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NoNOS67
10-30-2012, 9:06 PM
Looking for a new pair of binoculars and need some suggestions. They will be used primarily for deer hunting and I would like to stay under $300 or so. What do you guys think?

ckline73
10-30-2012, 9:13 PM
For that price range I love my Nikon monarch, $289 bass pro best bang for the buck....

mcmikeblues7
10-30-2012, 9:15 PM
Nikon Monarchs. Often considered the minimum price you should pay for hunting binoculars. Mine are absolutely great and built like a tank. I think they are about $250... idk for sure. The clarity is great and the eye relief is 19mm, so they are able to be use with glasses. They come with a 10 year warranty, at least mine did.
I got mine off of ebay for only $90 shipped to my door, so maybe I'm a little bit too enthused about them.

Obviously a Plant
10-30-2012, 9:22 PM
I picked up a pair of Zhumell Signature 10x 42's before I went to Africa and they are great.
Even in low light, the glass was as good as some Zeiss binoculars one of my companions had. The near focus is excellent, the caps and straps and case functional and the warranty is 25 years. They might be a little heavy compared to others, but I am very impressed with the quality for the price, $139. I would have paid twice as much and been happy.

http://www.binoculars.com/binoculars/zhumell/7953+7954+8093+4295082297.cfm

maidendeth13
10-30-2012, 9:23 PM
Love my Vortex Diamondback 10x50's! Think they were around $250 or so?

Nooner7
10-30-2012, 9:28 PM
I am really enjoying my Redfield 8x32's. A fantastic value and they have served me well on several backpacking and hunting trips.

knightstalker83
10-30-2012, 9:32 PM
Monarch 5, got it for $250@ sportsman. Very rugged and very very clear.

NoNOS67
10-30-2012, 9:41 PM
Wow, looks like the monarchs are pretty popular! Anyone had a chance to use the new Prostaff 7 models?

hermosabeach
10-30-2012, 9:49 PM
My dad would test optical clarity by reading magazines inside of the store

I made the mistake of picking up a cheap pair and they are worthless

Short focal plane
Lack of clarity

I like
Nikon
Pentax

Pick glasses that work for your style of hunting

If you hunt pronghorns and will do a lot of glassing from a car, bigger and heaviers are fine

If you are chasing elk at 7,000 feet- compact glasses are nice after many miles on foot

XVIga_Rob
10-30-2012, 10:58 PM
Another vote for the Nikon Monarchs. I've been using the 8x42's for the last 2 years.

5shot
10-31-2012, 1:04 AM
Another fan of Nikon Monarch's 10X42's. I'm on my second pair. First pair were/are great, but the newer model is smaller and lighter.

MJB
10-31-2012, 3:12 AM
300? Save a little more and upgrade to good glass. Go look through some glass cheap and expensive. Look for clarity, look into the suns direction for glare, and find ones that are light and have soft eyecups.

Good glass you buy once cheap glass you buy over and over.

Deer in the west you need 10's but you'll want more.
Cameralandny.com has demos with full warranty cheap.
I have Minox & Zeiss.

jaymz
10-31-2012, 4:59 AM
I just bought the Nikon Prostaff 7 last week. No noticeable difference in clarity compared to the Leupold's my buddy paid over $400 bucks for about a week before I bought mine.

jaymz
10-31-2012, 5:00 AM
The Prostaff 7 has a 25 year warranty to boot.

Coyotegunner
10-31-2012, 5:51 AM
I use Burris Signature 8x40s after many years if crappy Binoculars.My second choice in the price range would be the Nikon Monarchs others mentioned.Both the Signature and Monarchs will give you a little more clarity in the shadows before daylight and after sundown.For longe range glassing I use the Euro Diamond 12x50s,but the price goes up quite a bit and they are heavy.

shooterbill
10-31-2012, 6:39 AM
Nikon Monarch 10x42. I have had a pair of Zeiss 10x40's that cost over twice as much and they weren't any better. The Alpen models in that price range are good also. They are distributed out of Rancho Cucamonga.

tpuig
10-31-2012, 8:30 AM
Another Nikon Monarch fan here. Best bang for the buck under $300. I got mine as a display set in the case for $200.

Spelunker
10-31-2012, 9:06 AM
These are over $300 but they kick butt. I compared them to my buddies swaros and the only difference was near the extreme edge and just a hair darker.

http://www.zen-ray.com/shop/zened2-8x43.html

FatCity67
10-31-2012, 9:43 AM
Bass Pro

http://www.basspro.com/Leupold-BX2-Acadia-Binoculars-Roof-Prism/product/10211839/#chart-container

Great value for the price. Super bright and very clear. Tested in store against nikon, vortex etc. IMO the Leupold was a much better bino.

The Cascade is marginally better but wasn't worth it for the extra $

ScottB
10-31-2012, 10:04 AM
One thing to remember is that good roof prisms are expensive and cheap ones don't transmit light as well. For less expensive binos, go with porro prisms and insist on "fully multi-coated" lenses regardless of type.

Nikon glass is good value for the money, but I have some old Wind River (Leupold japanese glass) porros I picked up on sale several years ago for well less than $200 that are surprisingly close in brightness and image quality to my $2,400 Leica Geovids . WRs have a little flatness to the image and the color is not as good. The Leicas are clearly superior, but for the price difference, its pretty amazing how good the WRs are.

Puckinhead
10-31-2012, 11:05 AM
I love my Zen Ray 8X43 ED2. Best bag for the buck and super, super clear. Basically a Chinese knock off Swarovski. Includes a lifetime warranty.

edgerly779
10-31-2012, 11:45 AM
ebay steiner predators,

edgerly779
10-31-2012, 11:46 AM
ebay steiner predators,

zerohour714
10-31-2012, 2:06 PM
I am suprised nobody said the Bushnell legends with ED glass! They can be had for $250. Best binocular in the 1-$450 range imo.

Solus
10-31-2012, 3:30 PM
I have a pair of these and they work great for everything even in low light conditions I can see. If you are looking for a good deal on glass check out other options on this website



http://www.opticsplanet.com/minox-bv-ii-10-x-42-br-full-size-waterproof-binocular.html

Tanner68
10-31-2012, 4:14 PM
I am crazy about my Leupold Yoesemites in 6x30. Light weight, clear, and bright as hell. With the low mag, they are super steady and have a wide FOV.

mcmikeblues7
10-31-2012, 4:25 PM
Oh ya, And I would definettly not go any higher than 10 power. I use an 8, and they excel at light gathering.

gotsig
10-31-2012, 4:40 PM
Another vote for the Zen-ray ED2. Only $329 here http://swfa.com/Zen-Ray-Zen-ED2-Binoculars-C2703.aspx

razr
10-31-2012, 4:46 PM
Nikon Monarch 10 power, look up Amazon.

remsenlab
10-31-2012, 4:52 PM
I have a pair of Minox porros (they're no longer in production) that I love for everything from CA deer to WY antelope. Great clarity and light gathering. Minox glass is top notch and in your price range.

taperxz
10-31-2012, 4:56 PM
If you can find them on e bay, "check point charlies" are the best bang for the buck. These were made in Germany for the East Germans. They were made by Carl Zeiss.

I got mine for $250 and i can tell very little difference compared to Swarovskis.

They are E German army surplus. You can beat on these things and drop em down a cliff and they will be just fine. Literally.

Rider1k
10-31-2012, 4:57 PM
I have Leupold Cascade 10x42. Can't say enough about these. Best quality binos I have ever used. Extremely clear, light, rubber coated, small, under 300 bux, Did I say Leupold? I have used them anywhere from hunting in over 100 degrees, to icy cold frosty mornings, to a total down pour. Always flawless.

NoNOS67
11-01-2012, 12:54 AM
Thank you for all of your suggestions. I ended up with the Monarch 5...and they worked well! I'll just leave this here...

Rusty_Buckhorn
11-01-2012, 11:44 AM
Leupold Green Ring Olympics... best glass in the $300 range. Best 'next level' would be Vortex Vipers(you can find these used on Archery Talk sometimes). Then it's on to the $1k+ glasses. IMO, the Nikon glass isn't as impressive as their rifle scopes.

lewdogg21
11-01-2012, 12:31 PM
You guys and your budget bino's make me want to go check out bino's to compare against my 10x42 leica's. If it's really that close I could sell the leica's buy a cheaper pair and use the extra $ to buy another gun. :)

ScottB
11-01-2012, 12:54 PM
I have the 8x42 Leicas and have used 10x42 Zeiss and Swaros. They are definitely better when it counts. Also, remember these days you get a rangefinder and maybe a ballistic calculator in them as well.

For general use and meat hunting, the Monarchs, Wind Rivers, Steiners, etc ones are fine. If you are hunting in very low light, trying to make out a deer bedded in foliage several hundred yards away or trying to count points on a bull elk's rack a mile away, the German glass comes into its own.

I've always found serious birders are the best source for learning about optics. They obssess over optics the way hunters do over rifles. They need to be able to pick out shades of color and fine detail at a distance.

Full Clip
11-01-2012, 1:23 PM
ebay steiner predators,
I have a pair of 10x50s that I found on Amazon as a returned item. Only $400.
Deals are out there.

180ls1
11-01-2012, 1:23 PM
Looks like you can get the Monarchs to your door for $179 brand new to your door. http://www.opticsplanet.com/nikon-monarch-3-8x42mm-binoculars.html

180ls1
11-01-2012, 1:23 PM
Looks like you can get the Monarchs to your door for $179 brand new. http://www.opticsplanet.com/nikon-monarch-3-8x42mm-binoculars.html

pennstater
11-01-2012, 6:30 PM
It looks like NoNoS67 got his glass. But, I agree with the Zen-Ray ED2. Very good glass.
And with ScottB and birder sites. Its where I found my Swift "Ultra-Lite" 8X42's. CRISP,CLEAR and BRIGHT! $285.00 to my door[2006], and light. These are roofs.

kgcabs
11-02-2012, 4:14 PM
I have Leupold Cascade 10x42. Can't say enough about these. Best quality binos I have ever used. Extremely clear, light, rubber coated, small, under 300 bux, Did I say Leupold? I have used them anywhere from hunting in over 100 degrees, to icy cold frosty mornings, to a total down pour. Always flawless.

I agree.

Whiterabbit
11-05-2012, 8:37 AM
My dad would test optical clarity by reading magazines inside of the store

This sounds like great advice. I don't know squat about optics but I do know I've looked through binoculars that looked clear as a bell then discovered I couldn't read a license plate at 2-300 yards in the dusk.

NoNOS67
11-05-2012, 3:50 PM
This sounds like great advice. I don't know squat about optics but I do know I've looked through binoculars that looked clear as a bell then discovered I couldn't read a license plate at 2-300 yards in the dusk.

It's incredible, the difference that a decent pair of binos makes. I'm pretty upset that I didn't upgrade sooner. Probably wasted a ton of time looking for something that was right in front of me.

MJB
11-06-2012, 5:04 AM
^^^^ winner!!!!

Save some money and get a good pair........my Monix were under 600 and worth every dime I never leave without them. And get at least a 10 power 8 you'll be wishing for more!

duckman1
11-06-2012, 5:53 AM
Pentax 10x42 around $300 and for me clearer than the Monarch or Bushnell. Find a store and try all 3 as they are all good choices. Ask the sales clerk to allow you to take them outside and test.

ScottB
11-06-2012, 7:02 AM
Its tough to evaluate optics in a retail store. Better to look through them in the field or at the range. There is a popular winter birding area not far from my house. Every year there are reports of some sort of rare bird hanging out there and the birders flock in (Hey! I made a pun!). A lot of them are happy to let folks look through their scopes and binos to get a look at whatever birds are there.

Always look through binos outside, even if they will only let you do it through the doorway. If possible, its best to do it around dusk. Even cheap binos are bright at noon. Also, looking at magazine print across a room is interesting, but fine resolution at a 100' or so is not that telling. The differences in binos that I have found are in color correction, edge distortion, image flatness, depth of field and light gathering. These things are best evaluated outside and IMO, forests are the best. Also, the optical specifications are readily availble and I would absolutely study those for the brands/models I was interested in. Everything is a tradeoff. You emphasize one characteristic at the expense of another. You can spot significant differences in the specs right off.

As for power, 10x are stronger, but shakier, so try both and evaluate what works for you. As an example, I was elk hunting in NM a couple years ago and we all had high end german glass. I had my 8x42's and my friends both had 10x42's. After several days of hunting, we finally located a small herd of bulls high up on a ridge well over a mile away. Despite having the lesser power binos, I was the one that was able to pick out the largest bull and rank the other two, and my friends are way more experienced than me. Unfortunately, they were spooky and we never were able to get in range.

spectr17
11-06-2012, 9:38 PM
Ditto on trying out the glass in the field and in low light recommendations. Another good way I've found to tell good glass is find a tree way out and look at the leaves. WIth decent glass you'll see the individual leaves, with great glass you can see the jagged edges on the leaves and maybe even the veins in the leaf. That kind of sharpness in an optic really helps when you're looking at antlers to see the extra kickers or if a small deer even has small spikes between it's ears. Leica & Swarovski to me seem to be the sharpest glass but you pay a premium for that quaility. Vortex, Minox and Nikon are a good mid range glass IMHO.

You also need to decide what you will use them for the most. 15x56 are great for glassing large areas off a tripod but they will beat your chest to death on a long hike in rough terrain. A smaller pair of 10x42 are better for wearing but you may need something for longer range. My Leupold compact 9xs are good for the duck blind or quail hunting for me, just enough to see 200 yds and stay out of the way until I need them.

Bubba281
11-06-2012, 10:12 PM
After shopping for a few months for something 10x on a value minded budget I came up with OPMOD 10X42 binoculars from OpticsPlanet. I picked up a pair last week on sale for $127 w/free s&h and no sales tax.

http://www.opticsplanet.com/s/opmod/cat~4

Check them out. Read the reviews. Watch the Youtube videos.

They are GREAT. Took them out quail hunting the other day and really liked them a lot. I am personally categorizing them as a "GREAT BUY."

Hunt
11-06-2012, 10:15 PM
if you can afford it go with the zen ray ED2 fantastic glass noticably better than anything at that price point.