December 2018 - Optics Den

Unique Gifts for Men in 2019

Sometimes men can be pretty easy to shop for. Whether its a new video game or a complete shaving kit, all the manly things that come mind are usually what they want. However, you can be one of the few people this holiday season that doesn’t adhere to the status quo and instead picks out a unique but special gift for the important men in your life.

Here are some unique gift ideas for men:

Kabob Grilling Sticks

If you’re hinting at a man that you want to see more kabobs at dinner time, then consider specialized kabob grilling baskets that making the cooking process much easier. Nothing beats dad’s or grandpa’s burgers but variety always helps!

Bottle Opener

Unscrewing bottles by hand can be painful and tedious. If bottles are a common item in your household then a wall mounted bottle opener will make a great gift. It works even better when you can mount this opener over a trash can and simply the whole process.

Bath Robe

Ever wanted to feel snug and warm immediately following a shower? You can help bring back the bathrobe trend with a comfortable, plush robe. They’re cheap and easy to maintain so long as you keep in and around the bathroom.

Valet Tray

Men keep a lot of things on them from sunglasses to wallets. If your man is forgetful, consider a valet tray that will keep all valuables and essentials in one place. Think of it as an addition to that stylish suit that keeps them professional.

Money Clip

Sometimes keeping credit cards and cash separate from wallets is a good security measure against thieves and pickpockets. A carbon fiber money clip will keep thin objects together and away from your wallet and avoid all the unnecessary fumbling that comes with a wallet.

Neck Pillow

Whether the flights are long or the man just needs some joint relief, a neck pillow is a perfect gift for a man who’s always traveling. You’ll commonly see these on flights or trips where there’s too much sitting.

Air Sofa

Portable furniture isn’t really a thing, that’s why there are things such as the inflatable sofa. Aside from being extremely comfortable, they’re portable! No more having to adjust pillows or fall off the sides of couches when this thing wraps around you.

Action Camera

For the adventurous outdoorsman, bringing an expensive DSLR camera to capture intimate moments isn’t always logical. That’s why an action camera like the new GoPro HERO 6 Black would be the perfect gift for his next excursion.

Rangefinders

Vortex Optics Ranger Laser Rangefinders Review

If you’re a long-range shooter or a bowhunter, you know how important accurate ranging is to the success of your hunt. If you spend a lot of time up in a tree stand or hunting in high country, calculating an accurate shot angle can be pretty difficult. With a rangefinder, finding true distance and shot precision is much easier.

Concerned about the cost and weight of another piece of equipment to your already-heavy load? Don’t be. Most rangefinders are small and light—and some can even take the place of your binos.

So, if you’re looking for a good rangefinder for yourself or your favorite hunting buddy, check out Vortex Optics’s Ranger line.

Vortex’s old line of Ranger rangefinders was enormously popular, but they’ve done a great job improving the product.

Specs

The Ranger rangefinders come in four options: 1000, 1300, 1500, 1800. As the names suggest, each option is capable of ranging up to that particular number of yardage to reflective material. To a deer, you can expect about half. (Read our full review of the 1000 here)

Each option includes 6X magnification, 17mm of eye relief, and a 22mm objective lens. With these rangefinders, you’ll get 315ft/1000yd linear FOV and 6 degrees of angular FOV. The Ranger rangefinders also boast an accuracy within -/+ 3 yards at 1,000 yards and a max angle reading of +/- 60 degrees.

Prefer to range in meters or yards? It doesn’t matter. The Ranger rangefinders can be set to either setting.

The Ranger rangefinders will also handle cold and hot temps You can expect it to work between 14 and 131 degrees F.

Glass

With excellent glass quality, the Ranger rangefinder provides multi-coated lenses for optimal light transmission. You’ll also get an adjustable diopter that’s easy to use. You count on a precise picture that stands up against even the most expensive rangefinders.

This rangefinder has great low-light capabilities. So, if you’re out while the sun is setting or rising, you’ll be able to get a reading if you’re not too far away.

Construction

Although the body of the Ranger rangefinders is plastic, it’s coated with rubber. The rubber coating feels secure and non-slippery. It’s also serves as great protection for the rangefinder itself. You can feel confident the Ranger rangefinder will survive pretty much anything that happens to it.

The entire thing is waterproof and protected from internal fog. It’s also O-ring sealed, so the operating system will continue to have your back, even in tough conditions.

Each model is threaded for a tripod and comes with a high-quality carrying case for protection and longevity.

These rangefinders require a lithium CR2 battery. However, there is a battery included in the box. The battery cover is sealed and can be opened with a coin.

Portability

The Ranger rangefinders are compact, lightweight, and have a great, ergonomic hand feel. These rangefinders are 3 inches wide, 3.9 inches long, and only weigh 7.7 ounces. None of the models would be a bother to carry around for days at a time.

One really neat feature of the Ranger rangefinders is the adjustable utility clip on the side. The side clip is adjustable and can be mounted on either side or removed completely. Clip it to your pocket, belt, or to your pack for ultra-easy access as soon as you need it.

Ranger rangefinders also come with a lanyard if you prefer to carry around your neck. However you like to take the Ranger with you, it’ll be easy to bring.

Features and usability

The Ranger is easy to use with a quality, intuitive display.

The button closest to your eye is the “measure” button. Press it once to turn on and a second time to measure. That’s it.

The button further away from your eye is the “menu” button. There are three changeable settings. One is the brightness, which is really helpful in low-light conditions. The other settings change the measure between LOS and HCD modes.

The Line of Sight Distance (LOS) provides the straight-line distance to the target. It will also provide the angle.

In Horizontal Component Distance (HCD) mode, the Ranger will measure the distance and the angle and do the math to provide the most accurate yardage for your shot. If you spend a lot of time hunting in elevation or in tree stands, this setting can be enormously helpful.

By holding down the “measure” button, the Vortex Ranger will also “scan.” This scan feature provides continuous readings across a landscape or can track a moving target.

One thing to note about this rangefinder is that it won’t pick up objects under 10 yards.

Vortex VIP warranty

Another great feature of this Ranger rangefinder is that it comes with a lifetime warranty. If something were to happen to it and the optics get fuzzy, Vortex will take care of it—for as long as you have the product.

Rifle Scopes

Bushnell Engage Riflescopes Review

On the hunt for a new riflescope? As a hunter or range shooter, you know how important a quality, easy-to-use scope is to your experience. With so many to choose from, finding the right one can be a difficult choice.

Selection can be even more complicated if you factor in price and quality. Who wants to deal with a cheap, underperforming scope? And who wants to spend half their paycheck on one?

If you’ve been struggling to find the right riflescope, here’s your answer. The Bushnell Engage Riflescopes are high-quality and affordable. They also boast a number of exciting features that will make your next hunt or day on the range a great one.

Construction & Options

The Engage riflescopes were designed to go to work with you. Everything, from the turrets to the lens, is waterproof and built to last. The scope is heavy enough to be stable, but no so heavy it’s not useable for long-range work.

They come in nine configurations, so whether you’re varmiting, game-hunting, or are out on the range, you can find the right model for you.

2-7x 36mm
3-9x 40mm
3-9x 50mm
4-12x 40mm
6-18x 50mm
5-10x 44mm
3-12x 42mm
4-16x 44mm
6-24x 50mm

Find the 30 mm tubes here and the 1″ tubes here.

Optics

The Engage riflescope feature multicoated glass with Bushnell’s new EXO Barrier protective coating, which actively repels water, debris, oil, and fog. Even fingerprints–really! Everything just slides right off. The EXO really helps keep your scope clean and your vision sharp even, with rugged use.

No need to concern yourself about image quality. On each model, you’ll find multiple layers of anti-reflective coating and 90% light transmission. You’ll get great color, amazing resolution, and fantastic details, even well into dusk and even at night. If there’s a light source—even the moon—you’ll get a great picture through this scope.

These riflescopes are also O-ring sealed and nitrogen-purging for full protection against water and fog. You can count on an ultra-clear view, rain or shine. The scope’s blackout interior keeps out any extra reflection. Plus, the adjustments feel clean and work well.

Keep in mind, the diopter doesn’t lock. So, if you may need to make a little mark on your setting in case it gets bumped.

Scope also includes an already-installed Butler Creek pop-open scope cover.

Reticle

Engage riflescopes include Bushnell’s new Deploy MOA reticle. This gives shooters 1-MOA windage and elevation hashmarks and can reach both short and mid-range targets.

Vertical and horizontal crosswires are marked at 1 MOA intervals, and bigger, thicker marks delineate each 5 MOA intervals.

The Bushnell Engage Riflescope offers a huge range of reticle correction. There are 20 MOA of reticle correction possible to the left and right. Above center to low hold, you’ll get 5 MOA of correction, and 30 MOA of correction below center to hold high.

Although the reticle is easy to read and use, the markings may be a little thin. If you’re running out of light, or are have a complicated background, you may lose reticle visibility.

Further, because the reticle is found in the second focal plane, you need to spend the time adjusting the magnification if you’re shooting at long range. The riflescope must be set at its highest magnification to apply the reticle marks correctly.

Bushnell obviously took their time on design. The MOA reticle can be used by hunters and target shooters across multiple calibers. If you’re looking for a scope that provides flexibility—this is the one.

Turrets

The turrets on these Bushnell Engage riflescopes are great. They are marked with very readable numbers with .25 MOA marks between each number. One rotation of the turret gives you 15 MOA of correction. Rotate the turrets as many times as you want, but you’ll eventually get passed the 50 MOA of built-in adjustment.

They also lock; to make an adjustment, pull up and twist. Then, press back down to keep in lock.

Once your scope is sighted, you can set the windage and elevation to zero without using a tool. Just unscrew the top disk. It’s a pretty cool feature! You can do the same to other turrets to return everything back to the original zero.

The side parallax adjustment is also easy to use. Depending on the scope you get, it will adjust all the way down to 10 yards and up to infinity, with graduations at 20, 30, 50, 100, 200, 300, & 500. The short-range parallax adjustments are really nice if you are mounted on a .22, or are hunting in close range.

Value

The Bushnell Engage riflescopes are truly an incredible value. High-quality glass, sturdy construction, and clean design make these riflescopes on par with some of the most expensive on the market.

With their Engage line, Bushnell has proven you don’t need to spend half your paycheck on a ha great scope. It’s also important to remember the Bushnell Engage products come with an Ironclad lifetime warranty—for the scopes, it’s 30 years.

The Bushnell Engage line of products includes binoculars. Read more about them here.