Early last month I was invited on a bird watching expedition to the cloud forests of Guatemala in early June. I was learning Spanish through discs in my Jeep on the way to and from work. They were pretty useful and were working well. My new trail boots are comfortable and were waiting to walk on Central American soil. I actually watch birds for Cornell university every year. I don't just watch birds through my oven window. I was very much looking forward to the trip. Then a strange thing happened. I got invited to Africa on safari at the same time. Bird watching is fun, but I'd rather be lugging guns through the bush with grubby shooters on the dark continent. So I'm going to Africa instead. Only a few weeks left until I leave, which leaves me with very little time to sight in and get familiar with a new gun, so I'm bringing my old go-to Howa in '06. It killed everything just fine last time down there including dozens of varmints, some over 500 yards away when they let me walk up my shots. Some bird shooting also, so maybe I need a new shotgun. Good excuse to give My Shirley, anyway. Not that I need an excuse; she's very understanding about my needs. I'm a bit out of shape and could lose a few pounds. I have a bit of time to correct that. I ordered a Nikon Monarch 2.5-10x42 with BDC for glass. I don't like big scopes. My Monarch Gold 1200 rangefinder and Monarch glasses are ready to go. Needless to say this is a Nikon trip. Gotta get some range time in. I'll keep you guys posted.

I did some filming last week for our site as well as YouTube. New Nikon products represented were the Riflehunter 550 (one of the very best new laser rangefinders on the market), the Nikon Monarch binocular, and the most technologically advanced binocular available, the Nikon EDG (pronounced EDGE). Nikon's introduction of the EDG is going to reset the optical standard of high-end glasses, and the Europeans had better be well aware of the capabilities of this new offering. I have never tested optics that rated as high on a resolution chart. My normal go-to binocular is a Monarch, and has performance far outweighing its selling price.

Yesterday started the first two Riflescope 101 classes. Almost 40 attended alltogether. Lots of scoped guns and targets for visual aids, and instructor Steve bouncing around like a monkey. Classes were great and enjoyable and not boring in the least. A big load off my mind completing this section, it was lots of work and very important. After class yesterday I shot a pistol match. It was a no light match, so I chose to use a Glock 19 with a Streamlight TLR-1. This is the first time I used a weapon light in a match and it certainly contributed to me winning. After that, I won a couple dart games and made a nice dinner for my Shirley. Certainly was a full day.

A customer asked the other day for recoil ratings on a few different scopes. For the most part, there aren't any. Some manufacturers will say that they take "1000 thumpings with a .375 H&H", or rated to .454 Casull, but this is largely marketing hype. What is the weight of the gun? Who determines what recoil factor this is? Manufacturers also do not test for recoil the same way. The best way to determine recoil resistance of a scope without bells and whistles is price and reputation. Why do most rifles in gun magazines wear a few certain brands of riflescope? This is not hype. Some people use a variety of different products all the time and know what breaks. This is how a reputation is formed. Don't put tons of faith in recoil ratings if you can find them.

There are two boresighters I prefer over all others. The best unit ever made so far in my opinion is the fantastic Leupold Zero Point Magnetic boresighter. The lit reticle feature isn't required, but can be useful. The magnetic boresighters do not require a target for a laser to reflect off or an arbor of the correct size to insert into a muzzle, and are every bit as accurate. Remember, a boresight is simply to get you onto paper when shooting so you can sight in with the loads you want to use at your particular distance. I use mine every time I mount a new scope, and it is also useful for checking your zero after travelling. A reasonably priced alternative is the Bushnell magnetic version, unlit, but more affordable. Remember, you only have to buy one once, and it fits all calibers and gauges.

Some of you may already know Vortex Optics because of the excellent advertising campaigns they've been up to. It's hard not to notice the great full-page ads in most of the hunting magazines introducing their riflescope lines. Vortex binoculars are well respected in birding circles, and Field and Stream voted a Vortex binocular as a best buy earlier in the year. I'm looking forward to wringing out a couple Vortex riflescopes this season, and I'm expecting very good things out of them. Many of their products are argon purged, and all carry a no questions asked lifetime warranty.

My friend Chuck the veterinarian is at it again. After picking my brain for a few months he splurged and bought a new Remington 700 Light Varmint Stainless Fluted in 22-250. It was a bit more than he wanted to spend initially, but he ponied up one time for the last rifle he will ever need (or so he thinks). He fell in love with the cartridge from using one of my guns last year in preparation for his first antelope hunt. The gun I loaned him was wearing one of the new Simmons Master Series ProHunters in 6-24x44 with side focus and mildot. He loved the scope, too, so I got one for him. Chuck is a pragmatic kind of guy, so when I told him I had one for him he didn't look a gift horse in the mouth, he just beamed. I'll do my standard anal retentive gun preparation for him with the lapping and crowning, et cetera. The rifle is in my Gunroom waiting its turn among a score of other important projects. Dual dovetails and a Harris bipod for this one, and maybe a box or two of my favorite Ballistic Tip loads for good measure. This riflescope is a good value, and goes to show you don't need to spend a mint to get an extremely usable product that will last.

I've been supplying equipment for my local forest preserve biologist friends for about 20 years. These folks band birds and bats, relocate beavers, collar coyotes, and study every wild thing that lives in the woodlands and swamps. Population control of deer takes place most of the year including now. The carrying capacity of our woods for deer is from 9 to 11 deer per square mile. Some of our preserves have OVER 100! The latest package that was dropped off at my house was a new stainless 700 in .243. I lapped the barrel 777 times like I usually do, polished the crown and installed a 3.5-10x50 Zeiss Conquest in fully lapped Leupold Dual Dovetail two piece rings and bases as my standard. The problem was that the windage adjustment of the scope was almost buried to one side when boresighted with my Zero Point boresighter. I swapped to a different set I had laying around as well as turning them 180 degrees, all with no change in windage. The screw holes were obviously not centered. By my caliper measurements they weren't even close, and I could see the difference just with a close look. So I installed Standard rings and bases and adjusted windage that way. I could've used Burris Signature rings with inserts, but I like metal on metal. Along with this rifle I packaged an ATN PS-22 with the 3A tube and appropriate adapter. The rings were extra-high for a bit more clearance with this ultra-modern night vision unit, so I also put on a Blackhawk Ammo Cheekpad for a more comfortable cheek weld. Formerly the biologists had to carry two guns when they stayed out a while: one for daytime and one for night. Now with the ATN PS-22 they simply install the unit onto the existing daytime riflescope in about 5 seconds and shoot away. The whole package has been out of my Gunroom for two days and I can't wait for the required reports from a person who will put it all through its paces and give me real-world reports with no bias. I learn an awful lot from these guys and gals. I also sold them another pair of 8x42 Leica Geovids which probably have the nicest picture of any binocular I have ever used. If you want to know how tough a piece of equipment is, just give it to these folks for a season. I enjoy helping these people a lot, and they are a wealth of information.