Bino's

[358mag]

Buddy looking to spend $500-$800 range on a decent 10x42 Binos , he's not a sheep hunter . Any good recommendations ?

[jac]

The maven C1 are really good for the money

[butcher]

Find some used Vortex Diamondback. Pretty reliable. Usually can find a pair for $250ish

[KodiakHntr]

Used Zeiss Conquests come up occasionally around $800. Zeiss Terra’s will be in that range new.

[butcher]

Pair of 10x50 Vortex Viper on gunnutz right now for $700

[whitlers]

Picked up my Razors for $750 a few years back. There can be some good used deals to be had. I second the above about the Zeiss Conquest used. The Terras arent bad either for a lower price point.

[Wentrot]

viper HDs can be found for 5-600 and are great binoculars for the price.

[twoSevenO]

viper HDs can be found for 5-600 and are great binoculars for the price.

Yup, in that price range, i would also get Vortex Viper HD.

I see that amazon.ca has them for $670 CAD

[Ohwildwon]

Best bang for the buck right here...

Leupold® BX-4 Pro Guide 10x42 Binoculars
https://www.cabelas.com/product/hunting/optics/binoculars/pc/104791680/c/104752080/sc/104217480/leupold-bx-pg-binoculars/2558661.uts?slotId=9

[IslandWanderer]

Monarch 5's are great and in that price range.

[HighCountryBC]

In that price range I'd be looking at the Zeiss Terra's in 10x42. Ohwildwon mentioned the Leupold BX-4 Pro Guide's and I agree with him on that. Picked up a pair for my wife and they are solid.

When you hear someone recommend Vortex, run. Run away as fast as you can.

[Wentrot]

In that price range I'd be looking at the Zeiss Terra's in 10x42. Ohwildwon mentioned the Leupold BX-4 Pro Guide's and I agree with him on that. Picked up a pair for my wife and they are solid.

When you hear someone recommend Vortex, run. Run away as fast as you can.

maybe true for the diamondbacks but I ran a pair of vipers for a good while before moving to razors with no issues, my hunting partner has been using his vipers now for several seasons, zero issues. Why run away from something that works so well?

[sjdb243]

2nd the Nikons, they are awesome and punch way above their price tag as far as optical quality. They have been on sale here and there and shops are reducing their inventory now they wont make rifle scopes

[boxhitch]

Check out Omars advert on here for a deal on Leica Trinovids

Why 10x ?

[downsouth204]

https://www.greatnorthprecision.com/Vortex-Viper-HD-NEW-2018?quantity=1&custcol25=87

[Sportster]

Tell your buddy to save for a bit longer, and then buy a pair of Nikon laserforce rangefinder binoculars, 10x42. Can't describe how nice these binoculars are. Best hunting equipment investment I've made in many years. They come on sale a couple of times a year at cabelas for about $1100.00 bucks. Worth every penny IMO.

[Bugle M In]

Also, try looking on Craigslist or call local gun shops.
My buddy picked up a awesome Swaroski Bino, used, but in mint shape, for a decent price (think he paid 800.00).
Remember, most of those brands, i am fairly sure, like Zeiss have lifetime warranty on them.

I did buy Terras off of CL, but find they have, or have become, yellow tinted, and the glass aint that sharp.
Have friends with Nikons, that are decent glass, and great warranty.

[madcalfe]

i 2nd vortex diamondbacks. im on year 5 with them and for the price there pretty good. they've been on 2 goat/ sheep hunts and i haven't had any issues or thinking i needed better binos. but i also run a leica spotter when i really wanna see something upclose.

[KBC]

Look at Nikons with that budget. I run the Monarch 5 10x42s. When I bought them I had the budget for Vortex Viper HDs but the cheaper Monarch 5s looked better. They are definitely better than the diamondbacks. They go on sale regularly at Cabelas for about $400. You could get some monarch 7s for that budget. That being said I am saving for a pair from the big guys...

[rageous]

I sold my 8x42 vortex razors after looking through bushnell legend Ultra HD. I couldnt see any noticeable difference.
Sold my razors for $850. Bought bushnell Legend ultra HD nib off cgn for $180.

check out their reviews.

[twoSevenO]

I sold my 8x42 vortex razors after looking through bushnell legend Ultra HD. I couldnt see any noticeable difference.
Sold my razors for $850. Bought bushnell Legend ultra HD nib off cgn for $180.

check out their reviews.

Not everyone has shit eyes, bud

Jk. Lol

[twoSevenO]

maybe true for the diamondbacks but I ran a pair of vipers for a good while before moving to razors with no issues, my hunting partner has been using his vipers now for several seasons, zero issues. Why run away from something that works so well?

Because people like him like to spread misinformation. They often have no proof of a product being a failure, yet they develop a hate for it because it's made in China.

But Leopold scopes with glass made all in china are ok.

Two of their buddies have a problem and suddenly the brand sucks. People forget that Vortex is in hands of more hunters than any premium brand, so of course you will hear of more failures.

A simple search on this site will show people looking for contact info on the warranty department for Leica, Swarovski and Zeiss. Nothing is immune to failure.

[358mag]

Thanks all the great info , lots of options and opinions .

[korey09]

Bushnell Elite 10x42 are great binos for price. Ran them for many years before upgrading. Great warranty as well!

[Markjames]

Agree with the Leupold bx-4. Best glass in that price range. Have had all the brands. Don’t even waste your money on the vipers. In Low light u might as well have a welding mask.

[HighCountryBC]

Because people like him like to spread misinformation. They often have no proof of a product being a failure, yet they develop a hate for it because it's made in China.

But Leopold scopes with glass made all in china are ok.

Two of their buddies have a problem and suddenly the brand sucks. People forget that Vortex is in hands of more hunters than any premium brand, so of course you will hear of more failures.

A simple search on this site will show people looking for contact info on the warranty department for Leica, Swarovski and Zeiss. Nothing is immune to failure.

No misinformation there. It's inferior glass compared to Leupold and especially Zeiss, even their mid-class unit. Vortex has done a good job of advertising to the common hunter. That doesn't change what it is.

When someone has the means to spend what the OP said he does, why would you recommend a second tier product?

[Frank grimes]

Bushnell Elite 10x42 are great binos for price. Ran them for many years before upgrading. Great warranty as well!
I have these as well. To my eyes they are as good or better then anything in their price range. Haven’t had to use warranty yet. I did on some trophy binos and it was a smooth fast process.

[tadpole]

The best warranty is the one you don't have to use.

[whitlers]

The best warranty is the one you don't have to use.

Everything breaks at some point. Though I tend to agree I would also rather have a hassle free warranty on my side.

[twoSevenO]

No misinformation there. It's inferior glass compared to Leupold and especially Zeiss, even their mid-class unit. Vortex has done a good job of advertising to the common hunter. That doesn't change what it is.

When someone has the means to spend what the OP said he does, why would you recommend a second tier product?


- Do you have some proof that $600 binoculars from Vortex are inferior to $600 from another brand?
- Have you done some tests here where vortex repeatedly came in last?
- Do you have information on which Chinese factory supplies Vortex their glass and which Chinese factory supplies Leupold theirs?
- Do you have any credible publications on this that you can point us to at all?

Do you have anything more substantial other than you know 4 guys that had vortex and they hate it?

Just because Zeiss offers a Terra model in the $600 range does not mean it is automatically the best choice. I actually own the Zeiss Terra ED. They are fine, but they do come with a blue emblem surcharge.

[Bugle M In]

The best warranty is the one you don't have to use.

Amen to that!!!

Nothing worse than being deep in the backcountry, and either your binos, or even worse, your scope has suddenly begun to fog up.
Have Zeiss Conquest 10x40, and ended up having them fog up suddenly last season. (no drops, no mishandling, like new and pocked in the badlands case).
Had my dad blow out a bull elk, that came into range for me, lifted rifle, and all I had was fog (2nd day of 10 day hunt...an old Redfield scope).

So yes, warranty is great, and zeiss was great with my binos.
Can not say the same with a scope from Burris. (original signature was awesome and did take a beating until it fogged up, 20+ years old)
Spent a small fortune on it, back in the day, but anyways, burris could not fix, but handed me a replacement, their bottom of the line!!!
When mine was "top of the line"!!! and had "lifetime" warranty.
So, Burris sucks in my books now (original was made in the USA, and was a tank, and held zero for all the years it was mounted, never needed to be adjusted)
New ones are crap, and I went from being a huge Burris supported, to I cant stand them now. (due to the way they dealt with me and their warranty)

So yes, not needing to use warranty is the best.
Doesn't ruin your hunting trip, and doesn't ruin your faith in the company you purchased from.

[NMO]

To the OP - our eyes are all different. Manufacturers use different lens coatings, often even across their own lines, and the best way to determine what will work for him is to have him look through a variety of different binos. Preferably in lower light and outside. You should be able to find a shop that will let you do this.


- Do you have some proof that $600 binoculars from Vortex are inferior to $600 from another brand?
- Have you done some tests here where vortex repeatedly came in last?
- Do you have information on which Chinese factory supplies Vortex their glass and which Chinese factory supplies Leupold theirs?
- Do you have any credible publications on this that you can point us to at all?

Do you have anything more substantial other than you know 4 guys that had vortex and they hate it?

Just because Zeiss offers a Terra model in the $600 range does not mean it is automatically the best choice. I actually own the Zeiss Terra ED. They are fine, but they do come with a blue emblem surcharge.

I've seen more vortex products fail in the field than probably all other manufacturers combined. Perhaps this is skewed by seeing guides/wranglers with mid-range optics using them daily for months out of the year, but that's my experience. It's always been issues with build quality vs glass clarity for what it's worth. IMO, they have an attractive price and push their no questions asked warranty hard for a reason. That said everything will fail eventually - Just had the eyepiece from my swaro spotter in for warranty as it had "water drops" in between the lens - but some will fail more often and sooner.

[Bugle M In]

I know a local gun store that does sell vortex.
But, they did so because so many folks are looking to buy vortex.
However, its something they felt they had to do, to keep sales up.
It "was not" that they really wanted to and refused to for quite some time before caving in.
Privately, they recommend "other binos or scopes".
Take it for what you want, but it is what it is.

[Darksith]

Find some used Vortex Diamondback. Pretty reliable. Usually can find a pair for $250ish
ffs lol...

[Darksith]

Also, try looking on Craigslist or call local gun shops.
My buddy picked up a awesome Swaroski Bino, used, but in mint shape, for a decent price (think he paid 800.00).
Remember, most of those brands, i am fairly sure, like Zeiss have lifetime warranty on them.

I did buy Terras off of CL, but find they have, or have become, yellow tinted, and the glass aint that sharp.
Have friends with Nikons, that are decent glass, and great warranty.

wow if you can find used mint swaro for under $1500, especially from a store...

[twoSevenO]

To the OP - our eyes are all different. Manufacturers use different lens coatings, often even across their own lines, and the best way to determine what will work for him is to have him look through a variety of different binos. Preferably in lower light and outside. You should be able to find a shop that will let you do this.



I've seen more vortex products fail in the field than probably all other manufacturers combined. Perhaps this is skewed by seeing guides/wranglers with mid-range optics using them daily for months out of the year, but that's my experience. It's always been issues with build quality vs glass clarity for what it's worth. IMO, they have an attractive price and push their no questions asked warranty hard for a reason. That said everything will fail eventually - Just had the eyepiece from my swaro spotter in for warranty as it had "water drops" in between the lens - but some will fail more often and sooner.


well, mid range optics being used daily, for months, by guides is about as tough on gear as it gets.
The thing to consider also is that more products you have in the field, more failures you will notice.

I've heard people say, "Oh i've seen only one Leica bino fail in the field and a dozen vortex"

Well yes, but how many people in the field did you see using Leica in total? 10? How about Vortex? A thousand?

I'm not saying vortex is great. I'm just of the opinion their products are good for the price

Tons of them in the field. There will be lots of failures, of course.

[Bugle M In]

wow if you can find used mint swaro for under $1500, especially from a store...

Same store, I picked up a rifle an owner was selling there.
Not one shot thru it, picked it up for less than half.
700.00 cash, on a 1500.00$ + tax rifle.

[Astepanuk]

I personally have fully switched to a combo Bino/rangefinder I was sick of carrying two units.

[whitlers]

well, mid range optics being used daily, for months, by guides is about as tough on gear as it gets.
The thing to consider also is that more products you have in the field, more failures you will notice.

I've heard people say, "Oh i've seen only one Leica bino fail in the field and a dozen vortex"

Well yes, but how many people in the field did you see using Leica in total? 10? How about Vortex? A thousand?

I'm not saying vortex is great. I'm just of the opinion their products are good for the price

Tons of them in the field. There will be lots of failures, of course.

I would have to agree with that point of view. You make a good point about the ratio of "alpha" glass to mid level optics. That being said I have sent my Razors back to Vortex twice in 4 years.



I personally have fully switched to a combo Bino/rangefinder I was sick of carrying two units.

I have thought about the same thing but it would make bow hunting alittle harder IMO. I need to be able to pull up a small range finder quickly and discreetly.

[HighCountryBC]

- Do you have some proof that $600 binoculars from Vortex are inferior to $600 from another brand?
- Have you done some tests here where vortex repeatedly came in last?
- Do you have information on which Chinese factory supplies Vortex their glass and which Chinese factory supplies Leupold theirs?
- Do you have any credible publications on this that you can point us to at all?

Do you have anything more substantial other than you know 4 guys that had vortex and they hate it?

Just because Zeiss offers a Terra model in the $600 range does not mean it is automatically the best choice. I actually own the Zeiss Terra ED. They are fine, but they do come with a blue emblem surcharge.

Relax, kid. No need to blow a gasket.

Doesn't sound like you've compared Vortex side by side with other brands before. They advertise their no limits warranty hard because their products fail more than others, not because there is more of them out there. They've done a good job at appealing to the average joe - weekend warrior type. There's a reason not many guys who spend days on end behind the glass use them. Not what I want in my hand at first and last light. If you don't spend many days in the field or take the hunting thing too serious then sure, grab a pair. But if you have $800 to spend as the OP said, why on earth would you not go with one of the better brands.

You have a history of rallying against quality gear and pushing sub-par products on here so not really too surprised.

[lledwod]

Not available anymore .... but the best pair I have owned and currently use is the Bushnell Elite 10x42 (Japan). I bought them (on sale, 340$) and Nikons new at the time Monarch HG 10x42 (used, 800). I kept the Bushnells. One day I will try an Alpha but I doubt I am missing much:)

Bushnells newer stuff that I have seen (Legend) has fantastic optics for the price but I wouldn't count on them standing up to abuse.

[barry1974w]

I used a pair of Bausch and Lomb elite’s for many years that I was very happy with. Eventually they started to seem less “crisp”, maybe there’s something going on with them, maybe it’s just more consequences of my eyes going for s#*t. But I started looking and ended up with a used pair of cabelas euro HD’s. They’re pretty nice, heavy, but I’m very impressed with the glass. Can’t remember what I paid, but I think it was less than $700.
Guess I should get off my ass and send those Bausch and Lomb’s in for a tear down and cleaning.

[sdpy1]

My best success was with a pair of 10x42 Tasco's. Certainly not a "quality brand", but the lighting quality of the glass is amazing and for 150$ it takes the cake for me. :)

[walker1985]

just picked up a pair of 10x42 Maven C.1 bino's and the low light quality is very clear. I was trying them out in the backyard at 8 p.m this weekend. They were $350 USD which came to $650 after the exchange rate and duty. I'll see how they hold up this year, hopefully I won't have to use the lifetime warranty.

[john-brennan]

Check out Omars advert on here for a deal on Leica Trinovids

Why 10x ?

This is a great idea I have had them they are nice