nicksharding
New Member
Can anyone tell me if the Gray telescopes are worth the money?
Gray telescope
- Thread starter nicksharding
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Uncle Buck
Well-Known Member
Grays Telescopes are traditional 3 draw, which will enable detailed subject viewing at over 1 mile, which simply can't be done with Binoculars.
With that said they are mainly used for open hill stalking, where they come into their own.
At around £1250 new 25x50, I think I'd be looking (second hand). As it's a lot of lolly,to only be used occasionally if one was not a full time stalker.
They do a 24x60 Single Draw for around the £300 quid mark.
http://www.graytelescope.com/hist/hist.html
Rgds, Buck.
PS. Doing mainly woodland stalking my Leica's will do me fine.
With that said they are mainly used for open hill stalking, where they come into their own.
At around £1250 new 25x50, I think I'd be looking (second hand). As it's a lot of lolly,to only be used occasionally if one was not a full time stalker.
They do a 24x60 Single Draw for around the £300 quid mark.
http://www.graytelescope.com/hist/hist.html
Rgds, Buck.
PS. Doing mainly woodland stalking my Leica's will do me fine.
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It also has to be noted that a telescope is difficult to use. An experienced hand can line up and check a stag lying in heather a mile away but it is a practiced art. T the untrained eye the chances are you would look a right idiot trying to find it. Been there. Sliding scope to try and keep focus as well as trying to differentiate one clump of heather from another. A desent set of bins is more se to the occational user. I have a 20x50 set of bins for hill spotting. (too heavy to carry to the hill and overpowered when closer.) We have all seen the pic of the stalker lying in the heather with scope to eye. Trust me, to keep it focused and sighted takes a lot of practice. I have often found a stag with a scope only to remove from said eye and had not a clue where I was looking. Remember you found it on a knoll that is barely visable to the naked eye,
Jim
Jim
Brithunter
Well-Known Member
I am sorry I cannot answer you question. But it raises the question I have always wondered and that is are the S&B, Zeiss, Swaroski etc actually worth the prices they charge?
I picked up a Nickel marburg from a chap in Scotland which he had used for hill stalking. It's an alloy tubed two draw with a wheel for focusing and 20-60 types varible. Came in it's hard leather case and yes it takes a bit of getting used to. I used it a lot on my trip to Missouri back in 2003 and found it very useful. The farm we were hunting had soem large fields and beign able yo look over the Whitetails from adistance, far too far for the 8x44 binos, was very useful indeed. Not much use for my woodland stlaking of course but it does mean that i have all bases now covered.
You see these for sale every so often. I paid just over £60 for mine in about 2001.
I picked up a Nickel marburg from a chap in Scotland which he had used for hill stalking. It's an alloy tubed two draw with a wheel for focusing and 20-60 types varible. Came in it's hard leather case and yes it takes a bit of getting used to. I used it a lot on my trip to Missouri back in 2003 and found it very useful. The farm we were hunting had soem large fields and beign able yo look over the Whitetails from adistance, far too far for the 8x44 binos, was very useful indeed. Not much use for my woodland stlaking of course but it does mean that i have all bases now covered.
You see these for sale every so often. I paid just over £60 for mine in about 2001.
Heym SR20
Well-Known Member
Grays telescopes are gorgeous IMHO - not so much for their optics (which are very good) but for their weight and balance - I have used them in the past. I don't have one - wish I did - but I do use my wifes Negretti and Zambra "Ghillie" which is the same basic design. It was her grandfathers and must be at least 60 years old. The trick to using them is practice in forming a stable lying on your back position and brace the tube across a knee. Then looking at the deer with naked eye and keeping your eye upon it, just bring the scope up. They are great for looking at deer, or trying to find thing in a far off corrie, but they do not replace decent binoculars.
I also have big Kowa scope 32x84mm (I think) which does need a tripod. Wonderful for bird watching etc, but I still can't get on with the bent eyepiece. Admittadely the tripod I have is pretty bulky and is a full length one. To be honest for most use I could get away with a tripod just high enough for sitting with. For stalking it would need a backpack to carry it in - but it also makes a very stable shooting tripod as well!
If you are wanting a traditional stalking scope the Grays are wonderful, but if I was after a general scope for all round use I would go for a smaller version of the Kowa or similar - say a 60mm objective lense on a lightweight tripod in a backpack.
I also have big Kowa scope 32x84mm (I think) which does need a tripod. Wonderful for bird watching etc, but I still can't get on with the bent eyepiece. Admittadely the tripod I have is pretty bulky and is a full length one. To be honest for most use I could get away with a tripod just high enough for sitting with. For stalking it would need a backpack to carry it in - but it also makes a very stable shooting tripod as well!
If you are wanting a traditional stalking scope the Grays are wonderful, but if I was after a general scope for all round use I would go for a smaller version of the Kowa or similar - say a 60mm objective lense on a lightweight tripod in a backpack.
Heym SR20
Well-Known Member
Brithunter - in answer to your question re Zeiss, Swaro etc worth the money - yes and no - they are wonderful quality and I love my Zeiss 7x42 BGATS, so much so that I found another new in box pair a couple of years ago which I bought for my fathers 70th birthday. But I am not sure that the latest generation Swaro, Zeiss or Leica's are really worth spending £1,500 to £2,000 on. The likes of Minox etc give them a very good run for their money at a much lower price.
enfieldspares
Well-Known Member
Reminds me of the true funny story an ex-policeman told me. He was being cross examined in court about how he had witnessed two men breaking in to a shop at night. About how he recognised who they were and so later was able to arrest them.
He was asked by the defence counsel how he could be certain that it was the same man. He said that he had seen him clearly.
The defence counsel then said "So you say you saw them clearly, from two hundred yards away, at night?"
The reply "Yes sir."
The response "So officer you expect the jury to believe that you could see the defendants clearly, at night, from two hundred yards away? Please officer just how far are you able to see at night?"
And the put down "Well sir I can see the moon and that's how many thousands of miles away?"
He was asked by the defence counsel how he could be certain that it was the same man. He said that he had seen him clearly.
The defence counsel then said "So you say you saw them clearly, from two hundred yards away, at night?"
The reply "Yes sir."
The response "So officer you expect the jury to believe that you could see the defendants clearly, at night, from two hundred yards away? Please officer just how far are you able to see at night?"
And the put down "Well sir I can see the moon and that's how many thousands of miles away?"
groach1234
Well-Known Member
Macleods had one fair sale for £500 i think last week that or £550 real shame you missed it but keep your eyes open.
George
George
I have a Greys scope. I have had it for 10 years from new and i'm sure my great grand children will get good use too. Compact,clear and easy to use. It does loose out against bino's at dusk though. I use it to look at roe in Somerset rather than reds in Scotland but find it an essential piece of kit. High powered bino's are fine but better to take standard magnification (more comfortable and quick and easy to use) and have scope for closer look.
bambislayer
Well-Known Member
Is a holland and holland or a Bentley worth the money?
Depends who you are an what you are after, for stags I would rather a telescope than a pair of bino's.
My favourite glass is the Ross but sadly no longer available new but can be found on evil bay. The Gray is a cracking scope and mine has served me well and will be handed down to one of my sons , the same way my grandfathers Ross was given down to me, who can say that about a pair of modern binos ?
One will get the Ross ad One the Gray's, they are all ready sticking their names on the guns!!!!!!!!
Depends who you are an what you are after, for stags I would rather a telescope than a pair of bino's.
My favourite glass is the Ross but sadly no longer available new but can be found on evil bay. The Gray is a cracking scope and mine has served me well and will be handed down to one of my sons , the same way my grandfathers Ross was given down to me, who can say that about a pair of modern binos ?
One will get the Ross ad One the Gray's, they are all ready sticking their names on the guns!!!!!!!!
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Grays Telescopes are traditional 3 draw, which will enable detailed subject viewing at over 1 mile, which simply can't be done with Binoculars.
With that said they are mainly used for open hill stalking, where they come into their own.
At around £1250 new 25x50, I think I'd be looking (second hand). As it's a lot of lolly,to only be used occasionally if one was not a full time stalker.
They do a 24x60 Single Draw for around the £300 quid mark.
http://www.graytelescope.com/hist/hist.html
Rgds, Buck.
PS. Doing mainly woodland stalking my Leica's will do me fine.
anyone used the single draw one.
Anyone got enough dosh,
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Grays-Inverne..._Telescopes&hash=item35b04bc412#ht_500wt_1156
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Grays-Inverne..._Telescopes&hash=item35b04bc412#ht_500wt_1156
I have an Optolyth 30x75 single draw and a 15-45x60 no-draw, and they are optically very good. Also a Schmidt & Bender 15-60x60 two-draw but nothing like a handy as a three-draw on the hill.
For three-draw, second-hand Ross or Broadhurst Clarkson might be worth a look, or for two-draw the Nickel or S&B. The four-draw Broadhurst Clarksons might well be three-draw with a fourth draw to give variable magnification of 25-35 or so.
As a three-draw, though, the modern Gray is for lightness and optics probably very hard to beat.
sparko
Well-Known Member
Does anyone know who supplies the glass for the grays 50mm 3 draw? I have been Interested to know...Recently I sold my Grays 60mm single draw which was allright but has been said it would never replace a good pair of binoculars, I was told that the glass for the 60mm Is tasco...So i sold the scope and bought a good pair of Minox binoculars...The grays look the part on the hill though, very traditional.
For Sale: J.Graham Co Single Draw Stalking Telescope
For Sale: J.Graham Co Single Draw Stalking Telescope
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Hi since its your neck of the woods, I was wondering if you have any info on my glass
The " The Watcher" Specially made for Messrs John Macpherson & Sons, The Sporting Stores, Inverness
I believe that Macphersons have been gone for some time, I have had this glass for around 35 years and it was not new when I acquired it, smaller and less bulky than a Gray, but not a bad glass.
Any info gratefully received.
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