Are High Power Bino's (15s, 18s) Worth It?

[dlee56]

I've been seeing a lot of different high power binos for sale on the classifieds, is everyone buying them, not using them and end up selling them here in rokslide?

As of now I'm a 10x42 and 20-60 spotted guy but I've been feeling the need more recently for some 15s or 18s to really dig into some country. Do folks who have them like and use them enough to consider adding them to the arsenal?

If you do use and like them, what brands/models are the favorite?

 

[Baller]

I use my 15x56 Swaros almost daily when hunting unless into huge country and then will use my BTX. Typically I will use my 10x42 when I can first see since they gather more light than the 15's. As soon as it it light enough I usually switch over to the 15's from there on out. Wouldn't consider leaving the house where I hunt without my 15's...

My .02

 

[mainbeam pursuit2]

I have 15x56 Swaros, had Meoptas before that. At this point I use 15s more than my spotter by far. Have looked through the Maven 15s they are very nice.

 

[BLJ]

@mainbeam pursuit2. How do all 3 of those campare to each other. In your opinion? I’m considering the mavens and meoptas in the spring. Thanks

 

[mainbeam pursuit2]

Swaros, Maven, Meopta would be my order to my eyes. They're all nice glass. Comes down to what you want to spend, hard to beat the Maven for the money especially if you get their military discount.

 

[BLJ]

Understand about your eyes to mine. No doubt there.
The Mavens over the Meopta is kinda surprising to what I’ve read. I’ve seen quite a few favorable comparisons of the Meopta to the Swaros. But like you said, different people, different eyes. Thanks.

 

[mainbeam pursuit2]

For me the glass in the Meopta is every bit as good as the Maven. I just liked the feel of the Maven a little bit more.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

Really depends on the hunt and species for me. Wide open country and smaller game (coues deer here in AZ) and I would never leave without my 15s.

Some hunts, my 8x50s are more than enough for glassing.

 

[BLJ]

Thanks @mainbeam pursuit2.

 

[MallardSX2]

Yes. Gamechanger for me.

 

[Blue72]

much preferred over a spotter

just on eye fatigue alone

 

[Buzby]

I enjoy looking through my 15s more than a spotter. Especially for an extended length of time. I think it’s just more natural using both eyes. I’ve tried a few different spotters and so far I can see any more detail, it’s just a bigger image.

 

[dlee56]

I made the leap and bought a pair of Maven B5 18x56s here on the classifieds.
Has anyone dabbled with the 2x optical doubler? Seems gimmicky but a guy can hope

 

[rideold]

I switched to 12x50's this fall. After a couple of hunts I don't see myself going back!

 

[alpine_troop]

I made the leap and bought a pair of Maven B5 18x56s here on the classifieds.
Has anyone dabbled with the 2x optical doubler? Seems gimmicky but a guy can hope

I bought the 2x doubler when I got my B5 12x56s. Only time I used it was on a mule deer hunt last season. I threw it on to judge a deer I spotted at about 800 yards. It kinda helped but wasn’t really worth it. FOV, brightness, and optical clarity suffer big time once you add the doubler. My conclusion was I still need a spotter to fill that role.

 

[Gone4Days]

I couldn't image hunting out west without my 15X SLC's

 

[packer58]

Meopta 15X56's here, absolutly love em and like others have said would not leave home without them. I'm just not the guy that can set behind a spotter for for very long struggling to keep one eye closed , and for that reason alone my spotter gets left behind most of the time.

Personally have not looked through the Mavens but to my eyes could not tell much difference between my Meoptas vs the Sworos i looked through so the cost diff was a no brainer for me.

If your hunting style is to glass relatively big country for any length of time you will not be disappointed with the brightness, field of view, less eye strain and comfort of glassing through the 15's.....

 

[Northpark]

I had 15s. I got tired of carrying 10s on my chest a spotter and 15s. I split the difference though and carry a spotter and 12s on my chest these days

 

[nobody]

I've been surprised at how little I've used my 15's honestly. I've got 10x50 chest binos, 15x56's, and a 20-60 spotter. I've kindof decided that if I hunted places where I'm glassing MILES consistently I'd probably really like the 15's, but most of the places I hunt I'm glassing inside a mile or 2, so my 10's on a tripod get used 99.9% of the time and then I verify with my spotter.

I'm in no hurry to get rid of my 15's, because I think I'll want them for my dad's desert bighorn sheep hunt one day (hopefully soon, he's got 22 points in Utah as a resident), and I can think of other specific instances where I might like them, but whenever I plan my normal hunts I just never can justify taking them it seems.

So I don't hate them, I just don't find a use for them anywhere near as often as I thought I would.

But hey, I'm just some random guy on the internet...

 

[Spence1875]

I have tried the 15x some but prefer the 12x50s for all round out west if u have to have big binos. Honestly 10x42s will do 90 percent of what the big ones will do for most hunting situations imho. I had a set of 8x/12x duovids for years I used and liked but they were pretty heavy.

I prefer to use my 8x32 Zeiss with a compact spotter for most of my stuff. I bought a Zeiss Dialyt 65mm armored spotter and it is small and designed for hunting first, range second.