What optics are you folks using to traditional bowhunt?
A 40 year old pair of Bushnell Custom Compac binos and 10x42 Swarovski EL binos.
I have some old beater Pentax that I hope to retire after Christmas; Santa has been told I need some Steiners. I like compacts; hoping for the 10x26 glasses from Germany.
6.5x32 Vortex Vipers
It depends on what and where I'm hunting. For whitetails and more close in work I've come to really like a pair of Vortex 6x32 Viper's. For out west or anywhere I may run into longer distances I have a pair of 8.5x42 Svaro's that are fantastic. Whether you are carrying a traditional bow or not really doesn't matter. It's how far away from game that you are, the type of cover you are in, and the amount of daylight available.
The best advice I can give is to pay attention to the ratio of the diameter of the objective lens (second number) divided by the magnification (first number) For example, my 6x32 = 5.33. You want that ratio to be a minimum of 4 because that is about the average diameter of the pupil of your eye. Any smaller than that and the binoculars won't allow maximum light to reach your pupil. (I hope I explained that correctly) During full daylight you probably wouldn't notice much difference. But during the dusk and dawn hours that we spend so much of our time in the woods it can make a huge difference.
Depends what your needs are.
The conventional wisdom is typically for 8x or 10x binocs, especially if you may be glassing longer distances.
However, you may find that your typical Midwest whitetail hunting may be in much closer quarters, where a low power binoc may actually be a bigger asset.
I have 4 pair of binocs, two Nikon and two Leupold. The pair I find myself using almost exclusively anymore for my Michigan deer hunting, both for bow and rifle, are a non-conventional 6x32 Leupold.
Since I rarely view anything greater than 200 yards for my style of hunting, and habitat, the 6X is easy to use with one hand, easy to find game, is incredible in low light and is more than powerful enough to determine a bucks rack or if a fawn is a button buck.
I owned a sport shop and worked in others prior to that. In my opinion, 10X is often too much for typical "wooded" hunting situations.
Leupold discontinued the Katmai 6x32, probably due to the tough sell of convincing hunters 6X is a great option, but there are lots of places that still have them.
This place has them $200 off, at $300 shipped. Regular was $500. I'm debating buying another set just to have as backup.
Note the very good reviews...
http://www.eagleoptics.com/binoculars/leupold/leupold-katmai-6x32-roof-prism-binocular-black?gclid=CPXNsY3x_LMCFexAMgodRU8AxA
I use 6x32 Leopold Katmai-great for picking out patches of fur hidden amongst the underbrush.
I really like my Leupold Yosemite 8x33 binoculars. They are bright, clear, light-weight, and I got them for right under $100. I hunt primarily squirrel and rabbit but also hunt for wild boar and deer.
I live in Arkansas and the areas that I hunt are hardwoods primarily. The thick parts have about a 30-40 yard visibility and the more open areas have about 60-80 yards of visibility. There are times you can see farther but not well enough to spot anything you'd want to shoot at, more less have a clean shot to take even with a gun. The only exceptions to that are along roads or the occasional power-line but I prefer to hunt away from those anyway because they get a lot of traffic.
I've thought about investing in a really nice pair of compacts that can fit in a shirt pocket but haven't done it because what I have works well enough that I'd rather spend that money on other stuff.
QuoteOriginally posted by Mojostick:
Depends what your needs are.
The conventional wisdom is typically for 8x or 10x binocs, especially if you may be glassing longer distances.
However, you may find that your typical Midwest whitetail hunting may be in much closer quarters, where a low power binoc may actually be a bigger asset.
I have 4 pair of binocs, two Nikon and two Leupold. The pair I find myself using almost exclusively anymore for my Michigan deer hunting, both for bow and rifle, are a non-conventional 6x32 Leupold.
Since I rarely view anything greater than 200 yards for my style of hunting, and habitat, the 6X is easy to use with one hand, easy to find game, is incredible in low light and is more than powerful enough to determine a bucks rack or if a fawn is a button buck.
I owned a sport shop and worked in others prior to that. In my opinion, 10X is often too much for typical "wooded" hunting situations.
Leupold discontinued the Katmai 6x32, probably due to the tough sell of convincing hunters 6X is a great option, but there are lots of places that still have them.
This place has them $200 off, at $300 shipped. Regular was $500. I'm debating buying another set just to have as backup.
Note the very good reviews...
http://www.eagleoptics.com/binoculars/leupold/leupold-katmai-6x32-roof-prism-binocular-black?gclid=CPXNsY3x_LMCFexAMgodRU8AxA
This is a good post too. I thought long and hard about getting 6x because that would be better for deer and hogs in the thicker parts where I hunt. However, since 80% of the hunting that I do is small game hunting, I opted for the higher powered glass to help me spot bumps on tree limbs when squirrel hunting.
I use the Nikon Monarch X's in a 8x42 and love them!!
Whatever you decide I would give Alpen optics a good look. Great products with a good selection and outstanding customer service.
8x23 Luepold compacts here. Great for stand hunting here in Kansas.
10x42 roof prism B&L in the truck.
bretto
Nikon 13-30 spotter, 8x30 Swaro's, and 12x50 Meopta's. It all depends what and where I am hunting, on what optics I use.
I love optics. I have saved over the years and gotten good stuff because I got the headaches from long days of glassing when I lived in Wyoming and spent hours behind binos.
I use Leica 8x42 most of the time, but I have a pairs of 10x50s that I have used for serios western glassing. My spotting scope is a Leupold. I am very happy with my glass, but it took some time to acquire it.
D.P.
8x42 Vortex Diamonbacks. Love them and the warranty and customer service is amazing
8.5X50 Vortex optics Vultures. They are an older pair. But very good in all settings I hunt. Very good in low light situations.
8x30 Swaros for 20 years for the majority of my hunting. A pair of 10x42 Kahles when I want something a little strronger.
Great responses, thanx much...
How do you guys like your Swarovski's, and are they worth the price?
Am kinda leaning towards the 8x42 Swarovski EL, but not sure if I want to spend that much....
Basicly, I'm shopping for a top quality pair of 8X binocules.
Through the years with the sum of money spent on cheap glass I probably could have bought a pair of Swarovski's,,, and still may do so but dread thinking about dropping over two grand. I understand you get what you pay for when it comes to glass, but are there high quality optics of the Swarawski caliber out there at a more affordable price?
Have owned and do own a set of Steiner, Leupold (the cheap series) Nikon, etc, etc, but am looking
for better glass. This should be my last set to purchase, and something I can will down to my children.
I like the Steiners but mine are from the cheaper Predator series and do not have a quick center
focus knob and both lens need focus separately which is slow and cumbersome on quickly moving game or when you need them in a hurry.
The Nikons were decent, but went to an ex during a split, but am looking for something of higher quality.
Please keep the suggestions coming.... Thanx
I really like my Leupold Yosemite 6x30.
Real pleased with my Leupold Katmai 6x32 for whitetails/turkeys here in IN. Have a set of Leupold Wind Rivers in 8x42 that I received as a gift and I appreciated the extra magnification on my Caribou hunt. As much as I'd love to have a set of Leicas, the Leupolds have served me well. Good luck with your choice. Mike
i use Kahles 8x32 binos...small..awesome...Kahles is a division of swarovski...but cost much less....in fact back in the day Mr Kahles had a young apprentice named Daniel Swarovski.....
Zbone I was in your position about this time last year. Over the years I went through several pairs of decent binoculars, the last was a pair of Leupold Wind Rivers. They were the best I'd had up to that point. Rough use on my part led to their needing replacement.
I spent about six hours over two separate days at the local Cabelas looking through binos. I went home with the Swarovski 8.5x42 ELs. My guilty feeling didn't last long as I got to using them. In the store they were obviously better than what I was used too, but how much better really became apparent over time. I think the money was well spent. Considering Swarovski's reputation for service I expect to be using these binos for the rest of my days. I might buy another pair, but I don't think I will need another pair. The view through the Swaros is really amazing in every way and ergonomically they are by far the best for one-handed use of any bino I've had.
That said, I doubt I will kill anything or even see anything that I couldn't with the Leupolds, except for maybe in extremely dark conditions. I looked through some nice binos by Vortex, Nikon, Leupold, Zeiss (right up there with Swarovski) and Leica (at a different store, but very nice too).
As I mentioned earlier, I do have a pair of Swarovski 8.5x42's and absolutely love them. But I bought mine awhile ago, and I understand what you are saying about hesitation to spend what they cost today. That's a lot of money, although I doubt you would regret it if you decide to pull the plug.
For a cheaper, but high quality, alternative, I would be looking hard at the Vortex Viper HD's from Eagle Optics. Great glass for far less money, and fantastic warranty. Are the Swarovski's better? Of course they are. But to me, the difference is relatively small, and the price is more than triple. That's a lot to pay for that final step up in quality.
Vortex Viper HDs are hard to beat for the $ and the warranty is excellent. I have the 8x32s and love them.
Eagle Optics Ranger 10X42. Good glass, great warranty, made well, pretty good price.
QuoteOriginally posted by Big Ed:
I use the Nikon Monarch X's in a 8x42 and love them!!
X2. Absolutly great glass for the money!
Swarovski 8x20 compact for me in the whitetail and turkey woods. I've found that I use them more because they're handy. I have a pair of Cabela's 7x35 from years ago that are not too large (about 5.5 x 5 inches) and are decent glass, but they were just not fitting into a pocket on my chest and I don't want anything hanging around my neck that's going to hang up the bow string or potentially bump something else (grunt tube) and make noise at the wrong time.
I have a set of Zeiss Diafun 8x30's. They were Zeiss' lowest priced offering at that time. They rate favorably to my buddy's Nikon ATB's.
Ray
Love my 8x32 Leicas for deer and small game hunting. Only glass I've owned/needed in the last 15 years. I use them reguardless of weather or hunting conditions. They really add to my enjoyment of my hunting or scouting.
I hunt down east so I'm either glassing beanfield edges or picking thickets apart. 500-600 yards is a long way down here in these pines, I use a pair of Fujinon AutoFocus 10x50s and a pair of Bushnell PermaFocus while bowhunting. After 7-8 years of using autofocus glass I won't own anything else. It's nice to be able to look back 5 or 6 layers into timber or scrub and pick out an ear or a leg without fiddling with a darn knob or wheel.
I got a deal on a pair of 8X30 Steiners about 6-7 years ago....best money I ever spent!
8 by 42 Pentax DCF. I bought them several years ago for $350. They are now in the $800 range. I'd put them against any glass made and as the price shows, so would a lot of other people. God Bless
8X32 Bushnell...good enough for my purposes in the Ny deer woods
I have tried a few and I really like the Zeiss victory compacts. 8x20. Really lightweight.
I have pair of Swarovski SLC 8 x 30 wb that I have had for 25 years. For more power I use my Leupold spotting scope. Every 10 years or so I send them back and they clean them for free and they are like new again. I paid $450 but that was a lot of money back then too. I have never went hunting without looking, ever. Hundreds of days in the woods without a shot from my bow!
With hunting gear, I always try to get the greatest functionality for the lowest cost. I was overwhlemed by the optical qualitiy of the Zen-Ray ZRS HD (SUMMIT) 8x42 Waterproof Binoculars. They sell on-line for only $205, and yet they have the specifications and functional qualities of other binoculars that cost 3 times more. Check out the reviews on Zen-Ray before you send you money to pay for a more advertised brand name.
Mark
QuoteOriginally posted by Big Ed:
I use the Nikon Monarch X's in a 8x42 and love them!!
Same as Ed
Ive gotto get a new pair and have really looked,and am not in the really good,high end price range.So its going to be the 10X42 Bushnell H2os for me.Wish I could afford those little Stieners.They are a really good looking bang for the buck.I already have my stalk for my new ones started.I will pounce the day after Xmas.
I just got back from on a photo safari in South Africa and I took a pair of Minox BF 10x42 BR that were awesome in the brush or on the open plain to spot game. Looking forward to using them for scouting and hunting next year to truly work them out
If you are shopping for top quality, go with the Swarovski's . They stand behind their products better than any other outfit period. Mine are 10x42ELC and I love them.
I also have been looking to purchase a "better" of binos. I have Nikon, Leupold, Burris, Bushnell HD they all have there place but I still would like something better.
This year I had the opportunity to use 10x42 Swarovski's and Meopta Star 10x42 along with mine(We were looking for a deer I shot).
I didn't see any difference between the 2 other than the price tag. Swarovski's +$2500.00 and Meoptas at around $1000.00 I'll be purchasing the Meopta's.
I have some Stiner 8/30s Military Marine model they can be had for about $200 I have had them for over 10 years. I have bino's with better low light performance and are much more expensive but I will always grab the Stiners because they are compact, they are light and their design gives them better depth of field than amy binos I have used. Having binos that do not require constant refocusing means I can hold my bow with one hand and glass with the other. They never fogg and never broke despite my constant efforts to break them.
Chuck
I've got a couple of sets at the moment... recently purchased a set of Swarovski 8.5x42 EL's with a 2x Doubler. Very nice setup! Haven't hunted them yet, but I've sat in the backyard in the evenings comparing them to my Pentax DCF 10x42 (which is a great glass at any price...)... but the $'s spent show up when the sun starts going down. Crisp, clear and gather light like nothing else I've looked through!
I see me using the EL's for years to come...
Leupold for 20 years
I have Swarovski 10x 42 EL. I picked them up new on an auction site for $1300, but the regular price of around $2500 is only around $100 per year for the next 25 years :D I can't see myself ever parting with them or needing to upgrade.
Bjorn
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Icon 1 posted December 02, 2012 06:47 PM Profile for Bjorn Email Bjorn Send New Private Message Edit/Delete Post Reply With Quote I use 6x32 Leopold Katmai-great for picking out patches of fur hidden amongst the underbrush.
Great bind's I have a pair and love them. Great price also.
Any of you woods/brush hunters who are thinking about a good set of 6x32's might want to check out the following discontinued models at Eagle Optics.
As mentioned earlier by Mojostick, they have the $500 Leupold Katmia 6x32's on sale for $300.
They also have the Vortex Viper 6x32's marked down from $549 to just $275.
Read the reviews, they are both excellent glasses.
I think to determine several things you got to play on a level field. For your uses about any of the glasses mentioned will tickle you pink. But knowing a few things ia important.
Hillbilly description for everyone to understand:
First, as stated here by several, you need to have an objective lens suited for you purposes. If you are glassing far in lowlight situations, the compacts are inferior due to not being able to gather the light needed due to a smaller objective lens. The reason for that isn't because of the name, it is because the smaller objective gets the ratio of objective/magnification lower, meaning it translates less light. So to get glasses that transmit light, the bigger objectives are the key
Magnification affects light transmission the same way. If you are looking through 42 mm objectives, an 8 power will seem brighter than a 10 power. Because the 8 power has a higer objective/magnification ratio than the 10 power. It doesn't justify anything other than crisp clear images are a direct function of light. More light makes a better image. However, you can tell better glasses from one another by comparing the 2 under same magnification side by side with the same objective, in the same situation. This is the most common mistake people make when buying glasses. They look through a buddies Liecas suited for the conditions, then look through a set of Nikon later in a different situation that may not suit them as well due to differences in magnification, or objective lenses, and claim their is no comparison. all they are doing is falling afool of what they don't know.
Bino's are catered for specific needs and different coatings will equip different models and brands for specific things better. A better light transmitter of one company may not be as clear as anothers, but be brighter under low light conditions. That is where money comes in. The difference in $2500 glasses and $200 bino's is not all name. About 80 percent of it is, but not all.
A high dollar bino has a compromise of all coatings to deliver the best glass, because cattering to lght transmission to much causes clarity of image to suffer in that same glass. So the Big brands put the big price tag on them because they compromise to get their glass just "perfect". For all day use, this is where they are superior. Less eye fatigue. However, for our purposes, It is very rarely worth it if it is even true with so many great bino's available. Mainly because the differences, if any, are so hard to see because a lot of cheaper brands are doing the same thing now. And a bino that tranmits light well is what a hunter needs because it determines the crispness of an image more so than coatings. You'll often hear many guys who buty the expensive brands make claims they are better for long range glassing not causing as much eye fatigue due to clarity. I disagree. Mostly because I've compared my Pentax to theirs in that situation, but also because long range spotting is just that. If you are trying to analyze an animal that far, it is better handled by a spotting scope, not $2500 bino's.
So to compare and find the best glass for you, you got to determine what you are going to be doing. If up close and personal is your thing and only intent, you'd better buy compacts. If you are out west all the time, you had better buy an 10 by 42. If you have mixed needs, better go with a set of 8 by 42. All styles have their benefit but weight comes with the bigger glass. If you buy a 10 by 42 to look at 50 yards in the brush all the time it will not be long before you leave them home etc... So buy appropiately.
To summerize, price can be an indicator but not always, but quality is inheritant in them all. But compare them side by side on the same basis and make your decision after deciding what will fit your needs best. Because a brand name is just that. Remember, America and Japan make as good as glass as the Germans or the Sweds, but their price is generally lower by a wide margin. God Bless
I used 8X30 SLC Swaro's for years. Then I traded
for a pair of 10X42 Leica's.
If I had to do it all over again I would stay with the 8X30 SLC. Good all around glass and not as heavy.
Gary
Great responses, thanx much..
Will advise what I end up purchasing.
I have lots of Leica and Swarovski optics, and also have many of the less expensive brands. I can tell you that you do not need the most expensive glass to see game, but the cheap stuff is junk and most of the time is worse than nothing because it is just extra weight. Like some of the others here, my first really good pair of binoculars was the 8x30 SLC Swarovskis. I have taken those binos to Africa, Australia, South America, and all over the United States, and they do everything well.
I also have several pairs of binos in higher powers and with larger (or the same size) objective lenses. When you get into bigger objective lenses, you increase the weight and size of the binos significantly. There are situations where that increase is justifiable because the binos perform better for a particular use. With a 10 power bino, it is very nice to have the additional light entering the objective lenses, and most of my 10 power binos have 42mm objectives. One such pair of Leicas also has a built-in rangefinder, which is very nice under the right conditions. I also have some 10 power binos with 32mm objectives, which is great as long as I need the extra magnification but don't need low-light capability.
The best overall binos I have are my 8x32 Leica Ultravids, because they have fantastic optical quality, have great construction and are almost a compact bino in size -- the best of all worlds. The Swarovski 8x32 EL Swarovision binos are comparable. I have never liked hauling around more in the field or in my baggage than what I need to, and as I get older, I am even more adverse to extra bulk and weight.
I highly recommend buying the Leica or Swarovski binos (Zeiss binos are great too, but I don't like the way they are built as much), but most people have trouble paying that kind of money, either because they don't have it or because they don't feel the expense is worthwhile. Over many years of hunting, an expensive but outstanding bino pays for itself with the benefits it provides.
The Swarovski 8x32 and the Leica 8x32 are small, fairly light, and best in class. I don't think you can do better for most hunting situations. The 8x42 and 10x42 binos from Swarovski and Leica are fantastic too, but just significantly heavier and bulkier, so they are not my first choice, except where greater magnification or light-gathering is required. Some of the other binoculars are close to the Swarovskis and Leicas, and various people will say some are just as good or better. I have outstanding binos made in the USA and Japan, and optically they may be 90% of the Swarovski and Leica binos, but they are just not comparable in the combination of optical and build quality.
I really like my Vortex Vipers and my Burris Signature Selects, both of which are among the binos that I would classify as best buys in a mid-priced binocular. The Burris binoculars are no longer being made, but they were from Japan, like the Vortex. The Vortex Viper HDs are very well made, have good optical quality, are fully warranted with great customer service, and are priced for family guys who are paying many other bills and don't have a lot of extra cash sitting around. For an all-around binocular, the 8x32 Viper HD's are a great buy at $560, about what a pair of Swarovski SLC 8x30 binos cost twenty-something years ago before the big price increases. The Viper 6x32 non-HD binos can be purchased for $275 and the HD model can be found for $550. A 6 power bino is very good, but certainly not as versatile as an 8 power.
In a 42mm objective bino, the Vortex Razor is remarkable at about half the price of a similar Swarovski or Leica. Likewise, a Bushnell Elite that also hails from Japan is a very fine optical piece that sells for about the same price as the Razor and is well supported by its manufacturer. Both of these are a jump up in both optical quality and price from the Vortex Viper binos.
There are lots of choices out there, and lots of good choices. You can't miss with the top quality models, but you also may not be able to pay for them. I can go to my cabinet and pull out binoculars made by Leica, Swarovski and Vortex, and I can easily tell the difference between the two ultra-premium binos and the Vortex. I wish I could pay a fraction of the price for equal quality, but that just doesn't happen. The old maxim holds true: buy the best optics you can afford. Remember this. If you could get optics that are just as good as the most expensive ones for a lot less, the expensive ones wouldn't sell, especially in this day of internet information. I get by with older, less acute eyes these days, but if I could buy a younger, sharper pair, I darn sure would, regardless of the cost, as long as I had the money. New body parts simply can't be purchased as easily as a pair of binoculars.
Allan
I carry a 10x vortex monocular that fits in my pants pocket, I only need to be able to tell its an elk or a deer, I don't need to count points!
amar911 is correct in everything he said about binos. I too, have run the gamut on them from Japan to Germany and always fall back on my Swarovski 8X32's. They are a happy medium between the large and compact binoculars. I have some compact Leica's that I like better than my compact Swarovski's that I use when treestand whitetail hunting.
Very informative amar911, thanx...
When you and others speak of the Bushnell Elites, is the Bushnell Fusion considered as quality as the Elites?
Thanx again...