Your hunting binoculars??

[Antonio Gonzalez]

Vortex Optics Viper 10x42

 

[Adikted]

I picked up a lightweight spotting scope (Kowa 15-45 x 50mm Prominar) and have been taking it on hikes. It may be light enough that I actually take it hunting with me instead of leaving it home like my heavy spotting scopes.

I saw that spotter but the price looked too good to be true, you should post a review once you've got a season on it

 

[hnt4elk]

I've ran an older pair of Swaro 8x30WB SLC for years. This year I tried out a pair of Tract Toric 10x42. Couldn't be happier with them! Great binos at a great price!!! I leave the Swaro's in the truck now for backup in case I somehow forget the Tracts or else my wife uses them.

I bit on the Sig Kilo 2000 rangefinder when it first came out. Bought it sight unseen & it's fantastic. Most of my local hunting buddies have since gone the same route or better/newer model.

For a spotter I'm lucky enough to have a great hunting partner that lugs around a Swaro 95 (We call it the Hubbel) in his pack. Crazy heavy to pack into the backcountry for our 5 day trips but man it sure is great once we're up there.

 

[wjarrell]

Last year Cabelas had the Leupold BX-3 Guide Pro HD on sale when the BX-4 came out. I picked up a set of 10x50 for $400 and I think they are great glass for hunting. Swaro and Zeiss are good but for the price of the Leupolds I don't think you can beat them.

 

[Timeout]

Last year Cabelas had the Leupold BX-3 Guide Pro HD on sale when the BX-4 came out. I picked up a set of 10x50 for $400 and I think they are great glass for hunting. Swaro and Zeiss are good but for the price of the Leupolds I don't think you can beat them.

A friend of mine has the Leica 10X42's (or 10X40's?) They are the best I had ever looked through. This past fall he and his son were hunting in Colorado. His son has Leupold BX-3's. They glassed for hours and traded back and forth. Neither could say that one or the other had a definite edge on glass. They did feel the Leupolds were more comfortable to hold while glassing for extended periods of time. I looked through some binocs 10X40 size in Cabela's. This is by no means the ultimate test, but I am quite impressed with the Leupold BX-4. Meopta had a very slight edge in color quality looking at a mounted turkey gobbler

 

[6.5x47hunter]

Swaro 8x30 CL's

 

[dmj]

Zeiss classic 10x40. Had them for years. Won't say there aren't better ones out there, but these have served me well.

 

[sp6x6]

El 10x32 had them for years,also had 42 much prefer the the 32,also had ziess 10x40 wish id kept for son

 

[PBramble]

Heck, I bought a pair of the 20 dollar 10-20x50 binoculars for hunting. If they get knocked around in the truck I don't worry about them. I use them to spot and then get my spotting scope out. They are far from quality glass, but seem to do the job I intended them for. I do plan on buying a pair of quality glasses for general hunting as I usually see more in the woods than roaming the flats.

 

[billigoat]

I carry the Nikon 8X30s, Vortex Kiabab 15X56 and a Kowa 25-60X88, Yes all that at the same time. The Nikons and the Kowa are great the Vortex Kiababs are not so clear around the edges. I'm looking for a pair of 12s to replace the other two binos.

 

[257Tony]

Swaro 8.5x42 EL swarovision, also have 15x56 SLC HD for when I'm not too far from the truck. I absolutely adore my EL's, the best glass I own.

 

[GSP814]

I carry a pair of Leupold Pinnacles 10x40 or 42, I like them a lot. I have a NIB pair of 10x50 Steiner NightHunters that have never left the house. They have good glass but are big. Last year on my Colorado elk hunt all the guides were using 15x56 binos of different flavors (Zeiss, Swaro and Steiner), they said it really helped with judging antlers. I asked about holding them steady and they let me try them out and I could hold them steady freehand. I'm looking at a pair of Zeiss Conquest HD or Leupold Santium in 15 power. I've heard good things about Vortex but I was disappointed in the clarity of a Crossfire scope I had (I know it was their lower end). Any thoughts on 15x freehand? Thanks.

 

[Plinker147]

I use 15x56 swaros as my everyday binos. I hunt more open glassable country so it works for me. You can use them freehand when you just spotting easy stuff like elk. For deer coues, mule deer tuff freehand. My tripod is always with me. 15s are best with a tripod

 

[Pdvdh]

Swaro 8x30 SLC or Swaro 8x20 Pocket binoculars, depending on the hunting terrain, whether or not a spotting scope is being carried, the distances I can see, and how tiring the backpacking hunt will be.
In the mountains, I mostly carry the 8x20s. Beyond that we'll zoom in with the 18x Swaro Z5 or 24x Sightron SIII rifle scopes.