Hunt the World with Alpen Optics and Dick Scorzafava
 Editor's Note: Dick Scorzafava of Westfield, Massachusetts, outdoor writer, seminar speaker and member of several pro staffs, including Knight Rifle, Scent-Lok, Mathews Archery, Wildlife Research Center, Gamehide Clothing, Black Gold Bow Sights, Rip Cord Bow Rests, Block Targets and Thorlos Socks, has written "Radical Bow Hunter" and "Radical Bear Hunter," and currently is working on a third book, "Spies in the Deer Woods," all published by Stackpole Books. This week, he'll tell us how he hunts internationally with Alpen Optics.
Question: Dick, why did you choose Alpen Optics?
Scorzafava: I travel all over the world, so I need reliable optics that can take the abuse, not only in the field, but also in baggage claim. I need equipment I can depend on, regardless of where I travel and what type of terrain I hunt. I recently returned from a fly-in trip in Manitoba, Canada, where we were filming a TV show for Knight Rifles. If my scopes and binoculars hadn't functioned properly, the trip would have been wasted. I had the new Knight Rolling Block rifle with an Alpen 3-9X Apex scope and my Rainier binoculars. I chose this scope and optics because I knew that when I took them out of my luggage, regardless of how much they'd been banged-around at the airport, my scope still would be zeroed-in, and my binoculars still would be functional. I also know that regardless of the conditions - rain, sleet, snow or sunshine - they'll function as they should.
 I've tried many-different optics, scopes, binoculars and spotting scopes, and Alpen Optics are as good as you can get. I recently have completed the optics review for "Deer and Deer Hunting" magazine's equipment review. I tested several binoculars and scopes, and the Alpen binoculars and scopes were equivalent to the best. The other thing I like about the Alpen optics is the reasonable price. The average guy can hunt with these quality binoculars and scopes without needing to take out a loan.
Question: What's your favorite Alpen scope, and why?
Scorzafava: I mainly hunt with a .50 or a .52 muzzleloader. I like the Alpen Apex 3-9x42 because I don't need a higher-power scope on my rifle, and the clarity is superb. I've used this scope from south Texas to the Arctic and everywhere in between, including Alaska, in some really-extreme conditions. The Alpen Apex is absolutely phenomenal for its clarity, reliability and durability. You can't buy a more-reliable scope than the Apex.
On my last trip, I flew on four-different airplanes. The last one was a bush plane. When you're flying back into the bush in small, private planes, they create a lot of vibrations that can wreak havoc on a scope. However, my Alpen riflescopes were dead-on every time I removed them from the case and sighted them in before the hunt. I travel more in one year than the average guy travels in 15 years. Since my rifle cases and luggage really get banged-around in airports and on small planes, I need optics that are tough and can take the abuse of baggage handlers all over the world.
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