26 replies to this topic

[Hot Brass]

I am in the market for a new pair of binos. I have looked at the Nikon Monarch 8x42, and 10x42. Nikon Action Extreme 10x50`s. Bush Legend 10x42. ???? Diamondbacj 10x42 were not on the shelf at Sportsmans Warehouse when I was there. I know that I will use the binos for varmint hunting, but THINK that I will use them for deer hunting. Cali is wide open for the most part, and I am thinking that 10x50`s will serve me well. The other side of me says that the 10x50 will be too big and heavy to carry so get the smaller 10x42`s. Will the 10x42`s work for varmint glassing?Or are the 10x50`s a much better choice? I have a pair of Nikon 8x40 Actions that I will give to my son when I purchase new binos. Glassing for varmints with the 8x40`s is ok out to about 300 yds .

[jawbreaker]

Keep it light go with the 8x no need for the 10x unless you're spot and stalking, and the coyotes are coming to you if you're calling them in.

[Braz]

You can check out this out. I bought one of the show specials for $110 and am very pleased with both the binos and scope. http://www.cameralan...taxopticsoutfit

[CoyoteHuntress]

http://www.steiner-b...om/merlins.html I have the 10x42 Merlin And I LOVE them.. Super clear, range is good..

[Rimrock]

They are pricy but the Swarovski 10X42's are excelllent.

[300wsm]

Steiner Predator 8x30s great glasses, $240.00 on Ebay,,,300wsm

[Hot Brass]

I can`t spend over $300.00. The Nikon Monarchs are in my budget.

[Moe]

I got the same deal Braz did and I'm impressed with those binocs. They're a gift to my stepson but I've been thinking about swiping them. lol

[fakawee]

I can`t spend over $300.00. The Nikon Monarchs are in my budget.

Take a look at Alpens. They are inexpensive but I just got some lightweight 8x28's that are super clear, bright and armor covered. They're also waterproof, fogproof etc.... Check out opticsplanet.com.

[huntnsurf]

I can`t spend over $300.00. The Nikon Monarchs are in my budget.

I have a pair of the monarchs there awesome I am very happy with them.

[Bennie]

I would get the 8x42, I am carrying 10x50 right now and they are heavy if you are walking a long ways. I am going to get another pair of 8x42 just for that reason. Nikon makes very good glass for the money.

[ShooterJohn]

I use Nikon's also and they are a premiere glass maker.

[sum-rifle]

If I were you I would save up until you could spend more money. Binoculars are very important and you most often get what you pay for.Leupold Olympic 10X42 is what I have and I think they were $400+When you start talking some of the Zeiss, Leica and Swarovski you are getting much better binos but they are in the $800 to $2,000 range.When you look through a pair if say $1,500 binoculars you will be amazed.In daylight you can get by with cheaper binos but in low light conditions the more expensive ones really pay off.I love my Leupold Olympic but they are not Swarovshi's that is for sure!I know I spelled "Swarovski" wrong but am too tired to check for the correct spelling.

[ratassassin]

The larger objectives allow more light for a better view in darker spots or at dusk. I have a good set of old school 10x50 binoculars that I inherited from my uncle and they're beautiful for hunting brush lines at dusk. But they're really big, bulky and heavy. And I don't want to risk ruining them out in the field because of their sentimental value. So I recently ordered a pair of cheap Barska 16x32 binoculars from OpticsPlanet just to see how they are. For $21, how can you go wrong? http://www.opticspla...binoculars.htmlUnfortunately, OpticsPlanet informed me that my order is on hold because these are currently out of stock and on backorder. So I'll wait for them. I have a small pair of 10x Barskas that I like a lot. They're light, small and pretty powerful. I think I paid $8 for them at a Big 5 sale. I know you're looking at high end glass, but thought you might like some input from the "cheap but good" category.RA

[mackeralboy]

I have to agree with 300wsm. 8x30 Steiner Predators. The optics are great and the size is nice and compact. I've had mine for about 6 years now and love them. The link below will take you to a site that is selling them for $229.95http://www.swfa.com/...-binocular.aspx

[Skyshadow]

I have a pair of the monarchs there awesome I am very happy with them.

Any specific thoughts on them?I'm looking for a pair that'll be decent towards the end of the day -- last year I went crazy trying to use a pair of cheapo Bushnells late on a very cloudy day.

[BullsEye]

get the nikon 10x42 monarchs with a crookedhornoutfitters bino system. You will love it!

[Skyshadow]

I just picked up a pair of 10x42 Nikon Monarchs yesterday -- drove out to Manteca to check out the new Bass Pro Shop and used the opportunity to try out most of the binoculars in that price range.I choose them because (in my opinion) for the price range they were easiest to focus, had the best eye relief and best light collection. They're also nicely compact and seem solidly built (although the guy working the counter wouldn't let me do a drop-test on all the various pairs I tried for some reason). The Leupold 10x42 were a very close second and had slightly better-feeling rubberization, but overall nothing that was worth an extra $40.

[tonyd]

I am in the market for a new pair of binos. I have looked at the Nikon Monarch 8x42, and 10x42. Nikon Action Extreme 10x50`s. Bush Legend 10x42. ???? Diamondbacj 10x42 were not on the shelf at Sportsmans Warehouse when I was there. I know that I will use the binos for varmint hunting, but THINK that I will use them for deer hunting. Cali is wide open for the most part, and I am thinking that 10x50`s will serve me well. The other side of me says that the 10x50 will be too big and heavy to carry so get the smaller 10x42`s. Will the 10x42`s work for varmint glassing?Or are the 10x50`s a much better choice? I have a pair of Nikon 8x40 Actions that I will give to my son when I purchase new binos. Glassing for varmints with the 8x40`s is ok out to about 300 yds .

I use a Bushnell 20x 50, their a little big and heavy but the range and quality are excellent, you can pick them up at Big 5 sporting goods for less then $100Tony

[S4gunn]

Hi,Do you guys have any opinions on the Leupold Acadia or Leupold Yosemite lines of binoculars?After reading around online, I've found that the Leupold Yosemite 8x30mm (~$85-100 / also avail in 6x) and Leupold Acadia 8x42mm ($160-200 / also avail in 10x) come highly recommended as good values for the money because of their build quality and the quality of the glass. One is made in china and the other in the Phillipines. One is a Porro prism and the other is a roof prism.I'm still reading up on the differences between the prism designs but I wanted to solicit your feedback as well. Perhaps there are other things (weight, etc), I'm not account for here....There is a writeup on both these optics in the August issue of Guns Magazinehttp://www.gunsmagaz...gital/G0809.htmDifferences between Porro and Room prisms.http://www.birdwatch....orro_roof.htmlQ: What are your thoughts? Are these acceptable (for my first decent pair of binocs) or should I buy something else? If so, what else would you recommend? Please keep in mind that I have no desire to spend $$$$$$ bucks just to have the top of the line gadget. I believe in getting the most bang for your buck.Both are covered by the much vaunted Leupold lifetime Warranty.... which is nice.Thanks in advance for your replies,-g

[Shoot-it]

The bino's I like are the Leica with built in range finder those are nice but out of my price range.

[lilwes278]

Ugh...tried the Barskas and ended up throwing them in the garbage. If you looked through the set I had for more than a minute or so, it would give you a headache. The glass was far from clear and I think they were cross-eyed or something. I hated them. In most cases, you get what you pay for.Luckily I eventually found some cheap yet halfway decent glass, the Bushnell Powerviews - best price was at Opticsplanet.com. I got a set of 7x35's shipped to my house for about $40. I wanted a cheap set as they are stashed in the front storage compartment on my Polaris (didn't want to worry about replacing them if they got damaged) but these have taken quite a beating and still work perfectly. The quick focus feature is awesome and makes scanning items at various distances a breeze. I was so impressed that I went & bought a second pair to keep in my pickup.That said, I have to agree with John about Nikon. I've become quite a believer in their products after purchasing several of their riflescopes.

[CA Desert Dog]

We carry the HAWKE binos and they are super sweet. HAWKE Frontier 10 X 43 They sell for $499.00 and we offer them for $449.00. They have exceptional glass. Check out the review on the factory link.

[nohobandit]

I use the 10x42 Bushnell Legend seies in camo. They work great! They looked beter to me than the Nikon's that is why I went with them. I think they were the best value for the money I was willing to invest.

[Baja_Traveler]

OK, this thread is ancient - Hot Brass needs to report on what was purchased, and how they like it!As for me - You'll take my Vortex Razors when you pry them from my cold dead - well, you know...

[homemade]

Ya I need a set now still working on getting all my diff hunting gear stocked up.Need a good spotting scope also.

[ffcoyote]

I'm with 300WSM I use Stiener 10x42's for all applications and love them!