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Hunting binoculars

Old 09-25-2017, 03:04 PM
  #1  
Spike
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Default Hunting binoculars

I was looking into buying my first quality binocular for a possible hunting trips and became overwhelmed with how many different brands,models, magnification there are. I purchased a pair of Vortex Intrepid HD. in 10X42. Hope it's this a good move. How do you know what is the best overall magnification and lens size for a universal pair. Why are the variable magnification cost so much less that would allow you to adjust the zoom vs a fixed 10X?
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Old 11-27-2017, 07:32 AM
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I have one from ATN, but they are old, I also want something new!
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Old 01-09-2018, 07:36 AM
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Not sure why variable power are cheaper but would guess because they are usually made by fly by night companies. Sounds like you made a good choice and 10x42 is a nice all round bino. There are better binos but they cost much much more but should give a person longer veiwing time and be sharper in image quality. Your binos should be one of your most used hunting accesories. Let us know what yiu think of these binos and congrats on your purchese.
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Old 01-09-2018, 12:14 PM
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Late to the party but...
For the OP, those are good questions. Vortex makes good binoculars that will last you a lifetime. Good choice.

There are many brands, models and magnifications in binoculars and all of them serve a purpose. If a guy only has $50 to spend on binos, he can find something at a local sporting goods store that will suffice. Your choice is a few levels up from that and will work even better.

I don't know that there is such a thing as a "universal pair" of binoculars but a quality bino in either 8x42 or 10x42 would come awful close. You will find that the terrain and type of hunting you do tends to influence what power works best for you. If you're hunting in brush or other close range terrain, an 8x or even 7x might work best since they have a wider field of view. If you get into longer distances, you might want the extra power of a 10x bino to clarify things. I've only purchased a single pair of variable magnification binos (Nikon 10-22x50 for about $150) which I used on a deer hunting trip in Utah. They were handy for glassing a couple of ridges away but the quality was much lower than my Swarovski 7x30's and they were bulkier and heavier.

Hopefully this gives you a general sort of answer to your questions. For a more specific answer, you would have to decide what you're hunting in what kind of terrain and what works best for your eyes.
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Old 01-16-2018, 05:20 PM
  #5  
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Have you considered renting binoculars? That’s how I got started. Always bought the standard Bushnells until I rented a pair of Swarovski for a big sheep hunt. That sold me. I made the investment and have been thankful since.
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Old 07-19-2019, 01:26 AM
  #6  
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I can highly recommend this article called The 10 Best Binoculars of 2019. I've checked the Celestron Granite our extensively and the reviews/specs are excellent for the product. Especially when it comes to bird watching, they've said in the article that this particular binocular is ideal for activities such as bird watching... I hope I helped a little bit!
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Old 07-23-2019, 08:38 PM
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Nikon 10x42 Monarchs. I don't remember what I paid for them, but it's waterproof and just as good as a lot of much higher priced types.
Have pretty much been a fan of Leupold and sometimes Ziess for scopes, but Nikon makes pretty awesome binos for the price.
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Old 07-27-2019, 11:20 AM
  #8  
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Choosing the right Binos is a tough one. A few tips are to check the lens coating on your Binos, Some work better in daylight some work better in low light.
I have a pair of Pentax I got as a gift, colors are crisp, image is sharp, good for bird watching. Not so good in low light, the lens coating is kind of a UV blue.
My Docter Binos have a reddish amber lens coating and I see farther with them in low light than I do with my Kahles 4X12X 56 scope with a very similar coating. Which I've found to be kind of a pain. I see Hogs with my Binos I can't make out with my scope. If hunting in low light it is better to match the abilities of your Binos and your scope IMO.

Last edited by MudderChuck; 07-27-2019 at 11:23 AM.
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Old 08-21-2019, 06:58 AM
  #9  
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Vortex Intrepid HD is a good one as hunting binocular but I love my Bushnell Powerview 8x25 binocular. It's a compact binocular for hunting. I've been using it since last 2 years and still, it works excellent.
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Old 09-10-2019, 07:06 AM
  #10  
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I have a pair of Weaver 8x42 binoculars that I bought about 12 years ago, I like these real well and I use them a lot when I am hunting woodchucks and crows. I feel 8x is better for holding and glassing than the 10x. I also have a pair of 8x30 wide angle Tasco binoculars that I bought in '79 that I really like for when I am deer hunting.
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