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In the last few years I have begin learning the art and extreme joy of big-game hunting. I have been slowly obtaining gear along the way, and recently when discussing my newfound interested with a relative, they gifted me some binoculars that were in their closet. They are camo Kahles 10x42, made in Austria. Before receiving these binoculars I had been doing some research into different optics and their benefits with the hope of bettering my glassing ability beyond just a rifle-scope (rangefinder, binoculars, spotting scope).

I honestly don't know anything about these binoculars beyond the limited information I have found online. How do these stack-up against say, Vortex's different lines of products? Should I roll with these and check off bino's from my list? If you have an opinion or a piece of interesting history regarding Kahle's I'd love to hear it. Especially if you have information regarding any kind of model id.

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In the last few years I have begin learning the art and extreme joy of big-game hunting. I have been slowly obtaining gear along the way, and recently when discussing my newfound interested with a relative, they gifted me some binoculars that were in their closet. They are camo Kahles 10x42, made in Austria. Before receiving these binoculars I had been doing some research into different optics and their benefits with the hope of bettering my glassing ability beyond just a rifle-scope (rangefinder, binoculars, spotting scope).

I honestly don't know anything about these binoculars beyond the limited information I have found online. How do these stack-up against say, Vortex's different lines of products? Should I roll with these and check off bino's from my list? If you have an opinion or a piece of interesting history regarding Kahle's I'd love to hear it. Especially if you have information regarding any kind of model id.

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Neal,
This should prove to be better than average glass.
Your binoculars get decent reviews.
Take'm out and gawk at some critters under different lighting conditions. See what YOU think.
If these do not pluck your strings, go take a look at some Nikon Monarch 7's. Best glass for less than a grand.
Best,
Gary
 
It's like being given a Rolls-Royce car and asking around, 'is it alright?'

If you decide you don't want them please send them to me - I'll pay shipping, at a pinch, to get them off your [ungrateful] hands.....
 
Thanks for your responses.

K-22, I have taken them out and tested them and have been very pleased with them, although I have nothing really to compare them to. I had searched for some user reviews but couldn't find any myself.

Tac, I sure hope you didn't read my post as ungrateful! I was very excited to receive the gift and felt as though they must be a quality piece of equipment. I am just a researcher and was surprised at the lack of details available online, which is why I turned to the knowledge of the users on this forum to ask what people knew. For most other products, even discontinued products you can still find pages of specifications and reviews.
 
They will blow Vortex's premium line of optics out of the water without effort. Kahles quality is right behind Swarovski and Leica. Your 10x42 are the perfect spot on glass that one would need for big game hunting
 
Kahles are complete garbage, you must get them away from yourself ASAP...I'll PM you my address. :D

Enjoy them bro, they are top shelf.
 
Thanks for your responses.

K-22, I have taken them out and tested them and have been very pleased with them, although I have nothing really to compare them to. I had searched for some user reviews but couldn't find any myself.

Tac, I sure hope you didn't read my post as ungrateful! I was very excited to receive the gift and felt as though they must be a quality piece of equipment. I am just a researcher and was surprised at the lack of details available online, which is why I turned to the knowledge of the users on this forum to ask what people knew. For most other products, even discontinued products you can still find pages of specifications and reviews.

Neal,

I am somewhat of a binoculars geek. I have done much research and many comparisons.
It appears Kahle makes and sells quite respectable binoculars, but they are not strong in the marketing.
It appears to be quite difficult to get much product info.

Best,
Gary
 
Here's a link to an article reviewing your binos. Looks like Kahles are high quality.

Kahles 10x42 Binocular - Shooting Times

Here in Yoorup there has never been any doubt - Kahles, Swarovski, Leica, Schmidt u. Bender, Hensoldt, Zeiss - the so-called big six optical companies. If in doubt, check out the selling prices - costs are commensurate with optical quality.

Vortex et al are reasonable quality, but are complete newcomers to making high-quality glassware by comparison with the others, who have all been around since the eighteen hundreds, Note, too, that you don't get to provide optics for the national armed forces based on hearsay.

Next down are Steiner, also long-time providers to military and coastguard services [remember than not every country has coastguard as part of the armed forces.]

Next down, take a look at IOR Valdeda, Minox and Nikon...I could go on, but you get the picture, right?
 
I have had several sets of Swarovski bino's. My first set was a whopping $343 . Having good bino's for hunting big game is crucial. Some of my bino's grew legs and walked off. I had a Kahles scope years ago and found it to be heavy. That's all I can remember now. I think you will be pleased with your bino performance. I think the only reason to get better quality would be for bird watching. If you can get to judge antlers by comparison with an animals ears or head you will be good. My Swarovski's we're very good at finding animals that were set back into shadows or behind some branches. Austrians are serious about hunting and the glass they produce is worth the price. Good luck on your hunts.
 
My take: Kahles binos from this era aren't "alpha"-level good, and perhaps at the original MSRP, there were better values to be had. But they are still quite good even by today's standards for mid-range binoculars. Given current used prices you can sometimes find them for, I think they now represent an excellent buy and should not be overlooked if one is in the market for "upper mid-level" binos. Even with uncertain or no warranty coverage, they are well made, quality units.

IIRC, Kahle binocs have an eleven year warranty.

Binoculars are like many things. You can pay a lot more to get a little more.

Go to a store that stocks a good selection of binoculars. Compare the latest Nikon Monarch 7's With the Zeiss and Swarovski.
Are the "Alphas" worth the extra 2K?
Only you can decide that.
I can afford the Swaros, but the Nikons ,for me, are close enough.

If you would like to see some serious binocular reviews, go to birdforums.com and allbinos .com
These folks are SERIOUS about their glass.

Best,
Gary
 
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