I have the Vortex Viper 6x32 and love them.Very clear and stable. I hunt in thick woods where its often dark.  Bob

Try any of the Steiner brand in my opinion. They are European made and well worth the $$ ...if not and you can afford it one can't go past Swarovski binos.

Cheers,

ak.

Nikon Monarch 8x42! I've had mine for years and they are perfect for me.

x3 for the Leupold 6x30 Yosemite Green Ring binocs. They are light, bright, clear and a great value. Perfect for thick woods hunting.

The Yosemite 6 x 30 is a good inexpensive choice for several reasons:  Under $100.  You really don't need any more magnification than 6 or 8 in the deep woods.  The 6 x 30 gives you a pretty wide field of view.

The Vortex line has really awesome customer service and they can fit your budget in a real nice 8 x 42.  But you can also find a lot of other good choices within your budget in a 8 X 42.  Which IMO is the best all-around combination of magnification, field of view, and light gathering properties.  I use mine for deer and elk hunting.

Try to stick to a proven brand in case you have issues down the road.  In your price range that would be: Pentax, Nikon, Leupold, Konus, Vortex, Minox, Steiner and Brunton.  As you can tell most of these companies are Japanese.  If you want American-made, it is limited to Brunton and Leupold.

Many consider the very finest glass to be made by Swarovski, Leica and Zeiss.  But all of these are beyond your current budget.  However use them as comparisons to the ones within your budget when shopping.  You will see what you are possibly missing then.

The bottom line is to try as many units as you can BEFORE buying.  The more you look and compare, the more you will learn.

I have the minox 10x44 binos that I use and love for looking in brush while on a photo safari while in SA. looking forward to using them on a scouting trip this year to get a better feel for using in CO.

I have some Leopold 12X42s, but I was looking for something smaller and less magnification for when I'm bow hunting.

I think 6x30s would be just about right.  I'm really looking to extend my ability to see into the thick stuff (inside 125 yards) at those last moments of light to help "adjust" my setups.

Those last minute bucks take some fine tuning in stand placement