What's more important to todays optics manufacturer's, the hunting fraternity or that of birding? I know back home in the UK it would in all likelihood be birding and here in NZ hunting but what of the all important US market? I understand that there are some 60 million birders in the US but I would guess hunting would still be far the largest. And at the end of the day do's it matter!
I'd think possibly hunting and as you say does it really matter,as long as they are good then they probably be suitable for both anyway.
[QUOTE=flossiepip;2049634]What's more important to todays optics manufacturer's, the hunting fraternity or that of birding? I know back home in the UK it would in all likelihood be birding and here in NZ hunting but what of the all important US market? I understand that there are some 60 million birders in the US but I would guess hunting would still be far the largest. And at the end of the day do's it matter![/QUOTE]
USA Fish & Wildlife stats:
Hunters
1975 - 19 million
2006 - 12 million
2025 projection = 9 million
USA birders:
50-60 million estimate (income well above average).
The dedicated birder population is much smaller but certainly more committed to spending serious money on optics.