SHOT Show 2022 optics observations

[Woofie]

Full disclosure: I import and retail delta Optical 'scopes which I am hugely impressed with at the price point. Blackhound is also my budget brand. At their lower prices you will find the mhard to beat.
The high $1000s low $2000s space is going to get crowded very quickly. The LPVO space is being pushed above $1000 (unnecessarily IMO) and the there is going to be a cat fight there too.
Sooo... Blackhound has two new 'scope lines, one Chinese assembled, Japanese glass, I think that's the Emerge line and next a Japanese assembled, Japanese glass line that I recall is the Evolve line. Pictured. They are nice, but they are crowding the niche I discussed. I also spent a great time talking to David Ding, the owner of Leapers, about their Integrix 'scope line. I like the Japanese glass/Taiwan assembly best. That is FFP. The SFP line, also Integrix, is Japanese glass, Chinese assembly. I was impressed by those scopes too. This price point is getting crowded and, as I said, it's going to be a real furr ball in the next twelve months.
I was also taken by the new Sightron 40mm tube 'scopes. All Japanese, nice. Price point is ~$2,800 which pits it directly against the Valdada G2 Recon, which I personally think is a losing fight. Now.... Sightron had a Holiday deal at a much lower price point, which, if they retreat somewhat towards could make their 40mm tube verrrry interesting.
Interesting time in the 'scope world, folks.

 

[Prose]

Are companies trending away from Light Optical Works (LOW-Japan)? I see that many brands previously made by LOW have moved to South Korea, China, ect.

Is LOW becoming the Boutique manufacturer for high end optics?

Years ago I loved my Bushnell elite scopes with LOW glass. Now they are bringing the elites back but they are manufactured in South Korea? What are the trends out there?

 

[bhoges]

I skipped Shot this year due to so many companies bailing. Recently I just got a Sightron 8-32 for review. Very well made scope with excellent glass. There are so many great optics out there these days. Tract, Element, GPO to name a few.

 

[Woofie]

Agreed, lots of good optics there. Zero Compromise kinda impressed me, but they're pricey. The gent at GPO lost brownie points with me when he insisted that Schott glass comes from China.

 

[Gargoyle]

Cool post. I look at LPVO as an option to combine a red dot scope with magnifier in a streamlined optic. 1X for red dot and mag for long(er) shots. 1-8X28 34mm tube is a nice size with good FOV. I prefer dual focal plane, where the red dot stays the same size, but the rest of the reticle is FFP. I even prefer a SFP over a FFP in an LPVO. Sometimes the reticles are too small to use on 1X.

 

[Skeetman59]

I bought a Black Hound 6-24 after watching a Cyclops review. I really liked the packaging and extras that came with the scope. Put it on my 224 Valkyrie.

I own 3 Arkens, an Athlon Helos, Leupold, and a Sig Tango 4. I would have stayed with the Tango 4s but Sig changed them to the all black models with the POS turrets.

I hate the thick reticle on the Black Hound. I talked to them about the reticle but that was just me hoping they’d change the reticle in newer models.

Currently on the hunt for a new scope for the Valkyrie. I want to stay in the Arken price range.

Sorry for the rant.

 

[Woofie]

I bought a Black Hound 6-24 after watching a Cyclops review. I really liked the packaging and extras that came with the scope. Put it on my 224 Valkyrie.

I own 3 Arkens, an Athlon Helos, Leupold, and a Sig Tango 4. I would have stayed with the Tango 4s but Sig changed them to the all black models with the POS turrets.

I hate the thick reticle on the Black Hound. I talked to them about the reticle but that was just me hoping they’d change the reticle in newer models.

Currently on the hunt for a new scope for the Valkyrie. I want to stay in the Arken price range.

Sorry for the rant.

Didn't feel like a rant to me.....
I purchased a Blackhound Genesis 6-24X50 MOA as a"spare" 'scope early last year. My buddy bought one too. The first one had defective parallax, which let me experience Blackhound's customer service, which honestly was faultless including them paying for the return of the faulty 'scope and sending me a new one before they got the old one back. Based on that I now sell them (so consider me biased).
I agree, the reticle is pretty heavy/thick. The upside to that is, shooting outdoors with heavy background clutter, it stands out. For precise shooting, it makes life harder. I tend to use the reticle subtension hatches to bracket my targets in that case. My Genesis is currently on my .223 RPR. Limited to 18X magnification I can hit a torso-sized steel target consistently at 1,000 yards. For a 'scope with a street price that's under $400, honestly, I don't think I can complain about that. It's never going to rival my more expensive 'scopes, but I didn't expect it to.
And on the price/value continuum... yes, Blackhound includes *everything* you need to mount the 'scope, rings, bubble level, etc. When you consider that, IMO, it's a pretty decent deal for the price with a rock-solid warranty too.

 

[Skeetman59]

Thanks Woofie, I’m in total agreement with you on the Black Hound. I plan to take it to our 600 yard range before I decide to keep it or sell it.

 

[atblis]

There are a few Japanese optics houses. Kenko and Hakko come to mind. I think Sightron is Kenko for some reason. Hakko appears to be defunct but reborn as JOL. Just repeating snippets I've gathered over the years. I don't have any insider knowledge.

Just pointing out that LOW doesn't make all Japanese scopes.

https://www.jolusa.com/

Light Optical Works

Light Optical Works, Ltd. of Suwa City, Nagano Prefecture, Japan. Carries out development of binoculars, rifle scopes, spotting scopes, and field scopes.

www.light-op.co.jp

Kenko Global

kenkoglobal.com

 

[Woofie]

There are a few Japanese optics houses. Kenko and Hakko come to mind. I think Sightron is Kenko for some reason. Hakko appears to be defunct but reborn as JOL. Just repeating snippets I've gathered over the years. I don't have any insider knowledge.

Just pointing out that LOW doesn't make all Japanese scopes.

https://www.jolusa.com/

Light Optical Works

Light Optical Works, Ltd. of Suwa City, Nagano Prefecture, Japan. Carries out development of binoculars, rifle scopes, spotting scopes, and field scopes.

www.light-op.co.jp

Kenko Global

kenkoglobal.com

Yes, Sightron is ownd by Kenko. LOW doesn't have a monopoly but they certainly produce many of the higher end optics sold by brands in the US.

 

[atblis]

So which Japanese optics house is making the Blackhounds?

 

[Woofie]

So which Japanese optics house is making the Blackhounds?

I don't know in terms of the new line of all-Japanese 'scopes. All my rep would say is "We have our own factory". Speaking cautiously, I can only say I would enjoy vigorously probing that assertion.