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Steiner binos
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At a Christmas Eve get together I was given a pair of Steiner Merlin 10x42 binoculars. Do any of you optic buffs know much about them or Steiners in general? Any info is appreciated.

*I posted this in Optics, but I thought it may get more feedback over here.
 
Posts: 1851 | Registered: 12 May 2009Reply With Quote
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Congrats on the present, They are as tuff as you can buy, we used steiners in the military
and the commercial ones i have seen have much better glass and look to be as well built. I purchased Nicons because I could afford them, But if you arent happy with them you can give them to me as a new years gift.lol
 
Posts: 58 | Registered: 27 November 2007Reply With Quote
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I have heard good things forever about them. I bought one pair and sent them back 3 times. I was dumb enough to buy a second pair and got rid of them. The lense were fine but the barrels kept crossing each other on both pair. They werent the expensive ones but I expected better than that. The customer service was not very good either.
 
Posts: 560 | Location: Michigan, US | Registered: 10 April 2007Reply With Quote
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I had a pair of Predators. Overall, I liked the design and I think they were very tough. My problem was essentially the same as 69deer's - less than stellar company support. On my pair, the "spanner" lock nut looked to be cross threaded. This is the locking nut on the front that holds the 2 barrels together. After some use, the barrels lost their "tightness" when you adjusted them to look through. Hope I'm describing this correctly. Anyway, I sent the binoculars back twice along with their required $10 repair fee. Each time I got them back, the problem cropped up again. I had about decided to send them back a 3rd time with instructions to either fix them correctly or not to return them. My intent was to do this after our hunting season this last year.
Well, on our trip upriver to moose camp in Sep., we had a boat fire & I lost virtually all of my gear including the binoculars. Insurance was willing to replace the binos so I decided to try another pair and see if I have the same problem as before. If these things don't perform, I'll get rid of them & get something else.
I like the design of the Steiners and I think they're hell for stout but IMHO, their service department sucks. Hope you don't have the problems I had.
Bear in Fairbanks


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Posts: 1544 | Location: Fairbanks, Ak., USA | Registered: 16 March 2002Reply With Quote
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I have been in hunting camps with Europeans, Germans mostly, they refer to Steiner as the Bushnell of Europe. I had a pair of 9x40's,Big Horns, I think, for the money they were pretty good, but would take no abuse, had to send them in twice to reset the glass,. Then I had a pair of the $199 8x30 preditors, I used them for 10 days, worked great,I offered them as part of a tip to a PH and he snatched them out of my had before I could say ok!
 
Posts: 10478 | Location: N.W. Wyoming | Registered: 22 February 2003Reply With Quote
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I have had a pair of 7x35 military and marine for about 25 years and the only thing I don't like about them is the neck strap.
The pair I have is od green and are rubber coated.
 
Posts: 1371 | Location: Plains,TEXAS | Registered: 14 January 2008Reply With Quote
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I had a pair of 10x42's. They were junk. Never gave a clear focus. I sent them back. They fixed them for free. At least they said they fixed them. They were still junk. I gave them away.


"There are worse memorials to a life well-lived than a pair of elephant tusks." Robert Ruark
 
Posts: 4780 | Location: Story, WY / San Carlos, Sonora, MX | Registered: 29 May 2002Reply With Quote
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I have been using a pr of the Big Horns for 4 years without any problems and are a very good value for the dollars spent. Does any bino hold up to excessive abuse? I don't throw my $225 binos around and certainly would not with a $2000 pr either. If you think it's an expendable tool and not a precision instrument you get what you deserve I guess.
 
Posts: 4115 | Location: Pa. | Registered: 21 April 2006Reply With Quote
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I had a pair of predators...loved them


Mike

Never under estimate the internet community's ability to reply to your post with their personal rant about their tangentially related, single occurrence issue.



What I have learned on AR, since 2001:
1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken.
2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps.
3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges.
4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down.
5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine.
6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle.
7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions.
8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA.
9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not.
10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact.
11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores.
12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence.
13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances.
 
Posts: 10096 | Location: Loving retirement in Boise, ID | Registered: 16 December 2003Reply With Quote
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I played around with them the last day or two. Not too bad so far. I already have a decent pair or two, but another pair never hurt.
 
Posts: 1851 | Registered: 12 May 2009Reply With Quote
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quote:
I already have a decent pair or two, but another pair never hurt.


You can never have enough pairs of binos! Same goes for knives, tents, and boots! Big Grin
 
Posts: 10478 | Location: N.W. Wyoming | Registered: 22 February 2003Reply With Quote
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Same goes for fast cars and faster women.
 
Posts: 4115 | Location: Pa. | Registered: 21 April 2006Reply With Quote
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Same goes for fast cars and faster women.

rotflmo
 
Posts: 10478 | Location: N.W. Wyoming | Registered: 22 February 2003Reply With Quote
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quote:
Originally posted by Woodrow S:
Same goes for fast cars and faster women.


I can't afford either.


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Posts: 7361 | Location: South East Missouri | Registered: 23 November 2005Reply With Quote
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quote:
Originally posted by 69deer:
I have heard good things forever about them. I bought one pair and sent them back 3 times. I was dumb enough to buy a second pair and got rid of them. The lense were fine but the barrels kept crossing each other on both pair. They werent the expensive ones but I expected better than that. The customer service was not very good either.


I agree with the above, super glass, but maybe the quality assurance headed out the door is lacking.

I had a pair of 25x80 Senators and a pay of 8x30 Predators. The Senators crossed, the Preds were fine.
 
Posts: 4729 | Location: Australia | Registered: 06 February 2005Reply With Quote
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I have a pair of the 8x30 predator pros. I've had them for 3 years, give or take. They've been on multiple hunts with me (6 or 7, I think). Rain, cold, hot, and so far, I am pleased with them. They are clear glass, easy to focus, and have enough eye relief for me to use, as I wear glasses.

So far, so good. This is my one and only pair of Steiners, and I have been satisfied.

I think I paid around $300 for them, but I'm not sure on that.

With a bino harness, they just sit there on my chest and I hardly even know they're there until I reach down for them.

I didn't want a huge pair of binos that would spend most of their time in the truck because I didn't want to carry them around.


Si tantum EGO eram dimidium ut bonus ut EGO memor
 
Posts: 1146 | Location: Bismarck, ND | Registered: 31 August 2006Reply With Quote
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