Vortex Solo 8x32 Monocular

[PeteA]

I recently posted a Binocular Recommendation post. Switching gears a bit and wanted to see if anyone out there Has experience with this monocular or others. Pro, cons, etc. My hunting buddy raves about his but I have not used it. And will not be seeing him for a while to give it a test drive. A the lead sentence suggests I was originally in the market for a good pair of binoculars. Upon purchasing Leupolds 6x30s I'm concerned about the size and weight. Bigger then I thought.

Again I'm a hard woods southern zone NY hunter looking to pick apart some dense woods and thickets. Maybe a few fields mixed in.

So let's hear what you got boys!

[awbowman]

I don't like the lack of steadiness you get with a monocular (at least I shake too much).  The Vortex 8X32 compacts I have are hard enough to hold steady, although easily manageable and great for seeing things in thick stuff.  There only downfall is that if you're really into "judging" an animal you need to be steady and then the bigger the better.  I trade the fine judging for lightweight and compactness any day.

Just my thoughts but I'd try a monocular before I bought them.

[GRAYBEARD]

I tried a Pentax monocular for a while but I felt the field of view was quite limiting. Like you, the binos got in the way until I started wearing them over one shoulder and letting them ride under the other arm.

[ChuckC]

I myself do not like any monocular vision device, be it a monocular, a telescope, a spotting scope or a microscope.  I have two eyes and my brain likes to take in data from both of them.

ChuckC

[DeCurry]

I have the Vortex Solo 8x25 monocular. Used it quite a bit for a couple seasons when bow hunting or stalking with my Marlin 336. Still keep it around as a backup.

It really boils down to your needs. If you want better field-of-view and slightly better clarity, then binoculars are the way to go. If you want convenience, the monocular is great.

I liked that the monocular was lightweight and got out of the way but was there when I needed it. I wasn't trying to identify targets at 100's of yards, I was stalking thick brush and small fields, bow in hand at all times. I found it easier than dealing with a pair of binos in these situations.

I would say I found the monocular slightly easier to hold steady than a pair of binos, particularly if you factor in holding with one hand. I can rarely get a decent view with binos when trying to hold them one-handed, I almost always have to steady against something or use my off-hand.

For my monocular, I got a gear retractor, a sturdy clip on gizmo with a retractable wire built-in to it (maxpedition has these); I then attached this to one of my backpack straps and the cable to the monocular. The monocular was out of the way off to one side of my chest; I could then reach up, grab it, pull to extract the cable, take a quick look, retract the cable to go back to where it was. It had a quick disconnect also for times where I didn't want the backpack with me.

(FYI, the case Vortex provides, at least for the 8x25, is nice and has a snap-on belt clip, BUT it uses velcro to secure the flap that holds the monocular in the case -- it's very loud when opening, so I don't recommend using it for hunting.)

[snowplow]

I just got the 10x36 and think it's great so far. I really wanted the 8x36 but had a gift card I had to use at cabelas and for some reason they dont stock and cant get the 8x36.

When bear hunting with a rifle I could see running binoculars for extended periods of glassing. But for deer hunting I find that 99% of the time when I glass something its just a short 20 second identifier. I do not feel the need for another set of lenses when put in context of how I use it. I figure you get a great optic, half the weight, less than half the cost.

[German Dog]

I've got the Vortex 8x25 monocular and would trade ya in a heart beat for those leupold 6x30's  

The vortex has super clear glass but I just don't like the feel of them and cant hold them steady enough with one hand.