Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Help choosing a high end binoculars

My trips will be

Africa for plains game

Sometime after a second to Africa for buffalo and a trip to Kruger or one of the other big parks with family

Going to start preference point in several states out west for elk

Maybe south Texas for deer

Probably no sheep hunting as I am 40. And don’t have enough time to build points anyone more if I go I will pay my money and go to BC

I am not afraid to spend money on quality products. I am leaning towards the Leica 8x32 because they are so compact and buying the SLC if they are not powerful enough. The Swarovski SLC are compact but aren’t pocket binoculars either

And I will buy from Doug when I pull the trigger

I don’t understand...

Jim, I'm 51 and going on a sheep hunt in 1 1/2 years....come on man!

My 8x42 SLC's are better than my own eyes.....

Guys

Tell me where I have a reasonable chance to draw a bighorn sheep tag with only 15-20 years to go. I can go to BC and pay the money or maybe never draw a tag. Right now I don’t have the coin to go to BC and do some of the other trips listed

Just trying to understand what being 40 has to do with it...

If I was 40 I'd be a sheep-huntin Sumbitch.

How many sheep did you shoot when you were 40?

You'll never draw if you don't put in.

I've known folks who drew Bighorn ram tags in Montana with just a few points...

Free range aoudad in West Texas is a poor man's sheep hunt, a spot and stalk hunter's perfect hunt. You should try it.

I think it was four that year. How many did you stump break when you were 40?

Actually, when I was 40, I had no thought of hunting sheep. When I was 40 I was still living in S. Texas and had never even hunted elk, mule deer, or pronghorns. Didn't do that until I moved to CO.

DIdn't hunt sheep until I was 58, and what I meant by what you quoted was, "if I had known then what I know now." As in, 58 is a little late to start, wish I'd been doing this when I was 20.

I did what handwerk did. Had to wait until the kids were done with college.

"And don’t have enough time to build points anyone more"

Obviously.

It helps to read an entire post and understand the written word.

Just that I am 40 with no points anywhere

Wish I would have started building point 20 years ago

So lets say it takes 7or 8 years to possibly gain enough odds to be drawn. Still putting me in my 40s odds still aren’t good at that point or I plan to save for a BC hunt and get to pick a year that works well for me. If someone gave me a free sheep hunt I would be gone tomorrow it’s not my age it’s about reality of the draw odds and how old I might be till I draw

Just save for many years and plan on Ak like I ended up doing...or shake off the sheep hunting and enjoy many years chasing other critters, it's all good.

I think the SLC in 8x42 or 10x42 are hard to beat. They don't really feel like a large pair of binoculars and are easy to carry. If you ever need service, you know you will be taken care of.

Yep, buy from Doug, he has given me some great deals over the years......Hb

I purchased these from Doug last week,
http://cameralandny.com/spec-sheet.html?catalog%5Bname%5D=Meopta-MeoStar-10x42-HD-%23467781-Binoculars-and-Scopes&catalog%5Bproduct_guids%5D%5B0%5D=1116341

Got them Saturday and so far I’m loving them. Much better than what I’d been using.
Ronnie

The first part I agree 100%, you'll never draw if you don't put in.........

on your second sentence, the only reason you've known folks who drew Bighorn ram tags in Montana with just a few points... is because you are a Montana resident and the folks you know are also Montana residents.

Montana is not all that kind to non-residents, I have never met a non-resident to draw a Montana rocky tag with less than 20 points.

In fact it was a topic at the Western Hunt Expo this weekend, there was only one person in the crowd that could confirm he knew of a non-resident drawing a Bighorn tag in Montana......that said I have 17points in Montana and hope to draw a tag in the break's before I die, got a few years left but not holding my breath either

I ran into an out-of-stater hunting an unlimited area several years ago - so there is that option - buy the tag and go. But you're right about the non-res draw in other areas, particularly The Breaks....tough if not nearly impossible draw for everybody, particularly non-residents. I believe the quota is like one or two per unit for non-residents in the Breaks.

Still, someone has to draw them, and if the OP happened to draw a Breaks tag in 30 years, a boat based hunt along the Missouri or on Ft. Peck is way doable for someone who is not overly mobile.