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