Binos for CO elk hunting

[String Cutter]

What is a good Bino for under $150 to take elk hunting in CO ?? And What power will I need?

[Richie Nell]

String Cutter,
I got some Leupold Yosemite and love them.  $90 on **** right now.

[String Cutter]

Do I need the 6x30 or the 8x30 or something bigger?? I know nothing of binos.. At all???

[Richie Nell]

Mine are not larger than that.  They are not the little minitures or huge heavy ones.  They are really perfect in size.  I am one of those guys that can't fathom spending $600-800 on binos.  

Mine are in my truck right now but they are either 6 or 8 X 30 and I love them.  You also need to get those bino shoulder straps.  You can't even tell you have them on.  I wore mine everyday bowhunting this year as well.

[Elkchaser]

String Cutter,
G Fred Asbell has an article in this month's TBM that is all about optics. Pretty informative on the subject. I personally always have my 8 x 30 Swarovskis around my neck when out in the field hunting. I really love the size and weight for carrying all day and they draw good light early and late in the day. I got these glasses in a trade or would not have been able to invest the amount of dollars for these, but there are many great optics out there for less dollars. Just like bows, take the time to go try different models for fit and clarity. After using them all day, you'll be glad you have good glasses and not "freaked out" eyes from poor lenses. You'll be amazed at the differences in different binos. Good luck.

[ron w]

I like 8X30 Stieners, but what ever you get try to get the best you can afford.....it will pay off down the road.

[Kyle Lancaster]

Contact this TradGang sponsor. I'm pretty sure that he can help you out.

 http://www.elknut.com/

[JimmyC]

I just went through this myself, I have been shopping binocs hard the last month or so.  Ended up just placing an order for the Leupold 8x40HD Gold Ring from Cabela's which is having a tremendous sale on these right now.  Not cheap but less than half the price of Swaro's when all said and done AND for similar quality!

I'd say get a mid size bino (not compact) about 8x30 or 8x40 in your price range from Leupold and you can't go wrong.

Another resource is Mike at Eagleoptics.com,call and talk to him about it.  He will boil down a few good selections in your price range.  Eagle Optics is VERY helpful and provides great service.  I bought my last pair of binos there and would have again if the Cabela's deal (+ gift certificates from Christmas) weren't available.

[hunt it]

A used $300.00 pair for $150.00 will be better than new $150.00 pair.

[DesertDude]

Nikon Monarch....Used should be in your price range

[rightminded]

Go to a retail store where they will let you compare glass.  I agree on the 8X30s.  Many years ago i did as i just suggested.  I essentially borrowed the money and bought the Swaros.  Best decision i ever made.  Mine are the old black ones.  About five years ago i dropped them from a tree.  Sent them back to their repair facility and they realigned them free of charge.  That being said, try out all that you can and buy the best you can afford.

[coaster500]

"Desert Dude Nikon Monarch"  

Agree 100% best for the money hands down. New on sale mid 200's might find a good used pair for 150?

[Tater 2]

Take Kyle's advise and talk to Elknut.
  It will depend on the type of country you are hunting. If your glassing through the timber a decent pair of 8X30's is probably fine.
  If you are glassing from one Mountain across the valley to the opposite slope or from on top into the drainage below, you might want to go to a 10X42.
   Either way as stated above buy the best you can afford. When glassing for long periods of time is where the better quality optics really shine, it's hard to tell the difference when you pick up a $300.00 pair and spend 5 minutes looking through them and then pick up the $1200.00 pair and look for 5 minutes and you can't see $900.00 difference between them. When you spend a couple hours a day looking through them, your eyes will tell the difference.

[Herdbull]

If you buy new or used, make sure you test them before you go in cold wet conditions and see if they fog up on the inside. If they are new you should have a warranty. If used...well at least you know before you lug them up the mountains! Mike

[dnovo]

You have to look at good binos as an investment. Money spent vs years of service. I bought my Swarovskis back in 1990 and paid $350 for them. I had to put them in layaway for 3 months but I still use them everyday I hunt. There are some good brands out there for much less than the swaros, but a $150 set of binos may not last for a lifetime. By now I have paid $18 a yr to own mine.
I take 2 pair to CO. My 8x30's and my 10x42's. Different terrain will dictate which gets used more.

[T Sunstone]

Tommy,  I bought a pair of Leupold 6x30 last year ans used them on an elk hunt.  I think Cabela's sells them for $350 or $370 but I got them for $290 off an web site, if your interested I'll look it up.  These things are super in low light and all I need for eastern deer and elk if your not glassing miles.  I was wearing them under my shoulder so not to bounce but now have purchase the bino holders.  Here is a picture of me walking pasted a trail camera with them after hitting a 6x6 right in the shoulder.  They won't help you shoot straight though.

 

[amar911]

The most useful all around power and size of binoculars is about 8x30 (which I use to include 8x32). If you are sitting in one place and need to see better in very dim light, an 8x40 (also 8x42) is better. Even 6x30 (and 6x32) is enough for traditional bowhunting except in areas where you want to spot animals a long way off to keep from having to move a lot to see the animals like when you are in the high mountains or on big prairies. There a pair of 10x40 (or 10x42) binos will work better, and a spotting scope is nice to have too. They will save you a lot of riding/walking/climbing.

Good optics don't come cheap. No matter what anyone tells you, $150 won't buy you good quality optics when buying new unless you find some outrageously good sale. It isn't that a pair of $150 binos is bad or won't work, they just don't begin to compare with even mid-range quality binos, much less the top of the line models. Like David (hunt it) says, better to buy a used pair of $300 binos for $150 than than pay $150 for a new pair.

I would try to figure out how to get a nice pair of binos, even if I had to save up another year to get them, rather than buy cheap ones and then realize you pretty much wasted your money and wish you had waited to put it with some more money to buy a good pair. The Burris Signature Select 8x32 and the Leupold Katmai 8x32 are two good semi-compact binos that sometimes go on sale for less than $250 for the Burris and less than $300 for the Leupold. I like these models because they are smaller than the normal sized 8x30 (or 8x32) binos, are solidly constructed, have good glass and coatings, will last for as long as you do, and have good repair or replacement warranties. The Leupolds cost more but overall may be the better pair of binos, although optically both are pretty close. I bought the Burris binos for my wife, and they compare fairly well with higher cost binos other than the fact that they require more focus adjustment over varying distances. Having to adjust focus more when distances to the objects vary is a disadvantage to some extent but can also be an advantage when looking at objects where you want to blur the focus in front of or behind the object (like looking for animals in forested areas) or where you are looking at mirage waves for doping wind in long range rifle shooting. There are other good optics in the mid-price range too, and all of the high priced binos are good to excellent, as you would expect. Also, we all know that being unwilling to pay much results in not getting much. In the world of optics, $150 isn't much.

Allan

[wapitimike1]

There's a big difference in glass, it's just as Tater said. When you get out west you don't just scan you study. In the east it's close scanning, you look into thick brush. From my adventures out west you do the same at long distance. Cheap glass will fatigue your eye's very quickly. Company's don't charge the extra money just to increase profit. It's all about quality!

[jrstegner]

I would recomend getting at least 8X40's, nothing less. If you are going to be doing a lot of glassing the larger optics are more ergonomical, not to mention the wider field of view facilitates easier target acquisition. I have used six power bino's with the smaller objective, although fine for thick cover, I would not want to have to depend on them for field judging anything at a distance over 200 yards. I would advise spending at least $300 for a pair, and the 8X42's are probably the most versatile. Minox makes a good binocular that is in that price range. If you can spend $400 look into the Promaster and the Zen-Ray's, these have ED glass, which is amazing, and far superior to anything Nikon or Leopold makes in that price range.

[Nick559]

I had a bad eye injury a few years ago and found out through trial and error with almost all of the major brands what works best for me. Luckily, I stayed on the used market and avoided getting burned.

Quality glass means less or no eye fatigue and that translates into more viewing time and no headaches.  You get what you pay for in quality glass vs. mass market merchandise.  I had a pair of 16x Pentax and saw more details at a distance with 10x Leica's.

Leica, Zeiss and Swarovski are the top of the line.  Minox is a great bino for the money.  Minox is owned by Leica and for the money are a best buy.  You can Google them up and find close outs at great prices.  Shop around and keep track of the model numbers so you can compare evenly.  The Nikon  Monarch isn't bad for the money either.

Do you want to scope and spot with them or use them for closer distances?  Get 10x42 for longer range and 8x30 for all around.  The bigger the heavier but great glass weighs a lot.

The best thing to do is go to a dealer with a huge selection like Cabela's or Bass Pro.  Pick out something that is about twice the price you want to spend.  Then start looking for the model that was replaced by the one you picked out (last year's or earlier model).  Look on line at places like GunsAmerica, GunBroker, Archery sites, Camera sites and so on, for that replaced model.  You'll find what you want (sometimes still new in the box) at the price you want to spend or very close to it.

I settled on the Leica brand.  I recommended Minox to a friend and he bought them.  They are very close to the optical quality of mine for about a third of the price (although not as sturdy).  Used Minox are hard to find but are a bargain and a real find.

Do not buy anything used without looking through them first or with a specific return policy in your favor.  Go to Gun Shows and flea markets too.  You never know what you'll find.  Get familiar with the brands so you know what's good and what is not.

Good luck and good hunting.