Hunting Field Test for Leupold Golden Ring Binoculars

Archieved Hunting Product Field Test
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Leupold Golden Ring Binoculars

When Leupold told me they had a new line of optics they wanted me to test, Leupold's Golden Ring Binoculars, I was excited to see if the quality would rival that of their line of rifle scopes.

Leupold's Golden Ring Binoculars come in two models, 8x42mm and 10x42mm. My choice has always been 10x42mm, still on a compact frame and relatively light, but powerful enough for most hunting conditions.

Upon arrival the first thing I noticed was their rich brown color, no mistaking these with any of the green import binoculars. The second thing I noticed were the objective (the big end) lens covers, the only negative I found throughout my test. First the objective covers have no way of remaining attached to the binoculars when off, which means they have to go in your pocket. Second, they won't remain attached to the binoculars when on, which makes them useless. Hopefully in the future Leupold will use covers similar in operation to those found on Leica and Swarovski binoculars.

The rest of what I saw I liked. Especially the "Interpupillary Distance Lock", which in layman terms means the lock that keeps the binoculars set for the distance between your eyes. So the only thing you need worry about each time you bring them up, is the focus adjustment.

It was now time to take the Golden Rings to the field. Saskatchewan to be exact, on my first elk hunt. I decided to leave my rifle in camp the first two days and scout and film the hunting area. Scouting included judging elk from 800 to 1,000 yards in open meadows as well as trying to judge them in cover so thick a 20 yard shot would be long. The clarity and detail provided by the Golden Ring binoculars was appreciated at both the long distances and looking down into the heavy cover trying to discern the trophy size of the elk. And the low light capability of the Golden Rings is second to none. Their exceptional performance helped me pick out this beautiful 7x6 Elk that scored 370 SCI.

A month later I'd get a chance to test them again. This time in the Hill Country of Texas, on an Aoudad and Mouflon Sheep hunt. I've been hunting Aoudad, unsuccessfully, a couple of times. And ever since I saw my first Mouflon I couldn't wait till I had a chance to hunt one.

Once again Leupold's Golden Rings helped me to look over herds of Aoudad at a 1,000 yards and better, a necessity before beginning a long, crawling stalk through the open fields of Texas grass while the Aoudad grazed on a hillside. This hunt ended in a miss at 30 yards (but that's another story). My second chance came the next morning when a lone Aoudad ram came towards me from 700 yards away. At 35 yards I squeezed the trigger and was rewarded for my patience.

After hanging the Aoudad in cold storage my guide and I headed out to look for Mouflon. But instead of glassing hillsides I found myself glassing stands of trees and creek bottoms. Judging trophy quality with only glimpses between tree leaves and ground cover I appreciated the clarity of the Golden Ring Binoculars. Time and again we found a Mouflon herd only to loose them as they spotted us and took off.

Late that afternoon we spotted a lone ram bedded under some trees on the far side of an open field. The distance across the field was nearly 300 yards with no cover. Although I enjoy shooting at distances beyond 350 yards I have to admit after the earlier miss I was a little nervous. So I decided to make for a stand of oaks that would let me close the gap a hundred yards or so. Only problem was I'd be in full view of the Mouflon the entire way. So on my belly I went and began my low crawl. I made it to the trees unobserved. As I picked my shooting position and contemplated the difficulty of a shot at an animal laying down, the Mouflon stood and turned sideways. A quick glance through the Golden Rings confirmed the trophy quality and I redeemed myself with a shot that dropped him right back down where he had been laying.

As I've grown to expect and appreciate from Leupold when they put their name on a product you can bet it is world class, guaranteed for life, and affordable. In fact you can get Leupold's new Golden Ring Binoculars for nearly one third less then the price of the competition.

Visit their Web Site for more information.

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