i know this is the wrong place but wasnt sure where to put it. anyway, does anybody use compact binocs for hunting. i think i have it down to bushnell legend hd 10x25 or 8x26, or bushnell elite 7x26, or nikon prostaff 8x25. all except elite are 100-150 bucks online. all are 12.2-14 oz. nikons have some bad reviews regaurding how durable they are. all have some good points an bad. right now im leaning on towards the 8x26 bushnell legend hd. they are the heaviest at 14 oz but also the cheapest by 50 bucks. really like the 10x25 but they dont seem to fit well in my hand but very very small. elites are most expensive an only 7 power but im sure a better quality at around 220. so, any thoughts from the binocs gurus. btw i typically hunt very thick timber an glassing a hundred yds doesnt happen much so im tired of carrying around full size 2 lb binocs
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binocs
- Thread starter bnsafe
- Start date
I don\'t carry binoculars.
I know ... it\'s sacrilege. I\'ve got a standard-size pair of 8x42 Meoptas ... and they are nice, but they are heavy, and bulky, and ... where I hunt, glassing is not a huge issue.
So I\'ve been thinking of compacts, too. But I don\'t like the way that they take two hands to operate. So I got a 10x36 Vortex monocular. It\'s not for \"glassing\" but for \"checking out\" a suspicious spot in the distance ... which is what I do, if anything, with binoculars.
Personally, for all the talk about how important binoculars are while elk hunting, I just don\'t see it. I think they are very low on the list of priorities and very high on the list of heavy stuff that weighs me down.
But, as they say, your mileage may vary ... you may hunt in wide open spaces. When I hunt pronghorn, I\'ll often take a 20-60x spotting scope. But for elk, it doesn\'t fit my style or my area.
The compacts that you\'ve selected should all be good, though. I\'d personally go more based on ergonomics than optics with your choices because there will be more a difference in ergonomics than glass. And ergonomics will have more to do with whether you actually use them.
I know ... it\'s sacrilege. I\'ve got a standard-size pair of 8x42 Meoptas ... and they are nice, but they are heavy, and bulky, and ... where I hunt, glassing is not a huge issue.
So I\'ve been thinking of compacts, too. But I don\'t like the way that they take two hands to operate. So I got a 10x36 Vortex monocular. It\'s not for \"glassing\" but for \"checking out\" a suspicious spot in the distance ... which is what I do, if anything, with binoculars.
Personally, for all the talk about how important binoculars are while elk hunting, I just don\'t see it. I think they are very low on the list of priorities and very high on the list of heavy stuff that weighs me down.
But, as they say, your mileage may vary ... you may hunt in wide open spaces. When I hunt pronghorn, I\'ll often take a 20-60x spotting scope. But for elk, it doesn\'t fit my style or my area.
The compacts that you\'ve selected should all be good, though. I\'d personally go more based on ergonomics than optics with your choices because there will be more a difference in ergonomics than glass. And ergonomics will have more to do with whether you actually use them.
americanbwana
New member
- Sep 3, 2017
- 396
I have an old 6x32 set that I use in thick timber. Being able to see into the branches is very nice. These are very light and don\'t take up to much room.
Pronghorn and sage brush elk call for the 10x42\'s, and a spotting scope in the truck.
Pronghorn and sage brush elk call for the 10x42\'s, and a spotting scope in the truck.
very much on the same page as others for scouting sure i pack bino\'s but when i\'m hunting I\'ve never really had a use for them but I will say it depends on the terrain. high country mule deer I always have them and my eyes are glued to them alot for dark timber elk it just another thing you pack around and never use. if i do find that rare event i\'ll fish out my range finder it has a 6X lense and has worked once for me although I already had an idea it just verified it for me.
Colorado_Lew
New member
- Mar 4, 2014
- 189
I always have on 10X42 when hunting. They can sure help identify an object in the shadows and also are great when looking into the treeline across a park. I\'ve spotted a lot of animals before they stepped into the clear with mine and would not leave them behind. I use a harness to carry mine and do not think they are a hindrance.
bnsafe, I think you would be terribly disappointed with compacts. You need two hands to adjust each eye and then you have to align them to your eyes so you don\'t see two images. Plus, they are poor in low light conditions.
I have two different sets of compacts that I keep by the back door to check out critters that cross my back pasture. They are so much trouble to focus that I usually end up closing one eye to look through them. I\'ve tried to give them to the grandkids and they won\'t even take them.
When I hear the name Bushnell,I cringe because I always thing of the old Bushnell Sportview rifle scopes. Those things were the pits.
I have two different sets of compacts that I keep by the back door to check out critters that cross my back pasture. They are so much trouble to focus that I usually end up closing one eye to look through them. I\'ve tried to give them to the grandkids and they won\'t even take them.
When I hear the name Bushnell,I cringe because I always thing of the old Bushnell Sportview rifle scopes. Those things were the pits.
\"Colorado_Lew\" said:I always have on 10X42 when hunting. They can sure help identify an object in the shadows and also are great when looking into the treeline across a park. I\'ve spotted a lot of animals before they stepped into the clear with mine and would not leave them behind. I use a harness to carry mine and do not think they are a hindrance.
X2
10X42 Leupold and Harness always...
Colorado_Lew
New member
- Mar 4, 2014
- 189
Invest in excellent optics they are worth the money and will last you a lifetime.
I TOTALLY agree with Deertick.
Totally
I have a pair of compacts in my pack that I use when Im stand or if I need to look at something in particular
But..
I recently bought a pair of Nikon Monarch 3 10x42 just to have.
I like them but they wont have a place in my pack
I would rather carry more water than the weight of heavy binos
Totally
I have a pair of compacts in my pack that I use when Im stand or if I need to look at something in particular
But..
I recently bought a pair of Nikon Monarch 3 10x42 just to have.
I like them but they wont have a place in my pack
I would rather carry more water than the weight of heavy binos
For general glassing (not packed-in) I use 9x40s and a high-end Nikon scope. But when hunting elk in a timbered core area I know well I carry a good pair of Steiner compacts. They do lose a bit of light transmission at very low light, but if I\'m trying to field judge a bull across a valley I want something more than the naked eye. They are very clear and sharp, an a lot better than nothing.
If I\'m hunting pretty open country I\'ll usually carry a small pair of 8x32s for the reasons bowhunter mentions. I use a Bino-Buddy harness and they\'re just there on my chest all the time.
Back when I was hunting \"any\" elk, I didn\'t bother with optics.
If I\'m hunting pretty open country I\'ll usually carry a small pair of 8x32s for the reasons bowhunter mentions. I use a Bino-Buddy harness and they\'re just there on my chest all the time.
Back when I was hunting \"any\" elk, I didn\'t bother with optics.
thanks guys, ive got a nice pair of pentax 10x42 that work great, but they are just to heavy for what i get. i seldom glass anything where i hunt. so i was thinking the compacts might be the way to go just to put something in a pocket if i needed them. i dont wanna spend 500 for a pair of compacts, but the prices i gave will give me some flexibility with decent glass an lower weight. certainly not top end but better than nothing. when im pronghorn hunting it will be the pentax again.
