Xaegis Tactical sent me their newest set of shooting glasses to test and evaluate. They comes in 3 different lens tints: clear, yellow, and dark. Each comes in a hard nylon woven case with a cleaning cloth and a sparse instruction pamphlet.
These shooting glasses are generic Oakley and Bolle-style wraparound glasses. They are entirely polymer and silicone in construction. They claimed to be ANSI Z87.1 impact rated, UV-filtering, and anti-fog. I couldn’t test the first two claims but I aimed to test the last one.
I ran the Xaegis glasses over the mist of a room humidifier and they left no trace on the lenses. In comparison, the humidifier left a noticeable fog patch on my prescription eyeglasses. Next, I put on two layers of cloth face masks and put on the Xaegis glasses. I got only the barest hint of moisture on the lens after 60 seconds of talking and breathing.
These inexpensive $15 safety/shooting glasses lived up to their performance claims and will be going into my range bags as spares. If you’re interested in picking some up, they come in a variety of arm colors as well as lens tints.
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Black Friday is almost here and Mariah Carey invades the radio. It’s that time of year to think about buying gifts for our family, friends, and for ourselves. With that in mind, here are my Top 10 Best Buys from products I’ve personally tested and reviewed on this channel. Starting from inexpensive to indulgent.
After reviewing the Banshee 1-10×24, Monstrum offered to sponsor my next video if I would compare it to a higher end LPVO. I was hesitant thinking their scope would probably be optically inferior and I would not hide that fact in my video. Surprisingly they said they would be ok with me showing their LPVO’s shortcomings as long as I was honest and fair about it.
Monstrum agreed to cover my ammo, gas, range fees, and time. Most 1-10x LPVOs we could find were First Focal Plane. Wanting to compare apples-to-apples, we looked for a Second Folcal Plane (SFP) 1-10x. The Sig Sauer Tango MSR was the only higher end brand that fit that profile. And while SIG isn’t really a “high end” brand, Nightforce doesn’t make a 1-10x LPVO and Vortex and EOtech 1-10x are First Focal Plane, so those were not good comparisons. Primary Arms also makes a 1-10x SFP, but most consider Primary Arms to be also a “budget brand” so Monstrum agreed to send me a Sig Tango to compare to the Banshee. Both scopes were shipped directly from Amazon in new sealed boxes.
Both scopes come with offset mounts and similar accessories in the box. On paper they share many similar features.
BANSHEE
TANGO
Objective Lens:
24 mm
28 mm
Magnification:
1 – 10 x
1 – 10 x
Tube Diam:
30 mm
34 mm
Weight:
17 oz
20.4 oz
Eye Relief:
4.0 – 4.5 in
3.22 – 3.54 in
Reticle
SFP
SFP
Adjustments:
0.5″
0.5 MOA
Illumination:
Red & Green
Red
Battery Type:
CR2032
CR2032
Beyond the specs, looking at both LPVO’s side by side, it was easy to see which scope looked better built and expensive. The Tango had more refined design features and construction. The Banshee’s design could best be described as clean and spartan but in comparison looked like a budget scope. This design difference extended even into the scope mount.
Sig Sauer has a great reputation for making solid optics. The Tango costs more than double the price of a Banshee. I was sure before I began the testing that it would be better than the Banshee. The question would be how much better?
At the range I tested both out on the same reference targets and was surprised at the results. Optically, the Banshee was a bit brighter, sharper, and clearer than Tango. It also had an inch further eye relief and a more forgiving eye box than the Tango at 10x.
The Banshee held its own against the Tango save for one key feature, its reticle. The Banshee MX1 reticle is an old school crosshair with MOA sub-tensions, traditionally found on long range target scopes. The Tango has the MSR, a modern tactical reticle that provides the user with windage hold-overs and aim points to lead moving targets.
Despite the Banshee’s better optical qualities, I’d prefer the Tango because its MSR reticle makes it a more useful LPVO for action shooting and combat. On the other hand, at half the price of the Tango, the Monstrum is still a good value. If Monstrum were to upgrade a future version of the Banshee with a more useful reticle, it would be a done deal.
Having a camera on a motorized gimbal that could automatically center itself and points to you is a cool idea but until now was crazy expensive. With advances in electronics and facial recognition software, a tracking tripod mount that used to cost hundreds now can available for under $20. I purchased one online with the intent of using it for my video production. But they say you get what you pay for, so I thought it best to tested it out.
The tracking mount comes in 3 color choices in a plastic with a USB-C rechargable internal battery. It mounts to a tripod via a 1/4″ photo screw at the base. It comes with a screw on circular base so that you could place it on a table top flat surface and use the motorized mount alone to film with your phone.
The top of the unit has a spring loaded clamp that holds your phone (or possibly a small camera) and tilts and rotates to allow for both vertical or horizontal orientations. The power button turns the unit on with a long press and two quick taps when on, puts the mount on a slow 360º rotation mode.
When on, the unit automatically tracks to center the mount on a face in front of the mount. A small camera at the base views a subject and can be tilted. I was not able to test the mount using multiple subjects or groups of people. Presumably the mount would not be able to identify the “primary” subject.
The tracking can be disabled by holding your hand up like a Stop Sign. Then reactivated by holding up an OK symbol with your fingers. There is no remote included with the model I bought, but I have seen more expensive models online with remotes.
Tracking was good but reactive and not predictive. The unit tries to catch up to your face but if you move to quickly it can not keep you in the center until it catches up. The movement speed does speed up depending on how quickly you move. Short of sprinting or bounding out of frame, the unit managed to catch up eventually. Unfortunately, the unit always places the subject with a face in the center of the field of view so you can’t do 1/3 framing of your shots.
For solo travel vloggers, the P01 could be an easy way to allow you some freedom when showing off and pointing out locations behind you. In addition, in 360º mode, it can be used to create tasteful pan B-Roll footage. For the price, I think this would be a useful took for vloggers.
This mount came in a generic box marked P01 but having no other branding. It is sold on Amazon under various brand and store names.
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The T3240CSL is a lightweight carbon fiber hunting tripod that is essentially identical to the T3240CS that I reviewed a few months ago. What makes the CSL version different is the “L” in its name for “Long”. The CSL is 0.5lbs heavier because it is a head taller at 62″ full extension.
The tripod has 4 carbon fiber leg segments that have o-ring environmental seals to keep moisture and dirt out of the mechanism. The feet are rubberizes pads which are screwed in using standard 3/8″ tripod threads. Without tools, they can be user replaced with stainless steel spikes that Sunwayfoto includes.
The legs can be splayed out up to 85º wide allowing the tripod to almost lay completely flat on the ground. This side angle is ideal for low shots with a camera or shooting prone with a rifle. It can also be angled out to a more moderate 55º to position the tripod for a sitting shooting position.
The aircraft grade aluminum base has additional 3/8″ and 1/4″ screw sockets to attach accessories and arms. Within the base is a sunken/reverse 40mm ballhead. This design creates a lower center of gravity while providing 360º of rotation and up to 35º of elevation tilt. The ballhead is locked into place with a curved arm formed to the shape of the circular base.
Atop the ballhead the CSL comes with an Arca-Swiss compatible head and plate. A locking quick-release lever and tension adjustment screw allow for secure mounting of after-market plates. Which I’ve discovered, may not be created to Swiss levels of engineering.
Interestingly, the sample tripod sent to me from Sunwayfoto has the Asian style clamp head, which is also NATO/Picatinny compatible. You can mount a firearms or accessory that has a Picatinny rail directly onto the ballhead. RSS holds the U.S. patent on this design, so this particular feature may not be present on tripods shipped from U.S. stores.
The tripod is rated with a load capacity of up to 55lbs. In my testing I found it could handle much higher loads. I weigh 175lbs and the tripod could handle my weight without the segment locks slipping.
At the range I found the CSL handled identically to the T3240CS. It had the same steady hold on my rifle. It’s carbon fiber legs soak up vibration while retaining repeatable position. While I may not need the extra height that the CSL affords, for taller shooters or for those competing in PRS/NRL matches with unorthodox positions, having the flexibility of extending the tripod out 62″ may be a game changer.
Modern laptop with USB-C ports have the benefit of data speeds up to 5,10, or even 20Gbps. But to conserve space, many laptop and tablet makers also use the USB-C port as its charging port. This can be an issue when you want to charge and use multiple USB peripherals at the same time.
Some Thunderbolt 3/4 compatible USB hubs which also offer PD (Power Delivery) power passthrough can cost $30 or up to $200 for some “docking stations”. I use a laptop to conserve space and for portability, so finding a USB hub with a small footprint was also a primary criteria. Unfortunately many inexpensive hubs lack PD passtrough, are USB 3.0 or slower, or have HDMI or other peripheral connections I don’t need.
Fortunately, I found a Getatek USB hub on Amazon for under $18 (at the time of purchase, there was a 15% Prime discount). The Getatek hub has a mix of 2x USB-A and 2x USB-C ports that are USB 3.1 Gen 2 ports with data rates of up to 10Gbps. In addition, it has third USB-C port that allows for PD passthrough power. All in all, an ideal mix of USB ports and features.
In my testing, I was able to confirm that the PD port allowed a pass through approaching its claimed 100W capacity (my test charger is an older 90W Apple adpater). In my data testing using a SSD drive, I was able to get data transfer speeds over 8.5Gbps, which is close enough to its claimed 10Gbps max speed. I experienced some power drops initially but discovered this was caused by a poor connection in my testing cable and not the hub itself.
If you’re looking for one of the least expensive USB hubs with a mix of both old school USB-A ports and new USB-C ports, fast USB 3.1 speeds, and power passthrough, the Getatek may be an ideal choice. Or whatever brand this hub may be found under as it’s likely Getatek is yet another random OEM keymash brand.
RRS (Really Right Stuff) has a reputation for making some of the best tripods on the market. And some of the most expensive ones. Part of the cost is because their tripods and tripod heads are 100% made the U.S.A. and not China like most other brands. But mush of it is simply due to how much better built their gear is.
RRS tripods are so over-built and rugged, they are not only well known to lanscape and atrophotographers (who need rock solid tripods to take the sharpest images), but they’re the brand of choice among long-rang target shooters. RRS sent me their BH55 precision tripod ballhead to test and evaluate. I was curious to see if a BH55 was good enough to turn an old photo tripod into a shooting platform?
Out of the box, the BH55 is heavy and solid. It’s by far the heaviest tripod head I’ve used outside of heavy duty 35mm motion picture pan heads. The design is top notic and over-built, offering large diameter knobs to allow me to transfer more torque from my hands.
Heavy duty construction is required in a shooting tripod because the weight of the rifle on the tripod is often not the strongest force exerted on the mechanism. Firearms also produce recoil which is often multiple times more force than gravity. Moreover, a tripod head needs to be unwavering to allow repeatability in follow up shots using magnified optics.
For this test, I used a +20 year old photo/video tripod. I replaced the pan head with a BH55 using the tripod’s 3/8″ screw. This heavy all-metal tripod could handle the weight of a 10lb rifle but the legs aren’t able to splay out more than 20-30º so it is not as stable as shooting tripod with a wider stance. Furthermore, to achieve standing height, the center post has to be raised to max height, further destabilizing its center of gravity.
For the test I would be using my DMR style 5.56mm AR rifle with an ARCA-Swiss adapter plate. The BH55 has RRS’ patented Picatinny compatible ARC-Swiss mount which allows you to clamp down any rifle with a Picatinny 1913 rail. This is particularly handy for AR pattern rifles. This innovative design was created by RRS and not licensed to any other manufacturer, so if you see this feature on any other tripod head, they are illegally selling it in the U.S. (and there is ongoing litigation against some Chinese brands selling in the US).
Mounted on the BH55, my rifle was sold and secure despite the tripods less than ideal geometry. Shooting from it felt much more wobbly than shooting off one of my hunting tripods but was manageable. Follow up shots too a fraction longer to line up but the overall experience was far less severe than I imagined.
At 75yrds, my 5 shots groups were nearly identical to arm rested bench shots at about 2.5 MOA. While an old photo tripod isn’t ideal was hunting tripod, the experiment was a success. The heart of a good tripod is the ballhead. And while the BH55 is an expensive ballhead to be sure, it appears to be worth it.
Sunwayfoto sent me a T2830CS carbon fiber shooting tripod. This is the little brother to their T3240CS, which I reviewed not long ago as the “lightest hunting tripod”. Well I stand corrected because the T2830CS is a half pound lighter still. This shooting tripod weighs only 2.9lbs.
Lighter than the T3240CS while only slightly shorter (3 leg sections instead of 4) and retaining the same low profile ball head. The lighter weight makes the T2330CS a much more appealing tripod for hunters who have to trek or ride into back country. The direct from Asia model I was sent, is both Arca-Swiss and direct Picatinny compatible.
Like it’s big brother, the 2830 sports sturdy yet light carbon fiber legs with broad rubberized pads for a firm grip on hard surfaces; but which can be swapped for spikes in the wild terrain. The 36mm diameter ball head can tilt up to 35º of angle while keeping my +10lb rifle and scope combo rock solid. The legs can splay out to nearly 90º offering exceptional stability when shot from a seated or semi-prone.
The carbon fiber legs are not only lighter weight than traditional aluminum tripods, but they soak up vibration from recoil. With my 5.56mm AR, I was able to maintain a similar group on target, shooting with the T2380CS from both standing and sitting positions; which was comparable to shooting bipod off a bench.
I had never heard of the Rockville brand before purchasing the ZR10 party speaker. It’s Specs were impressive though probably a little inflated: 1000Watts of peak power and 200Watt RMS; and internal runtime of up to 14.5hrs of battery power. From what I could see it had positive aspects like twin 10″ woofers, 2x mic jacks, and a separate guitar input and gian. I took a risk and ordered it.
The unit looked legit. It was over 3 feet tall and weighed over 28lbs. With speakers the old-school rules were, that heavier = better as heavier magnets and power supply means louder. Though with portable speakers, that can also mean bigger batteries.
The user manual was pretty useless. Fortunately pairing the speaker with my phone via Bluetooth was easy enough. The unit can also pair via TWS to another ZR10 or similar unit to provide stereo sound. The unit also comes with an auto-pairing wireless microphone.
Maxing out the volume, the speaker proved sufficiently loud to fill a 60’x30′ banquet hall with audio. In my music testing, the speaker favored mid-ranges and Rock music. The unit has a ported subwoofer channel in the housing but the overall bass response was underwhelming.
As a guitar amp, it sounded as loud as a 80-100Watt amp. can’t confirm that it had a 200Watt RMS output, but I suspect that number is inflated. The ZR10 is as expensive a 40Watt guitar amp which sounds better. But when you factor in ZR10’s portable self-power capabilities, it may be a far more capable option.
What happens when you work at one of the best known brands in sporting optics and that company decides to get out of the rifle scope market? That happened to Jon Allen and Jon LaCorte at Nikon. Rather than join SIG, Bushnell, or another optics company, Jon and Jon started Tract Optics.
Tract quickly made a name for itself among competition shooters. Not surprising given the Toric is made with the same German Schott glass as other top tier brands like Leupold, Schmidt & Bender, and Zeiss (Schott is owned by Zeiss by the way). Another key feature in its popularity: a street price around a grand. While not cheap, this is less than a Vortex Razor, and significantly less than a Leupold Mk5 or a Zeiss S3.
Some have called the Tract Toric, a Zeiss S3 clone. While physically, I do not think they look all that similar, their performance specs are. So perhaps calling it a “clone” is not a derogatory statement. Both share an impressive 160 MOA of elevation adjustment, unusually tall turrets, and excellent fit and finish in their construction.
Tract sent me a Toric 4-25×50 MOA ELR to test and evaluate. My first impression was positive. The Toric sports a striking graphite grey color, excellent fit and finish, oversized turrets, and butter smooth knobs and rings. In my range testing, I found the glass to provide a bright, detailed image with little or no chromatic aberration at maximum magnification.
Ask 10 different people what they think about a reticle and you’ll get 20 different opinions. I like Christmas Tree reticles even though I have no business using them, since I mostly shoot 100yrd rimfire. I prefer less busy, finer reticles for shooting bullseye targets, so the Toric fits my style. The Toric MRAD ELR reticle has a a cleaner layout than a Leupold Mk5 PR2, while providing more subtensions in a tall column below the Christmas tree. And unlike the Zeiss S3 MOAi reticle, the entire column is illuminated and not just the center mini-cross.
The Toric box includes a sun shade, Allen keys, and a an easy to install zero stop ring. The scope comes with very basic plastic lens caps for shipping protection but these aren’t sturdy or secure enough for field use. Perhaps to make up for this, in the shipping box Tact included a sight in target and a branded chamber flag as swag. I asked Tract about the caps and they said they were planning on upgrading the caps to a silicone bra style in the near future.
An odd feature I noticed was what I thought to be a throw lever socket on the magnification ring. After contacting Jon LaCorte at Tract and asking him how to remove this and what levers fit it, he told me that cap was the Argon gas fill port. They recommend using clamp on polymer throw levers that can break away if and not shake and damage the scope internals, which can happen with screw in levers. Like better lens caps, I hope they include said polymer lever in future packaging of this scope.
Socioeconomics aside, $1000 is not a small sum, but in a world where a top-tier PRS/ELR scope costs a couple grand, a brand new Tract Toric is a deal by comparison. To keep costs down, Tract uses a direct to consumer model so do not sell through stores (though they are available from their store on Amazon).
