Cabela's Euro is coming....

[tddeangelo]

Just got the "Fall Preview" catalog from Cabela's. The new "Euro" scope looks to be a potential contender. Rebranded Meopta Meopro scopes, prices competitive with a Zeiss Conquest for standard duplex reticle and much less if one wishes for a ballistic reticle.

No word from the store when they'll be on hand, but I live all of 5 minutes from the PA Cabela's store, so I'll stop in periodically to check. I'll make that sacrifice for everyone so that I can check them out. It'll be a hardship, but I'll take one for the team.



In all seriousness, I may add this into the short list for the permanent glass I top my 300WSM with. I have a Vari-X II on the rifle now for load development, which is just fine. I want to see what these Euro's are like before I put money on a scope. I was pretty well set that it would be getting either a VX3 or a Conquest, but the Euro may put a new option on the list.

 

[SJB358]

Looking forward to the report Tom. I'm pretty sold on this Minox Joel sent me. Very nice scope and very user friendly. Scotty

 

[JD338]

Tom,

If they are anything like the Meopta binoculars, they are going to be bright!

Keep up posted.

JD338

 

[Scott Spencer]

I've been seriously considering the 10x42 Euro binos but just don't know enough about them and I don't have a Cabela's anywhere near me to look through them. Any of you folks around here know anything about them?

 

[DrMike]

Scott,

Cabela's built their reputation on service. I don't believe you'd be disappointed, and if you were, I doubt you'd have much trouble getting a refund or an exchange.

 

[JD338]

I've been seriously considering the 10x42 Euro binos but just don't know enough about them and I don't have a Cabela's anywhere near me to look through them. Any of you folks around here know anything about them?

Scott

Meopta supplies the glass for the Cabela's Euro binoculars.
Do a search on Meapta. http://www.meopta.com/

JD338

 

[SJB358]

Scott,

Cabela's built their reputation on service. I don't believe you'd be disappointed, and if you were, I doubt you'd have much trouble getting a refund or an exchange.

+1

 

[tddeangelo]

I've been seriously considering the 10x42 Euro binos but just don't know enough about them and I don't have a Cabela's anywhere near me to look through them. Any of you folks around here know anything about them?

I own a pair of 7x42 Meopta Meostars, which is what the Euro bino comes from. The only reason I never bought the Euro is I didn't want 10x.

Let me tell you......those Meoptas provide some serious glass, and the lowlight capability is flat out staggering.

One suggestion, before you go to the Euro, think about the Meopta Meopro line. They are about $450-$500 depending on magnification, and man, they are so close to the Meostars it's a non-issue. My father bought a pair of Meopro's recently and loves them. According to Meopta, the price difference is that the Meostar has a steel body where the Meopro has an aluminum body, and the Meostar is assembled at Meopta's Czech Republic factory, where the Meopro comes into the US as parts and is assembled here (somehow that saves on taxes? I have no idea how, but it's the same reason the Zeiss Conquest is assembled in the US from what I'm told).

Anyway, I compared Meostars to Meopros when he was shopping optics, and they are SO close it's not an issue. I also looked through a pair of Swaro 8x30 SLC's, and the 8x42 Meopros were every bit as clear and sharp in image as the Swaro's. They were brighter than the Swaro's, too, but the bigger objective was in play there for the Meopta, so not a straight-up comparison there.

BUT....think about that....$450 bino's were as clear and sharp as $1200 bino's. That's something.

If you like the Euro, and you want 10x (I would argue you'd be as well off with 8x and get better brightness, but that's your decision what magnification you prefer), then the Cabela's Euro bino is a good setup to get, for sure.

 

[SJB358]

Great report Tom. Those European glass bino's are really something. I couldn't believe how nice they were. Scotty

 

[tddeangelo]

Great report Tom. Those European glass bino's are really something. I couldn't believe how nice they were. Scotty

The Meostars I have are just flat out great glass, Scotty. No two ways about it. My 8x30 Zeiss Conquest binos are good, and in bright light they are as good for clarity and sharpness as the Meoptas (although the Meopta has better edge clarity, although within reason I don't see that as a big deal). When the sun sets, though, the Meoptas have the Zeiss beat hands down, no two ways about it. Now, to be fair, the Meoptas are 7x42 and the Zeiss are 8x30.

The Meoptas also are great about lens flair, or lack thereof. I used them on a winter hunt with lots of snow and strong sunlight. I was looking east at a field covered in undisturbed snow (so bright, bright white) as the setting sun was glaring hard from the west onto that snow. The Meopta's didn't flair one bit.

I was able to pick out deer while looking THROUGH treetops from one side of a wood lot through to the field on the other side....distance was about 300 yards. Easily spotted deer as they were coming out into the field, and followed them very well. At 400 yards and well past legal shooting time (30 min past sunset is quitting time), I could make antlers out on a buck's head, and know that he was no more than a 2.5yr old deer at most, because I could get a general feel for how big the rack was. I couldn't count points, but I could see the rack fairly well for the distance and dimness of light.

I really can't say enough good about my Meopta binos. They just rock. And that's why I'm excited to check out Meopta scopes.

 

[FOTIS]

Meopta is really great glass at a reasonable price.

 

[Scott Spencer]

Great advice from all you and it is sincerely appreciated! I'll go check out the Meopta binos!

 

[Oldtrader3]

I can't figure out why the 10x42 Euro's weigh 10 ounces more than the 10x42 Zeiss Victory FL's? No big deal, just curious because both are rubber armored? Of course there is a big price difference as well.

However, the Euro's weigh about the same and cost the same as the Kahles 10x40 binoculars. I wonder how they compare?

 

[JD338]

Just an FYI....
viewtopic.php?f=12&t=3951

JD338

 

[tddeangelo]

I can't figure out why the 10x42 Euro's weigh 10 ounces more than the 10x42 Zeiss Victory FL's? No big deal, just curious because both are rubber armored? Of course there is a big price difference as well.

However, the Euro's weigh about the same and cost the same as the Kahles 10x40 binoculars. I wonder how they compare?

What is the Victory model's body made of? Meostars are steel, which may account for the difference (if the Zeiss are aluminum or alloy of some sort).

I can tell you, Charlie, my Meostars are no lightweights, but I think you could drive nails with those suckers they're that tough.

 

[Oldtrader3]

I believe you Tom when you say that the Euro's are very strong and have a steel frame. I am pretty sure that my Zeiss Classic T*P's are aluminum frame and not steel. That would explain the 10 ounces. I guess it is a question of what is adequate strength for binoculars versus weight and many people will probably have differing ideas on this topic.

 

[tddeangelo]

I believe you Tom when you say that the Euro's are very strong and have a steel frame. I am pretty sure that my Zeiss Classic T*P's are aluminum frame and not steel. That would explain the 10 ounces. I guess it is a question of what is adequate strength for binoculars versus weight and many people will probably have differing ideas on this topic.

No doubt about the differing views at all...I'm sure Moonbeam and Iron Sight could give you some opinions on it!

What I know is that those Meostar bino's I have (which is what the Cabela's Euro bino is, too) are a tank. They are tough, they feel right in my hands, and they are optically superb. If the riflescopes of the Meostar level are similar and also track precisely and withstand recoil well, then they are some primo scopes.

 

[DrMike]

The Meopta Meostar is a fine scope. I haven't used one on a rifle, as I keep gravitating to either Kahles or Swarovski, but I have peered through several under various conditions. They provide superb optics at a very fair price.

 

[tddeangelo]

I believe you Tom when you say that the Euro's are very strong and have a steel frame. I am pretty sure that my Zeiss Classic T*P's are aluminum frame and not steel. That would explain the 10 ounces. I guess it is a question of what is adequate strength for binoculars versus weight and many people will probably have differing ideas on this topic.

FWIW, I checked Meopta's site, and the body of the Meostar is aluminum alloy.

 

[tddeangelo]

The Meopta Meostar is a fine scope. I haven't used one on a rifle, as I keep gravitating to either Kahles or Swarovski, but I have peered through several under various conditions. They provide superb optics at a very fair price.

Found out Optics Planet has VX7's on sale for $899. About $200 more than Meostars.......ugh.....the threshold for what I was going to spend on a scope keeps inching up.