What binoculars and power are you all using for hunting and scouting in open country

[JAYgs8163]

I much rather prefer to spend hours behind binoculars looking for game and minutes behind the spotter. It is a lot easier on the eyes. I hunt Colorado mainly.

Arizona, New Mexico, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, and any wide open country. Coues Deer hunting in Arizona you setup in a viewing area and sit behind binoculars for hours. Same with Elk in the burn areas and other types of terrain. Same with Speed Goat hunting. Binos and spotters are your eyes in the distance. I only use my spotter to size up a animal at extreme ranges I never sit behind it for a long period of time as it creates serious eye fatigue and can sometimes mess with your equilibrium.

OMG, where do you people Hunt that you need to use Binoculars for hours or for more than 2 minutes?

 

[esshup]

Buy once, cry once, have them the rest of your life if you take care of them.

Swaro 10x42's and a Swaro 20-60x80 spotting scope.

 

[JAYgs8163]

Buy once, cry once, have them the rest of your life if you take care of them.

Swaro 10x42's and a Swaro 20-60x80 spotting scope.

VERY TRUE!

 

[tomsd]

OMG, where do you people Hunt that you need to use Binoculars for hours or for more than 2 minutes?

LOL - checking out the hills in the distance. I used to be more like I think ye are implying - hoofing up and down hills.

 

[ajkellerusmc]

Swarovski 10x42 EL on a outdoorsmans tripod with pistol grip head and panner attachment. I can spot Elk at 3 miles and deer not as far. Best glass I have ever used. Gave my 12x50 Zeiss to my son because the EL is way better for me.

 

[Allen Kitts]

Don't limit yourself on price. If 1K is all you have wait until you can save more and buy the best glass you can get your hands on. I have seen a few post on here that state the fact that several options of bino's are fine for short term glassing but if you are going to spend any amount of time behind the glass you need to go with top quality glass. If not headaches will be in your near future or your eyes will start telling you they have had enough. Spending time behind top quality glass will result in a lot more spotted game. The rest will be up to you.

 

[340Wby-4-everything]

I realize we all have our own opinions, but industry wide it is pretty generally accepted that no one has better glass than Swarovski and Zeiss for binos. I have several Zeiss and Swaro riflescopes and a Swaro Spotter and they are all excellent at all times include dusk and dawn. I've had 10x30, 10x42 Swaros and have 12x50s now, but wish I had the 10x42's or a 10x50 instead. As several folks have said, 12x50s are heavy. I also have a 10x42 Nikon Laserforce bino which is almost in your budget and includes an excellent rangefinder (I have ranged a single elk at over 1500yds). They are not quite as clear as a Swaro, Zeiss or Leica, but they are also less than half the price. To each their own, but I have never been impressed by any vortex product and I have looked thru a lot of them.

 

[Korhil78]

Swaro 12x50 EL. Perfect balance between 10x and 15x when glassing out west.

I can't stand Vortex optics. Tried scopes and binos and don't like them.

 

[brotherbear67]

Zeiss Conquest 10x42s on my chest and 15x56 with a Sirui CF tripod in my pack. I feel they are well worth it.

 

[TxHeartShot]

What brand binoculars and power are you all using for hunting and scouting in open country for under a $1,000

I carry Zeiss Conquest 12x45 and a Zeiss Conquest Gavia 85 spotter in my pack...if I didn't get serious employee discount would be Swaro all the way. Save your $$$ and wait for big sales, you won't be sorry you spent the extra for quality glass when you spot a big 6x6 across two drainages, sneak over and kill him!

 

[lotech]

I've used a Swarovski EL 10x42 for a number of years. They have been indispensable for elk hunting in the Rockies where you spend much time glassing. I've never had difficulty holding them study. While I'm not an optical expert, real or perceived, I've found a good way to judge the quality of a binocular: use a good one for a few days, then try to use lesser optics. You'll quickly see the difference that you didn't know was there.

 

[Almostbackcountry]

I run the vortex razor 10x42 on a Sirui tripod, with the outdoorsman quick disconnect adapter. There's 4 of us in our group, and everyone runs the same thing. Binos alone we can spot deer a mile out, I then have a spotter for better clarity at deep distances to see if it is something we want to pursue. We've ran that system for quite awhile and I love it. I will be switching to the 12x42nl pure Swarovski tho... razors have done great, but edge clarity and a bigger field of view with more zoom..

 

[Hugnot]

I have a cheap Vortex 10X42's, probably Diamond backs. OK for price, durable, tough & light. I bought them real cheap at Cabello's and a nice young lady salesperson went thru a struggle to find it and get me their best price. I don't shoot deers or big animals but like to shoot small dirt colored rodents at long range and a short use of Swarovski binocs has convinced me that these are the best, like over 10X.

My Vortex binocs show some flare when looking up into the sky at night at planets and stuff.

 

[Ovis Spotter]

What brand binoculars and power are you all using for hunting and scouting in open country for under a $1,000

I've been using a pair of used Leica 10x42 BN's for the last 18 years guiding sheep hunts in so cal. I paid $800 at the time I got them. I look through a lot of different glass and they still compare with the newer top end glass, the biggest difference is they're heavier. I also use the new Leupold 15x56 with a tripod and they're pretty good for the price. I know others have mentioned picking up used glass and I agree. If I had to choose I would spend the money for high end glass before I spent the money on a custom rifle. Locating the animal is the biggest challenge.