Eye popping optics

Guns Magazine, Jan, 2004 by Holt Bodinson

Of course, accurate laser ranging depends upon a number of variables including the reflectivity, color, size and angle of the target. For example, shiny finishes reflect better than dull ones. Red reflects better than black. A house is easier to range than a deer. Dull days are better for ranging than sunny days. In tact, interestingly enough, Bushnell states that the maximum distance one can laser a deer is approximately 450 yards. On the other hand, that tree next to the deer can be lasered nut to 800 yards and used as a ranging reference point.

The little Legend is packed with features. The "Mode" button permits the user to toggle between yards and meters and to eliminate false readings from intervening brush and branches by activating a "greater than 150 yard" mode.

Powered by a 3-volt lithium battery, the Legend is activated by a power button under your fingers on top of the unit. Depressing it brings up a LCD digital crosshair, a range display and a battery condition reading. Pressing it again activates the laser and provides a distance-to-target readout. Holding the power button down flips the unit into a "scan" mode.

There's no reason to go afield any longer with a larger unit. In fact, the Legend is half the size and twice the power of my original Yardage Pro 400. The Legend retails for about $400.

SureFire's E2 outdoorsman

Why include a flashlight in an article on optics? Because the new, little SureFire Outdoorsman is a precision, multi-purpose, optical instrument.

When I'm hunting, weight--balanced against performance of the field gear I'm carrying is critically important. Until the new Outdoorsman became available, I carried a Mini-Maglite in my pack, and it saved my bacon on more than one occasion. The SureFire Outdoorsman is one inch shorter (4.5 inches) and one ounce lighter (4 ounces) than the Mini-Maglite, plus it's many times tougher and its light output is incomparable.

We recently hosted two South African professional hunters. What did they want to buy while in the U.S.? SureFire flashlights, so we ended up spending a morning at a local police supply store buying SureFires and batteries.

You've probably seen the ads that stress the blinding, self-defense qualities of the intense light emitted by a SureFire. The basic Outdoorsman can serve in that role. It projects a powerful, intensely focused beam of white light. What makes the Outdoorsman unique are the accessories that enhance its utility and value tenfold for the hunt.

First is a red filler that slips over the lens. Red light doesn't disturb most animals, and it also doesn't destroy one's night vision. In practice, a red beam is ideal for slipping into the field unobtrusively before dawn.

Second is a blue filter. In the dark, a blood trail under blue light appears black and distinctively shiny. When you need blue light, you really need it. Blue filtered light can save a hunt and salvage what might otherwise he lost game.

Third is a light emitting diode (LED) conversion head that extends battery life tremendously. The Outdoorsman is powered by two lithium batteries that power a blinding, high pressure Xenon tungsten lamp. Normal battery life is only 75 minutes, but with the LED replacement head installed, battery life is extended to 15 hours.