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Affordable Binoculars for Everyone in the Family with Duane Price
 Editor’s Note: Duane Price is not only a hunter and a tournament field archer, but he’s the father and the husband of an entire family of hunters and field archers who use Alpen binoculars when they compete, and when they hunt. Last week we met Price and his family of hunters and tournament archers. This week, we’ll learn more about how and why binoculars have become such an important part of his family.
Question: Duane, tell me more about your family and archery.
Price: My oldest son, 15-year-old Matthew, won the Metropolis ASA Tournament a few years ago. My two oldest sons, Matthew and 13-year-old Zachary, both won the NFAA Indoor Nationals in their age group. My youngest son, 12-year-old Joseph, took third place this year in his age group at the NFAA Nationals. My wife also shoots in the same tournaments in which I compete. And, we all use Alpen binoculars.
 Question: How do you use Alpen binoculars when you’re shooting in field-archery tournaments?
Price: I always keep them handy because I want to know exactly where I’m shooting the target. With my naked eye, I can’t tell if my arrow is hitting at the bottom of the X or the top of the X on the target. I need to know whether I’m shooting left or right of the target, or high or low of the target. When we’re shooting at field archery, we’ll typically have from eight to 16 arrows in a single target. You’ve got to be able to look at the target and determine which one of those arrows is yours. Many times the fletching and the nocks are about the same size and color. But if you want to shoot accurately, you’ve got to know whether your arrow is landing high or low or left or right. Then when you shoot your next arrow, you can make adjustments. In most of the tournaments in which I compete, one or two arrows often determine the winner. So, every shot counts.
Question: How do you tell your arrow from everyone else’s arrow?
Price: I try to shoot a combination of fletching different from everyone else’s fletching. Many times I’ll have a different-colored nock that’s not like everyone else’s nock. For instance, if I’m shooting against archers who have green nocks, I may use red nocks on my arrows. The targets are usually from 30 feet to 80 yards away. In some tournaments, like the FETA tournaments, I may have to shoot out to 90 yards. There often will be 16 arrows in the target, and I’ve got to be able to determine which one of those arrows is mine. That can be tough if you have an overcast sky, or you’re shooting in the woods. On those kinds of days, you really need a good pair of binoculars that will deflect the light and let you see where your arrow is hitting the target. So, I have to have really sharp, clear binoculars for any shooting situation.
 Question: Which pair of Alpen binoculars do you use?
Price: I prefer the Rainier 10x42 binoculars.
Question: Why do you like the 10X binoculars as opposed to the 8X binoculars?
Price: I need the extra magnification because it brings the object I’m looking at closer and magnifies it a little bit more. Even when I’m deer hunting, I like to have 2X more extra magnification, so if I’ve got a deer at 220 yards, I can better determine if he’s got sticker points coming off that main beam and the size of his horns. Many times when you’re looking at a buck, the extra magnification will enable you to see an antler tip or perhaps a bigger buck standing beside the buck you’re seeing. When I’m shooting at 80 yards, the extra magnification from the 10X binoculars allows me to look a little bit closer at the nocks and the fletchings on the target to figure out which one is mine. So, when you’re shooting tournament archery, you not only need ample magnification, you also need clarity. You need to be able to see, so you can pick out your arrow from the rest.
Question: Why do you prefer Alpen binoculars over other binoculars?
Price: What really impresses me about the Alpen binoculars is not only the quality, but also the price. The common guy can purchase a good pair of binoculars like the Alpen binoculars and not have to hock the farm to afford them. You can get a great pair of Alpen Apex binoculars and not have to miss a meal. I can recommend these binoculars to my friends, and they actually can purchase a pair of binoculars like the ones I use and get high quality at a reasonable price. I make a living as a tournament archer, so I can use any binoculars I want. But I prefer to use Alpen binoculars because everyone can afford them and not feel like they have to spend a hefty amount of money to get quality optics. A person like me who believes in family can outfit every member of the family with a good pair of Alpen binoculars at a very-reasonable price. Alpen also has a wide range of binoculars for almost any purpose you may want, and they have a wide range of prices. So, any of my friends can find a good pair of Alpen binoculars they can afford to meet their needs and have a pair of the best binoculars on the market.
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