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upgrade scope or binoculars?

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upgrade scope or binoculars?

Old 11-22-2015, 01:57 PM
  #11  
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Originally Posted by stalkingbear
Mudderchuck, if you would turn your scope down in power until the exit pupil is 5mm or larger it'll suddenly magically become bright. you have a 52mm objective lens so as long as you keep your scope turned under 10x it'll remain as bright as it's possibly going to get. See your eyeball pupil will open to about 5mm under low light so the exit pupil of the scope (the size of the image or field of view is over 5mm it's good to go. The exit pupil is measured at the eye relief of the scope from the back of the scope to the distance your eye is. To determine exit pupil you take objective lens in MMs and divide by the power or x of the scope. It changes with the power.
Thanks for the tip I'll give it a try.

Found this.


Last edited by MudderChuck; 11-22-2015 at 09:11 PM.
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Old 11-24-2015, 02:28 AM
  #12  
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Originally Posted by MudderChuck
I have a mid to high end scope (52 mm), but I have a better pair of binoculars (63 mm). The down side is hunting at low light, I can pick out Hogs with my binoculars, I really can't see well enough with my scope to reliably shoot.

If I had it to do again I would try for a better match. It irritates me to go form binoculars to scope, binoculars to scope, binoculars to scope and never get a good enough view in my scope to make the shot.

Nothing like blundering around in the dark looking for blood when there isn't any. I gave up on pushing the envelope, a clean miss is embarrassing. And wounded game is a downer.
Objective size is way over rated. Quality glass and coatings are far more important than objective size. Give me a quality 40 mm any day over a cheaper 50+ one. BTW, no way am I carrying 63mm binocs hunting.
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Old 11-24-2015, 04:07 AM
  #13  
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Originally Posted by Wayspr
Objective size is way over rated. Quality glass and coatings are far more important than objective size. Give me a quality 40 mm any day over a cheaper 50+ one. BTW, no way am I carrying 63mm binocs hunting.
Sorry had a brain fart, it is 56 mm and around $2000 a pop at todays prices. I didn't say it wasn't way good, I said my binoculars are just a little better and it is irritating to be able to see farther in the dark (or low light) with the binoculars than the scope.

I'll grant you my binoculars are way heavy. So is my rifle. that sucker is around 9 pounds loaded.

I'm sure they have made advances, but it is still good scope.

Have you ever looked through a high end scope, with a large objective, at night?

Thermal or light gathering scopes, as well as spot lights are forbidden here. A good scope with a large objective is the next best thing for Boar hunting at night.
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Old 11-24-2015, 12:12 PM
  #14  
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Originally Posted by MudderChuck

Have you ever looked through a high end scope, with a large objective, at night?
Sure have, upper tier Zeiss and Swaro, great stuff. Don't personally own any that pricey but have a safe full of $400-$800 stuff. That's the price point that I see the most bang for my buck.

Way to many folks get these ginormous telescope things and put it on their rifle thinking objective size is the most critical part of light transmission. Good glass and coatings trumps objective size EVERY time. If everything is equal then sure, objective size may help with brightness in low light. Many folks have a budget and opt for lesser quality glass for the bigger objective, wrong choice in my opinion.
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Old 12-03-2015, 06:02 PM
  #15  
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Take a look at the Vortex line of optics. They have several grades, they are consistently rated as equal to higher priced glass and have a lifetime warranty. In binoculars I prefer 8 x 42 to 10 x 42. This is my second season with my Razor HDs and I'm very pleased with their performance, clarity and low light capability. Shop around and you can find good deals at SWFA and Cameraland NY on demos etc.
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Old 12-04-2015, 07:35 AM
  #16  
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Budget also being an issue, I made the (imo) mistake of upgrading two of my scopes before my binos. Went with Vortex, one a Viper, one a Diamondback. Even the Diamondback makes me not want to look through my binos (Brunton) because of the difference in clarity. Considering, like the above post, you are using your binos at least ten times more than your scope, the decision for me should have been obvious. Live and learn. And save up again.

Last edited by hubby11; 12-05-2015 at 05:08 PM. Reason: clarity, spelling.
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Old 05-28-2016, 08:42 PM
  #17  
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Your opening statement here made you look bad. You should never leave your binos at home and replace them with your scope. So I vote upgrade your binos.
I have read and heard many accomplished hunters say they spend most of their hunting time looking through their binos. We all make the mustake of being lazy and looking through our scope instead of our binos though. Not sure what you can get in your price range but get the best you can. If there is a way better set on sale when you decide and they are 100 dollars more go for it. You will likely never rgret it.
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Old 05-29-2016, 12:01 PM
  #18  
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Originally Posted by wild bill g
Your opening statement here made you look bad. You should never leave your binos at home and replace them with your scope. So I vote upgrade your binos.
I have read and heard many accomplished hunters say they spend most of their hunting time looking through their binos. We all make the mustake of being lazy and looking through our scope instead of our binos though. Not sure what you can get in your price range but get the best you can. If there is a way better set on sale when you decide and they are 100 dollars more go for it. You will likely never rgret it.
I don't believe he made any statements about using his scope as binoculars the way he hunts. Anyone that does needs to be retaught hunter safety because it's a huge nono! My Dad, rest his soul, was hunting from a tower stand in south Texas one day and when looking through his binoculars noticed a guy in a blind on the adjacent lease using his scope for binoculars and had the rifle aimed at my Dad. He proceeded to go over and called that guy out telling him he had lived through WWII and if he ever caught the guy doing that again he wouldn't have a gun/scope left to use to do it again!

Last edited by Topgun 3006; 05-29-2016 at 12:06 PM. Reason: add on
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Old 05-30-2016, 07:04 AM
  #19  
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I am not trying to bash FF but he said he leaves his binos at home sometimes because of their problems. This would to me mean if he wanted a closer look at something he would need to use his scope. We have all done this for what ever reason I don't think he likes doing it but just needs better binos to cure the problem.
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Old 05-30-2016, 09:29 AM
  #20  
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Anybody who has ever had a loaded rifle aimed at them while the nimrod used his scope for binos don't care to even be in the same neck of the woods as them! I know for a fact I don't! Have had it happen several times, usually on public land. I always go over and give them a piece of my mind and have even been tempted to unload my rifle & remove the bolt and do the same in return to see how they like it, but never could bring myself to.
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