Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Ilya & Optics Thoughts

I've gleaned a ton of useful insight from Ilya over the years wrt binoculars and (to a lesser degree) scopes. I'm sure many of you have as well.

I've typically stumbled across his posts on here and other related sites, however I recently noticed that he put together a place where he organizes his reviews and random musings on optics stuff.

I'm sure many of you already are aware of it, and I'm late to the game, but for those who weren't aware and/or are just glass geeks, here's the link:

https://opticsthoughts.com/

His reviews speak primarily to the optical quality and features of pieces, and not to their mechanical reliability or durability. I get the feeling he spends his time in a lab and not in the field. I have no doubt he knows his stuff, but as a hunter who cares most about reliability in the field, he lacks relevancy. Plus, in some form, he is on the take from Vortex, so obviously his musings favor those POS’s! Perhaps a good place to learn about binoculars, but likely the last place I’d turn to for good riflescope reviews.

Head over to Sniper's Hide and cross reference his stuff there with people who dial their scopes a ton in PRS and other LR shooting games.

A lot better signal to noise ratio than here.

Give us the cliff notes version.....is Koshkin good to go or not?

I'd listen to him more than anyone here. Still a grain of salt sometimes, but less shilly than most, and people back up what he says in real world competition at a high level.

His reviews/opinions are rarely at odds with what people competing are saying. He posts at AR15.com a decent amount.

Koshkin is an optical engineer so he definitely knows what he is talking about

Does the guy hunt? Being an optical engineer is a good start, but it can also end there too. An engineer without practical application experience isn’t very valuable to me.

I don’t know enough about the guy to put my faith in him or not, but I haven’t seen much testing on impacts and zero retention, and instead lots on chromatic aberration and other such nonsense.

Like I said, cross reference to AR-15 precision rifle optics forum or snipers hide. Lots of legit high level competition shooters that shoot a lot, dial a lot, and are not easy on their gear, all review the same scopes.

FWIW, optical clarity isn't "nonsense" at all. This is pretty much the only place where any sizeable segment of an optics forum acts like you can't have awesome glass and mechanical reliability.

You can have both. 😉

Thanks. I took him with a grain of salt starting about 10 years ago, but started listening more carefully a couple of years back and can't find much to argue with him about. Last I heard he was impressed with what he'd seen from the Arken's, and in my 300 rd experience with them I have to agree. Appreciate the response goalie.

👍

I’m not saying optical clarity is nonsense. I’m saying the tiny nuances are. Heck, I know SWFA makes a hell of a scope mechanically (or LOW does) but I don’t buy them because I do like better glass. But if I had to choose between the two due to budget or whatever, I’m taking mechanical integrity over glass subtleties every time.

Yes, I know you can have both. NF and Trijicon do both.

Frankly, because I don’t participate in the shooting games, it lacks relevancy to me. I tend to listen to and put more stock in those who hunt, hard and a lot.

Yeah, I've been hunting big game since 1971 when I was 11. Haven't done the first competition 'cause it's not my thing. I enjoy buying and testing optics/bullets, rifles, etc myself, do take and ask for advice occasionally, and after 350+ big game animals (probably twice that many if you include hogs) I have a decent idea what works for me and how I hunt.

With reference to something goalie said, I do believe a guy can get too wrapped up in internet advice, scope drop tests, throwing a scoped rifle around on purpose, etc. One of my good buddies has killed a few thousand inches of mule deer bucks with a vari-xIIc scope mounted on a Sako rifle.

I have a Weaver Grand Slam Tactical made at LOW that people here would most certainly say "sucks."

It blows away the Chinese options often recommended here in both mechanical accuracy and optical clarity.

Such is life.

But that scope makes me glad I listen to top national PRS shooters over anyone here.

I’ve owned a few older Japanese Weaver Grad Slam over the years. My sons .308 still wears one. Excellent scopes.

Yep, If and when I have a spare moment, I’m going hunting for real. Not playing hunting games.

A couple of my rifles I’ve owned the longest still wear Vari xiic’s. A Win M70 and a Sav 99. Both still going strong. They don’t make em like they used to.

I know Ilya well. We have hunted together, visited each other, speak frequently, and more.

What you don't know... just cracks me up!

"They don't make 'em like they used to."

I couldn't agree more SD.

So you're saying that listening to him was a good decision???

😁

This.

Comments denigrating him, imo, out of line.

His work affects you on a daily basis and you cannot begin to understand the depth or breadth. I will leave it to him to blow his own horn should he choose to. If he makes a statement of fact about optics you would do well to take heed.