Choosing 1 binocular

[lnewton]

I want to preface this with I already have nikon prostaff 5 10x42’s. If you could only choose one optic purchase between the Vortex Diamondback 15x56 or upgrading to a nikon monarch 7 10x42, which would you choose. This will be for a mule deer hunt in New Mexico this fall. It will be pretty open country. Or would you stick with the prostaff 5’s and get an entry level spotter?

 

[nobody]

I owned the Diamondback 15’s and sold them, not because they sucked, but because I Just didn’t use them like I thought I would. They were always the first optic left at home and the last one packed. That primarily is tied to my hunting style and areas primarily, but I’m not sure I would buy them again.

I would upgrade your chest binos, but I would make a bigger quality jump than to a monarch 7. I’ve not spent a ton of extended time behind Nikon binos, but the little time I have spent behind them has left me underwhelmed. There’s better $5-$700 binos on the market than the Monarch 7, so I’d say update your chest binos after doing some extensive comparisons and testing of them side by side. You’ve got some time to make the purchase, so see if branching out to something else leads to you finding something you’ll like even more. Just my 2 cents from a guy who hasn’t ever owned Nikon glass admittedly, though that also means I’ve always picked something else over them for a reason haha.

Also, no matter what you purchase, pair it with a good tripod and mount. It’ll make any optic you purchase a better tool!

 

[180ls1]

I would never have only 15's. 12's are the max I can hand hold and I prefer a 10 or 8.

There are a set of monarch for $350 here in the classifieds. Might be worth a look.

 

[lnewton]

I really like my prostaff 5’s. They work great in oklahoma for up to 800 yards (that is the widest area I have used them while hunting). Just though the ED glass would be a low light improvement. I do have a pair of leupold 12x50’s I am planning to bring along, they are just bulky and heavy. I found a pair of the Monarch 7 for a really great deal locally so since I am familiar with nikon, they peaked my interest. I also considered a new pair of Viper 10x42 HD’s. Cabelas has them for 300.00 right now.

 

[nobody]

I really like my prostaff 5’s. They work great in oklahoma for up to 800 yards (that is the widest area I have used them while hunting). Just though the ED glass would be a low light improvement. I do have a pair of leupold 12x50’s I am planning to bring along, they are just bulky and heavy. I found a pair of the Monarch 7 for a really great deal locally so since I am familiar with nikon, they peaked my interest. I also considered a new pair of Viper 10x42 HD’s. Cabelas has them for 300.00 right now.

If you have 12’s already then 15’s isn’t worth the squeeze. Too much to hand hold, not enough “spread” in magnification to warrant bringing them along with the 12’s.

With all that, if you REALLY wanna upgrade, sell all your binos and pool it with the $300-$500 you already have and go buy a $1k pair of binos. Much better long term solution.

 

[CorbLand]

I would agree that having multiple lower quality binos isnt really worth it. Selling those, and putting more money together to get you to that 750-1000 dollar price point would be pretty beneficial. Especially if you are willing to buy used.

The more magnification that you go with, the more light you need. I have found that lower end optics dont have the glass quality to support higher magnification. Low end 15s and entry level spotting scopes really just arent worth the money.

A kid I use to hunt with had a Diamondback spotter. We were hunting for cow elk and they found one on the hillside. I cant remember exactly but it was less than a mile away. I came over to them and looked through their spotter and it looked like a cow bedded down. I found it in ATS and it was a tan bush with a smaller, half dead dark tree sticking up next to it. It looked like an elk in their spotter but mine made it clear. They just dont have the glass quality to get you a clear picture of what you are looking at.

 

[lnewton]

If you have 12’s already then 15’s isn’t worth the squeeze. Too much to hand hold, not enough “spread” in magnification to warrant bringing them along with the 12’s.

With all that, if you REALLY wanna upgrade, sell all your binos and pool it with the $300-$500 you already have and go buy a $1k pair of binos. Much better long term solution.

I have considered that. Probably overthinking it, which is what I typically do. I tend to always purchase through the forums on a couple different sites to keep cost down.

So, if you could only take one quality optics to the field, would it be 8x42 or 10x42 or 12x50’s?

 

[nobody]

I have considered that. Probably overthinking it, which is what I typically do. I tend to always purchase through the forums on a couple different sites to keep cost down.

So, if you could only take one quality optics to the field, would it be 8x42 or 10x42 or 12x50’s?

It’s not that simple, it’s more nuanced. I picked up a pair of Maven B2 11x45’s on here for a screaming deal and they’re my one and done. But I’ve historically always been against 12’s. But those mavens are starting to win me over with their performance. So the choice isn’t so cut and dry.

It also depends on the quality tier you’re looking at. Higher magnification also magnifies optical shortcomings. So an 8x42 Viper may be great, but the 12x50 viper will seem lower quality. Higher mag it’s more critical to have higher quality glass. So if you’re buying a $3-$500 pair of binos, I wouldn’t go anything more than a 10x42 or 50. But higher quality glass lets you get away with higher magnification.

Then there’s your hunting style and terrain. Wide open spaces and long viewing distances are great for using 12’s. But still hunting thick stuff lends itself to a 7 or 8x optic.

I think a 10x is a great compromise as a do it all, but buy the best glass possible. Don’t just buy another pair of mid-tier glass, sell your current optics, add another $500, and pick up a pair of $700-$1k binos. If you can do used you’ll get more for your dollar. My mavens retail for $1200 and I paid $880 shipped from a stud member on here, and if you’re patient you can find deals like that easily. That’s what I would do if I was in your shoes is something along those lines.

 

[jimh406]

I think I'd rent a spotting scope.

I have a pair of Monarch 7 10x42s. They are pretty good. One of my Park Ranger friends uses only those to view wildlife. However, my Tract Torics are quite a lot better. Neither will help you determine the rack size at extreme distance like a spotter will.

 

[kthomas]

I would pick glass quality over magnification.

Sell your current binos and buy something like the Kowa 10.5x44 Genesis - comparable to Swaro's, and you can get them from CameraLandNY for under $1k on an open box deal.

 

[madtinker]

I also have a mule deer hunt in NM, and for what it’s worth I’ve settled on adding stabilization (a mount that uses my trekking pole), and if I can save the pennies I’ll get a decent set of 8x32s, because MOST of what I do is in timber, and I want to upgrade my primary glass first.