I have been lucky enough to not to have to buy binoc's for a couple of years.I found a pair of Nikon's 8x42's about 5 years ago along the road when I stopped to get out a trail head.Good pair of glasses and light weight,they were already mounted on the Butler Creek Bino system(good find
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Then this year as I was walking up a trail here in the Little Belts I found a Elk gut pile,I stopped to see what they killed and right by the pile was a pair of Pentax 12x50's.These I find heavy and they stay on the dash of the truck to glass for yote's or whitie's in the stubble feilds.
If I were to buy a good pair of binoc's the Nikkon's,luepie's or burris are good glasses.As for magnification I would stay with 8x40's or 10x40's after that they get heavy and cumbersome.
BBJ