieced together the plans (and the money!) to make it happen: 10 days traveling to London, Barcelona, Rome and The Netherlands. Plane and train tickets were booked, hotels reserved, passports renewed…all that was left to do was pack our bags. And then it hit me: what type of bag does one bring on a 10-day European excursion?? I had nightmares of racing through foreign airports with a clunky wheeled suitcase trying to catch a flight, only to make it to the gate right after it had closed. With flexibility and mobility in mind, I set out to find a solution.

The Fliegerduffel Taking A Much Deserved Break at the Rome Airport

After reading several travel blogs and forums, it was clear that the Maxpedition Fliegerduffel has become a staple for short and long-term travel across the globe. Users marveled at Maxpedition’s ability to create 2,380 cubic inches of storage space in a bag that still falls under FAA carry-on regulations. And with the option of switching between backpack straps, a shoulder strap and multiple hand grips, it was clear that this incredibly flexible bag would be the perfect companion for my trip. I went ahead picked up the sleek black version, though I would have been happy with any of the five available colors.

Everything Arrived Safe and Sound in Barcelona

The first thing I noticed about the Maxpedition Fliegerduffel was its rugged, durable construction. It was clear that this bag was made to be used and abused. And for someone that once had a zipper bust open mid-flight traveling from Austin to Syracuse, and watched in horror as their broken suitcase and articles of clothing come out of the baggage claim like some sort of humiliating dry cleaning carousel from hell, this durable build did not go overlooked. Maxpedition achieves this strength through 1000-Denier water and abrasion resistant ballistic nylon fabric, Teflon fabric protector and YKK zippers with paracord pulls. All these features would ensure my bag and (more importantly) my possessions stayed intact as I dragged them across Europe.

While I initially thought it would be impossible to pack for a 10-day trip in a carry-on size bag, the ample interior room of the Maxpedition Fligerduffel made it easy to pack everything I needed and still save some space for souvenirs. And it didn’t require sitting on top of an overstuffed suitcase and having someone else zip it closed either. All I needed to do was roll everything up nice and neat, stuff a few pairs of socks into my shoes, pack my toiletries and other essentials in one of the two internal or three external pockets and I was good to go.

Before and After: Packing 10-Days Worth of Clothes Was No Problem at All

With the amount of walking I had in front of me, I opted to initially configure the bag with the backpack straps. While I feared it might be a little heavy, the padded straps distributed the weight evenly, and the option to buckle them across my chest added a lot of stability for those brisk walks to our departure gates. The bag’s flexibility really shined when we arrived late for our flight from Rome to Eindhoven, and I was forced to check my bag as all overhead space was full. The airline employee expressed concern over the backpack straps being caught on baggage conveyors, and explained his plan of taping the straps to the bag for added security. In broken Italian I proclaimed “Non è necessario amico!” (It’s not necessary friend!), and proceeded to amaze him by unbuckling and storing them neatly within the back pouch in a matter of seconds (as a side note, this back pouch is also made to accept a water reservoir – up to 100oz). This feature came in handy several other times throughout the trip, and I found myself swapping between the backpack straps, the shoulder strap and no straps depending on the mode of travel.

The Padded Straps Were Crucial for My Jog to Catch Our Flight from London to Barcelona

All in all, the trip turned out to be a tremendous success, and I truly believe the Maxpedition Fliegerduffel played a large part. It served as a suitcase, a footrest, a pillow, a file cabinet, a safe, a laptop rest and so much more throughout my travels. As I watched my three companions drag traditional suitcases and duffels throughout the continent, complaining at every extra staircase and city block we needed to cover, I could not have been happier to have the Maxpedition Fliegerduffel on my back.

OpticsPlanet • 6 Comments on 10 Days, 6 Planes, 4 Countries, 3 Trains and 1 Maxpedition Fliegerduffel
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Use Leupold Binoculars to Safely View Venus!

Jun 5 • News • 4875

As many of you may have heard, today the second planet from the Sun, Venus, will be passing between Earth and the Sun. While it is technically possible to view the eclipse of Venus with the naked eye, this is DEFINITELY not suggested, as staring directly at the Sun is extremely harmful to your eyes. Even with our great sunglasses with UV protection you should never stare at the sun. This UV protection will keep your eyes safe from harm when wore during normal use, but they’re not a good solution for getting a really good view at the closest star to Earth.

But then how can you safely view Venus? A number of different methods will work, but while I really like Solar Telescopes (or Solarscopes) and using various filters on a telescope, I realize many of you aren’t really big astronomy buffs and may simply want to take in this rare Astronomical event without buying new equipment. Instead of a specialized telescope you can actually use a regular pair of binoculars to get a good view.

I chose the Leupold Rogue 10x42mm Binoculars. I love these binoculars for everyday use. They’re lightweight and really well balanced and never make my arms tired, even after hours of use. The lens caps provide a nice tight fit and never feel like they’re in danger of falling off, and the padded case is a perfect place to store them when not in use.

But how do you view Venus with Binoculars?

Leupold Rogue Binoculars and Case

You may remember making a pinhole camera when you were in school. Often these are constructed from a shoebox, and a very small hole is put in one side of the box, with the light shining through at a single point on the other side. If you aim it directly at the sun, the light that comes through acts as a replica of the sun and you’ll see the shape of the eclipse as the moon passes by.

Leupold Binoculasr Viewing the Sun

The same principle applies to using a pair of Leupold Binoculars. As you can see in the photo, I’m holding the binoculars so the light from the sun passes through the objective lens (the lens that is normally away from your eyes). The light from the sun passes through the binoculars at a magnified level and reproduces an image of the Sun. Anyone who’s ever used a magnifying lens to set a piece of paper on fire will understand how this works.

See how light passes through the binoculars? This image can be projected onto a sheet of paper, giving you a view of the eclipse!

Since you get a replica image of the Sun projected onto another surface (I suggest putting down a piece of paper so you have a nice, solid background), when Venus passes by you’ll see a replica of this as well. This is a very safe way of looking at the eclipse without damaging your eyes!

Venus through Leupold Binoculars

You can just barely see Venus in the picture above. I’ve added a little arrow so you can see that tiny dot is the planet crossing between us and the Sun. Pretty cool stuff.

If you missed the eclipse of Venus today it won’t happen again for over 100 years, but there are other eclipses you can check out using his same method so be sure to get a pair of Leupold Rogue Binoculars so you’re prepared for next time!

OpticsPlanet • 4 Comments on Use Leupold Binoculars to Safely View Venus!
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Night Vision Made Right by Armasight!

Jun 1 • News • 7438

One of the coolest parts of working here at GearExpert by OpticsPlanet is that I get to try out some of the latest tactical and hunting equipment as soon as it comes out, or in this case, BEFORE it comes out. Armasight is the newest brand to come to OpticsPlanet, and we are really excited to have them. In fact, we’ve been excited since SHOT Show, where we got to talk to their representative and check out a few of their Night Vision devices. I suggest taking a look at all of their optics, as Armasight Thermal Imagers are superb and their flashlights and red dot sights are said to have the type of quality I experienced from their night vision. No doubt I’ll have info on other Armasight optics in the future, but for today I want to focus on my two favorite: the Armasight Spark CORE Night Vision Monocular and the Armasight Dark Strider Night Vision Binocular.

Generation 1 Levels Up with Armasight CORE Technology

Armasight CORE Monocular

As many of you know, there are multiple generations of Night Vision technology. The first generation was developed during the Korean War, and can give you a really nice image for certain purposes, but as the technology is old you won’t see anywhere near as much detail as from a later generation night vision device. The jump from first to second generation is really astonishing. Of all the improvements, this is the most significant. Generation two to generation three is nice, but won’t give you the same level of operational difference.

The problem with going from a Gen 1 unit to a Gen 2 is price. The technology is a lot more advanced and more delicate, so to make it tough enough for real world use (let’s be honest, you’re sloshing around in the woods banging the night vision around and won’t be using these optics in a laboratory setting) they have to put a LOT of time and effort into making Generation 2 technology tough enough for reliable use. This translates to higher prices.

Armasight saw this price issue and wanted to give hunters and shooters the quality image of a Gen 2 Night Vision device, but at the price of Gen 1. Since the nature of Gen 2 NV Devices requires a lot of time and money, they instead put their efforts into perfecting Generation 1 tech. And now we have Armasight CORE Technology.

The CORE tech in the Armasight Spark CORE Night Vision Monocular is far more efficient than other Gen 1 night vision tech. You’ll get the kind of sharp and detailed images from this monocular that is normally only going to come from Gen 2. That’s huge! And it’s totally affordable. Win win.

Armasight CORE switch

I was able to get a hands on look at the Spark Monocular and I have to say I liked it quite a bit. In the picture at the top of the page you can see the user end of the monocular. The eyecup is super comfortable, but should note the switch. With just a quick turn of that knob you can turn the NV unit on, and a just one more quick turn and you turn on the IR Illuminator. When you combine this illuminator with the CORE tech, you’ll be able to see what you need when you need it. No more worries about a lack of ambient light or a blurry image from your Gen 1 Night Vision Monocular. The Armasight Spark CORE gives you an amazing image in virtually any setting.

Armasight Spark Case

To make this monocular an even better deal, the included case is outstanding. Immediately upon picking it up I could tell it was sturdy, and there was plenty of fabric to pad and protect your treasured NV Unit. There’s just enough room for your Spark without having a ton of extra space for it to slide around all over the place, and the outside pouch is perfect for carrying extra batteries or whatever else you might need close at hand when using night vision.

For greater Magnification the Armasight Dark Strider brings you Close

Armasight Dark Strider Night Vision Binoculars

The one thing the Spark Monocular doesn’t have is magnification. This isn’t a big deal most of the time, as Night Vision is often used to get around and maintain your bearings in the dark. A lot of people would stumble all over the place if they had to navigate using a magnified image.

That said, just like you need a binocular to view distant objects during the day, having a little magnification at night is absolutely necessary for success. Enter the Armasight Dark Strider Night Vision Binocular. The 5x magnification is plenty for many low light operations, but it’s not so great as to blur your image. You get a 14 degree field of view and the focus range is 10m to infinity, so you can use it for a ton of purposes.

When I first picked up the Dark Strider I could feel it’s strength. These binoculars are not going to fall apart on you. They weigh about 3 pounds, which isn’t too heavy to mind hauling them over miles, but at the same time I prefer my optics to have a little bit of weight. I just don’t trust optics that are feather-light. The rubberized body was really nice and had a phenomenal tactile feel. They’re not going to slip out of your hands. The toughness of the Dark Striders goes further than durability to stay reliable. They’re also waterproof and fog resistant so you don’t have to worry about a little bit of adverse conditions ruining your day.

Armasight IR Illuminator

Like the Spark CORE Monocular, the Dark Strider Binoculars have an IR illuminator, but this illuminator has a bit more functionality. As you can see in the picture above, the IR Illuminator is adjustable. If you’ve ever adjusted the beam on a flashlight to make the beam tighter or wider you’ll understand how useful this is. If you’re taking an overview of the field one night you’d want a wider IR beam to give a little extra light for a quick look. When you spot something and need a sharper look, you twist the knob and get a nice tight beam that will go further and let you see greater detail. The knob is nice and larger and easily reached when viewing through the binoculars. You can actually turn it while viewing. That’s a sweet feature that really helps you get a quick view.

Armasight Dark Strider Binocular Battery Cap

I was super impressed by the Armasight Dark Striders, and the whole package felt like an outstanding addition to OpticsPlanet’s selection of Night Vision devices. I can’t wait to get my hands on even more sweet tech from Armasight in the (hopefully) near future.

OpticsPlanet • 4 Comments on Night Vision Made Right by Armasight!
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