Are 8’s enough for out West?

[darcytribe]

8's for archery elk is what I use. Never feel under powered but I'm hunting mostly timbered land.

 

[3darcher2]

As an Easterner, I had 8x42 Leica Trinovids in the late 90s because I shot a lot of IBO 3D and they came up with a stupid 8X max binocular rule. I invested in them and it was the single best outdoor purchase I have ever made. I took them on one bowhunt to AZ and they were perfect.

I've never been back west, but I've used them in plenty of times from PA to IA and they are great in the stand.

Maybe if you are a long range rifle guy you might want more. But for archery, 8X in a good glass is plenty for me.

 

[mcseal2]

Something I never considered but having 15's for Midwest whitetail is a very appealing idea. There has been plenty of times hunting back home, Eastern Kansas, that judging deer on the other end of 50-100 acre field of corn stubble even with 10's can be tough. Introduce standing beans and terraces where your looking for antler tips and high powered binos could be invaluable, typically a spotter is just a little much...

Amazing how regional specific I get at times when it comes to hunting, mixing up tools across species or regions doesn't even cross my mind, duh...

Nick

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I use them in the same type terrain, plus the hilled pasture ground in that area. I would not trade the 15's for anything, they have kept me from making a mistake and shooting a young buck with great genetics or a buck that was really broke up on one side more than once. Some of those nights where conditions get the bucks on their feet during legal shooting hours are tough nights to evaluate a deer, I'll take all the advantage I can get. Some of my best bucks have come during a fog, mist, snow, or other tough glassing situation.

 

[Catahoula]

8x is plenty.

 

[tracker12]

Getting ready to buy a new pair of SLC's and trying to decide between 8X10 myslef. I like the light gathering potential and field of view of the 8. Just wondering if I will miss the extra 2X.

 

[gr8fuldoug]

It would be our pleasure to discuss this with you

 

[Wrench]

I've lived and hunted "out west" for 35 years. Quality trumps mag every time. Increase the mag and you decrease the fov, ease of holding steady and increase the effects of heat waves.

I use 8x. I own 6,8, 10 (sold leica 12) and 15. The idea of hand holding a 12x after any elelvation of heart rate would have to be done by someone better than me.

 

[Rthur]

Clarity, light transmission, field of view are more important than power.
Buy the best you can afford and drive on.

R

 

[Sako76]

I like 10X!

 

[SteveFlock]

I am from Wisconsin am a die hard whitetail hunter. I run Swarovski 8x32 EL’s and would not trade them for anything in the woods. I also just purchased Swarovski 15x56 SLC HD’s and a Slik 624CF with Benro S2 head for my 7-8 SD mule deer hunt and for scout here in Wisconsin.

My advise would be buy the very best pair of binoculars you can afford and that fit 90% of your intended use.

Good luck in YOUR decision!

Steve

 

[dah605]

I own a pair of Swaro 8x32 EL and haven't felt under powered in Montana. They work much better than 10s here in PA. I spent time at Cabelas with a number of different options, staring as far across the store as possible, looking at the bolt heads in the dark corners. The ELs were the only ones that I could make out the tooling marks on the bolt heads.

As others have said, quality will beat magnification in the 8x vs 10x debate in almost every case. Everyone's eyes are different, so your mileage may vary.

-David

 

[timberbuck]

8x42 will have a larger FOV and exit pupil,bettter depth of field and easier eye positioning and are easier to hold still as mentioned. They can be brighter because of the larger exit pupil but this is only an advantage if the pupils of your eyes are large enough in low light to take advantage of it. At my age I see very little difference of brightness in low light comparing a same quality 8x42 against a 10x42.

The advantage of the 10x42 is its higher twilight factor which provides increased resolution in low light. This is why the 10x is favored over the 8x.

Yes the 8x42 will be sharp and bright but lacks the resolution to see as fine of details in low light compared to the 10x.

I guess it depends on what you are using the glass for. Yes you can spot animals with either but with the 10x you will see more detail in all light situations.

I believe the 8x42 is overall the best general use binocular but for hunting the 10x is superior when counting antler points, judging the quality of an animal and most importantly in low light.

8x32 is great until the sun goes down. Regardless of the quality they take a back seat to the 8x42 and 10x42 in low light and I would not recommend them as a primary hunting binocular.

 

[Ronb]

After spending all last season with 10x42 slc’s. I switched to 8.5x42 el’s. It was the 1st year I put binos on a tripod. The slc’s were sweet on the tripod, but I soon realized how difficult they were to hold steady when not on the tripod. The resolution advantage of the 10’s are quickly lost when free-handing. I never new how unsteady I was until then. I also really wanted more fov when on the tripod.


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[tracker12]

Problem is that while everyone says 8X is ok everyone wants 10X. I just bought a set of Swarovski SLC's 10X42's. I seriously considered the 8X but there was two problems. First I could not find a single store in my area including two bas pros that had the 8 to compare, and second everyone brought up the resale value.

I have a older pair of Zeiss Conquest 8x30's that I will use for whitetail

 

[Thinkingman]

I prefer 8s for tighter cover and 10s for open country and have both. They get about equal usage over the hunting seasons. Pick one and be happy. Either will do the trick.

I use 8X32 for open country but they really work in the timber when field of view is more critical than magnification. If you buy 10X, make sure you get excellent glass. More magnification is less forgiving of mediocre glass and coatings.

 

[Jardo]

10x for me... I also pack a kowa 883 spotter so I can make sure he’s the one I want.


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[roadrunner]

Yes, for what you are wanting out of a pair of binos for bowhunting elk, 8's are enough.

And since you likely won't use them a ton, check out either Leupold ot Nikon (Prostaff) and save the remaining $1,200 or so you would've spent on a pair of Swaro's to buy something else.

 

[theleo91386]

Not all elk country is the same. Get a trip in with what you have, in the area you're planning to hunt the next couple of years, then make your decision. If you end up in a lot of dark timber the magnification of the 10x won't be much help while the 8x will be great with light transmission. Hunt a lot of open country where you're glassing 1 mile+ regularly and you'll like that extra magnification. I know it's tempting to say you'll not be using them to judge horn size, but you will be. It may not be deciding if it's a 280" or a 300" bull, but everyone that has spent many seasons chasing bulls has had the "is he big enough to make me go into that hell hole to get him" situation come up a lot. Being able to tell the difference between it being a bull and being a BULL does come into play.

 

[bmanb940]

Hunting Eastern Oregon for many years good binos were a necessity. Then living and hunitng in Main, not so much. Wide open spaces to thick woods and some clear cut areas, all depends on where you will hunt. I always like the 10X thinking I was going to get my monies worth out of them. I have used Nikon's MONARCH 7 bino's for 3-4 years now and love em. Very clear and great in low light, plus you can't beat what you get for the price. Right now Nikon has a big bino promotion that I know Camerland is participating in and you can save $50. $50 off and Nikon quality/warranty means you will have them for a very long time.

 

[realunlucky]

Not all elk country is the same. Get a trip in with what you have, in the area you're planning to hunt the next couple of years, then make your decision. If you end up in a lot of dark timber the magnification of the 10x won't be much help while the 8x will be great with light transmission. Hunt a lot of open country where you're glassing 1 mile+ regularly and you'll like that extra magnification. I know it's tempting to say you'll not be using them to judge horn size, but you will be. It may not be deciding if it's a 280" or a 300" bull, but everyone that has spent many seasons chasing bulls has had the "is he big enough to make me go into that hell hole to get him" situation come up a lot. Being able to tell the difference between it being a bull and being a BULL does come into play.

2x isn't going to be a game changer for this application

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