Optics/Gear Question for Antelope

[Cng]

Hi all, I was drawn for Wyoming antelope this year, and it will be my first western hunt. I’m a long-time backpacker and hunter, but only recently getting into backpack hunting. We’re thinking of packing like it’s a backpack hunt to try and push away from roads in BLM if possible, and if not we’ll just camp by the truck. I’ve already got all the gear to get by just fine, but I’m trying to decide where I should spend some money for upgrades. Last year it got down to 16 degrees during the dates we’ll be there. I’ve got a Neoair Xlite with either a 0 degree synthetic bag or a 20 down quilt, but I was thinking of upgrading to an Xtherm with 0 degree down bag.

However, I’ve been agonizing over optics for a while now. I don’t like to spend money, and I’ve learned that I’m a Mossberg 500 guy over a fancy over/under, if that makes sense. I’m very hard on my gear, but I take care of it and don’t abuse it. I want something that works and works well, but I don’t want to worry about it in the field. I couldn’t spend $1-2k on a pair of binoculars, or I would just baby them all the time and be afraid of using them.

Right now I’ve got a little pair of Bushnell Elite Custom 7x26 compact binoculars that I take with me on every bowhunt. And last year I bought a pair of used Bushnell Engage 10x42 binoculars because all the cool kids say you gotta have 10x. They’re fine. No complaints at all. But for my eastern hunting, the little compact ones do everything I need. And here’s the thing: neither one of them have ever helped me kill anything in the eastern woods. I’ve gotten a better look at a few bucks that were out of range and watched some fall turkeys, but most of the time they’re just for entertainment, like bird and critter watching while I’m in the stand.

So my question is this: are there any buy-it-for-life type of optics in the $500 range? I’ve read reviews of just about all of the binos in that range, but it seems like everyone is just using them as a stepping stone until they can afford one of the big boys or upgrading to the newest pair every year and claiming the difference is night-and-day. Is there anything in that range that will be worth keeping for a couple of decades? I prefer to buy used, and I think I could get better quality that way, but most of the ones I’ve been looking at, like Meopros, seem to go for more in the $700+ range, and that’s getting hard to stomach for me.

So, should I upgrade my binos? If so, what do you recommend? Or should I spend that money on a warmer/lighter sleep system and use the binos that I have? Or maybe get a carbon fiber tripod for the binos I have?

Thanks for your time and for all of the great info on this site!

 

[j_volt]

I hunted Wyoming antelope for the first time last year. It was my first Western hunt. I used a pair of 10x42 Diamondbacks and never felt like I was missing out on much. However, my goal was not to be able to tell the difference between a 78 and 80 inch buck (which must be why mine was only 76"). I am headed back to the same unit this year (following a Hail Mary in the NR Special Random draw). I have picked up an Athlos Ares 15-45x65 spotter and a pair of Diamondback HD 15x56s in the last few months for an upcoming Montana deer hunt. I wouldn't be worried to go back to Wyoming with only my 10x42s, but I expect to use the 15s most of the time this year. I won't use the spotter much - mainly to get a better look on the bigger ones I see.

A big part of how long your binos last will depend heavily on how you take care of them. I am a fan of the Maven C.1 10x42s and I think they could last a couple of decades. If I had to buy a pair of binos today, it would probably be those. However, I am planning to continue using my 10x42 Diamondbacks that I abuse and they still perform to what I need.

 

[Brendan]

Antelope hunting: You'll probably find yourself camping at the truck. I wouldn't be investing in backpack hunting gear for that type of trip unless you want it / need it for the future or other hunts.

You don't "need" anything, but best optics investments I've made are a tripod (Slik 634 for me) and outdoorsman's bino stud, adapter, pan head, and window mount. If you don't have something similar, I'd consider those personally. Makes glassing much, much easier.... Outdoorsman's stuff is pricey, but being able to keep everything steady is a big help.

If you're interested in binos beyond that, I might consider upgrading to something like a Meopta Meopro HD 10x42, and see if you can get a tripod and mount setup for them. Then, add a spotter down the road if you need it.

I'll personally be hunting antelope this year - carrying the tripod setup mentioned above, 10x42's, and a spotter.

 

[Cng]

Thanks, @j_volt . I looked hard at the Mavens but wasn’t sure how much of an upgrade they would be from what I already have, and the non-locking eye cups concerned me. (The Bushnell Engage were in a similar price range when new, although I bought them used/like new.)

With your 15x, I assume you are using primarily from a tripod? Did you have your 10x on a tripod last year?

 

[j_volt]

Thanks, @j_volt . I looked hard at the Mavens but wasn’t sure how much of an upgrade they would be from what I already have, and the non-locking eye cups concerned me. (The Bushnell Engage were in a similar price range when new, although I bought them used/like new.)

With your 15x, I assume you are using primarily from a tripod? Did you have your 10x on a tripod last year?

I will use my 15s off a tripod this year when getting to a high point and glassing. I did not use a tripod on my 10x42s last year as it wasn't much of a challenge to glass and find antelope as they stood out in the sage. There were 3 of us last year, and typically, 2 of us would use 10x42s and call out potential shooters. The third guy would find them in the spotter and we would decide if it was a shooter or not.

 

[sndmn11]

Spend your money on a solid tripod setup (fluid not ball head) and some sort of digiscoping adapter for the 10x Plan to spend $300-500 on this stuff. Then get the sleeping pad, and determine for yourself if your current optics need "upgrading".

You can do a whole lot of zooming in with your phone to make up for magnification.