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Medium Quality Bino's

Ttannahill14

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Joined
Jan 26, 2016
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316
Location
Central Kansas
Right now I use a pair of below average bushnells. Most of the hunting I do is in the midwest and Bino's aren't a huge priority. I have a Wyoming antelope hunt planned for fall 2016 and am planning to chase some elk fall 2017.

Basically, can I get away with using a $200 pair of bushnells during my wyoming antelope hunt? and then I would buy a super high quality pair for elk 2017.

I probably can't jusitfy financially right now dropping $1000 on a pair for the wyoming antelope hunt. Weddings and honeymoons are expensive and it's going to be an expensive summer!

So I could buy a $500 for antelope and then another $1000 pair for elk. But I would rather skip the medium quality if possible.

Let me know your thoughts.
 
Sure you can get away with it and I'd probably advise that.

I played the optics upgrade game for probably 4-5 pair of binos. For what i had spent on optics that were not satisfactory, I could have bout 2 pairs of swaros.
 
I would run what you have until you can spend $1k or what not. Antelope aren't hard to spot since they are white against a brown background and people miss spotting antelope because they don't check folds in the terrain rather than looking past them in the open.
 
I'd advise to use what you have for the antelope hunt unless you are after a trophy buck and want to be able to size them up the best you can before a long stalk. In which case you should probably have a good spotting scope anyway. For our first antelope hunts all we needed to know was if there was a buck in the herd or not. After viewing a lot of animals you will be able to tell a small one from a decent one even with cheap glass.
 
I know someone selling his used Vortex Razor HD's for $700, he upgraded to Swaro's. He's a member here so he may speak up in this thread :) I believe they are 10x42, all you will need to hunt lope or elk IMO.
 
Gosh that's a good deal. We're buying a home in 60 days or so I just can't spend money like that right now! This is the worst I hate growing up.
 
I own a pair of 8X42 Nikon Monarch , but bought some $500 Leupold thinking they would be better glass but I think the Nikon are superior. The Swaro's are good but question if they are worth the dollar for the average hunter.
 
Honestly, if you have 10x42's already I don't see the need to spend any money on new ones unless you just want a new pair. I recently went to Cabelas and looked at 5 pairs, Vortex, Swao and Leupold. I could hardly tell the difference between the $1700 Swaro versus the $160 Vortex.

Now I did this all indoors so maybe out at 600-1200 yards there is a difference, but IMO, not $1500 difference so middle of the road is the next best thing. In that range I liked the Vortex Viper HD's and if those are a little too much the Vortex Talon HD are cheaper, but seemed the same to me. Heck, I thought the Diamondbacks were good and they were $160 bucks. All 10x42.
 
Unless you are adding up inches, you could get by with your other binos. Antelope are easy to spot, even with the naked eye. The good optics come in when you are judging them. But for a first time lope hunter, you'll probably blast the first one you see that looks like a decent buck.
 
Unless you are adding up inches, you could get by with your other binos. Antelope are easy to spot, even with the naked eye. The good optics come in when you are judging them. But for a first time lope hunter, you'll probably blast the first one you see that looks like a decent buck.
Spotting antelope, especially in some of the CRP areas, is a lot tougher than you think. mtmuley
 
In my opinion the theron questa would serve you well on both hunts. Used mine for extended periods of time on my mule deer hunt last fall. May not be swaro but they are close enough for my hunting. One week every other year is hard to justify top end equipment all the time.
 
Man, I know your checking/savings account isn't going to like this answer... figure out what the absolute best optics (with tons of great reviews) you can afford, and then figure out how to buy the next step better. TimeOnTarget and mtmiller are spot-on!
 
Spotting antelope, especially in some of the CRP areas, is a lot tougher than you think. mtmuley



I've killed a few in CRP. It was tall enough north of Chinook one year that I was able to crawl within 70 yards of this buck. He wasn't real thick but was the longest buck to come through the check station the first couple weeks of '08.

I still dont think expensive binos are required for a first time antelope hunt.
 

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Thanks for the input guys. And yes, I will probably pull the trigger on the first buck I see so measuring antlers through my binos isn't a requirement for this hunt. Looks like I'll be saving and dropping a grand about a year from now. Can't wait to eat him and but any buck on my wall will be an incredible trip and first antelope hunt.
 
If you think you can afford some better glass next year, and this year you aren't too concerned whether your antelope is 68in vs 70; just wait until next year.

I have also done the binocular shuffle (defying the logic of those mush wiser than me), and now I am the guy who just upgraded to Swaro ELs (the Razors may hit the street soon, a buddy has first dibs). When you are on a hunt that requires hours of glassing and being able to pick out an ear or an antler tip, I would much rather have a $500 rifle and $2000 binos, than the other way around.

I have owned 5 pairs of binos in the last 10 years, now I have the best, but maybe that process is necessary to really appreciate the good ones.
 

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