Binoculars, What do I want?

[RobD]

Looking for some all purpose binoculars... Would want them to be decent for hunting. Do I want fixed, or variable? What's the best bang for the buck?

[Ironbear]

What's the best bang for the buck?

In MN, anything centerfire over .22 caliber...

[Pinnacle]

I would buy the best glass that I could afford in a fixed 8X or 10X configuration - and not full sized binocs - there are some semi-compact models out there that offer shocking performance.

Nikon makes some good stuff for the $$ as well as Burris.... Leupold is waaaay too much $$ for what you are getting - and Swarovski is AWESOME but $800++++ for a small pair of 8x32mm's

[Squib Joe]

I have a number of dealer sample Brunton scopes all running about half of MSRP

Eternas, Epochs, and Echos

http://www.brunton.com/catalog.php?subcat=1

[justaguy]

Zeiss or Leica X10 range finding binoculars.

http://www.cameralandny.com/

[monschman]

i have never needed bins anywhere in mn. I have the philosophy of take as little out with you as you can get away with. the scope on the gun is generally more than sufficient to pick out whatever you need, just dont go looking at the other hunters with it

[cobb]

I have Pentax DCF WP II 8X42 and have been extremely happy with them. I have taken them on hunts out west and guys using the cheaper 10X and 12X thought these 8X showed more detail to pick things out, even though mine was of less magnification than theirs. The one rule I followed was that the power multiplied by 5 should not be larger than the glass, this is for the best light gathering. So 8 power, times 5 equals 40 and the glass in mine is 42. From what I understand, if you have some 10X40, that they would be poor in low light situations.

[selurcspi]

Divide the Objective lens size (in mm) by the magnification (Zx) if the result is 7 or higher you will have sufficient light gathering capability for dawn and dusk target identification. [50mm / 7x = 7.14]
Of course it also helps to have precision ground silver crystal lenses and nitrogen filled bodies!

[1911fan]

best combo of value vs cost I have seen are the Steiner 8x30 military and marine THE BEST under $200 glasses there is.

[cobb]

Divide the Objective lens size (in mm) by the magnification (Zx) if the result is 7 or higher you will have sufficient light gathering capability for dawn and dusk target identification. [50mm / 7x = 7.14]
Of course it also helps to have precision ground silver crystal lenses and nitrogen filled bodies!

I stand corrected, I think........

[selurcspi]

Sorry Cobb, I didn't mean to be a pain, but in Germany you need to be able to judge a deer and a class A, B, C or D and grade 1, 2 or 3 as well as how old it is so you need really good glasses of a reasonable weight. You will lose your hunting PRIVILIGES if you shoot a 1A, 2A, or a 1B which will become an A.
If the Forstmeister tells you to go and shoot a 4 year old 2C Bock in whatever area, you'd better not come back with anything else.

[SAM]

Sorry Cobb, I didn't mean to be a pain, but in Germany you need to be able to judge a deer and a class A, B, C or D and grade 1, 2 or 3 as well as how old it is so you need really good glasses of a reasonable weight. You will lose your hunting PRIVILIGES if you shoot a 1A, 2A, or a 1B which will become an A.
If the Forstmeister tells you to go and shoot a 4 year old 2C Bock in whatever area, you'd better not come back with anything else.

Just one more reason I'm not planning a hunt in The Homeland.

[Pat]

Sorry Cobb, I didn't mean to be a pain, but in Germany you need to be able to judge a deer and a class A, B, C or D and grade 1, 2 or 3 as well as how old it is so you need really good glasses of a reasonable weight. You will lose your hunting PRIVILIGES if you shoot a 1A, 2A, or a 1B which will become an A.
If the Forstmeister tells you to go and shoot a 4 year old 2C Bock in whatever area, you'd better not come back with anything else.

Yup. Hunting is not so much a sport as it is a profession. But you can get venison and wild pork on any restaurant menu - and it's really good!

[westhope]

What selurcspi says.

Get yourself a pair of 7 x 50 binoculars. The more you pay the better the glass generally. When selecting, look for sharpness, brightness (best done early or late in the day) and look for these two things completely out to the the edges of the lenses, not just in the center. Also, be outdoors, not using indoor light when selecting them. There is a difference.

That said, the pair I use the most, is a pair of Bushnell 7 x 40 mm I bought years ago. Small easy to carry but really, really sharp. 7 x is all the magnification you need for a hand held device. They were expensive when I bought them 35 years ago, but the glass is excellent in them. Glass quality is what you are looking for. Things will just be a lot sharper with good glass. Larger lenses will somewhat make up for poor glass.

[cobb]

Sorry Cobb, I didn't mean to be a pain, but in Germany you need to be able to judge a deer and a class A, B, C or D and grade 1, 2 or 3 as well as how old it is so you need really good glasses of a reasonable weight. You will lose your hunting PRIVILIGES if you shoot a 1A, 2A, or a 1B which will become an A.
If the Forstmeister tells you to go and shoot a 4 year old 2C Bock in whatever area, you'd better not come back with anything else.

No sorry, but thanks for the info.