Do you guys use binos when bowhunting/turkey/coyote hunting? I am thinking about selling some stuff online to get the money for a nice pair. Here are the two I am looking at. Thoughts???
http://www.minox.com/index.php?id=4312&L=1
http://www.leupold.com/hunting-shooting/binoculars/bx-3-mojave-series/
For what I would consider equal quality if not better IMHO I would take a look at these, couple different models and all are excellent
http://www.vanguardworld.com/index.php/en/os/products/hunting-outdoor/list-2-10-243.html
http://www.vanguardworld.com/index.php/en/os/products/hunting-outdoor/list-2-10-149.html
They have alot more to choose from as you will see, I have a pair of spirit plus models in 8 x 36 which are compact , lightweight and just flat out awesome. A few other nice features including the padded strap that you can take off the binos and put on the carrying case.
I highly recommend at least looking at them to compare. Depending on the model you could save some $$$, there is a good rebate on them $50 on the higher ED end and $25 on the others.
I like what I've seen from Vortex. Binos are one thing where you get what you pay for but there are great deals whithin each price bracket. Like I said Vortex is a good place to start, and Bushnell Legacy series is also prety nice for the money. I wish there was still an American made top end bino but now that Leupold discontinued the Gold Ring I'm not aware of any.
I never go hunting without my Leupold Pinnacles 10x42. :icon_thumright:
I ahve apair of Vortex 8x42 razors, and absolutely love them.
I own the Minox. They are heavy but excellent glass.
i just bought two pair of Vortex this year.
a pair of 10x42's for 3D shoots and a pair of 8x28's for hunting.
both are the DiamondBack models
these are top of the line optics without the big price tag.
they come with a lifetime NO Questions asked warranty!!!
I have a set of leupold acadias, 8 -42, can't go wrong with leupold.
I would not go so far as to say that Vortex Diamondbacks are "top of the line" because even Vortex has binocs and scopes that it promotes as higher grade than he Diamondback line.
However, at that articular pricepoint, the Diamondbacks match up well and IMO actually exceed some competitors at that point, like Nikon Monarchs. Opinions will vary. I had a friend with Steiners (a Predator?) look through his and look through mine, and he was impressed. He was a little aggravated that he paid so much for his and I paid so little for mine. I bought mine on closeout for about $150 or so. They were a great deal.
If I were hunting big game out west and glassing for long periods, I'd spend more. But I'm just using them in the SE at relatively short distances.
Most hunters out there purchase multiple pair of binos over the years which usually end up in disappointment, I purchased a lot of different binos over the years and wasted some hard earned money myself. Since then I purchased my first pair of Swarovski binoculars and never regretted or looked back since.
I have talked many of my friends into saving that extra $ no matter if it took extra months of putting a set amount of $ back each week to make the purchase.
I have the Swarovski Pocket 8x20's and the clarity and image quality is better than most any full sized (so called quality) name brands out there. At low light I can see things my buddies can not with their full size binoculars. Low light situations is where a good pair of glasses will shine. Even the cheaper glasses look decent in a well lighted store or in the back yard at mid day but the true test is low light or overcast weather days.
The Swarovski Pocket 8x20's will run you around $700 but I have never had anyone who saved up and purchased them return a pair to date. You will never go to the turkey or deer woods without them on your side again once you have a pair, they are just that good!
http://www.swarovskioptik.us/upload/media/media/5/.thumb_500_500_Fernglaeser_Pocket_8x20_B%5B23%5D.jpg
http://www.swarovskioptik.us/en_us/products/binoculars-pocket
As one who has gone through many pairs of binoculars over the years, and compared them with those that many other hunters I have hunted with have carried, I would first advise you to get either 8X42's or 10X50's in whatever brand you decide on. These give you optimum magnification and field of view for serious glassing. (Multi- and fully-coated lenses are a consideration, as well)
Stay away from the off-brands and the el-cheapo's. They may look good in the stores and when looking at the girls down the isle, but unless you treat them like glass figurines, you will have them knocked out of alignment and full of dust within a few uses.
You can get good, functional binoculars that are more than suitable for most applications, and under most conditions, for a few hundred dollars,...or less. Of course, if you have the funds to buy the really expensive lines, and you are willing to pay the price, go for it.
Personally, I think you can get a great pair of bino's, for just about any hunting use, for under $300. The Leupolds and Minox are two of those brands,...at least last time I checked,...and they are good binoculars. If you want to spend less, Bushnell and Nikon make some pretty darn good binoculars for under $100,...if you take care of them,...that will suffice for all but the most finnicky among us.
I use Leupold Wind River 10X50 bino's now (about a $250 bino) and am very happy with them,...even for the extra-long-distance glassing that we do out here in the west. I used to use Bushnell's Insta-focus bino's that cost $60 (and I think they still do), and for the price, those were darn good binoculars. I would buy a new pair every four or five years and all of them served me well.
Perhaps more important than the brand or price of the binos you get is learning how to use them properly. Having good glassing habits with inexpensive bino's is much more important than having expensive bino's,...in combination with not knowing how to use them effectively.
Don't even know if they are still available anywhere, but I absolutely love my Bushnell Legend 10x42 binos. Found em online for around $240 and it's been one of the best investments ever. The higher power magnification is better for the wide open areas I hunt in western Oklahoma for turkey. I like to know if a bird is worth messing with before I put the miles on my boots to go after them.
I have spent some time looking through most major binoculars out there from $400 up into the thousands. There are some really good mid level binoculars that deliver great performance, warrenty, and value without having to spend top dollar on Alpha binoculars.
Vortex is well known for their VIP warrenty and do have nice glass in each of the their offerings at all price points and their line runs from about $130-$1300.
I shy away from buying anything bushnell as their warrenty service is very shaky at best
A little known brand is Zen-Ray optics and personally they have the best optics for the $$, and a great warrenty. But they do not have many dealers so it is hard get your hands on them before ordering online
I have always been happy with Leupolds optics and warrenty service unfortunately maybe its unluck but ive had to use their warrenty too many times to fully trust durability although theyve always made it right
Optics worth taking a look at are.. Vortex Talon HDs, Nikon Monarch 7s, Zen Ray ED3, leupold majave, zen ray ZRS HD, Zen ray Primes, Vortex razors, Ziess conquest HD, cabelas outiftter and euro lines, streiner predator extremes
Quote from: GSLAM95 on December 16, 2012, 03:46:35 PM
Most hunters out there purchase multiple pair of binos over the years which usually end up in disappointment, I purchased a lot of different binos over the years and wasted some hard earned money myself. Since then I purchased my first pair of Swarovski binoculars and never regretted or looked back since.
I have talked many of my friends into saving that extra $ no matter if it took extra months of putting a set amount of $ back each week to make the purchase.
http://www.swarovskioptik.us/upload/media/media/5/.thumb_500_500_Fernglaeser_Pocket_8x20_B%5B23%5D.jpg
http://www.swarovskioptik.us/en_us/products/binoculars-pocket
I bought a pair of 10x42 a few years ago and with I would've many years ago!! The best there is! This fall I bought my wife a pair of Swarovski 8x30's on ebay for $360 she'll never need another pair best money I've spent on a hunting item.
Like FFV above, I like my Bushnell Legends. I have the 8X28 models. Small and light enough to carry all day but great for the woods. I would want more if I hunted out west and had real long ranges, but they suit me very well here in the piney woods.