Bino recommendations

[Delta21]

New to the forum, my first post here. Currently live in Arkansas and looking to expand into western hunting. Trying to learn as much as I can to prepare and start building up my gear to transition from Whitetails to Western big game. Clothing and weapons not an issue. I think I have that covered. My first upgrade I’m looking at is Binos. My first question is what is best bang for bucks. I know swaro is top shelf, but would experienced guys recommend to save up and drop coin on those? Or is there another brand that can compete for less money. I see vortex everywhere and I don’t have any experience with them so I was wondering if I see them everywhere due to quality or marketing. And 2nd question, to avoid buying and carrying separate spotter and use binos for dual purpose what size would you recommend? Look forward to hearing others thoughts

 

[Longleaf]

Steiner has good glass, Athlon has some budget lines as well as glass that punches above its price range.

Doug at Camera Land NY will take care of you.

 

[Boarmaster]

I‘m full of regrets , that I can admit. But I never regretted the money I spent on my Swaro EL’s 16 years ago. I saved up for them for a while. i will probably use them for a few more years and then upgrade to a new model Swaro. That said no bill went unpaid for me to buy them. I cant say I got much in gear I have used for 20 years. Swaros are a lot of money so everyone needs to decide if they want to pay for that kind of an optic. Frankly I am scared to look thru a new set of NLs for fear I will buybthem.

 

[ramsdude47]

A lot depends on your intended use, but it’s hard to beat the versatility of 8x42.

If you buy new and aren’t able to catch a sale, it’s hard to beat Maven for value. If you buy used or wait for a good sale, you might be able to match or exceed the value of Maven.

 

[Cntrmass]

There are some 10x40 Swarovski on the 24 Campfire.He’s asking a grand.
Worth it if you can afford them as stated above.
That said Vortex makes some good glass also.

 

[Matt G.]

I think most of all you need to set the budget for yourself and determine what is acceptable. I think the 1K mark is probably the sweet spot out there but others disagree. I would love to but the Swaro NL's but I can buy at least 3 tags with that money. So then you need to weigh what is more important, glass or experience. I would recommend giving Doug a call at cameraland if you want to buy new or there is a lot in the classifieds here. Mavens, GPO, Meopta, Vortex, Kowa, Swaro, Zeiss and Leica all make good glass at the different tiers. There are others out there.

 

[Tndude]

I was in the same situation a few years back. I bought a top rated pair of binocs to save money versus Swarovski for my first trip out west. One of the guys I hunted with had Swarovski binocs. I returned them and bought Swarovski as soon as I got home. No doubt… save until you can get Swarovski. They’ll last a lifetime and are well worth the $.

 

[TheKleinstein]

I got lucky and was a able to find a used pair off Zeiss Conquests for around $500. I think they normally go for $1,000. If you're in no hurry, look for a used pair in good condition to save some money. I've also heard the Leica Trinovid HD is a great budget bino. Here's an article written on the Leica's but some guys who spend a lot of time in the field.

Leica 10x42 Trinovid HD Review. Buy them. | Field Ethos

Check out this review of the Leica 10x42 Trinovid HD from Jason at Field Ethos. In short: you should buy them.

fieldethos.com

 

[Godsgreatoutdoors]

I bought a pair of the Maven C.3 12x50 and so far I'm really loving them. There customer service is pretty good as well. I never looked through a high dollar glass, not sure if I would want to for maybe having to buy a pair then. For the the price of the Mavens I'm not disappointed.

 

[gr8fuldoug]

Steiner has good glass, Athlon has some budget lines as well as glass that punches above its price range.

Doug at Camera Land NY will take care of you.

Always our pleasure to assist the members here. Please give me or Neil a call, 516-217-1000

 

[WI in the west]

Ive been happy woth my maven b-2 11x45’s. Id maybe go to the 9x45’s if i knew id have the 18x binos and a big spotter to compliment them. That being said i see my self getting a pair of swaros in the next year also. But no regrets on the 1k i paid for the mavens

 

[Bottom Rung]

As an entry level bino, I'll recommend the Maven C.1. I paid about $350 for the 10x42. I like them quite a bit and I haven't felt limited with them. The focus adjustment on them is a mite fast, which takes additional time to focus as I tend to have to hunt for the sweet spot. That is my only complaint.

I am in no way suggesting these are comparable to $1k offerings, but they are doing the trick for me at my entry level. To be sure, buy once cry once is still a thing and the chorus of "buy Swaros" is not without merit. Personally, I didn't mind taking the $350 hit because I plan on passing these on to one of my kids when I finally out "use" them.

 

[manitou1]

Talk to Doug about Meopta.
Are you a vet? Some optics companies give very generous discounts. Meopta, Vortex, Leupold... although I heard Leupold discontinued the practice.

 

[littlebigtine]

binoculars in my opinion may be the single most important tool to the western hunter. in hindsight I wasted alot of money thinking that 1000 dollar binos were that much better then 500 binos and 2000 dollar binos might compete with nls. that being said I live out west and I spend nearly everyday off somewhere with binos on my chest. I use them all the time. I love them. I love to look at game through them. what do you love? trucks? guns? atvs? food? beer? women? hahaha I love these things too but I found I could budget my life a little more responsibly in order to afford something that is almost more of an investment then $3000 out of your bank account

 

[mfeth20]

I have the vortex razor HDs 10x50. They are around $1100 new but I got them used for $600. I would look around on here and try and find a used set to save you the money and still get good class. I love the clarity of them. Great binos.

 

[Pilgrim2094]

New to the forum, my first post here. Currently live in Arkansas and looking to expand into western hunting. Trying to learn as much as I can to prepare and start building up my gear to transition from Whitetails to Western big game. Clothing and weapons not an issue. I think I have that covered. My first upgrade I’m looking at is Binos. My first question is what is best bang for bucks. I know swaro is top shelf, but would experienced guys recommend to save up and drop coin on those? Or is there another brand that can compete for less money. I see vortex everywhere and I don’t have any experience with them so I was wondering if I see them everywhere due to quality or marketing. And 2nd question, to avoid buying and carrying separate spotter and use binos for dual purpose what size would you recommend? Look forward to hearing others thoughts

Personally, the Vortex Diamondback's are the best bang for your buck. Quality glass at a great price. All my optics are Vortex and I truly think they are one of the best in the business for the money. If you want to avoid carrying a spotter, 12x50's are a great multi-purpose bino. I'd also consider 10x42's. Magnification is going to depend on if you're in pursuit of trophy animals where you need a closer look, hence having a spotter or 12x50 + binos. For general big game where you don't care as much for a in depth look, go with 10x42's.

 

[Blue72]

I have the mavens C1 as well but in 12x42. not alpha glass but I can see well defined people several miles away just as good as my 20x spotting scope.