I have a favor, complaint, suggestion, observation etc, etc to ask of all of you gun writers. In your writings you seem to get invited to manufacturing seminars where you get to try out new products and in so doing you get to know these people personally and I've seen it in print where you have even suggested changes in their products. Here's my suggestion for a new product. I live in the East. Hunt mostly whitetail deer in the woods and field edges. I think the optics manufacturers are missing out on a large portion of the market by not offering a binocular for us eastern guys. Let me explain. It seems like every time I look at a binocular ad it is a 8x42 or a 10x42 model. Hey that's great for you western guys glassing across a canyon, but we don't have wide open canyons back here. What I would like to have is a lower powered binocular that draws a lot of light. Say a 6x42 or maybe even a 7x45 something that I can use in the woods early in the morning or just before dark. Nice bucks didn't get that way being stupid. They lay back in the woods until dark before coming out into the fields to feed and back in the woods it gets dark early especially early bow season when the leaves are still on the trees. It's also nice to scan the woods and see one approaching so you can get situated for a shot if he's heading your way. I can't speak for all the guys that hunt the east, but for me I don't need or want a 10x binocular. Give me a good quality 6 or maybe a 7 power with a large objective lens to draw some light with a center focus (would settle or individual focus, but would prefer center) and all the fancy lens coatings for under, lets say, around three hundred bucks. That way you don't mind if they get banged up a little. Ok there you have it, my rant for the day. Ok gun writers, there it is. If it makes any sense to you how about putting a bug in these binocular manufacturers ears. I feel they could sell a truck load of them back here. Comments welcomed. RRM
I agree with you, and will add the following: I see the same trend in gun magazines. One example is "Handloader." The reason why I decided to buy Handloader is so I can benefit from the reloading advice and load data for the most widely used cartridges all the way to the ones used in Alaska. In this case the most popular cartridges up here aren't new, and I imagine that that is the case on in the lower-48 States. In here the most popular with Alaska hunters have remained the same what it seems forever, and these are the .30-06, .300WM, .338WM, 7mm Magnum, and .375 H&H. There are all kinds of cartridge in the middle, below (.270, .308, etc.), and above the .375H&H. But all I see in Handloader are reloading articles for rare cartridges and new ones such as the 6.5 Creedmoor. This magazine, just like a lot of other gun magazines, are getting thinner by the day. Every once in awhile I see hand-loads for the .30-06 and a few others, but this is rare. What I would to see are improved or new loading data, not the same old data where older powders and bullets are used, and for the cartridges I mentioned above
Perhaps I am wrong, but I don't think I can continue buying Handloader. I will give them the benefit or the doubt through another season, but that is it.
