Swarovski 10x50 or 12x50? ,both are ELs. Only $100 difference in price. Also might need Sako rings & or peepsight for 375 H&H that I,m looking at. Can these still be found? Thanks for any infro. Randall

Randy, it depends on how you use them. i use a large pair of binos for scouting out on an ATV. Weight is not an issue, and I want all the clarirty and brightness I can get. But for hunting, I prefer an 8x32 or 8x40 pair to carry in a harness. 12X is pretty hard to hold steady enough without support. I see you're in Montana, so circumstances are different. Spotting can be quite long range out there. If you can glass with support, get what you can carry and handle effectively.

10X is pretty hard to hold steady without a rest for long periods. If you are doing a lot of glassing and need a 12 power, best to get a spotting scope and tripod. Then you can get lots of magnification without eye strain.

Personally, I like 8X for most applications and carry a spotting scope for long distance glassing.

Until recently I would have said even 10x binos were too heavy and hard to hold still for most hunting purposes. However, I have been given some humble Nikon Prostaff 10x42s that are extremely light and seem to work fine. So, I guess if Swaros of that size are just as light they should be excellent.

I think you will find those Sako items on ebay if they are not still made BUT I would be most reluctant to buy the factory peep sight, unless you want it for some strange target purpose. The hole is just too small and is surrounded by an enormous housing that blocks too much country.

I found a great little ghost-ring peep to fit the dovetail of my Finnbear, and it looks much stronger than anything with a cross arm. The brand is AO (I think) and, according to the 2009 Gun Illustrated, they also make models that attach to some mount bases. Mine came with two large-hole apertures of different sizes.

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Also might need Sako rings & or peepsight for 375 H&H that I,m looking at. Can these still be found?

Yes! Rodger at www.sakosource.com keeps a good stock of older Sako rings and peep sights. You can see many of them here http://www.sakosource.com/scopes.html
I've been buying guns and accessories from Rodger for 40+ years and he treats his customers right.

Roger had me fooled for a moment, Stonecreek, with his pre-Garcia references. What did Garcia do? I wondered, thinking he might have been the man who replaced one inadequate bolt shroud with another inadequate bolt shroud

I'd recommend the 10's. IMO, easier to steady. 8's or 10's are the choice if I could only choose one pair!

12's or 15's serve a purpose as well. I have used 15's on a tripod and they work great. However, they'd never replace my 10's.

Thx for infro! Will p/u Sako L61r 375 H&H today. Swarovski 10x50 ELs for Christmas present to selve. Randall

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Swarovski 10x50 ELs for Christmas present to selve. Randall

Can't do better than that!

peep :-)

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Originally posted by sambarman338:
Roger had me fooled for a moment, Stonecreek, with his pre-Garcia references. What did Garcia do? I wondered, thinking he might have been the man who replaced one inadequate bolt shroud with another inadequate bolt shroud

Americans tend to separate the pre-1972 Sakos (which features varied a bit from later ones) from those that came after by referencing the American importer -- Firearms International until 1971 and Garcia from 1971-1977. Lots of the early Garcia imports were identical to the late F.I. imports, so the common usage of "pre-Garcia" doesn't always mean what people think it means.

Thanks Stonecreek. Yes, distributors can be important, often because they pick and choose between features on the models they import. Some are more discerning than others.

(Also, thanks to richj, we can all see what a turkey the Sako peep sight really is.)

I second Biebs, 8x32. Mine are Leicas..I traded some 10x40 Liecas for them..I like a binoc I can use off hand during the day, Larger than 8X is hard to hold steady when your looking at horns unless you have a rest of some kind. Ive found I can locate bedded animals better with lesser power and broader field of view..I also like 7X...

Biebs...+1....8x32...light and carry easy.