What binoculars and power are you all using for hunting and scouting in open country

[Bux240]

I may be old fashioned but I have used Steiner 10X50s from Alaska to South Africa with very good results. The zero to infinity focus is really useful (at least to me) when glassing for game (no fiddling with a focus ring while trying to stay on what I am looking at). Just my opinion.

 

[freddiej]

Depending on the place, I love my 12X50's from Leupold. open country I love my hunting partner's 15-45X 85MM spotting scope. we try to get them on sale or last year's model sales.

 

[Aaron Tangsrud]

What brand binoculars and power are you all using for hunting and scouting in open country for under a $1,000

I'm using the Leupold BX-5 Santiam HD 12x50s. I really like them but they do come in a bit over a thousand at $1200. They are very comfortable to look through and have superb low light performance.

 

[YZ-80]

I'm using these. I think it might be time to up my game a bit.....

 

[Lapuatom]

Swarovski 10x42 EL Ranging. Buy once ,cry once,live happily ever after.

 

[MallardAddict]

10x42 Leica hd-b's

 

[7fan1967]

+1

I primarily hunt in the mountains and you can spend hours picking apart long draws and steep hill sides. Quality binoculars and spotting scopes are vital . Pick the best glass and fit you can afford.

 

[Swiftkill]

8.5 swaro EL. I tried 8.5s and 10s for about a month, side by side. The 10s magnify more moisture in the air and shake more. Out to 2000 yards there was barely any difference in magnification value in identifying animals. But the vibration and magnified water made the 10s worse. Having a dead solid rest for the 10s help. I wanted binos i could use for everything, theater, birding, close in and far. The 8.5s give a wider FOV. I use them for prairie dog shooting and can easily spot the little doggies at over 1000 yards, mostly beyond shootable distance (on average).( I know some of you have shot PDs at 2000 yards!. Lol). Looking through 10s, on your elbows, for 10 hours, with mirage, is no fun. 8.5s are much better, imho. Also, lesser mag allows more light to enter for low light. However, i have 10s also, but less expensive. If you only have one choice, id go 8 or 8.5. Or 9 if you can find that. I have zeiss 7x42 BGATs which are awesome and i was never hindered by the 7s. I got the swaros 25 years after the zeiss. BTW, the zeiss are up for sale. I can only use so many at one time. Glass is like new. Immaculate. $1500.

I missed the $1000 part of your request. I have to say, Zeiss Conquests are soooo good. If you could look at them in Cabelas or Bass Pro, but don't buy there unless you want to waste your money paying their overhead. Truth be told Nikon Monarchs for I think less than $400 are so good you'd be hard pressed to see a difference. Also, I have an old pair of Pentax which are phenomenal. Pentax makes surprisingly good binoculars. Vortex seems to be hit or miss. Their cheap stuff is ....cheap. Their expensive stuff seems to be good. I have a mid line vortex scope which is decent. My friend has to sell their red dots and he says they don't hold up.
Too bad Alpen is out of business. I have a lot of their optics and even their $150 shasta ridge binoculars are amazing. I use them for work. They've been bouncing around in my car for 8 or more years, left in 150 degree car whenever it was that hot (for many months in So Cal) for all those years and those binos are perfect, aligned, crystal clear.

 

[tribb]

What brand binoculars and power are you all using for hunting and scouting in open country for under a $1,000

Bought a pair of Steiner military marine 10x50 20 plus years ago still the only ones I have. I like the individual eye focus set them once at the longer distance like 600 yds that your looking over and you are done focusing. Look further and you may want to focas again at that further distance. No constant moving a center focus knob!!

 

[Christensen 7mag]

Swarovski 10-42 and Swarovski 15x56. I've had Nikon, vortex and meopta. The Swarovski's are the best I've used.

 

[Swiftkill]

I have Swarovski and Zeiss, but are they EIGHT times as Good as $300 binoculars? NO. and, not everyone wants to spend that much. I got my Swaros wholesale so I couldn't pass it up. I don't own a US optics rifle scope or a Schmidt & Bender; I cannot justify that on many rifles. So, I get the best I can. Some moderately high end Leupolds and Zeiss Conquest, good Burris... thousand Dollar range on my most used guns Like someone else said, "you use your binoculars for 8 hours a day, your rifle scope for 1 or several shots (Unless Prairie dog or squirrel shooting).

 

[cantfixstupid]

Any idea if one can pick up Demo models that are a bit discounted - as with some other Binos ?

Maybe, but it will be a one off if you do find one discounted.

 

[mnoland30]

X4 on Steiners. They are porro prism (old school & less expensive) with the objective lenses further apart so they give better stereo vision. That makes a deer standing up on a slope stand out, and makes them easier to spot. I used the 10x50s for years, but got a deal on 12x40 Predator Steiners at Cabela's bargain barn. They have colored lenses to pick up brown and red better. It really helps for spotting elk and aoudad (not so much for deer). When an animal is just about to go into the brush, and you need to know if it has antlers, the instant focus feature pays for itself. They are also lighter than most other binos. When I started hunting, I had trouble holding 7x50s steady. 50 years later, and I can hold 12x40 steady, especially sitting with my elbows on my knees.

As a side note, I modified a pair of suspenders to hold my binos. It clips to my belt in the back (which helps hold up my pants) and goes over both shoulders to the binos. Best system I've found.

 

[longgunshooter]

15x58 Minox and a solid manfroto tripod. I can sit behind this setup for hours. MUCH longer than i ever could with a spotter.