sddan

I am going to be purchasing a new pair of high end binos. Either Swaro's our Cabelas Euro's. What power would you consider? The Cabelas only com in 10 or 12 power. The Swaro's I can get in 8 or 8.5 and up.

Thanks

jd3006

I like the 8's. All the power I need unless one is hunting vast prairies and such and then a 10x would be better. 12's IMO are too much, all unsteady movements would be magnified and noticed.

bigcountry

Lots of studies have been done onthis, and 7-8 power is optimal for the human eye. If you get larger objective lenses like 40 or over, you can resolve movment at 1000 yards. Saying all that I have a 8X and 10X and like them both.

Go out with cheap glass, after glassing hundreds of yards for 3 hours and you can wind up with a bad headache. I like the higher end Leica's and stieners too. The older gold ring leup's are great too. I really want a set of EL's. But my budget can't go over 800 as rough as I am on things.

savage3006

It is hard to stabilize the image if you have more than 8x power. It is ok if you are glassing for few minutes at a time but if you are going to spend hours behind the binoc I would recommend 8x.

Moose_Maximus

I have a pair of Swift Audubon 8.5x44s that work really well. I had bought a cheap pair of 12x50s, and I couldn't hold them still enough to see much at all. In-between, I have a pair of Nikon 10x50s that I use for backyard birdwatching, and they're great for viewing up to 80 yards or so (just too heavy to carry in the field).

So to answer your question, a good pair with about 8x magnification should be about right.

bucksnortinted

the 8's or 8.5 would be an excellent choice,I have a pair of 10x42 nikons monarchs and like them very well but the 8 power would be brighter,my next pair will be 8.5 x 56 the 8.5 will be clearer than the ten and the 56mm objective will let in more light at dawn and at dusk than the 42mm will.

CalHunter

It somewhat depends on what type of hunting you plan on using these binos for. If you're using them to spot movement and a spotting scope to make out details at longer ranges, you're much better off using something around 8 or 8.5X. Obviously smaller and lighter binos are easier to carry if you're hiking. If you're going to stick the binos on a tripod and use them all day looking at long distance, you'd want somewith a higher power.

ericstokes250

I would recommend eight to ten, but really it kind of depends on what kind of hunting you will be doing. As far as brands i would look at some other brands before you buy try maybe Leica, Zeiss, Vortex, and Minox. These other brands are high quality and are a bit less expensive.

Jayhawk_Vortex

Take a look at the Vortex Razors. They come in 5 sizes. 8x42, 10x42, 8.5x50, 10x50, 12x50.

You can compare these to the top 3, but you will not find a difference that is worth $1000 or more. Buy these and still have enough to buy a new bow or a gun and not miss a beat.

Ron

arch

i agree .....
i also have to confirm with the other responses that the 8x42 are most likely your best option.