Best high end binos for elk.

[Bailer]

Why would you go down? I'm sincerely curious. I have an inexpensive Leupold 10x42 that I use for treestand whitetail hunting and if I'm lucky one yearly trip for elk. I was thinking about upgrading.

I don’t find elk to be hard enough to see that I need the extra power. When on a stalk the 12’s are harder to hand hold. If you hunt a little of everything they’re a great choice and I don’t plan to sell mine. For 45 days a year of elk like the op said, I’d go smaller.

 

[Beendare]

Deleted

 

[AZ_Hunter_2000]

What is the terrain like where you are hunting elk?

Thick with trees and vegetation where line of sight is relatively short? Wide open with pinyon pine and junipers where you can see for miles?

One is better served with lower magnification and the other higher magnification.

 

[WeiserBucks]

All of my elk hunting is in pretty open terrain with a rifle and I use Swaro 15s exclusively. Had a Swaro 80mm HD spotter, hated the weight and looking out of one eye and promptly sold it. With the 15's on a tripod I can spot elk at several miles and horns well past a mile. I'm not a trophy hunter and mostly hunt cows so I'm not trying to count B&C inches, just find them and move in from there.

 

[JBrotzler]

I carried 15x56 Leicas on my first backcountry Elk hunt this year. Left the spotter at home - I’m convinced the 12x NL pures are on my list before my next backcountry trip.

 

[Pocoloco]

Ran 10x42 leica Trinovids last year, wife ran 8x30 swaro companion. Upgraded this season to 12 NL and she ran 8x32 NLs. The elk simply jump out to our eyes with the pures. Run both on tripod w Outdoorsmans stud and pistol grip. For a quick look I can hand hold 12s but when searching we run tripod. The depth of field, clarity and fov are game changers, pony up, they will pay off

 

[Pocoloco]

The key factors are; where and how you hunt…and what you can hand hold.

I hunt archery seasons and the 8x Nikon EDG is perfect (Discontinued) I leave my 10x SLC, 15x and spotter at home. I don’t hunt for elk at long range like I do in the desert hunting Coues deer with my 15x Meoptas and spotter On a tripod.

My younger guide buddy thinks the 12x50 Swaros are the best….because most of his hunting is scanning/ spotting at long range in archery and rifle seasons ( he also has the BTX)

Those 12x swaros are amazing….but somewhat heavy and hard for me to hand hold perfectly still for any length of time.

I think if a guy was getting just one bino, the 8.5x ELs are about the best there is currently. The Meoptas at 1/2 the price are damn close to the EL but lose a tiny bit on the extreme edges.
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Agree, ran 12s this year, they shine on a tripod. I actually prefer them for archery where we hunt. This year we chose to hike straight up to rocky top of mountain that we can glass 4 drainages, we glassed the elk, patterned them and stalked them. While I did not fill my tag we were on elk everyday and I got so many great stalks, twice within 20 yards but neither time did I have a shot before they busted me. If we were staying in the trees with no long 1000 yard vistas I would want 8s regardless what weapon was in ny hand.

 

[Where's Bruce?]

I’m looking for suggestions for high end glass that can do it all so I don’t have to carry a spotter. 12x50 el vs 15x56 slc? Or buy once cry once with the new NL Pures. Mostly elk hunt 1-2 times a year and only used cheaper binos in the past. Looking for best of both worlds without having to haul a spotting scope.

Pick up both...the EL is heavy compared to the SLC. For lots of left-handed use, lighter is better for me.

 

[Indian Summer]

In low light, 10x42 SLC’s can spot elk at a mile or more no problem. Counting points at a mile, even in good light, can be tough, but if its a monster bull you will know it. My buddy sitting next to me using 10x42 NL pures, both of us on tripods, never out glassed me, even with his better natural eye sight. The elk we glassed were 1-1.5 miles away, sometime in smoke haze from fires, from first light to last. Could clearly make out the big 360”+ bull but not within the first/last 30 min of light. Could see elk, not so much antlers.

My issue with 12’s is using them in hand when the tripod is put away. Too easy to shake and good glass amplifies it. My buddy with the 10x pures also carried a 65m ATS spotter which we used to confirm the elk we spotted. As much as carrying a spotter sucks weight wise, they are a priceless tool with a specific purpose. If you dont care about antler size, 8x or 10x will be plenty to find elk at 1-2 miles. But if you care about trophy quality, nothing beats a spotting scope.

I couldn’t have said it better… every word. There’s a reason we all own tool boxes full of the right tools for each job. I carry 10x42 ELs and a 20-60x80 Spotter. But…. When I’m spotting I mainly have 2-3 spots where I can count on seeing what I need to see and if I’m using a vantage point I’ll be there for a couple days and so I leave my spotting scope there tucked up under a thick pine in its case. If you’re a spot and stalk hunter you generally don’t cover as many miles as the still hunters do. Just hunt smart with your spotter instead of carrying it all over your hunting area every day. When I’m not sitting those spots my 10s are a great tool for that job. I can use the tripod with them too which as you probably know makes them even more effective.

 

[Indian Summer]

Pick up both...the EL is heavy compared to the SLC. For lots of left-handed use, lighter is better for me.

The ELs are lighter.

 

[Where's Bruce?]

Must depend on the year cuz my guide had the ELs and his binos were considerably heavier than my SLCs with comparable power. This was years ago...product changes must be responsible for the difference. https://blog.sandsarchery.com/swarovski-slcs-or-els-which-are-the-best-hunting-binoculars/

 

[7raptor]

NL Pure 12s. Call Cody @ GoHunt.