$1000 binocular suggestions

Good quality optics in medium price range leupold, vortex HD or UHD you can usually find them lightly used when someone is looking to upgrade to new or higher end model for a good deal.

If you want to go straight to the top swaro and leica's would be my choice - if your really glassing distance buy a good 10x or 12x either on a budget and the other half your budget get a decent spotting scope.

Or find 18x UHD and they work great for big open country - i have a pair really cool in the right setting. Allot of options most tend to find good used bino's when upgrading to see what they like. I've gone through vortex from vipers to UHD and they are extremely good bino's my wife still uses a pair of 10x42s they are light and clear. I have leica ranging bino's most recently and a pair of 12x50 el swaros - toying with the move towards NL's. I enjoy seeing as much as I do shooting when i'm on a place with allot of game, it's worth the extra money to me the diff in quality is real. Live within your budget there will always be something new come out and someone's downgrade could be your upgrade.

Plenty of good optics info from birdwatchers, here some suggestions:

Now that you've got over 100 different ones to look at have you narrowed it down?

JAYgs8163 said:

Now that you've got over 100 different ones to look at have you narrowed it down?

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If he stick with his $1000 price limit probably 3/4 of the recommendations are already eliminated.

I appreciate all the replies and suggestions. I am leaning toward the Leica's. I have a zeiss scope and really like them as well. I am planning on a couple visits to try to compare these with Swarovski side by side. I found a pair of swaro locally used, so all are within my budget range. Most of my glassing is done at ranges that most any binoculars work. Last year I went on a hunt out west and really noticed the deficiencies of my old ones. Especially edge to edge with hours of glassing. My eyes are definitely more sensitive especially now wearing glasses. I realize my eyes make like one glass more than another so hopefully several sessions of side by side will tell the tell. Thanks you all for taking the time to respond

Thanks

Buck

Bucklowery said:

I appreciate all the replies and suggestions. I am leaning toward the Leica's. I have a zeiss scope and really like them as well. I am planning on a couple visits to try to compare these with Swarovski side by side. I found a pair of swaro locally used, so all are within my budget range. Most of my glassing is done at ranges that most any binoculars work. Last year I went on a hunt out west and really noticed the deficiencies of my old ones. Especially edge to edge with hours of glassing. My eyes are definitely more sensitive especially now wearing glasses. I realize my eyes make like one glass more than another so hopefully several sessions of side by side will tell the tell. Thanks you all for taking the time to respond

Thanks

Buck

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I have all of those and more. Love my Leica's with the range finder. Having said that, after elk season, I'm going to do a safe cleaning and launch a bunch of swaro's for sale. They're all in great shape. Going to 'boil them down' and try a couple of NLs.

bowhunterjae said:

Used Swarovski. Put out a wanted add.
I posted a wanted add in a hunting forum (for daughters fiancé) and I had many responses. He ended up with EL Range for $1800. Could not pass up. He had offers for several 10x40 SLC at $1000, +/-

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Brand new EL 10x42 have been on sale for 1800 a lot of places this year

I would sell a rifle before I gave up my EL's

Bump you limit up to $1350 and buy these. You will not be disappointed. Only thing better are the NL Pure Swarovski despite all the other suggestions.

Has anyone tried any optics from tract? I been looking at them and price is pretty reasonable. https://tractoptics.com/12-5x50-binoculars

nwmnbowhunter said:

Brand new EL 10x42 have been on sale for 1800 a lot of places this year

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EL Range? With range finder built in? They are usually $3500.

J_Rush said:

Has anyone tried any optics from tract? I been looking at them and price is pretty reasonable. https://tractoptics.com/12-5x50-binoculars

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J_Rush said:

Has anyone tried any optics from tract? I been looking at them and price is pretty reasonable. https://tractoptics.com/12-5x50-binoculars

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My eyes just don't get along with Tract Schott HT glass and same with Leica just way too much chromatic aberration for me. But you may not mind glassing with noticeable CA if you've never looked through Alpha level glass. I just can't personally stand seeing any noticeable CA which gives me eye fatigue and strain.

The Burris Signature HD 15x56s (newest green ones not the older tan ones) were a lot better to my own eyes with way less noticeable CA for much cheaper. Amazon have an excellent risk free (FREE) 30 day return policy too.

TBH even the $219 Eyeskey 15x56 from Amazon had way less CA than the Tract Toric HTs. I actually ended up keeping the Eyeskey which is the best cheapest 15x I ever bought and honestly I initially thought Eyeskey would suck since it's a generic Chinese unknown brand but it's in fact even clearer compared to my Athlon Cronus UHD G2 15x56 (which I think may be defective after comparing them to a $219 bin).

Bucklowery said:

I am shopping for new binoculars for hunting. I am hunting in more open country and spending more time behind the glass. My old binos and eyes are telling the tale on the inexpensive pair I have been using. They will be 10x42-50. Thanks for suggestions my binoculars are 30 yes old

Thanks

Buck

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Totally forgot to mention the absolute best bang for the buck sub $1000 bin surprisingly near Alpha level is in fact a SIG Zulu 9 11x45 if you shop around you may find them for as cheap as $600-$700 brand new from places such as eBay just add to your watchlist and get solicited better prices.

They're a hair better than my Maven B2 11x45 with less noticeable CA but the Maven feels lighter in my hands even though they're supposed to be the exact same Japanese Kamakura made binoculars with different outer rubber armouring in my hands the SIG is kind of chunky. The Maven have noticeable dust inside their lenses while the SIGs are completely dust free if this matters and so are the major differences in warranty wait time and quality of service or the sheer lack thereof with three months wait time for the 4 Maven B Series I sent in for warranty and cleaning and all of the B Series binoculars I sent in still have lots and lots of noticeable dust inside all of their lenses compared to 8 days to two weeks for SIG sending brand spanking new replacements.

I had to pay them the $100 extra they required in order to refurbish my B2 11x45 while the 2 Vortex Razor HD and UHD were totally free to have Vortex completely refurbish which came back looking brand spanking new with new Aargon gas purge and refill in less than two weeks but had to send them back a second time due to one or two specs of dust inside each but they always send prepaid return shipping labels just like SIG while Maven you have to pay out of pocket for shipping and insurance plus the 3 month wait time in my case and Maven is either umable to or unwilling to clean all or even half of the dust inside their lenses even after I sent two right back to them due to still unacceptably excessive amounts of noticeable dust inside their lenses. They also told me that various forms of dust is totally normal inside their brand of binoculars which doesn't affect performance and even their main technician told me that they do not have the ability to even refill the nitrogen if they open them up.

When paying premium dollars I expect zero dust inside and if there's even ONE TINY SPEC of dust is found inside a SIG or Vortex they'll take care of it.

If you don't mind CA the Zeiss Conquest HD 10x42 for $599 at EuroOptic on sale now they pay for your tax and free shipping is the lowest I've seen from a dealer short of buying them on eBay at $540-$560 brand new recently from time to time.

bowhunterjae said:

EL Range? With range finder built in? They are usually $3500.

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Not range