Cabelas Viper HD 10X42 Black Friday Sale

[270quest]

They are going to offering these at $299 next week...I don't need them but at that price, almost seems like too good of a deal not to buy a pair. Maybe upgrade the loaner pair I have....Thoughts? Are they a legit $500 bino?

 

[gregb6]

Seems like they go on sale for 300 every few months. I've only looked through them in the store so not sure but didn't know they were vipers

 

[Fourteen]

Hard to pass this deal since I’m in the market for my son. Hope they pan out. Would be nice to hear a few reviews come in the comments.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[35WhelenAI]

Yes, they are a good pair of binos. Very much better compared to the Diamond back line, and in my viewing experience, not as far from the Razor as the price would suggest.

I have two pairs of Vipers, 12x50 bought in 2015 and 10x42 from this similar sale in the fall of 2020. Compared them over the last few hunting seasons to my friends 10x50 Diamondbacks (back to back) and the Viper 12x50's have much better clarity and resolution vs the DB's. As well, the Viper 10x42's were better as well. Not close, IMO.

With that said....

Take a look at the specs on those Viper 10x42's selling at that $299 price. The pair I got from Bass Pro last year were the previous generation specifications. I did not notice this until after I had the binoculars and was doing some more reading on websites and noticed the specifications difference.


The main difference is the field of view comparison. Previous generations spec is 319' and new generation is 341'. Check that out and you will know which generation they are.


I emailed Vortex about them in Dec 2020, Vortex confirmed Bass Pro and Cabela's had commissioned the company to make a few thousand pair of those to be offered at that price. They are made in the China factory vs Philippines for the current Vortex product. The glass I was told was identical but the specifications are definitely different.

I kept them because they are a good pair of bino's, but just be aware of how they are pulling off the lower price, if they are still selling the new production of the previous Gen to get to the price point.

 

[Newtosavage]

They are going to offering these at $299 next week...I don't need them but at that price, almost seems like too good of a deal not to buy a pair. Maybe upgrade the loaner pair I have....Thoughts? Are they a legit $500 bino?

These days, they are a legit $299 bin IMHO

 

[35WhelenAI]

These days, they are a legit $299 bin IMHO

They are a great pair of binos for that price. My post above shares my experience and the interaction with Vortex when purchasing a pair at the same sale price in the last year.

I was disappointed that they are not the current generation specs, and they don't advertise it as being such.

No difference in optical quality just less field of view and the country of manufacture is different.

 

[Newtosavage]

My point is if you have $500 to spend, you can do better IMO

 

[35WhelenAI]

My point is if you have $500 to spend, you can do better IMO

What's a better $500 pair, if you don't mind sharing? Definitely not saying there isn't something, always like to hear other people's thoughts.

My thought is Vortex has a legitimate niche at that price point in the binoculars market, however their scopes are overweight and not optically the best at relative price points from my experience working at a major retailer in the hunting department and having opportunity to compare back to back.

 

[180splitg3]

I just ordered these from Cabelas. Looks like they are made in China and have the 319' fov which is not the same as the current generation (as mentioned above). I will probably post a separate thread regarding these so that I don't hijack this thread!

 

[browning2480]

What's a better $500 pair, if you don't mind sharing?

Leupold BX 4s. You can get them from Black Ovis with a discount for like $479

 

[180splitg3]

Leupold BX 4s. You can get them from Black Ovis with a discount for like $479

The vipers are on sale for $299 - you probably saw that in the thread. I have heard that the BX4s are good but they are still almost $200 more than the vipers at the sale price. Maybe the BX4s are worth the $200 extra - I have no idea

 

[browning2480]

The vipers are on sale for $299 - you probably saw that in the thread. I have heard that the BX4s are good but they are still almost $200 more than the vipers at the sale price. Maybe the BX4s are worth the $200 extra - I have no idea

Please see my post above where the question was asked what is a better pair for under $500. I was responding to that and called out that they are better and under $500

 

[35WhelenAI]

Please see my post above where the question was asked what is a better pair for under $500. I was responding to that and called out that they are better and under $500

Yes, thank you for answering the question, I was using $500 as the price point because that is what the vipers regularly sell at for the current generation model.

I've seen reports and reviews both ways on the BX4/Viper comparison. To me it would come down to which fits your hand better and has the easier viewing. Ergonomics are huge in picking the right pair for an individual when things are close.

I'm not in the market for a pair, having viper 10x42s and 12x50s. But for what it's worth and for only 4 oz more, I prefer the Viper 12x50s as I'm a tall fellow with big hands and they fit the best.

 

[longjoshr]

Just physically picked a pair of these up this morning from BPS. FYI it is the older generation as noted above, but mine say "assembled in Philippines" on them. Interestingly enough they have the FOV of the newer generation, so seems like this is a bit of a hybrid.

For reference, new model is V201, this model is VPR-4210-HD

Has anyone done a side by side of these and the newer generation?

 

[35WhelenAI]

Just physically picked a pair of these up this morning from BPS. FYI it is the older generation as noted above, but mine say "assembled in Philippines" on them. Interestingly enough they have the FOV of the newer generation, so seems like this is a bit of a hybrid.

Has anyone done a side by side of these and the newer generation?

Interesting. Philippines is where they make the current generation, was this the $299 pair?

Again my experience was in the last year. Maybe they had another batch made that have the current spec at the great price.

100% winner if that's the case, and it was pretty much a 100% no brainer at that price even if it was the old spec.

Vortex told me that the spec on the internal glass hadn't changed other than the design changed for better field of view in the current version and they changed country of manufacture.

 

[longjoshr]

Interesting. Philippines is where they make the current generation, was this the $299 pair?

Again my experience was in the last year. Maybe they had another batch made that have the current spec at the great price.

100% winner if that's the case, and it was pretty much a 100% no brainer at that price even if it was the old spec.

Vortex told me that the spec on the internal glass hadn't changed other than the design changed for better field of view in the current version and they changed country of manufacture.

Yes, went in this morning specifically to check these out for $299

Certainly could be a year to year deal since they're "retired" pair.

 

[35WhelenAI]

Buy a couple pairs at that price and spec.

 

[270quest]

I just ordered a pair...About a week ago, I won an auction on a Burris Signature HD 10X42 for a tad over $300 - Christmas gift for my 13 year son who wanted some good binos for hunting.

Going to compare these side by side and give him the best pair - other ones will go in the truck as a backup/loaner pair.

On a side note, I looked thru the Burris last night for about 5 mins - they are really really good for the money, not in the same league as my Kowa Genesis, but still very good - a lot closer than I thought they would. These Viper HD's will have big shoes to fill.

 

[Newtosavage]

Leupold BX 4s. You can get them from Black Ovis with a discount for like $479

This. The BX-4's have better resolving power and will give you a strain (headache) free view if you're glassing for an extended period.

However, if I had $500 to spend on optics, I'd be patient and wait for a pair of used Meostar/Euro HD's since they can often be had around that price range.

As for the vipers, I'd take a pair made in the Phillipines over a MIC pair any day. I've had some pretty good optics that were made in the Phillipines (Nikon and Sightron comes to mind).

 

[35WhelenAI]

This. The BX-4's have better resolving power and will give you a strain (headache) free view if you're glassing for an extended period.

However, if I had $500 to spend on optics, I'd be patient and wait for a pair of used Meostar/Euro HD's since they can often be had around that price range.

As for the vipers, I'd take a pair made in the Phillipines over a MIC pair any day. I've had some pretty good optics that were made in the Phillipines (Nikon and Sightron comes to mind).