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Leupold "Olympic" binoculars

Posted: Sun Nov 18, 2007 12:05 am
by sum-rifle
What do you guys think of the Leupold Wind River "Olympic" binoculars?
I know the "Cascades" are lower priced/quality and I know Leupold makes better/more expensive models. But are the Olympics very good? I was thinking about either the 8X42 or the 10X50.
I am leaning toward the 8X42 for a general purpose binocular for deer, pig, coyote type hunting.

My friends have Zeiss and Swarovski but I can not even think about spending $800 to $1200 on a pair of binoculars. They always tell me you get what you pay for but I am not made of money. That is why my rifles wear VXII's Vari-XII's VXI's and even a Rifleman. My friends mostly have VXIII's but have recently been buying some Nikons that are very bright and clear.

Anyway I would love to hear from someone who owns or has used the Olympic binoculars from Leupold Wind River.

Re: Leupold "Olympic" binoculars

Posted: Sun Nov 18, 2007 10:08 am
by Rick in Oregon
sum-rifle: I have many bino's, and two of my most used units are both Wind River models. I have a 8x42 Pinnacle, and a 10x42 Olympic that I use only for bench varmint shooting, and can say that both perform quite well indeed. I think the 8x42's are the best option for hunting and general use.

For the money, I don't think there's better bino's available. When I return from a shoot or hunt, and see a bunch of desert dust all over them, I just dunk them in a sink full of water, swish them around, let them air dry, and put them away. Waterproof, dustproof, and great optical resolution, clarity, and color rendition.

Image

You'll almost always see a pair of Wind River bino's on my bench, or around my neck. ;)

Re: Leupold "Olympic" binoculars

Posted: Sun Nov 18, 2007 9:48 pm
by sum-rifle
Thanks a lot! I thought they were good and I think your endorsement will just be the push I needed to go ahead and buy them.

Re: Leupold "Olympic" binoculars

Posted: Mon Nov 19, 2007 11:58 am
by Hotshot
There are few people, if any, who know more about the way hunters and varmint shooters use optics than Rick. His advice is the Gold Standard in my world. It's just tough to match his budget. I pm'd him last spring for some specific advice on rifle scopes for my needs and he put me on the right path-even though it wasn't exactly what I wanted to hear. I'm sure glad I did follow his advice because I had a great year of shooting, aided by the right optics. My $.02

Hotshot