Recommendations for Binoculars for Hunting

Mik123

Mik123

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Hi Guys,

I'm looking to buy binoculars for hunting and the occasional trip to the range. I'm located in the lower mainland (BC) and will probably be sticking to the lower portion of the province. My budget is about $800. I'm looking to get the best bang for my buck and I would be willing to up my budget slightly if it means getting a much better glass. Any advice is appreciated.

Cheers,

Mik
 
Best binoculars in the $1000 range I've had are Swarovski SLC 8x30. They're about perfect unless you do a lot of very low light hunting.
Also have a look at Meopta, or the rebranded Cabelas Euro which are the same, they get great reviews.

I wouldn't go higher than 10x for magnification or bigger than 42mm objective for all around use. For good reviews, check the birdwatcher websites, they're far more critical and knowledgable than most hunters about binoculars
 
I had an opportunity to attend an optics expo at Pelee Wings store a few years ago. Most of the top optics manufacturers had reps. there with tables set up outside to try out the optics. Was there for several hours trying binos and spotting scopes.
Best to try them out for yourself with your own eyes. Clearest and brightest binos to me were top of the line Swarovski, then Leica. What I ended up buying were the Meopta 8x42 B1 Meostar. For my eyes they were very close to the Leica but around the price range you have in mind.
Meopta has lifetime warranty in Canada I believe.
I was also very impressed with the Meopta spotting scope but thought the Kowa scope the best of the bunch.
 
Those are all great optics, but way out of my needs (maybe not my desires though). I like a pair of compact binocolars, or even a monocular, that I can tuck into my jacket pocket. Eight power is fine, unless I have a support I find 10x a little shaky. I use them to sweep the area, and treeline on the other side of a slash. I have damaged a couple of pairs but at around 100$, I don't feel the "oh s★★t" regret. Brand at this price point doesn't seem to matter, If you like ehat you see through them, buy them.
 
bumperfood said:
Those are all great optics, but way out of my needs (maybe not my desires though). I like a pair of compact binocolars, or even a monocular, that I can tuck into my jacket pocket. Eight power is fine, unless I have a support I find 10x a little shaky. I use them to sweep the area, and treeline on the other side of a slash. I have damaged a couple of pairs but at around 100$, I don't feel the "oh s★★t" regret. Brand at this price point doesn't seem to matter, If you like ehat you see through them, buy them.
Click to expand...

Fortunately, this isn't your thread...the folks here are making suggestions and recommendations as per the guidelines requested by the OP- to the OP. ;)
 
I bought a pair of Swarovski 10 x42 slc. Love them. They were expensive ..... Yes but every time I put them to my eyes all I get is crystal clear viewing.
 
I bought a set of the Leupold BX-2 Cascades 10x42, Love Em!

Great glass IMO, nice and compact, under $400
 
Thanks for all the advice guys. The Zeiss Conquest HS binocularss look promising and I've read a ton of good reviews. I found opened box 10x42 HD Conquests selling for $800 on Cameraland. I'll give myself a day to think it over and see if any other suggestions come uphanks.Otherwise it looks like I'll be buying them.


Thanks,

Mik
 
I bought some 8x43 Minox HG that were "open box" from CameraLandNY. Great savings - like 50%. Check their Demo section before making a decision.
 
Mik123 said:
Thanks for all the advice guys. The Zeiss Conquest HS binocularss look promising and I've read a ton of good reviews. I found opened box 10x42 HD Conquests selling for $800 on Cameraland. I'll give myself a day to think it over and see if any other suggestions come uphanks.Otherwise it looks like I'll be buying them.


Thanks,

A lot of game moves in low light so you need quality glass and a binocular which offers a large exit pupil. If you are young a 8mm exit pupil is probably ideal. This decreases with age. Personally I have swarovski 8x56 SLC and I would never sell them. An 8x56 gives you a 7mm exit pupil( 56 divided by 8). However a large exit pupil does not make up for poor glass or poor design..A 8x30 is almost useless for low light no matter who makes it... You get the idea
Click to expand...
 
I bought some Minox's from Cameraland that were demo's or open box and they were mint, bright and clear, somewhat heavy and only cost $140 shipped to Canada. I sold them to a buddy and stuck with a pair of Cellestron's(lifetime warranty) that I got from Costco. The Cellestrons were just as nice as the Minox's to my eye and noticably lighter weight due to plastic instead of metal body construction.
Both binoculars allow me to "see in the dark".

For $800 you will get some great glass but likely not 5X's as good as the $150 Minox's
Vortex HD models seem to get good reviews as well and their VIP warranty is nice.
 
The other day I spent a morning in the woods in pouring rain, toting my rifle and binos (Meopta Meopro 8x42.) Nice binos, but as the rain was beating on them, I thought that Bushnell Elite or Legend Ultra with their Rainguard coating might have been functional here on the coast.... As to your intended use, I like the 8x power for hunting, but I'd need more magnification at the range.

Just food for thought.
 
My personal opinion for good hunting binos is this;

- waterproof, rainguard is a big +
- field of view no less than 8deg.
- exit pupil no smaller than 5mm no matter of brand name
- power no more than 8x for best offhand handling
- porro prism preferable for best bang for the buck.

Beive it or not PO those beauties are out there but lots of research needs to be made.
 
Buy European and whatever you do look through them. Lenses in the eyes are all shaped different, as a result glass that is crystal clear to some may not be to you. When looking through them try and look at a distant tree and observe the bark see if you can perceive depth in the bark or the tree. If you can those are the ones for you. Euro glass will give you much better depth perception than Japanese glass and meopta are among the best least expensive euro glass there is. I sold my swaro el 10-42 and replaced them with meopta 10-42 hd as they are clearer to me and less fatiguing to my eyes. If you wear glasses Leica and Zeiss will likely be clear, don't be scared to buy used. Your money goes farther.
 
I'm very new to hunting and needed binoculars too, didn't know what to buy as I always prefer anything I buy to be European or Japanese made products, rather than US or 3rd world countries... On the EE Forum a pair of SIII 8x42 RM Sightron glasses came up for sale... Quickly I checked OpticsPlanet for reviews and price and these glasses went for around $600-$700 US... He was selling for just over $200 CAD.... Willing to gamble with a poorly researched purchase, I quickly bought them.... These glasses are absolutely remarkable... I've never looked thru a pair of glasses where I could actually enjoy the image they provided, until I got these...

Two weeks later on EE there was another pair offered by the same fellow, but 10x42's (same model)... I bought those too.. Love them both.. Excellent binoculars...

Don't really know why he had 2 pair???... (he was blowing out much of his acquired hunting gear at the time for some personal reasons)... Don't really know why I now have 2 pair either??? Not sorry i purchased them, none the less... Sightron binoculars are made in Japan, not US and not 3rd world countries..... Maybe not European, but EXCELLENT value for one's money IMHO.... TJ...
 
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