10x and 15x. Both worth it?

coyyota

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Southwest Montana archery elk.

Last year ran Vortex Razor 10s and Razor 65 Spotter. I don’t spend a ton of time behind a spotter so I ended up coming off the glass too much. Ended up w the 10s on the tripod more often.

I’m wondering if 10s on chest and packing 15s (looking at swaro or zeiss) for the tripod is a reasonable idea? Not sure I’d be comfortable w 15s on chest and hand holding them.

Fire away.
 
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gr8fuldoug

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Hand holding 15x's is never a quality idea. Tripod mounting is the way to go with every optic, however, with anything above 10x it really is a must
 

Beendare

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I would agree with Doug^

FWIW,
One year I had the not so bright idea to bring my 15x bino as my sole bino on a DIY drop camp Kodiak Deer hunt. We are somewhat limited to weight on those trips and I was thinking since its a lot of long range glassing it made sense to bring the 15x over my 8's or 10's- WRONG.

Sure the 15's are great on a tripod, but moving and glassing- handheld- was worse by a wide margin over just using my 10's. A bit of a PITA really.

...
 

WRO

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I run 12x50 EL's, still hand holdable, awesome on a tripod. I honestly feel like I gave up nothing on moving away from the 15's I ran before..
 
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I think he maybe asking is it worth carrying 10’s and 15’s and taking out the spotter?? Maybe... but if so that’s all I do run. I hate a spotting scope always have, and yet to really draw a tag needed a spotter to judge the size that carefully but in my experience 10’s on the chest and 15’s on the tripod have been extremely successful for me and all I needed. If wanted a better look that bad I’d just move closer


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OP
C

coyyota

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Thank you guys for the responses, much appreciated.

Yea huntstrong is right, was asking if it’s worth carrying the 10s for hand and 15s for tripod.

I’m a long way from counting inches just trying to find a legal bull. Trying to find a set up that gives functional glass for the terrain without lugging around dead pack weight.
 

Bowhuntone

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If you don't currently have 15's you may want to check these out.
15's are plenty off a tripod to to make a decision if a bull is legal may not be enough if you are looking to distinguish between 340" and 360" at distance.
 

Blue72

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It depends what and how far your glassing

I find 15/16x are good to almost 2 miles for deer, less for smaller animals like coyote in bright day light and no mirages

10x is good to around one mile. Give or take a couple hundred yards

I find 12x is to close to 10x...might as well have the more stable wider view of 10x

But I can see were 12x could be handy

It’s best to buy various binoculars with a good return policy and try them for your self
 

Jimss

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The name of the game for elk is often covering lots of country with either glass and/or legs to find elk. I can't really figure out the benefit to 15x binos for elk hunting? I always have binos around my neck plus spotter on a tripod. This combo works fantastic for spot and stalk hunting. It's impossible to field judge bucks, bulls, rams, and billies at long range without a spotter! It saves me miles of hiking trying to get close enough to field judge with binos. I can also spot an ear, antler tine, rump, etc in brush, trees, etc with a spotter that is impossible to see with 15x binos! I've amazed myself at the game I can spot across canyons with a spotter that I missed with binos. I would feel super handicapped without a spotter unless I was hunting thick trees/brush country. I find it super nice having binos in hand while still hunting....and for glassing large areas quickly..... plus a spotter on a tripod for looking for hidden game in detail/field judging game.

The other senerio is still hunting elk in thick trees/brush. You will likely be screwed trying to hand hold and slowly/silently try to hunt through brush, trees with 15x binos. 8 or 10x may be all you need if hunting thick brush....a lot quicker and easier to spot game with a larger field of view. I often glass every few steps while covering lots of country in the thick stuff. It certainly is nice having binos that you can handhold around your neck. If you add wind plus a backpack on your back how will you hold 15x binos steady as you stand and glass as you are hiking?
 

Blue72

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The name of the game for elk is often covering lots of country with either glass and/or legs to find elk. I can't really figure out the benefit to 15x binos for elk hunting? I always have binos around my neck plus spotter on a tripod. This combo works fantastic for spot and stalk hunting. It's impossible to field judge bucks, bulls, rams, and billies at long range without a spotter! It saves me miles of hiking trying to get close enough to field judge with binos. I can also spot an ear, antler tine, rump, etc in brush, trees, etc with a spotter that is impossible to see with 15x binos! I've amazed myself at the game I can spot across canyons with a spotter that I missed with binos. I would feel super handicapped without a spotter unless I was hunting thick trees/brush country. I find it super nice having binos in hand while still hunting....and for glassing large areas quickly..... plus a spotter on a tripod for looking for hidden game in detail/field judging game.

The other senerio is still hunting elk in thick trees/brush. You will likely be screwed trying to hand hold and slowly/silently try to hunt through brush, trees with 15x binos. 8 or 10x may be all you need if hunting thick brush....a lot quicker and easier to spot game with a larger field of view. I often glass every few steps while covering lots of country in the thick stuff. It certainly is nice having binos that you can handhold around your neck. If you add wind plus a backpack on your back how will you hold 15x binos steady as you stand and glass as you are hiking?


I used to say the same thing .. but the more I glassed, the more I realized one eye viewing is not relaxing. Even if your used to it. You don’t realize how tense you are until you start using two eyes with binoculars back to back with a scope. You can easily glass much longer with binoculars

Also, in many situations, a mirage would limit your magnification to 20-30x. sometimes even lower. The image scale of 15x binoculars to 20x scope is not that much different. But what is different is a much brighter image, much larger field of view, and the ease of two eyed viewing

many of us are also not judging game, we are just looking for game.
 

Jimss

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I can understand less eye tension using 15x binos vs spotting scope if all I did was glass through my spotter. I constantly switch from my binos to spotter and never had eye problems. I bet I can spot more hidden game in brush from 1/2+ mile away with spotting scope than someone with a 15x binos! It's worth it to me to have the additional power to spot and field judge game! I can understand 15x binos for cows deer in Arizona where all the country is similar.....but I am venturing a guess it would be impossible to trophy judge coues without a spotting scope at long distances after they are spotted? I'm certain the best coues guides have both 15x binos plus spotting scopes to judge bucks for their clients?

When I draw limited high demand tags it's a definite advantage to be able to determine elk pts and tine length from long range. It saves miles of hiking! The same thing is true trying to determine if antelope bucks have 7 vs 6 1/2" bases and 5 vs 6" prongs....if a sheep has 32 vs 34" long horns, if a mt goat has 8 4/8 vs 9" horns....if a muley has an inside spread of 21 vs 24".....if a whitetail has 4 vs 6" brows....the list goes on! It's nearly impossible to do this with binos unless at point-blank range! As I mentioned in my post above I won't leave my truck without my spotting scope plus binos!

Even if I was a meat hunter I'd rather carry and hunt with 10x binos around my neck. It would certainly be a lot easier to spot game while hiking....rather than having to have binos attached to a tripod.
 
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15s are awesome for glassing but don’t replace a spotter for judging animals you have already found. Similarly a spotter does not replace 12s/15s on a tripod for really picking country apart for hours on end with both eyes. I used to pack 10s 15s and a 65mm spotter but switched to 12x50 EL and spotter. I’ve been happy with it so far. I’d take alpha 10s or 12s over a mid tier (kaibab and below) 15x. If you can afford top tier of all 3 I think you’d be happy with that combo.
 

Blue72

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I can understand less eye tension using 15x binos vs spotting scope if all I did was glass through my spotter. I constantly switch from my binos to spotter and never had eye problems. I bet I can spot more hidden game in brush from 1/2+ mile away with spotting scope than someone with a 15x binos! It's worth it to me to have the additional power to spot and field judge game! I can understand 15x binos for cows deer in Arizona where all the country is similar.....but I am venturing a guess it would be impossible to trophy judge coues without a spotting scope at long distances after they are spotted? I'm certain the best coues guides have both 15x binos plus spotting scopes to judge bucks for their clients?

When I draw limited high demand tags it's a definite advantage to be able to determine elk pts and tine length from long range. It saves miles of hiking! The same thing is true trying to determine if antelope bucks have 7 vs 6 1/2" bases and 5 vs 6" prongs....if a sheep has 32 vs 34" long horns, if a mt goat has 8 4/8 vs 9" horns....if a muley has an inside spread of 21 vs 24".....if a whitetail has 4 vs 6" brows....the list goes on! It's nearly impossible to do this with binos unless at point-blank range! As I mentioned in my post above I won't leave my truck without my spotting scope plus binos!

Even if I was a meat hunter I'd rather carry and hunt with 10x binos around my neck. It would certainly be a lot easier to spot game while hiking....rather than having to have binos attached to a tripod.


A half a mile away is we’re 15x really shine over a spotter

Matter of fact if you go to any long range precision rifle shooting competition where they typically shoot at .5 miles away. Most shooters and range officers are moving away from spotters to 15x binoculars

Why look through a dim dark straw when there is a more pleasant view at that distance.


A 15x binocular at a half mile will bring a deer in to within 50 yards. A 30x scope if mirage permits will bring that deer in to 30 yards with a darker image. Image scale is not that dramatic to my eyes
 
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I’m in the same boat, looking to replace my spotter with a pair of 15s or 18s for deer season this year. Primary binos are 9x45 Mavens.

Do not buy the 18’s from Vortex, they’re too much and I don’t mean in clarity or edge to edge quality but the field of view also makes them way more difficult to use especially across canyon glassing. My buddy bought those and we used them side by side with my SLC’s and it’s just hard to pick up animals in them. Just my opinion on them and my eyes but if going cheaper than Swaro I’d look into the maven or Athlon 15’s but avoid those 18’s


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Do not buy the 18’s from Vortex, they’re too much and I don’t mean in clarity or edge to edge quality but the field of view also makes them way more difficult to use especially across canyon glassing. My buddy bought those and we used them side by side with my SLC’s and it’s just hard to pick up animals in them. Just my opinion on them and my eyes but if going cheaper than Swaro I’d look into the maven or Athlon 15’s but avoid those 18’s


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Looking at maven and Zeiss.
 
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A half a mile away is we’re 15x really shine over a spotter

Matter of fact if you go to any long range precision rifle shooting competition where they typically shoot at .5 miles away. Most shooters and range officers are moving away from spotters to 15x binoculars

Why look through a dim dark straw when there is a more pleasant view at that distance.


A 15x binocular at a half mile will bring a deer in to within 50 yards. A 30x scope if mirage permits will bring that deer in to 30 yards with a darker image. It’s not that dramatic to my eyes

I glassed up a nice coues buck with my 12s for my buddy last December. 600 yds away on a thick shady scrub oak face. He got his 15s on it and said that looks like a pretty good buck , solid 3x3, but I’m not sure I want to shoot. I put my spotter on him and gave my buddy a look. He quickly changed his mind and killed that buck that by far is his biggest to date and the biggest coues I’ve ever seen on the hoof. 15s don’t effectively replace a good spotter for evaluating critters.
 
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