Depends on the terrain you're going to be hunting in and whether you're going to be using a 4X4, quadrunner, horses or backpacking/hiking a lot. If you're hiking a lot, lighter weight binos are nice and easier to hold steady. If you're on a vehicle or horse a lot, heavier binos with more magnification are easier to carry and can easily be held steady against the vehicle. For some of the more brushy type areas (like western Oregon), you might get by fine with an 8X bino. Some of the more open types of elk hunting areas (eastern Oregon, Montana, etc.), you might want a 10X or even wish you had something with more magnification. If you're going to be hunting with a guide, family, friends or somebody else who has already hunted the area, ask them what they use and why.

One of the best guides I ever met was in Utah and he used a pair of Nikon "Action Zoom" 10-22X50 binos. I thought he was a little crazy until I had to borrow his binos to see if a buck had antlers at about a 1,000 yards. My 7X Swarovski's couldn't make out the rack. Even my 9X scope wasn't cutting it. I couldn't figure out how he had vision like an eagle and could tell me it was a buck and how big of a rack until he let me borrow his binos and told me to crank up the power. I asked him how well he liked those binos against some of the pricier ones with better quality. He told me he could see bucks and bulls just fine with those $150 Nikon's and usually managed to guide his hunters into some big trophy elk using the same binos. I couldn't argue with his success and will probably buy a pair someday just to try 'em out.

If you're looking for a bino line that isn't top of the line and extremely expensive, look at some of the Nikon fixed power binos. They give great value for the money and are not too expensive. I've also heard good things about some of Cabelas binos but haven't used them. Then again, if money is no object, I love my Swarovski's and you won't have any complaint about clarity or quality. Hope this helps some.