Bausch & Lomb

[ercjr2001]

Last year I purchased a pair of 10 X 42  water proof, rubber armored B & L Bino's from Sam's Club for around $60.
Last week in West Texas I used them to glass for management bucks in the mix of trophies running around the ranch.
These Binos are not the steal I thought I had.
I could not see the animals early or late, so I used my rifle topped off with a Leupold 3.5 - 10 X 40 to judge the game.

Can any one tell me why Bausch and Lomb put their name on these Chinese made ( serial no. 28 - 4210 ).
Can you tell me if they are in fact made in China?
I saw a label on the carrying case that said China.

[Dave in WV]

I'm not going to slam anyone for buying what they can afford. A rule of thumb is if it seems too good to be true it probably is. There is no free lunch in optics. I can't say where they were made but China is probably correct. I have B&L binoculars and they are great (Discover series). There are roughly three price ranges in optics. They are the inexpensive, medium priced, and top end products. There is a more readily seen difference between the low end and medium priced products than the medium and top end models. To get the performance you want the price will be between $200 and $400.

[Graybeard]

Those must have been made quite some while ago to have the B&L name on them. For awhile after Bushnell bought out B&L they used the B&L name on some of the cheaper lines which I always thought was wrong. Now they've dropped the B&L name completely from optics we sportsmen use and use only the Bushnell name. Any B&L product the last few years has carried the Elite name as far as I know. Any product with the Elite name on it whether B&L or Bushnell is absolutely TOP quality throughtout.

There really are no free lunches in buying optics. In the under $300 price range in binoculars you're not getting much. Chances are not good of it being one for serious use but only for an occasional look at something. Certainly not for prolonged use such as in spot and stalk hunting.

The Bushnell Legend is the first one price wise I've personally tested and used extensively that is good enough for this use. It definitely is and works great even for prolonged use. Ergonomically it fits me too which is a bonus. How a binocular feels to you is important if you'll be using it extensively.