8X or 10 X binos for sheep hunting?

[Ltbullken]

I'm curious about what sheep hunters are using for binos. What's your preference, what has experience taught you? go...

[keoke]

Im not a sheep hunter but if i was packing a spotting scope i would lean towards the 8x for a wider field of view.

[hunter1947]

10x for me

[Ride Red]

I'm still a sheep virgin after close to 40 years of hunting, but my preference is 10 power over 8. I found that 8 power didn't give me enough detail for distance and found that the field of view difference was minimal. I'd actually like to try 12 power if they came in a mid weight package. Sheep are on my bucket list though.

[todbartell]

10x42 Vortex Razors

[Ferenc]

I have two Zeiss b/gat... One is the 8x30. The other 10x40... I know.. They are old school.. But as I get older I find myself grabbing for the 10x40s more and more
and in experience there's lots of eye /brain deferences found in us humans then in binoculars

[NorBC]

Also a virgin sheep hunter, but goats taught me 10x for sure. Also I'm revising all my optics, and gear for sheep hunting. I'm over 50mm I'm going for 40mm and under.. The smaller the lighter! The lighter the more ground you can cover, the more ground you cover, the more dead rams!

[Rackmastr]

10x for me....but first choice would be quality over magnification if I HAD to choose...

[Lucky77_]

10x42 for me

[nicktrehearne]

10x for sure. The extra little bit really helps at longer distances.

[Bugle M In]

10x by 42 or 50 (if you can carry it?)

[zippermouth]

not a sheep hunter, or haven't done any sheep specific hunts just yet. I use a 10x42 bino. I find with 8x they just don't give me the magnification at longer ranges. it is a fair bit easier picking deer up at 1000 yards with a 10x bino than an 8x. you have to factor in when hunting sheep you are in open country for the most part. the more magnification the better when you start looking a few drainages over. I also like my binos for hunting the timber, sure they don't have as big of field of view as an 8x but hunting the timber I rarely use my binos to spot things. just to judge once I see something, or to confirm i'm seeing an animal part not just a stick. like most people I can only afford one pair of binos, so I had to make a call on what is the best all around. pretty happy with the choice I made, and combined with a spotter you have all the tools you need.

[chilko]

Birders are even more reliant on optics than hunters. The Cornell lab reviews every few years of every bino out there seem to indicate that for the absolute in optical excellence 8 power binos just edge 10 power binos from the same manufacturer.i went with 8.5 x42 and am very pleased with them.

[kayjayess]

I use the Swarovski El Range 10x42 Rangefinding Binocularfor sheep hunting. Used Zeiss 8 by 30s before. Granted the lightweight is nice but will never go back.

[srupp]

Hmmm 8x less eye strain with handheld shake...better for long hours..again qualitu swaro 8x 42..
When ya want to check detail hd swaro spotting scope 20...60 x hd..
We were talking sheep hunting...dont go without quality optics...including 65 mm spotting scope..
Steven

[Skull Hunter]

I went from 10x Burris binos to 8x Saro's I'd take the 8x over the 10x any day no matter what I'm hunting. While I would have preferred 10x in my Swaro's I didn't have that choice as I got a screaming deal and the 8x were the last pair left.

As other have said, the quality of the glass is more important than the 2x difference in magnification.

[Ron.C]

10's for me when goat hunting.

[huckleberry]

10 X 50 Bausch and Lomb bought in the 70's. Heavy now, but worth the weight when I was an active sheep hunter. Helped me find my "poor man's grand slam"

[ryanb]

10 is better when you're not carrying a spotting scope. 8 is much nicer for long hours of glassing when you have your spotting scope right there for close ups when needed.

[Ambush]

If you are talking sheep or goat then 10X is the way to go.

For deer, elk, or moose, I think the edge is with the 8X or 8.5X in the same 40 - 42 exit.

I've been using 10X32 EL's for a number of years and really like them for the mountains and I use them for all my hunting. If I was just going to hunt the bush, I think I'd get 8X32's maybe even 6X30's. But I only bow hunt so "close" may be different for me than you. If I was not going to have a spotting scope then 10X for sure.

[MBOGO]

10x42 Leica ultravid. For everything

[knightcc]

8X42s. I have trouble holding 10x steady. Carry a spotter with you.

[RoverHound]

Interested to hear this one out. I have 12x and find they bounce quite a bit. Guess a more comprehensive harness like the Sitka/kuiu ones would help.

[srupp]

Hmmm post started out sheep hunting? Imo shouldnt be without spotting scope...the 8x quality bino will allow longer glassing...
Cheers
Srupp
Be best

[OutWest]

10x42 for me and can glass all day no problem. I would rather the greater magnification than larger fov as I pick apart the hillside systematically after a quick scan.

[Elkchaser]

Been thru this debate for myself. Questioned a bunch of guides that spend hours classing. Quality 8's ($800+) for everything. Question then has to be what's the best scope vs cost out there. Sheep hunt without quality scope (that day) resulted in no sheep for me. Probably the toughest expense decision on non-motorized gear us average hunters have to make. Get quality somewhat compact 8's and a good spotting scope. My 2 cents.

[Krico]

8.5x42 Minox HG, I prefer 8x for a steadier view, and better low light performance. I spend as much or more time behind my Swarovski 20-60x65 spotter while sheep hunting. I find this combo best for ME.

[tangozulu]

Shot most of my rams after locating with 6x20 Zeis compacts. I always pack a scope . Now prefer 8x over 10 due to eye strain. 10 only works for me if there Swaro's, something way out of my price range

[primmed99]

http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=5238&stc=1
8x a bit lighter to pack and as stated less eye strain, quality over power is key. You can glass a hill side all day with a low quality 10x and see nothing, throw the swaro 8x up to your eyes and the hill side is crawling. Of course any hardcore sheep guy is gonna carry a spotter, I have shot a few rams and can say non where judged with my bino's all where watched with the spotter for along time before the trigger was pulled

[Ferenc]

Nice rams... Bet you remember each and every hunt as if it happened yesterday !

[mikeboehm]

Get the swarovision 10x32. There light and have a bigger FOV than most 8x42 and 10x42. Expensive but worth it

[Ltbullken]

Yf
Hmmm 8x less eye strain with handheld shake...better for long hours..again qualitu swaro 8x 42..
When ya want to check detail hd swaro spotting scope 20...60 x hd..
We were talking sheep hunting...dont go without quality optics...including 65 mm spotting scope..
Steven

For sure. Already have access to a quality spotting scope. I'm thinking about a new set of binos as I wasn't really happy with my 8 x 42.

[srupp]

Hmmm yes they do, however theydo not spend 10 hrs a day looking for a trophy human..lol they eat rest sleep travel.. .
Put your spotting scope at 20x..glass for a bit..then crank it to 60x notice every minute shake is amplified..and thats on a tripod.
Same difference from 8x to 10 power...and you can glass 10 hrs dsy for 14 days and bot have movement? Tremors...blood and bone, mne4ves and tendons ligiments..we al shake t8o various degrees.pretty good spotter, d8nt mind 10 hr days..been doing this since late teens..58 now wouldnt care to guess how many years spent behind binos and spötting scope...especially glad for spotting xscopes
Srupp

[snareman1234]

8.5 x 42 swarovision for me. Nice to glass with and if I need extra distance I might as well put the 4lb 20-60x swaro spotter to work that I carry around. 2 rams fell victim to that logic this year.

[Quesnel Kid]

Also a virgin sheep hunter, but goats taught me 10x for sure. Also I'm revising all my optics, and gear for sheep hunting. I'm over 50mm I'm going for 40mm and under.. The smaller the lighter! The lighter the more ground you can cover, the more ground you cover, the more dead rams!

I generally abide by this, but experience has taught me not to save weight with your optics. Look else where like your food, sleeping system,or the extra 5 lbs your are carrying around on your gut ;). If your going to be carrying a spotter carry one that will do you some good, the small compact just don't cut it IMHO. Binocs go with the 10x with a the best weight to field of view you can find. Just my 2 cents. QK

[sheep hunter]

I recently purchased a pair of swarovski 15 x 56 that i use on a tripod, they work very well for certain applications . I still use my 10 x 42 EL and spotter for other applications

[Argali]

Is there a difference between Swaro EL 10x42 and the Swarovision 10x42? Do all EL models have Swarovision? I sometimes see "EL" and "Swarovision" interchanged and am not sure what the difference is or if there is a difference.

Also, how is the range finder on the Swaro EL Range models? It would be nice to not have a separate range finder. Are the optics similar to EL (or Swarovision)?

[srupp]

Hmmm Kiss principle..get the best optics..then the best rangefinder..rangefinder fails..4 months to Europe and return.. binos rarely fail add a bunch of electronics..
Steven

[Ltbullken]

I probably could've done a poll with this topic!

So far, 10X has 15 recommendations and 8X has 10. Themes seem to be to be mostly about acquiring get good quality 8X optics which will save on eye strain. 10X works better for old eyes and the sheep/goat hunters appear to really lean towards this. There is a comment that guides tend to gravitate towards good quality 8x. And make sure you have a good quality spotting scope (which I do). Great comments so far. Look forward to more.

[Bugle M In]

if you don't mind a little extra gear...bog pods make a nice tripod, for shooting, and an adapter for bino, that make them work like a spotting scope.

[pg83]

It's all a matter of personal preference, but at the end of the day you should take whichever pair you have that is better quality. Weight vs. field of view vs. size etc...

[ellenbill]

Cannon image stabilizers.google them. You won't be disappointed push the button and all the shake and jitters are gone. My son and I have had them for 6 years now out in all kinds of weather and never a problem.

[Lastcar]

I am planning on a sheep hunt for 2016. So I have been following this thread closely but not sure if this adds much for you LtBulken. But here comes my ramblings. :)

As a guy relatively new to all this stuff, just ended my first season with 30 days of ungulate and bear hunting, a ton of snowshoe hare and grouse days and about 7 duck days. So while light on experience, I did a ton of research and asked everyone I knew.

Got as close to right as I could I think. Not textbook right, but based on the storm of information I gathered and tried to process.

Didn't want to go nuts on the spending in case I didn't fall in love with hunting.

I ended up with:

Leupold BX4 8x42 for binos - very much for the reasons SRupp mentions I chose 8x. Shakes, ability to use them longer without fatigue etc. They are great so far. For fear of getting flamed by some...Vortex Razor HDs are at the front of the list for upgrades.

Vortex Nomad 20-60x60mm - bought used on here and has been great. But will be replaced by something before the sheep hunt...again likely with the Razor HD 16-48 x 65. Probably wont see much time in the pack now because of the next item...so should probably just sell it sooner than later.

Vortex Razor HD 11-33x50mm - wanted something smaller and lighter for the backpack hunts and long day hunts where I don't need to see a ton of detail over long distances to have the certainty about an animal before I make a move on it.

I've poured through damn near every thread on this forum in the last 18 months. A few things I have learned for sure:

Jelvis is different than you and I. And the guy next to you and the guy next to him...unless that guy is Jelvis.

Optics, buy once cry once. Didn't get this perfect but set myself up with some pretty darn good stuff that I may just live with or at least can get a reasonable amount back on when it comes time to sell. Everything (even the brand new binos and smaller spotting scope) was bought at a pretty stellar price making that easier.

When it comes to sheep hunting, one only has to read the thread from 2011 about the 7.5 year old/8.5 year old ram shot in the Spences Bridge area to understand how hard aging/determining a shooter is when it comes to the curl and annuli. Sure learned you can take a hunt of a lifetime and turn it into a nightmare in a hurry. Or at the very least a long time to think about what if...

Anyways, no idea how this contributes but once it all rolled out of my head onto the screen I figured you guys are stuck with it. ;-)

Oh ya...and I fell head over heels in love with hunting. Love every minute in the mountains. Even the -25 days at the end of the season. Trying to not regret waiting until 40 to have finally started.

[Seeker]

one more for 8x, any hand shake at all and the 10x amplifies it. Good glass the key.

[Citori54]

I have a set of 8x42 Zeiss Victory binos. I went with the 8x for the reasons noted by some.....at my age I could not hold the 10x steady enough. With the clarity in top quality glass it is amazing how much the shake shows up. The extra power is of no benefit if you can't hold the image still.

[plumberjustin]

I've never hunted for sheep or goats, but never leave the house without my 10 x 50's. I find the extra ounces on slightly larger optics to be negligible at best.

[zippermouth]

what I'm gathering from this thread, is go and try a bunch of 10x and 8x, and pick your poison.

[Ridge-Runner]

8.5x42 for me, glass longer, less hand shake, big field of view, better in low light conditions, in earlier morning or late evening.


The detail in a high quality 8x is so much better than a mediocre 10x. As far as I'm concerned my field glasses are the most important tool I have hunting, I feel purchasing the best you can is an asset.

Let your eyes do the walking and when you feel you have glassed everything, glass it all again.......

Cheers, RR

[ACB]

If you are packing a spotting scope 7x or 8x bino's is plenty, use the bino's for spotting the sheep and the spotting scope to see if they are what you are looking for.

[kootenaycarver]

I have used 10x40 Zeiss for the last 25 years, and like them a lot.