best budget spotting scope

[TOGIE]

does anyone run 12x as there standard bino?

does anyone run 10x50's that think they're worth the weight over 42s? though i think i might already know, the theme of this thread is "weight be damned, get the better glass"

new budget, 1000-1100 for a bino upgrade.

 

[TOGIE]

basically bx-5 versus razor hd is what this is likley coming down to

currently i can get deals on vortex and leupold

 

[Dsnow9]

does anyone run 12x as there standard bino?

does anyone run 10x50's that think they're worth the weight over 42s? though i think i might already know, the theme of this thread is "weight be damned, get the better glass"

new budget, 1000-1100 for a bino upgrade.

I’m running the nl pures 12x42 with the forehead stabilizer. If it wasn’t for the clarity of glass and forehead stabilizer I’d be running 10s. 12s are definitely more challenging to efficiently freehand

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

does anyone run 12x as there standard bino?

does anyone run 10x50's that think they're worth the weight over 42s? though i think i might already know, the theme of this thread is "weight be damned, get the better glass"

new budget, 1000-1100 for a bino upgrade.

The swaro x50s are more than I would want to regularly carry.

 

[FREAK]

For that price range I'd be looking into these:

Meopta MeoPro Air 10x42 HD/ED+ Binoculars - Optics4Birding

Meopta MeoPro Air 10x42 HD/ED+ Binoculars - Meopta MeoPro Air 10x42 HD/ED+ Binoculars make Meopta's top end available to birders and other nature wat...

www.optics4birding.com

or these:

Meopta Meostar B1 10X42 HD binocular - Rokslide

Meopta Meostar B1 10X42 HD binocular Matt Cashell The 10X42 Meopta Meostar HD As I mentioned in the Spotting Scope review, I hunted for several years with the original Meopta Meostar B1 10X42 binocular. It was an excellent binocular with only a couple minor optical weak points. The binocular...

www.rokslide.com

Swaro's are great too if you can find a good deal on a used pair.

 

[Irrelevant]

I didn't notice a big difference in 42mm to 50mm, but the various brands were very noticeable. Meopta makes good glass, but their binos fell like they're made of lead, vs zeiss which are feather light.

 

[Topdog]

You don't want a budget spotter. Trust me. mtmuley

I would a vortex. I bought a few years ago and love. Good price and perfect warranty but doesn’t break the bank.

 

[trb]

does anyone run 12x as there standard bino?

does anyone run 10x50's that think they're worth the weight over 42s? though i think i might already know, the theme of this thread is "weight be damned, get the better glass"

new budget, 1000-1100 for a bino upgrade.

I used 12x50s for alpine hunts or anything involving large vistas and/or glassing from a tripod. I use 10x42s for walks in the woods.

 

[trb]

Also wanted to add that I completely agree with what some are saying, that good binos are a huge upgrade on spotting animals bedded, in thick cover etc... but earlier you mentioned alpine mule deer, and I will say that having my 20-40 spotter has been critical in confirming the quality of bucks that I have spotted in the distance. I agree with what you said about not counting tines on elk, just confirming legality, but on the flip side of that I have no interest in hiking/climbing 2 more miles up a steep ass basin just to find out that the deer I spotted with my 12x binos was a forky or little 3x3.

 

[TOGIE]

Also wanted to add that I completely agree with what some are saying, that good binos are a huge upgrade on spotting animals bedded, in thick cover etc... but earlier you mentioned alpine mule deer, and I will say that having my 20-40 spotter has been critical in confirming the quality of bucks that I have spotted in the distance. I agree with what you said about not counting tines on elk, just confirming legality, but on the flip side of that I have no interest in hiking/climbing 2 more miles up a steep ass basin just to find out that the deer I spotted with my 12x binos was a forky or little 3x3.

but with the four, maybeee 5 days to hunt the alpine that i'll get, that's a dead 3x3 and the views were worth the trip

honestly though, i do place high importance on tagging out. it's part of my priorities in hunting which are 1) have fun, 2) be outside, and 3) tag out and while those are mutually exclusive, they're also not. they're also not numbered in importance in anyway. three of the same. success for me does have intertwined within it, tagging out.

i will almost never skip an opportunity to tag out. it's important to me to

 

[Irrelevant]

but with the four, maybeee 5 days to hunt the alpine that i'll get, that's a dead 3x3 and the views were worth the trip

honestly though, i do place high importance on tagging out. it's part of my priorities in hunting which are 1) have fun, 2) be outside, and 3) tag out and while those are mutually exclusive, they're also not. they're also not numbered in importance in anyway. three of the same. success for me does have intertwined within it, tagging out.

i will almost never skip an opportunity to tag out. it's important to me to

2 points.
1. I was on an alpine deer hunt a few years ago. only brought binos on a tripod. Saw quite a few deer by WA standards. All does. All 1-2 miles away. Second to last day I spotted a big doe and two smaller ones. Moved on to glass others, then looked back, the clouds had parted and just a single ray of sunlight was hitting the "big doe" turns out it was a big buck and two smaller bucks. I don't know how many "does" I spotted earlier on that trip were actually bucks.
2. I bought used spotter (after trip above) in the $700 price range. It's great at 20x and pretty well worthless for the majority of the day at >30x. By 40x it's almost worthless even in perfect light.

yin and yang to optics.

 

[TOGIE]

2 points.
1. I was on an alpine deer hunt a few years ago. only brought binos on a tripod. Saw quite a few deer by WA standards. All does. All 1-2 miles away. Second to last day I spotted a big doe and two smaller ones. Moved on to glass others, then looked back, the clouds had parted and just a single ray of sunlight was hitting the "big doe" turns out it was a big buck and two smaller bucks. I don't know how many "does" I spotted earlier on that trip were actually bucks.
2. I bought used spotter (after trip above) in the $700 price range. It's great at 20x and pretty well worthless for the majority of the day at >30x. By 40x it's almost worthless even in perfect light.

yin and yang to optics.

but, did it allow you to determine buck versus doe when used again at said distances?

if so then to me it seems it was worth it.

that's kinda like, the purpose, of a spotter for me.

i get what people are saying in this thread. but spotting deer, can't tell if it's a buck or doe, pull out 500 dollar spotter and now know for sure it's a buck, then money well spent IMO. couldn't care less if it was fuzzier than it had to be, but if i now know it's a legal animal than boom, mission accomplished. i'm not picky on size anyway.

 

[Irrelevant]

but, did it allow you to determine buck versus doe when used again at said distances?

if so then to me it seems it was worth it.

that's kinda like, the purpose, of a spotter for me.

i get what people are saying in this thread. but spotting deer, can't tell if it's a buck or doe, pull out 500 dollar spotter and now know for sure it's a buck, then money well spent IMO. couldn't care less if it was fuzzier than it had to be, but if i now know it's a legal animal than boom, mission accomplished. i'm not picky on size anyway.

Yes.
But I've also just thought about nicer binos.
I also wouldn't spend $700 again on a spotter. That's a lot of money for something that really isn't that great.

 

[TOGIE]

Yes.
But I've also just thought about nicer binos.
I also wouldn't spend $700 again on a spotter. That's a lot of money for something that really isn't that great.

another way i'm viewing this discussion is pretend you don't have binos and you're a hunter. your budget only allows 350 dollars for binos.

is it better to not have binos cause you can't afford the pricey glass because everyone says you need the pricey glass? or to have 350 dollar binos?

but it's now obvious to me i'd get more out of better binos than a spotter. but i'm probably just never gonna go all out for spotting glass, unless i draw a sheep tag. even with a sheep tag it's 100% unnecessary to have pricey spotting glass to be successful.

so, let's say i have good binos and no spotter, but i still can't quite determine if that deer one basin over is a buck. so is it better to have the 500 dollar spotter or no spotter when it can determine if that deer one basin over is a buck or not? better to have it? or not have it because it's not the pricey glass?

 

[Don Fischer]

I wonder if hunting will ever be about hunting again or is it going to remain a program designed to rate equipment?

 

[TOGIE]

I wonder if hunting will ever be about hunting again or is it going to remain a program designed to rate equipment?

once you get off your arse and send me my spotter we can get back to hunting!

 

[Irrelevant]

another way i'm viewing this discussion is pretend you don't have binos and you're a hunter. your budget only allows 350 dollars for binos.

is it better to not have binos cause you can't afford the pricey glass because everyone says you need the pricey glass? or to have 350 dollar binos?

but it's now obvious to me i'd get more out of better binos than a spotter. but i'm probably just never gonna go all out for spotting glass, unless i draw a sheep tag. even with a sheep tag it's 100% unnecessary to have pricey spotting glass to be successful.

so, let's say i have good binos and no spotter, but i still can't quite determine if that deer one basin over is a buck. so is it better to have the 500 dollar spotter or no spotter when it can determine if that deer one basin over is a buck or not? better to have it? or not have it because it's not the pricey glass?

Right, but having $350 binos vs nothing opens up a ton of opportunity you may have not had. Vs if you have nice binos adding a budget spotter only helps you a small fraction of the time. Most of the time you'll regret bringing it, then eventually just won't bring it anymore.

I just posted the one time where a <1,000 spotter would have helped me. I then got it, and have found it's not all that useful and I still don't pack it very often.

 

[FREAK]

If your budget is $350, get these:

Bushnell 12x50 Engage Roof Prism Waterproof Binocular BEN1250, Color: Black, Prism System: Roof, 22% Off w/ Free S&H

Shop Bushnell 12x50 Engage Roof Prism Waterproof Binocular | 22% Off Be The First To Review Bushnell 12x50 Engage Roof Prism Waterproof Binocular + Free Shipping over $49.

shop.opticsplanet.com

 

[TOGIE]

I just posted the one time where a <1,000 spotter would have helped me. I then got it, and have found it's not all that useful and I still don't pack it very often.

good point/reminder.

back to topic. i kinda feel like for most my hunting my 10x42 diamondbacks are perfectly fine, and i'd find greater and broader benefit in getting some 12's.

 

[BackofBeyond]

I wonder if hunting will ever be about hunting again or is it going to remain a program designed to rate equipment?

he posts in a thread obviously talking about equipment, started in the "equipment talk" section.