Mojotex

My opinion is that 10X - 40 is plenty. Like I posted earlier, I have hunted open country a good deal. I found high quality 10X-40mm binos to be about optimum. For me performace was more about the crispness of the imagery and the performance in low light, rather than having high "X" for super long distance viewing. Spot and stalk style hunting, which is about useless here in the deep south due to the heavy cover, is great fun. I would say that I spent 10-15 times as many hours spotting as I did stalking ! And for sure I found out the hard way that excellent binoculars really helped me see the details out there in the 2000-3000 yard range. The $250 Nikon binos I took the first time did fine ... until I needed to see clearly at these longer distances. I had plenty of "X" but the clarity and contrast was just nor there. No doubt high end 15X would top high end 10X in the "details at a distance" category, but I think that it would be very difficult to hold them steady without a tripod mount (something else to carry), and if you are going to be doing a ton of walking like I had to, every once counts! Something like a typical 15X-50 would feel like a bag of Sackrete at the end of the day !

I took my spotting scope the first time. I never really needed it. If I had been spotting miles out there, for hours on end from one set-up, a spotting scope would have make sense.

Boltaction Dave

If possible , upgrade although it may not be a complete need that you have it . But if you can upgrade I'd say do that . You want the best you can get in the field anyway .

HatchieLuvr

A "decent scope" is all you need. But for ALOT of continued, hours each day of use, you'll get "your $$$$ worth" by getting the better stuff. My everyday/usual/ in the woods binocs here at home are 9x40 Bighorns (Steiner). But in 2004 I went on a mulie/lope hunt in Buffalo, WY. I had been wanting a high powered pair of nocs already for long range deerhunting & summer scouting, the hunt just gave me more excuse. I went with the 15x45 Conquest (Zeiss) and after a week of hours on end of use in WY, was I ever glad I had bought a good pair. The cheap stuff all works well at the sales counter, but hours & days on end of use out in the field will "tell the tale". No eye strain or headaches with the Zeiss! & 15 is not really that hard to hold still.