Looking at a 10x50 (approx) Glassing for mulies, elk and antelope?
Really like the new leupolds.
Any brand recommendations?
I've got Zeiss and Vortex. Overall I think Vortex offers the better value. What's your budget, that makes a big difference?
QuoteOriginally posted by Biathlonman:
I've got Zeiss and Vortex. Overall I think Vortex offers the better value. What's your budget, that makes a big difference?
I agree, for the money Vortex is hard to beat!
IMO the 50mm isn't needed for bowhunting elk. .The extra weight and cost should be avoided.
The 8 years I hunted elk in NM,I went for 12x50's to 10x40's and finally setteled on 6x30's because of ease of carrying,price,and was really all I needed optic wise.Also the 6x's where alot better back home in the whitetail woods.
The Leupold Yosemite's are a great value and weigh under 20 oz's
Good luck on your hunt!
QuoteOriginally posted by overbo:
The Leupold Yosemite's are a great value and weigh under 20 oz's
Good luck on your hunt!
Look through a pair of 6x30 and 8x30 Leupold Yosemite's. For $100 they offer a phenomenal value.
Sorry forgot you arent' supposed to deal spot. Please delete this post.
Check this thread out in Product Reviews.
http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=31;t=000931;p=1
I use Bushnell Legend Ultra HD 10x42 and love them. I have Zeiss and take these over the Zeiss. These were also a little over $200. i used them for 11 days straight hunting in all kinds of weather. They didn't fog, had a wide field of view and were very clear.
Gil
Vortex is the best value you will find. I wouldnt go with anything over a 42mm for neck binos as they will get shakey. 10x42s on a tripod are enough for western hunting. I have diamondbacks and glass mulies up in the desert all the time.
The vortex warranty is awesome. I dropped mine out of my truck and broke them in half. They had me a new pair in 3 days.
spend what you can afford.... and size them for your hunts. Cheap glass is cheap glass! go to a big store and view a bunch of them pick out a very samll spot on the farthest wall and look at that with all you contenders. They will sort themelves out quickly.
get a class on how to adjust binos before and then set all your contenders up for you-not the store
Depends on dollars you want to spend. If you what bang for you buck without breaking the bank. 10X42 in Nikon ATB, Alpen, or Redfield Rebels. I picked the Redfields when comparing the three with buddies. Good luck.
Spend the most money you can!
Bushnell Fusion range finder binos are my # 1 choice. Decent glass of a tremendous range finder. I sold my Leica 1200 after I bought the bushnells.
I have a pair of 10x50 nikon actions binos, that have given me top nothc service. Here, out west in colorado elk hunting, hunting the wide open strip mines in eastern KY elk hunting with my wife. A buddy borrowed them last year, and took them out west, good glass is important out there, and I feel a 10x50 is needed.
I just got my new Leupold Cascades 8x42 on Saturday. Very happy with them. A couple people who have expensive glass looked through them and were pleasantly surprised. I'm pretty happy with them.
I've used a bunch, including Leupold, Nikon, & Burris. The last pair i bought were Zeiss, and they will most likely be my last pair. They are simply awesome.
The 10x50 Swarovski El is an absolutely stunning piece of glass but heavy. I bought the Swaro 8.5X42 EL because it was a little smaller and lighter, and just possibly a bit better in low light. It was hard to tell about the shadow performance in the store, but when the light was good the 10x50 was incredible, maybe a bit better than the 8.5x42 because the image was bigger.
For my purposes, hunting whitetails until the last moment of legal light, general birding, and wearing them in a harness all the time, the 8.5x42 was a better choice. It was a tough decision though and at times I wish I had the fabulous view of the 10x50s.
I have a pair of leupold mojaves in 10x50 and I love them!
I just bought a pair of Swarovski 10X40 HD's and love them. I did a lot of research and a direct comparison between Zeiss, Leica and Swarovski. For me the Swaro's came out on top.
Interestingly several years ago my wife bought me a pair of Bushnell Legend 8X40's. When I brought the Swaro's home I did a comparison between the two. Considering the vast price difference the Bushnells held up fairly well to the much more expensive Swarovski's. Moral to the story is I don't think I'll be telling my wife any time soon about the Swarovski's.
If you want an excellent deal on a good pair of binoculars the Bushnell Legend's are worth a look.
QuoteOriginally posted by Longbowz:
Considering the vast price difference the Bushnells held up fairly well to the much more expensive Swarovski's.
That's refreshing to read...
I have a Nikon 7X50 Action series. Love it.
I have the Zeiss conquest 8x30's and love them. I tried all the popular brands and could have bought any pair but the Zeiss fit me the best.
Your best best is go somewhere where you can try them all side by side. Pick the pair that is most comfortable and bright. Try not to get too hung up on the brand names.
I have the Leupold's with the range finder in them. I forget the model. Being able to hit a button while glassing with no extra movement is really handy. They look a little bulky but are not too heavy.I think the new ones are 9X and will read and calculate incline.
It is very hard to tell big diffrences in glass just by putting them to your face and then picking another pair up and putting them to your face. If its bright outside and your just glassing quickly is not a good comparison. Low light conditions, edge clarity and just the crispness in general is not going to be the same in the Cabelas parking lot or the back yard as it is under hunting situations. Glassing for hours on end is not very fun when you have eye strain. The biggest thing is to know what your using them for and then decide if your only going to hunt the west once then its not a big issue. But if you plan on using these binos trust me figure out the most money you are willing to spend and then throw in a couple hundred more bucks and buy the best you can buy. I have owned $300.00 to 600.00 binos and you get what you pay for and in my oppinion its not much in that price range.
I agree with what Scott just said. I've used a lot of binoculars in my 33 years as a wildlife officer and this is just an area that you shouldn't scrimp on. Headaches and eye strain are less a problem when the glass you carry and use is of the highest quality you can afford. Personally, I wish I could afford Swarovski ELs but about $1,000 is the top of my budget. This weekend I took a close look at some Zeiss 8x40s and decided that at $900 they'll be my next glass. BTW, I've owned a couple pair of 10x50's and wouldn't recommend anything that size for much else besides horse or truck hunts. Just too much to carry. My personal choice is 8x42's for just about everything.
QuoteOriginally posted by Gen273:
QuoteOriginally posted by Biathlonman:
I've got Zeiss and Vortex. Overall I think Vortex offers the better value. What's your budget, that makes a big difference?
I agree, for the money Vortex is hard to beat! [/b]
Yeap!!!!!!!! :thumbsup:
I bought a pair of Meoptas a couple of years ago and have never regretted it. Crisp view to edge of glass, excellent light gathering and durability. I can glass for hours with no issues.
There is nothing in the under 1K class that i found beats them. The next step up is another 1K+ for Swaros. Hard to justify in my world.