Thoughts on Hunting Binoculars

[Wiley Coyote]

Just got back from a sight seeing trip and I wrecked my binoculars       that I used for hunting so I need to replace them. Any thoughts..........with my history of destroying binoculars (not the first time this has happened!) I don't want to spend too much over $200. Any suggestions?????

[tradarcher816]

Vortex, great optics. You get a lot of value for your money in that price range plus a no questions asked warrantee for the life of the product.

If I were going to be classing long hours on mt peaks somewhere year after year I'd prob still buy high but for the money on a budget vortex is hard to beat

[Jim Wright]

Your picture shows you with a Whitetail. I suggest you look at the Leupold 6x30 Yosemites. they are very reasonably priced and excellent optically.

[ron w]

I like Steiner 8X30 you can find them on sale most times. I also got a pair of Nikons from the classifieds pretty cheap......they seem to work well.

[smokin joe]

I agree that Leupold 6x30 binocs are great. Excellent optics and brightness. And a good price. All the magnification you need for any hunting east of the Mississippi River.

[Roadkill]

Find some on sale and use the entire budget.  Glass, good, clear glass and tight seals are expensive.  Go to a store and try several.

[Huntrdfk]

My next pair will be the Vortex Daimondbacks in 8x32. Perfect size and magnification for the hunting I do. Decent price point too.

David

[threeunder]

Originally posted by Jim Wright:
Your picture shows you with a Whitetail. I suggest you look at the Leupold 6x30 Yosemites. they are very reasonably priced and excellent optically.

Agreed.  For average distance and picking a whitetails ear or flick of its tail out of the thick brush, these are hard to beat.

But, if you're talking about glassing open expanses for long hours, you really will benefit from buying the absolute best you can afford.  Vortex are great.  Other choices would be Nikon and Leupold Cascades.

Another thing to think about since you brought up durability is having to buy a new pair every year or two.  If that's what you are having to do, I would encourage you to start saving for one of the  "big 3" (Swarovski,Leica, Zeiss).

Like you, I was destroying a pair of less expensive ones every couple of years.  I saved and made that leap (Swarovski) and haven't had to buy another pair since (15 yrs).

Full disclosure though...when the Leupold Yosemite 6x30 came out I bought a pair.  For around $100 they are the best view out there.  Not had to replace them yet, but, admittedly, I don't hunt them hard.

[nineworlds9]

Yosemites rock, but loving my Alpens currently.  Wonderful for the price.  Can be found less than msrp.

[dbd870]

I use an Alpen myself.

[elkken]

Check out the Swift Audubon


  http://tradgang.com/noncgi/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=31;t=000931

[stujay]

Try out what you think you would like to buy...nobody can tell you what's best only your eyes can do that. For me I was not satisfied until I tried Leica, Swarovski and Zeiss. To my eyes those three are an absolute pleasure to look through and if needs be work well for all day glassing.

[V I Archer]

I own leicas.  Bought them nearly 15 years ago, before kids, mortgage, grown up responsibilities.  Wouldn't trade them for anything, I'd shoot lesser quality bows, cheaper broadheads and arrows, and bulkier, heavier backpack gear before I would give up my leicas.

That said however, I don't know that I could buy them at this point in my life now.  If I were looking now, I'd be lookin at Vortex.  In fact I have been looking at their spotting scopes.  I hear great things about vortex for the price.

[Wickles]

I just picked up some Zen Ray ED3 10x43 (open box from manufacturer) for under $400 and I'm impressed. A little more than you want to spend but they're worth a look if you can swing it. I haven't put them through their paces but from the reviews I've read I feel good about them. Side by side with my brothers swarovski there's not a $1000 difference. I think they're comparable to the vortex.

[awbowman]

Vortex 6 or 8X for archery.  Lifetime no fault warranty.  

In your price point

[Gen273]

Vortex are great optics at a fair price.

[Steve O]

I think if you buy a more expensive pair you will take better care of them...  

[timbermoose]

i recently won a draw on another site for the Vortex Crossfire II. them things are the best "glasses" i've ever used. i usually don't bother to bring any with me into the backcountry, but this year i will be. good glass and a great price.

[oldbohntr]

I also think a lot of the Vortex.  Wife & I took an inside passage cruise recently and we carried a Swift Audubon 8.5 x 44, and a Vortex Viper 6x32.  I like a 6 power for many hunting situations, and the Viper is a real good one for a very reasonable price.  But, the Vortex is NOT the equal to a Swift Audubon.  And, the Swift is -in my considered opinion-the equal to nearly all those big names we know and respect!  And I've carried some of the world's best glass on 3 sheep hunts and one goat hunt....that's where the rubber meets the road!  

To add the icing to the cake, I recently found a Swift Audubon 7 x 35 on e***.  I never knew they made more than one Audubon, but this was one from the 70s(I think)which was found new in the box in storage in a defunct optics shop(wow, how'd you like to have found that inventory? That's like dyin' and goin' to Heaven, huh???) I got them for a great price and they are simply pristine.  Spent several hours comparing the view to my other Audubons and the Vortexes.  Sorry guys, the Swift won again!

You can pooh-pooh them all you want, I'll stick with the Swifts AND the Vortex Viper 6'es. This is not coming from someone who hasn't owned the big names with their wonderful warranties. Leica, Swarovski, Zeiss....they truly set the standard, and they continue to uphold it.  But...the Swift Audubons and the Vortexes I have tried, are also meeting that standard.  And, I can buy 5 of those for one of the others!(so, the gold-standard warranty is somewhat less important!)

One thing that has muddied the waters: the top line European companies pretty much only supply one quality binocular.  It's their flagship, it's their best and it's their only!  Pentax, Nikon, Swift, Vortex, and many other are putting out a lot of lesser- quality glasses for the mass markets.  You can't judge such glasses against anyone's top optics.

Hint: if you use the phrase "a great glass for $100", or $200.....we're not talking the same thing.  In my opinion, you won't find a great glass for less than about $350, and it will be labeled Swift Audubon, or Vortex Viper.

I've shown mine to scores of folks who had binos around their neck, and I've NEVER had anything but very positive responses!

[Gdpolk]

I looked at 7 smaller specialty hunting stores, two bass pro shops, two gander mountains, one cabelas, academy sports, and dicks sporting goods at binoculars in college. Budget was an issue but I wanted bright, clear image

I got the Leupold Yosemites and can say they are all someone really needs from dark thirty to dark thirty. Now that I have more income I would like a nicer pair just to have a nicer pair but for my uses anything nicer than the Yosemites would be strictly a want more than a need.