Binoculars for elk hunting?
 

I need to buy a good pair of binoculars for an elk hunt. I would like to spend under $350. Are there any recommendations? I buy almost everything from Cabelas and am looking over all of the selections in there "special limited edition" hard bound catalog. I like the Leupold-Cascade, Katmai and Olympic, the Steiner Predator, Zeiss-Compact and Diafun, Burris-Signature or Cabelas models. Anyone use these? Thanks!

RE: Binoculars for elk hunting?
 

You might look into sierra trading post. I think their website is www.sierratradingpost.com They have some very good deals from time to time--not always a big selection, but usually a good deal if you can find what your lookin for--I bought a great pair of steiners on there couple of years ago.

hb

RE: Binoculars for elk hunting?
 

I did alot of searching a couple of years ago and ended up with the leupold windrivers in the 10x60. I liked them so much that I purchased the spotting scope last year. I beleive that it was a wise investment. The windrivers are very clear and let in alot of light, I use them for glassing during the late buck hunts here in Idaho and the clarity is outstanding. They sell for around 200.00 which is well within the price range that you suggested. They are rubber coated and waterproof. I have been snowed on and rained on with them and they never fogged up. Go check a pair out. I don't think that you will be disapointed.

RE: Binoculars for elk hunting?
 

Any of the ones listed above would be excelent binos. My pic would be the Burris signature semi compact in 8X32.

Unless you are useing a tripod you do not need anything over 8X in a set of binoculars. When you get into the 10 and 12 powers things start becoming very unstable when useing only your hands to steady them. Then add in things like your pounding heart, and the wind and it becomes very hard to actually see what you want to look at. If you need more magnification than 8X you should get a spotting scope.

I also do not like the added weight of the 50mm and 60mm objective lenses. They are just too dang heavy and bulky to be lugging around your neck chasing after elk in the mountains.

Watch the ounces and the pounds take care of themselves.

They are also the only ones made 100% in the USA if that is of any concern to you.


This is not to say that EC8 made a bad choice in binos.;) I'm just telling you what I prefer to haul around in the mountains.

RE: Binoculars for elk hunting?
 

Couldn't disagree with bigbulls any more. I have a pair of 16x50 and love them, and they are cheap ones. Had a pair od B&L 10x40 that went out this year after less then two years service. They were fog proof and always fogged up, water proof and had water on the inside, and the clarity went to heck this year. I purchased a pair of Bushnell 16x50 hoping they would get me through this rifle season, and they did. Now I am looking to get even better 16x binos. I put the harness system on them and the weight is marginal. I get up high early and glass very large bowls, they are perfect for that. With the 16x I could see things that I couldn't see before. I was able to pick out elk I simply would not have seen with my 10x. I never used a tripod nor did I ever need to. Shaking and movement were never an issue. On a couple of occassions I was able to clearly see bulls and there size before tracking out after them. During bow season, I switch to a pair of 12x compacts as binos are not nearly as important to me then.

RE: Binoculars for elk hunting?
 

Go to www.hotbuysbinoculars.com for really good prices, and check out the Pentax 8x43 DCF SP. They are a little over your budget, but they are an execelent binocular.

I have a set of Pentax 8x42 DCF WP binocular I used once for an elk hunt this year I will sell them to you for $300.00 + shipping (they are in perfect shape).

Good luck.

RE: Binoculars for elk hunting?
 

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:D)
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

RE: Binoculars for elk hunting?
 

I would go with the 8x for the reasons BigBull stated. A bino strap is useful for it keeps your glass at the ready.

RE: Binoculars for elk hunting?
 

Rumor has it that the Brunton Epoch binoculars are the best darned glass out there in that price range. Clairity wise they compare with some high end euro glass, but they are not waterproof, but that should not be an issue out West too much. I can't speak from personnal experience about them, just what I have heard from some field type biologist and ornithologists I know. Birders are pretty picky about their glass. There is a head to head version somewhere on the net and I know the Brunton did extremely well, and was considered a huge bargain for the quality.

RE: Binoculars for elk hunting?
 

Not sure where you live, but I would go to the nearest Sporting goods store and look through some of the Bino's you are considering... That should make your decision a little easier. I'm a firm believer, that you get what you pay for, when it comes to glass.... Magnum has a point though, if the Birder's are using Brunton's, there may be something to that.... Those people are freaks when it comes to glass....Never looked through them so I can't comment... So, I'll just stick with my Victory's and EL's for now..... I don't think you could go wrong with the Leupies or the Steiners though, I've heard good things about both. I have a pair of Pentax 10x40's that I lend to friends, pretty good clarity, and in the price range... Good Luck on your hunt for Elk and Binos...