c1 10x42 & c2 7x28 vs b3 8x30

[rj2]

debating if I would be better off getting the c2 7x28 for whitetail & c1 8 or 10x42 for archery elk in CO or just get the b3 8x30 only for both whitetail and elk hunting?

 

[Newtosavage]

8x30 only and run with that. That's my best advice. You can do just about everything you need with a good quality pair of 8x30's that you can mount on a tripod.

 

[willfrye027]

I love my b3s. Used them for whitetail this year and some casual use looking at deer out west. In the future I would not hesitate to take them backpack hunting paired with a spotter. For low light they will take you beyond legal shooting light in the timber as well.

 

[Newtosavage]

I love my b3s. Used them for whitetail this year and some casual use looking at deer out west. In the future I would not hesitate to take them backpack hunting paired with a spotter. For low light they will take you beyond legal shooting light in the timber as well.

Yea, paired with a spotter, for sure 8x30/32's. If all I had were my 8x32's and my Nikon ED50, I wouldn't feel handicapped at all. In fact, that IS what I plan to have next season - leaving the x42's in the truck for window glassing duty.

 

[rj2]

Would you be OK with good 8x30 with no spotting scope in CO?

 

[Newtosavage]

Would you be OK with good 8x30 with no spotting scope in CO?

Yea. Once I leave the truck 99% of my glassing is with my bins. I'm not a trophy hunter so it's pretty rare for me to pull out the spotter. I can generally see what I need to see with my bins mounted on a tripod. I mostly use my spotter from the truck for glassing meadows and basins 1+ miles away. Saves me a lot of hiking/driving during my week of scouting prior to the season.

I've been able to determine whether a bull was legal (4 pts/side) with just my binoculars from over a mile away. This year, I was able to tell buck/doe muleys from nearly 2 miles with just my bins. But again, you need a rock solid support to do that.

Since my spotter is lighter than my binoculars (only about 20 oz.) - I tend to take it along a lot more than I need to on day trips. I use it a lot from the truck though.

 

[willfrye027]

8x30 plus that Nikon ed50 sounds like an awesome combo. What I like about the 8x30 is that you can get by with a lighter tripod too.