Can somebody give me a good word of advice. I am about to purchase either some binoculars or a spotting scope. Can someone give me the advantages or the disadvantages or each, and also give me some good ones to choose from I am trying to stay under $300. I am looking at the Nikon Monarch line of binoculars, and the leupold line of spotting scopes. Thanks for everyones help.

Binoculars are a necessity while a spotting scope is a nice to have.You glass with binoculars and then use a spotting scope to make out more detail.

S.J. has the right idea but I would say get the best set of binoculars you can afford and don’t worry about the spotting scope. Good binoculars are allot more useful then a spotting scope especially when hunting.

I would go for the binoculars. I also have the nikon monarch and have been very happy with them, think I paid around 300 for them. You use the binoculars to locate game, then you can use a spotting scope to judge trophy quality precisely. I just have binoculars.

I use my spotting scope (Leica) at the range - I take binoculars (also Lecia) hunting. I did carry the scope with me once hunting - once was enough to know I don't want to do it again.

Is there any other brands of binoculars that would fit in my price range. Also, does Nikon have a lifetime warranty or is it a 25 year warranty.

You can check www.cabelas.com or www.theopticzone.com just to get an idea of price range and it looks like Nikon has the 25 year warranty from what I’ve seen in the catalogue.

the pentax dcf line is in that price range, and they are some really great binos. i have never used the nikons myself, but have heard good things about them too.

i really liked the pentax.

Definitely binos. I have both and cannot imagine totin' around a spotting scope with a full sized tripod into the woods. Binoculars, on the other hand, can be utilized equally well while in a stand or in a car.

As for choices, under $300 I would definitely opt for either the Nikon Monarchs or Bushnell Legends. Both offer excellent optics for the price. I have seen several reputable optics critics rate them in the 8-8.5 range when considering the $1000+ optics as 10s.

Check out the following links for more info....

www.birdforum.net

http://www.consumersearch.com/www/sports_and_leisure/binoculars/reviews.html

http://dmoz.org/Recreation/Birding/Optics/

I agree that binos are far more useful for locating game and if you're only going to buy one, binos would be a smart buy. I have friends who have Nikon binos and spotting scopes and I've been very impressed with their optical quality. If possible when you buy your binos, go to a store that has several models so you can make sure you get the right power and size. It's hard to recommend a specific size bino without knowing what type of hunting you plan on doing.