ORIGINAL: quiksilver

I think it sucks. I meant to write a full product review about this particular model (and I still may), but in a nutshell, here's what happened:

I was huntingthe peak of theBoxturtle rutthis past weekend with Galapagos MountainOutfitters, here in Southwestern PA, when I tried to establish shooting position on not one, but TWO Boone & Crockett tortoises. This opportunity was sure to be the culmination of weeks of scouting and aerial surveillance on this particular property. According to eyewitnesses, the dominant male was in "full must," and could have shattered the existing B&C world record. The guide advisedthat he had trailcam photos of both targets, traveling together, on a fairly consistent basis. This was obviously a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for America's Greatest Hunter.

At 0900 hours,my skill and perseverance paid off, as Igot a visual on BOTH of the tortoises, and promptlybegan my spot-and-stalk. Therising a.m. thermal was helpingdisperse my scent through the thick canopy above, as was a southwesterly breeze flowingintomy set, headlong, ata brisk two knots. After an exhausting hike and crawl, I finally got into position to administer a fatal shot, when my rangefinder inexplicably malfunctioned.

Obviously, I cannot confirm the actual distance, but if I were to pose a guess, I'd say that I had these turtles ateither 1 or2 yards, but the rangefinder repeatedly failed to get an accurate reading.My loftyethical standards precluded the shot due to the uncertainty of the yardage. Several attempts to range the targets with the Nikon 550 were fruitless, with each attempt simply yielded repeated failures of the unit.

Before I knew it, the wind shifted, and the dominant turtle caught my wind. He snorted twice, and they both made a hasty getaway. This stand set isprobably ruined now for the remainder of the season, and my life is in shambles.

I will never use another Nikon product ever again.

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A post-hunt evaluation of theNikon 550 unitrevealedtwo fully-charged AA batteries, an unblemished carrying-case, and a perfectly-functional neck sling.