Binos for a Dall Sheep Hunt

[7layerburrito]

I've had a pair of 10x42 Zeiss Conquest HD's that I've happily used in myriad hunting situations, mostly western big game, and while I'm sure they'd be fine, I'm considering a pair of 12x or even 15x. I use a tripod with the Outdoorsman system in 95% of my glassing.

Other details: Brooks Range, so glassing far and open. Guide will have a spotter and really, I don't glass much with my spotter. (Which is a Vortex Razor HD 65MM). Also, as much climbing and hard hunting as I like to do, I'm also distressingly lazy so if I'm don't have to carry a spotter, I don't.

Anyone with experience up there have any strong feelings about swapping out the 10x42's for something more powerful if I'm only bringing one piece of glass?

 

[Blockcaver]

Until it snows, Dall sheep are easy to spot. I’d take your 10x42s and no tripod for weight savings. I’ve only hunted Dalls in the NWT and Alaska Range, but have hunted caribou and moose in the Brooks. Use the guide’s spotter with hopefully a phone and Phoneskope to determine more info about them. Really is a great tool once you find rams (or sheep).

As a side note, I could spot Mt Goats in CO at 6 map miles with 10x42 binoculars. White specs with legs, but identified as a critter. Good luck on the hunt!

 

[sektr]

You’re going to get answers ranging from “8x is enough with a spotter on hand” to “if you don’t have 15x don’t bother”.

Ultimately, 10x is the most popular for a reason out west. Versatile off the chest but good enough for most tripod situations. I’m not even a 10x fan but you’ve got great glass as is, I’d spend your money on other gear if there’s room to improve in other areas.

 

[AK Troutbum]

I've had a pair of 10x42 Zeiss Conquest HD's that I've happily used in myriad hunting situations, mostly western big game, and while I'm sure they'd be fine, I'm considering a pair of 12x or even 15x. I use a tripod with the Outdoorsman system in 95% of my glassing.

Other details: Brooks Range, so glassing far and open. Guide will have a spotter and really, I don't glass much with my spotter. (Which is a Vortex Razor HD 65MM). Also, as much climbing and hard hunting as I like to do, I'm also distressingly lazy so if I'm don't have to carry a spotter, I don't.

Anyone with experience up there have any strong feelings about swapping out the 10x42's for something more powerful if I'm only bringing one piece of glass?

Well first off, in your defense, if I had a Vortex spotter, I wouldn’t use it much either. I think that for the most part anything you see through your bino ‘s, that warrants a closer look, you’ll end up pulling the spotter out regardless. If you really want to purchase a larger pair of alpha bino’s then you should, but I would think your money could be better used elsewhere.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[stevevan]

Well first off, in your defense, if I had a Vortex spotter, I wouldn’t use it much either. I think that for the most part anything you see through your bino ‘s, that warrants a closer look, you’ll end up pulling the spotter out regardless. If you really want to purchase a larger pair of alpha bino’s then you should, but I would think your money could be better used elsewhere.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I've taken 4 of NA wild sheep. Only bino I took on all the hunts was a pair of Zeiss 8x30's. The guide always had the larger magnification optics for studying the rams.

 

[adventure907]

Adding weight is counter productive in my humble opinion. Any benefit in higher magnification is negligible. If anything, I'd recommend going to smaller bino's. I use 10 x 25 Zeiss pocket bino's myself, with the added benefit of not needing any kind of bino pouch/harness system.

 

[7layerburrito]

Asked and answered! Thanks fellas. Between shooting, working out, and just daydreaming about the hunt, you gotta fill the time looking at every piece of gear for hours on end, I guess. I love my binos, glad to hear I'm not missing out on anything by not bringing a pair of telescopes taped together.

Well first off, in your defense, if I had a Vortex spotter, I wouldn’t use it much either. I think that for the most part anything you see through your bino ‘s, that warrants a closer look, you’ll end up pulling the spotter out regardless. If you really want to purchase a larger pair of alpha bino’s then you should, but I would think your money could be better used elsewhere.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Side note -- as for this, I have no real knowledge on what makes a "good" spotter but I've been super unimpressed with my Vortex one over the years I've had it and might find an upgrade some year I'm not paying for a sheep hunt

 

[adventure907]

Here's a little motivation for your day dreaming.....

 

[Sandbrew]

I don't think I could go on any sheep hunt without top quality glass and both binos and a spotter. The extra weight might find a hidden ram of your dreams or save you miles of walking to a sub-legal white spot.

 

[7layerburrito]

@Sandbrew -- Mentioned above but will be with a guide who has a spotter. Not rolling in there naked!

 

[7layerburrito]

Here's a little motivation for your day dreaming.....

GAHHHHHHH

 

[Blockcaver]

When two of us go on a backpack hunt we always take just one spotting scope and tripod. Both of us carry binoculars. My sheep hunting buddy uses Zeiss Conquest 8x42 HDs and I use Swarovision 10x42ELs. We both have Swaro 20-60x65mm angled HD scopes but only one goes sheep hunting. And Stone sheep are significantly harder to see than Dalls.

 

[Sandbrew]

@7layerburrito I'd confirm the guide has good optics as least comparable to yours. I'm a big fan of glassing myself and helping spot game vs waiting for a guide to show me something then look in their scope.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

I have Zeiss Conquest 8x42 and an ATS 80 spotter, its a great combo.

 

[tdot]

I had the option of taking eithed my 12x EL or 8x EL on my Stone sheep hunt this last season. I asked on here for opinions and it was split in the middle. I ended up taking my 12x as I was solo and I wanted to glass as effectively as possible over the greatest distance.

Next year I'll take my 8x and doubt that I'll miss my 12x. Inspecting the first few hundred yards of new terrain as it opens up will be much easier with the 8x. Any of the sheep that I spotted w/ the binos at distance was due to motion, not being able to make them out with the extra magnification. The sheep that I spotted with my spotters, I couldn't spot effectively with the 12x, unless they were moving. I wouldn't use either set of bino's to inspect a ram unless they were close enough that the magnification didn't matter. The weight savings will be nice after a week or so.