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Message: <blockquote data-quote="wanderer55" data-source="post: 1730695" data-attributes="member: 83479">This thread is getting so long I don't even know what I started with.....As far as "available" binos here, I have Wal-Mart, Gander Mountain and Academy stores. Wal-Mart has nothing that I am aware of (in store), except for what is in sealed plastic packaging where you can't get to use them. Gander Mountain (what I saw in the glass cases), Nikon Action series, Bushnell Powerview, H20 & Natureview and Barska models. They have many other optics, but all are way out of my price range. They have little in the low priced on display. Most of the low priced is in plastic packaging as in Wal-Mart. (I have owned Nikon action series and didn't like them, see previous posts).Academy has Mainly Bushnell on their display. That's where I found the 10x42 that I was very surprised with as far as clarity. I thought it would be terrible, but it was very good compared to porros in the same price range. I just don't like the smaller field of view a 10X gives. Ther also have a "clone brand" sold in their stores only.Unless these stores are willing to tear open packaging, I can't go any further. I could possibly buy off the internet to "test optics", but that's a bit of a loosing proposition for a guy who can't afford to get caught having to spend return shipping on something, which is a reality for ebay. It could get costly trying out stuff. It might be better to drive to some place like Dallas and go look, but from what I see many of the "Chinese clones" 8x42 roof binos aren't even sold retail, but only on the internet, so I probably would not even find them to be able to look thru. I haven't even found a local retail seller for the Leupolds that everyone is raving about, let alone a Brunton or Alpen or...........Basically I got Bushnell and Bushnell......... They got the local retail market cornered for "cheap optics".</blockquote>

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