Vortex or Vanguard or Leupold Binos?

[jakes10mm]

Looking for a pair binoculars for hunting and looking for feedback from people who own/have owned Vortex, Vanguard and Leupold. I'm trying to keep in the sub $400 range and have narrowed my choices to:
Leupold BX3 Mojave 8x42
Vanguard Endeavor ED 8x42
Vanguard Endeavor ED 8.5x45
Vortex Diamondback 8x42
Vanguard Spirit ED 8x36
Vortex Talon HD 8x42 (breaks by price ceiling)

Opinions on the options I've listed? Personal experiences?
I have been able to handle all of these options except the Spirit ED 8x36. The Spirit has my interest because its more compact design, lighter weight and good FOV.

Thanks

 

[mtngun]

I just received my leupold mohave bx3 8x42 today and have only looked through them a short period. I can say they feel great in the hand, I am impressed with image quality both toward and away from light source. I will be messing with them a little more in low light situations but offhand feel the 8x42 configuration and the coatings will be fqar superior to anything I now own.
The twist up eye cups seem a little weak.
Bottom line: I'm completely happy with the purchase and will be keeping them.

 

[jakes10mm]

I agree with your comments on the eye cups. Compared to the other brands, the Leupold cups seemed very loose. All my viewing was inside stores (Cabelas, Gander Mountain and Dick's) with limited range and light/dark areas. I was the most impressed with the Vanguard Endeavor ED's, but they seem to be a new player and hard to find. I was told the Cabelas in Hamburg, PA was one of two Cabelas trialing the Vanguard line of binos.

 

[bruce_ventura]

For a few more bucks you could get a Hawke Frontier ED or the equivalent Zen Ray ED3. I don't think you can find anything better at that price.

 

[vegas steve]

i own the vanguard endeavor 10x45 binos and wouldn't give them up for anything

 

[mtngun]

Played around with the leupolds some more this morning looking toward sun against a shady hillside, still clear, but slightly muted colors looked away and quartering away from the sun into deep shadows and could see everything very well.
These newer coatings are awesome (THese being the first binocs I've bought in close to 20 years).
One thing I did not mention: I feel, as a west coast bt hunter, that sticking with the 8x4X binoc is a good choice in our low light hunting windows. This is specifically why I wanted to test them in low light situation. THis evening I will further work with them.
I messed with the eye cups some more and now feel it's a non issue because I do not need to pull them away to use. I also like the diopter adjustment is a pull to un-lock, push to lock feature that will keep the binoc n my adjustment.
The open frame is easy to grasp, and with two pivot points should keep the binoc in alignment better than my nikons that I had to send back to factory because of mis-alignment.
I'd suggest seeking out and handling/using each of the models prior to plunking down cash.
I found it hard to locate the leupolds but did get to handle a set at a travelling sporting good van that was at a local sporting good store for a weekend.

 

[jakes10mm]

Ordered a Vanguard Endeavor ED 8x42 on Sunday. Just received an email confirming shipment. Will post my observations when it arrives and I have some time to get it outdoors to test.

 

[mtngun]

duplicate post

 

[mtngun]

I had looked at your choice on the internet and while they have good reports, I ruled them out due to weight, slightly larger size and country of origin.
They had a lot of the features I liked yet found the Leupolds at a better price (realizing they were not made in the states (japan)). Each had similar specs with low dispersion glass Also were you able to find out their warranty? I could not and leupolds is hard to match.

 

[jakes10mm]

Vanguard Endeavor ED binos arrived today. Very nice! Was outside testing them until dark tonight. Love them so far. Not an expert on bino/optics, but they are bright and clear. At dark, looked at a neighbor's tree about 200yds up the street. To the naked eye, it appeared as a black shape against the house's white siding. Through the Vanguards, I could pick out the branches and see the leaves. Again, very bright optics.

Regarding country of origin, I agree, but I didn't find any American optics made in the USA. Looked at the Leupold BX3 Mojaves and they were nice too. I didn't see the additional $50 over the Vanguards. Both companies have rebates now, Endeavor ED ($50) and BX3 Mojave ($50).

Vanguard has a "no fault" guarantee. One of their advertisements is "what happens in the woods, stays in the woods". I have become a fan of Leupold scopes, so it was a hard choice to go with Vanguards over Leupolds. My hunting buddy just bought a pair of the Bushnell Legend Ultra HD binos and really likes them. I looked at them in a 10x42 model. Really nice optics, but the overall construction didn't feel as well made as the Endeavors. I've faded away from Bushnell optics, selling off their "recent" models. Still have a couple older Bushnells on my kids rimfire rifles.

I am also very impressed with the service from Gander Mountain. They listed the Vanguards as "shipped from vendor" and expressed an additional 2 days to the delivery time. Not a fan of GM's website, hard to read and product listings are poor.

 

[marinetowgunner]

Surprised no one said anything about the Meopta Meopro binoculars. 8x42's run $449 with a free Meopix adapter. European glass with a lifetime warrenty.