$1,000 Binoculars
- Thread starter COBigJohn
- Start date
Help Support Long Range Hunting Forum
justinc68
Well-Known Member
I bought a used pair of an older model leica 10x42 rangefinding binocular. Was right in your price range. And they are great glass.
I have the BX5 Santium HD 10x42 that were at your budget when I bought them a year and a half ago and they are fantastic. I spent hours a day for 8 days straight looking through them on a mule deer hunt this year. No eyestrain headaches and they are noticeably better than the BX4 back-ups. Low light was very good. Who knows what I didn't see, but I don't think I missed much.
Ha... you guys are hilarious, trying to work out my financial situation. The cash the wife gave me for my Birthday will be partnered with a couple of gift cards from the kids to Sportsman Warehouse.
Still unsure what I will purchase. Gotta do the drive into town to Sportsman's, check out what they have, hold them, look through them.... and make a decision.
I greatly appreciate all the feedback and opinions. Seems there isn't a lot of love for Leupold... and there are reasons for that. My BIL has a pair of Zeiss that have been on many hunts and bounced around his ranch truck for 30+ years and they are dirty and ugly and still work perfectly. I might go that direction.
..........
Still unsure what I will purchase. Gotta do the drive into town to Sportsman's, check out what they have, hold them, look through them.... and make a decision.
I greatly appreciate all the feedback and opinions. Seems there isn't a lot of love for Leupold... and there are reasons for that. My BIL has a pair of Zeiss that have been on many hunts and bounced around his ranch truck for 30+ years and they are dirty and ugly and still work perfectly. I might go that direction.
..........
Black Tail Hunter
Well-Known Member
1k $$ Ziess is good glass, I dont think you would be disappointed. When you go to Sportsmans and narrow down your selection, dont just look through them in the store. Have the rep go outside with you so you can look through them in natural light and at varying distances. Makes a difference, even garbage glass looks pretty decent inside the store.
So I was going through the same thought process. I have an older pair of Leica 8x42, that are really nice. Love them, but living in the west, I felt that I need something stronger. I already have Leupold BX-5 in 10x42 and a pair of Steiner Predator in 10x50. I also didn't want to spend a couple of grand on the Swarovski binoculars. So I was shooting for something in the thousand dollar range also. I had bought a pair of the Maven's in their C-series 12x50 in the $4XX range. They seemed great. I went to the sportsman's expo. There was a company there selling glass right across from the Leica booth, so was able to try out both. I really liked the Leica Trinovid's. I was close to buying those. I also checked out the Maven booth. I had heard about Tract, but had never looked through any of them. They also had a booth. I was wondering around with a relative and he was considering getting new binoculars also. I told him we need to swing by the Tract booth and look at theirs.
First off, I have no association with Tract. When we spoke with the rep, we found out that he was one of the founders of the company. They run in the $6XX to $7XX range. My buddy talked like he was going to get one of those. They were offering 10% off for a show special. He told us that if we wanted to both get some he would give us 15% off. So we made the dive. I bought the 10x50s. They have Schott HD glass in them. These are probable my clearest and most comfortable binoculars to use. I work from home now in Utah and look out my window at rugged mountains about a mile from my house to see if I see any game. I loved my Leica 10x42s so I saved up money and bought some of those also. On a scale of 1-10, the Leica's, given all of the parameters is like a 9, but Tract are better. The Leupolds have great glass, but are uncomfortable, at least to my eyes. The optics closest to the eyes seems to be slightly off for my eyes. These went for around $1000 also. But they are not the ones I will be taking out when I really need good binoculars. The Leica's are great, but I think the Tract are more crisp.
I have also noticed that when I am scanning the areas, the Leupold's will frequently (I am not sure how to describe this), as you are looking down the barrel, the circle of the image kind of collapses in. This appears to cause fatigue on my eyes. Like I said, I think the glass is great, just not my eyes fitting the binoculars and being the the right place. The Leica 10x42s will do it once in a while, but not often. The tract, never. I never even pull up the Maven's now when I am scoping the area. I usually pull up the Leica's at first, but if I want to really try to tell what something is, I go to the Tracts.
I am probably going to sell the Steiners and the Leupolds, because I will never use them. I also have looked through the Meopta 10x50s from a few years ago. They were around a grand back then. Those things looked phenomenal. I have some Cabelas HD Euro 10x32, made by Meopta, that are pretty good and some older Leupold Wind River Katmai 8x32 that I like. When I am heading out and just want to have something just in case, I take the 8x32s.
That said look at the Tract. You can even text with Jon, through their website. He is one of the owners. You will have money left over from your $1000 also. Do a search on what people said about them and what they compared them to. You won't be sorry.
First off, I have no association with Tract. When we spoke with the rep, we found out that he was one of the founders of the company. They run in the $6XX to $7XX range. My buddy talked like he was going to get one of those. They were offering 10% off for a show special. He told us that if we wanted to both get some he would give us 15% off. So we made the dive. I bought the 10x50s. They have Schott HD glass in them. These are probable my clearest and most comfortable binoculars to use. I work from home now in Utah and look out my window at rugged mountains about a mile from my house to see if I see any game. I loved my Leica 10x42s so I saved up money and bought some of those also. On a scale of 1-10, the Leica's, given all of the parameters is like a 9, but Tract are better. The Leupolds have great glass, but are uncomfortable, at least to my eyes. The optics closest to the eyes seems to be slightly off for my eyes. These went for around $1000 also. But they are not the ones I will be taking out when I really need good binoculars. The Leica's are great, but I think the Tract are more crisp.
I have also noticed that when I am scanning the areas, the Leupold's will frequently (I am not sure how to describe this), as you are looking down the barrel, the circle of the image kind of collapses in. This appears to cause fatigue on my eyes. Like I said, I think the glass is great, just not my eyes fitting the binoculars and being the the right place. The Leica 10x42s will do it once in a while, but not often. The tract, never. I never even pull up the Maven's now when I am scoping the area. I usually pull up the Leica's at first, but if I want to really try to tell what something is, I go to the Tracts.
I am probably going to sell the Steiners and the Leupolds, because I will never use them. I also have looked through the Meopta 10x50s from a few years ago. They were around a grand back then. Those things looked phenomenal. I have some Cabelas HD Euro 10x32, made by Meopta, that are pretty good and some older Leupold Wind River Katmai 8x32 that I like. When I am heading out and just want to have something just in case, I take the 8x32s.
That said look at the Tract. You can even text with Jon, through their website. He is one of the owners. You will have money left over from your $1000 also. Do a search on what people said about them and what they compared them to. You won't be sorry.
I have that exact pair of optics. Edges are not crisp and compared to the NL pures (superbly unfair) they just don't allow me to keep my eyes in the glass. They aren't terrible by any stretch but at the end of the day like most will say, you get what you pay for. I'd look for a used pair of swaros (ELs) and save a few hundred more.
Cons: edges blurry. Eye strain and headaches.
Pros: price, compact
Cons: edges blurry. Eye strain and headaches.
Pros: price, compact
Peddler 76
Well-Known Member
Check out the Kowa Genesis.
which ones do you have?
Oh sorry that's confusing now that I re-read it. I was giving perspective on the leupold bx-4s 10x42
It looks like you are stuck buying from Sportsmans and paying full retail. I'd look at the Zeiss Conquest and Leica Trinovid. Take them outside a dussk and see which ones is clearer and brighter. I'd stay away fro Leupold or Vortex.
Aoudad shooter1975
Well-Known Member
Maven B1
I am not satisfied with my $600 Leupold. Id go with Leicas myself.
Leica Trinovid are ridiculously easy to look through for long glassing sessions. Clarity is exceptional. You don't see the tree line, you see INTO the tree line. Not one regret buying them. You will pass them on to your kids.
