I'm looking to get a pair of Diamondback hd compact just to wear in the turkey woods. I hunt in the timber most of the time but will spend some time in field or large food plots. Would you recommend a 8 or 10 power bino? I'm thinking 8 just to have a slightly clearer picture at dusk and dawn. On the other hand the 10 would be nicer in field's and foodplots.
10's are pretty versatile and what I've carried for years (vortex venom 10x42). They've saved me a lot of steps and probably accounted for some birds since they have allowed me to see what a turkey was from a long ways off. They aren't that much heavier than 8's (a good harness is important, the american made marsupial harness has been my favorite) and I can't say I've had low light issues with the venoms.
I should mention the compacts are a 32mm objective.
I agree with 10's. Have been carrying Leupold 10 x 42's since I gave my son my Zeiss 8 x 32's about 10 years ago. I like the 10's much better.
My preference is 8x. My hunting is almost entirely in the big woods.
I carry a vintage Nikon Mountaineer II 8x25. I hunt mainly in the woods however these work fine in open field areas also. IMO 10x is just a bit much in the woods.
Quote from: bowbird87 on January 31, 2022, 11:01:21 AM
I should mention the compacts are a 32mm objective.
Smaller objectives ALWAYS go with less magnification. Less light gathering ability you want the exit pupil as big as you can get it for low light. I'd rather sacrifice magnification and gain minutes at the start and end of the day. I wouldn't jump to 10x until I was at least at a 42mm objective.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Also, low light that would legitimately interfere with optics and turkey's don't often go along with one another unless you are trying to see them on the roost from a long ways off. I can't think of a time that light limited me with optics for turkey... If it's light enough for them to be on the ground, it's light enough for any middle of the road optic to perform. If you want to gain minutes in the day you can also go with higher quality glass and keep a greater magnification but spend more money.
The choice usually comes down to weight, bulk, and how well you can hold glass. 12's are usually the breaking point here. If you're shaky or want compact glass, then 8's are usually the go-to. Just personal preference.
In a compact get the 8, I would only get 10x with at least a 42mm. I don't carry binoculars all the time turkey hunting.
I have both in 42mm, I prefer the 8x's, They seem a little brighter and are easier to hold stable.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
I have 2 pair of Vortex Diamondback binos. 10x50s that stay in my truck or for scouting. For hunting I have a pair of 8x32. The 8x32 were something I wished I had bought a long time ago after using them. They weigh nothing and still have good power for when I'm in the woods.
Sent from my SM-G986U using Tapatalk
In the woods or under 600 yards 8X is the way to go. Easier to hold steady. I use Kowa BDXII 8X32.
10 x 28 vortex diamondback for turkey hunting... will do all you need and your not carrying a lot of weight around your neck etc... for deer hunting etc in the fields i like my 10 x 42 Vortex diamondbacks ...
Vortex Diamondbacks come in 28mm and 32mm. 8x is the most 'steady' of course with 10x usually considered the maximum magnification for hand held. Above that it's recommended to use a tripod or other mount.
I have Vipers and Diamondbacks. I think Diamondbacks are a good price point/quality buy. I use the 10x28 liking the compactness more than light gathering ability. Figure what your needs are and go with it. Vortex is a good product and back their stuff from what I've seen.
8x32 gets my vote.
I use Nikon 10X42's for turkey, bowhunting and flintlock. They just seem to be the best of all worlds for my purposes.
Think I'm going with the 8x32. I've had multiple pairs of diamondbacks and vipers over the years, so I'm familiar with the product. I've just never used anything smaller than a 42mm object.
The objective should be 4 times the amount of the power! Hence the 8x32.
It is optimal for the exit pupil.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Personally, I despise small binoculars. I tried the compacts and ended up giving them away. I use the same binoculars that I use for deer. 9x45 Mavens.
Best bang for the buck that I found
If you decide on full size, carry them in a chest harness and you will never know they are on.
People either love or hate vortex. I'm in the latter, I've had 2 pair and they were nowhere close to Leupold and not in the same stadium with my Mavens.
Really, with the improvements in the optics industry over the last ten or so years, and the corresponding decreases in the size and weight of the optics that are available, there is really no reason to saddle yourself with the so-called compact binoculars. There are a number of small, light-weight binoculars available now in the 8X42 and 10X42 categories that are head and shoulders above anything smaller, and are just slightly larger and heavier.
Sacrificing the light-gathering capabilities and larger field of view that the modern roof-prism bino's offer for a few ounces difference in weight and a slightly smaller overall size in a compact pair is just not worth the trade-off in my opinion. Not only that, you can then use those same binoculars for a variety of other big game in other circumstances where anything in the compact-binocular category is basically totally worthless.
Having said the above, IF you already have a decent set of compact binoculars...and IF you hunt in circumstances where they are effective, and IF you are not going to be hunting other game under other conditions where you really need something better, stick with the compacts. On the other hand, IF you are looking to buy binoculars and you want something that will work better for you in an assortment of other circumstances, I suggest getting some mid-price, roof-prism bino's with at least 8-power and a minimum 42mm objective. :icon_thumright:
10x25 Swarovski Compacts. Crystal clear, light, fold into chest pocket. Love em....
10x42 for me.
From the hardwoods of the mid-atlantic, to the vast ag in the central part of the country to the big country out west, there is no doubt 10x is the most versatile magnification.
At some point you'll find yourself looking at turkeys at considerable distance and 10x will save you a long hike or a lot of crawling because you were able to distinguish between a jake and a gobbler.
I'd also recommend a good binocular harness. It protects high quality optics, it makes them quickly accessible and you'll use your optics a lot more frequently.
I use 8x28 Vortex Diamondbacks paired with a harness. They're compact, lightweight, and more than enough for the turkey woods. The harness is nice in that it keeps them at the ready without them flopping all over the place while running around.
Quote from: Lucky Goose on January 31, 2022, 10:55:53 AM
10's are pretty versatile and what I've carried for years (vortex venom 10x42). They've saved me a lot of steps and probably accounted for some birds since they have allowed me to see what a turkey was from a long ways off. They aren't that much heavier than 8's (a good harness is important, the american made marsupial harness has been my favorite) and I can't say I've had low light issues with the venoms.
I currently use the 8x42 for everything, they're just a lot more steady for me. Plus one on a good harness, I just replaced my 3 year old Kuiu pro with the american made marsupial harness. Marsupial makes nice stuff.
One of the best harness you can buy is Rick Young Ultralight harness if you don't want the pouch, it's stretch cord type and isn't hot on your body and you can wear it different ways on your body and real easy to adjust depending on your needs.
Leupold McKenzie 10x42
I enjoy glassing while sitting in the woods or fields. See all kinds of stuff, pigs, deer, goofy hunters.
I carry some Bushnell 10X. A good 8X would probably suffice. Usually you just want to tell if it's a bush or turkey, tom or hen.
I'm with Greg and tal, 10x28 Diamondback HDs for the turkey woods. An effective, compact, lightweight and inexpensive value choice. If you're glassing open fields a lot go bigger and better$$$.
I have been selling glass over the last 30+ years and the improvement of lower end binoculars have come way up in performance.
I can tell you I sell way more 8X binos than anything when I work with a customer, if they walk in off the street then they just say give me 10X...
Here is what I have learned and gone by over the years, and you have to compare an apple to an apple here.
To really "see" a difference in optics you are going to double the price to see that. i.e. 75/150/300/600/1200/2000+
The most basic pair I sell start at $300.00
8x vs 10x so the key here is Exit Pupil and you want a minimum of 5 for low light viewing. Simple math here is just divide your objective lens size by your power. So 10X50 is 5 exit pupil.
Now what you run into is the 8X42 vs 10X42... the 8 = 5.25 and the 10 only gives you 4.2
Next is that stability factor, 10's are just harder to hold stable, and in most case the weight is negligible.
as far as compacts vs "full" size it will come down to what your use is. My turkey set is a 10x30, I wanted the size of these more than low light viewing, by the time the birds hit the ground I have enough light to see, I was looking for 8X32's and I found and awesome deal on these, Swarovski 10X30 SLC WB's.
Now my Big Game binos are Swarovski 8.5X42 EL's and are the best binocular I have ever used, of course they just dropped out the NL Pures :)
Let's talk viewing range, and we will make some easy math out of this...
8X at 80 yards = 10 yards
10X at 80 yards = 8 yards
there is a 2 yard difference in these, 6ft at 80 yards. Even going out west would be the same just drop a 0 on these 800 yards and you have a 20 yard/60 ft difference at 800 yard
To get the 10's to perform this well you would need 10x52.5mm and then the size and weight difference would be a bigger difference.
If "full" size I would always go 8X42's and if you think you need more we need to talk spotting scopes.
For Compacts and use (turkey hunting) daytime viewing 8x or 10 x would work with 32mm objective.
Last thing I always talk about is quality cannot be replaced by warranty.
Hope this helps!
MK M GOBL
Got my 8x32 Diamondback HD's today. So far I'm very impressed, definitely a step up from my older vortex binos.
Just bought the 10X42 Vortex Diamondback from Scheels for $150
Will be little heavy for turkey, but will help glassing large fields!
Im using 8x42. Only size I've ever owned. Considered selling and trying an 8x32 but not sure it's worth it.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I decided a LONG time ago, that I spend more time looking thru my binos than anything else while hunting. So I bought the best IMHO... each for specific applications and have never regretted it.
My glass of choice: Leica.
Leica 10x25 BCA minis for light weight "running and gunning" and field hunting turkeys from a blind.
Leica 8x32 SA My EDC favorite for everything else! :icon_thumright:
For longer range scouting and "always in the truck" binos: 12x50 SA Leica full size.
You regret the money you wasted on bad gear... not what was well spent on QUALITY.
I bit the bullet and purchased the 10x32 Swarovski years ago. Use them for turkey and deer hunting. That is one item I feel naked without if I leave them at the house when I'm in the woods. Saved me many times glassing before moving and getting caught from a weary gobbler.
Get a quality harness. I suggest Marsupial gear harness. You can accessorize it too with different packs and really carry some gear and ditch the vest in high walking excursions searching for turkeys on public land.
A friend and I were riding and he spotted something? So we stopped and checked it out, we set there and he spotted a turkey under some brush in the shade, "sunny day". I couldn't see it. So we switched binos, I still couldn't see it with his. He couldn't see it with mine either, but did determine it was a clump of grass in the shade.
He was running a pair of 10 power Leica's, I was running a pair of 10 power Steiner's. Both are heavier than maybe needed, but I haven't been under glassed while turkey hunting. The Leica's are really nice but the Steiner's are half the price and the quality is not that far apart.
I rigged up a marsupial harness to try out this year over the vest. More minimalist setup. Hate going without binos after using them.
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20220210/f2332ad1c424c7299119964a8a2e4638.jpg)
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20220210/a181afa5680453df170ca52131522f70.jpg)
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I like that Marsupial setup. :icon_thumright: Great run & gun rig!!
Quote from: Tom007 on January 31, 2022, 04:41:47 PM
10x25 Swarovski Compacts. Crystal clear, light, fold into chest pocket. Love em....
X2...Same ones I use. They are awesome!
I have one set of binos for all types of western hunting therefore it's 10x42's for me.
Quote from: Stickbow98 on February 12, 2022, 10:29:29 PM
I like that Marsupial setup. :icon_thumright: Great run & gun rig!!
Thanks! Hope it does me well this season. I carried the harness with my vest last year. Be nice to do without the vest.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Been toting Leupold 10 x 28 gold ring compact binoculars in my turkey vest for over 30 years. Really love the smaller size and quality optics. Lifetime guarantee is also hard to beat. Light gathering is not as critical to me for turkey hunting as it is in deer hunting, where they're more likely to move in low light. They have helped me clearly identify all sorts of things I couldn't see well enough.
I carry 10 x 40 Zeiss in my deer pack and a pair of 10 x 50 Zeiss in my truck for every day general use. I (obviously) like 10x and want that much magnification to positively identify my target. I swapped my 10x for a friend's 8x one day when he was deer hunting a cutover & needed the extra range. Looking through his, I found myself wanting more. It is better to have than to want.
Jim
We are talking about bino's for turkey hunting here, but if we expand the conversation to hunting other big game under a variety of circumstances, here's my suggestion based on decades of hunting big game in the wide-open west (I'm sure this applies to some places in other parts of the country, as well).
First, buy the best you can afford. If that's high-end stuff, great. However, a lot of folks aren't willing to put a grand or two into binoculars,...and you don't need to. You can get really good, light-weight binoculars nowadays for a few hundred dollars that will do the job at the ranges and conditions that binoculars of any sort are good for.
If you are investing in optics for meeting your needs for any type of hunting, my suggestion is to spend the big dollars on a quality spotting scope rather than binoculars. For glassing those really long distances where binoculars just aren't gonna cut it, having that high-end spotting scope is where the rubber really meets the road!
Again, though, spend what you can afford for optics that are going to meet your needs for what you hunt, or plan on hunting. :icon_thumright:
It's a good thing there are so many options available! As you can see, what's right for one is not necessarily right for another. I've tried both compact and full-size, 8x and 10x...my favorite for viewing pleasure are my old Leupold gold ring 10x42s, but they're heavy. Most often now I carry a "cheap" pair of Vortex diamondback 10x42s. Quality of viewing isn't as nice as the Leupolds, but plenty good, and they weigh about half as much.
I like 8x binos just fine, but I prefer the 10x and haven't personally had any issues with holding them steady. I know many that do, but thankfully I don't have that issue.
Regardless of which binoculars it is, I NEVER hunt without them. The only things I'd walk back to my truck for are a weapon, TP, and binos.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk