Help me with optics!!

[Jtelarkin08]

Ok I have decided to jump in on some decent optics. I am planning on doing at least one hunt out west every year from now on. I only bow hunt. I hunt Texas all year but will only be going out west once a year to scout and once to hunt every year most likely

I have decided I really like the razor hd after comparing them to the conquest HDs in the store.

I am wanting to get a spotting scope as well as some Binos. My question is what power?

If I go with the 50mm spotting scope should I get 8 or 10x Binos?

 

[SHTF]

10x binos for out west. For spotter minimum 60 power. But if your going to have both then the 8x binos will be fine then you can get in close with the Spotter. But its up to you and how you work your glass. Me I just use the binos and they seem to work well enough. But if you want to digiscope and such then the Spotter is worth having.

 

[Jtelarkin08]

Well I'm going to be buying both new.

Is the 50mm razor a 50 power? I'm new to optics. Hunting in Texas I don't really even need them that much.

 

[Craig Van Arsdale]

10 or 12's

I might sell my 10x50 EL's next year to try the 12X50's

Whatever you get make sure you get a tripod mount for them!

 

[Jtelarkin08]

So are you guys saying I should just get the 10x Binos and a tripod?


I was thinking Binos and a spotting scope

 

[Superdeuce]

50mm is the objective lens size... bigger = more light gathering but also bulkier and heavier. The 50mm Razor is 11-33x... depends what game and in what conditions you are hunting. 65mm Razor is 16-48x. Either way, for Vortex optics, I recommend contacting ElkNut (Paul) on this forum.

 

[Sunspot]

I might be in the minority but I simply do not like 50mm spotters and prefer 15x binos off a tripod. For me, spotters need to be bigger.

 

[blb078]

My two cents, I think it depends on where you are hunting. If you know the area you plan on hunting is going to be mostly heavy timber then there's not reason to get a 60x spotter, but if you can see 3+ miles out then you're gonna want some big glass. I live in MO and think I have one of the better, affordable/quality setups to use for both here and out west and that's Zeiss Conquest HD 8x32 and the Razor HD 50mm spotter. This setup will allow me to see what I want up to 2-3 miles away, anything beyond that I'm going to need bigger glass but as of right now I have no need for 60x spotter, but it also works well in heavy timber. So if you only plan on going one week a year get something you can use both at home in TX and out west.

 

[SHTF]

Lets break this down even more. All great advice the guys have given you. But lets put this into perspective for a minute. If your going to be hunting out west and know what your target is and general area your going to hunting the binos will do just fine for spotting game across a valley. For this I highly recommend minimum 10x binos. If your going to be hunting the plains or huge valleys and want to look across a range past the valley your in then yes youll want a spotter. Its all going to be preference and like I said before how you are going to hunt.

A lot of guys swear by the spotters. Me Im fine with a good pair of Bino's If I can get eyes on my game in the same valley Im glassing then Im good. If you want to sheep hunt or go after Pronghorn on the plains then yes get a spotter plus binos.

Anything over 10x power is going to be hard to hold steady. Thats why they said get yourself a good tripod if you go with over 10x. If you are wanting to eventually get into digiscoping then yes youll need a spotter. Although Crazytrekker took a pretty good pic of a Goat on a mountain through his 8x32 swaros and hold his camera stead on it through the binos. Yes I was damn impressed. Not the best photo but impressive non the less.



For reference this was about 3/4 of a mile away and about 2k in elevation up from where we were. Those are Swarovoski Binos 8/32 power. Crystal clear.

 

[WOOD5045]

10 or 12's

I might sell my 10x50 EL's next year to try the 12X50's

Whatever you get make sure you get a tripod mount for them!

X's 2. Tripod makes a huge difference for my 10x. If I were to do it over, I'd get the 12's

 

[Sunspot]

I will add I like 10x32 binos around the neck.

 

[Matt Cashell]

There is certainly some personal opinion but:

A good general purpose optics setup for the west:

1. A binocular with a 4+mm exit pupil (8x32 for lightweight, 8X42 or 10X42 for full size)

2. A spotter with enough magnification to save your legs the trouble (I prefer 45x and up).

Hunters that spend the most time glassing on the move or counting ounces: 8X32 and 50mm or 65mm spotter.

Hunters that spend some time moving and some time glassing: 8x42/10x42(w/ tripod adapter) and 65mm or 85mm spotter.

Hunters that glass most of the time: 12X50, 15X58, etc. (tripod) and 85mm+ spotter.

Hunters that glass from the truck: Kowa Highlander.

 

[Justin Crossley]

I think it really depends on what and where you're hunting.

For deer, I like 10x32 or 10x42 binos and a 20-60x80 spotter. A 65mm spotter would work too depending on how far you glass. I always end up wishing I could see farther.

For rifle elk hunting I carry the same thing.

Archery elk, I leave the spotter at home and just take the binos. The area I hunt archery elk is very thick and you can't glass more than a couple hundred yds. usually.

 

[fatrascal]

To answer the original question, 8x or 10x bino's are kinda a personal preferance. Some people can spot game a lot better with 8 power because it is easier to hold the 8x steady as compared to holding the 10x steady. Some people are better at holding bino's steady than others are and can get away with a higher power bino when hand held. I remember when I first got optics, I got a pair of 10x42's and a pair of 15x56's. My buddy was using an old beat up pair of Minox's on an Idaho muley hunt we were on. I let him use the 10x42's while I used the 15x56's thinking I had the advantage because I had the more powerful bino's. Well he easily out spotted me every time we stopped to glass and I couldn't figure it out. On the next hunt he had purchased his owne new pair of 10x42's and so I was using my 10x42's. Now I was spotting deer as easily as he was. The problem was that I could not hold the bino's steady enough to find deer while using the 15's but was not hampered as badly by the shake while using the 10's. You see, the more power you have the more you magnify the field of view. If you are shaking, the bigger power will just magnify the shake more. Later I learned to mount my bino's on a tripod.
I am a strong believer in a good spotter as well and I like nothing less than a 65mm objective. The picture with the mountain goat above is truley a good picture and shows how nice a pair of good bino's will show it at 3/4 of a mile with 8x bino's. But just imagine if you had a 20 power spotter. You could see the type of trees that are in the picture, see what the goat is eating. Now imagine if you had a 20x60 eyepiece. You could zoom in at 40 power and make out the black of his horns, hooves and eyes. Now if you zoom to 60 power, which is not always possible due to heat waves, light, etc., etc., you can see the magpie that is sitting on his back and judge his horns. With 8x bino's you can see the goat and you must hike closer to see if he is a shooter. With a spotter you can stay where you are and decide if he's a shooter or look at the other goat thats bedded in the tall grass 50 yards beyond the feeding goat or glass in another direction and find more goats. Many people save weight by using just a pair of bino's which is definitely critical on a backpack hunt. Some guys are very efficient with bino's and can hike multiple miles in a day. At 50 years old I'm finding it a little tougher to hike those long miles every day so I've learned to let my eyes do the walking. In the end it again boils down to personal preference and your style of hunting. Neither way is wrong, it is just what suits you best. fatrascal.

 

[rickjames80]

Well said fatrascal, it all comes down to personal preference. I hunt out west and I like 8's especially for bow hunting, but everyone that I hunt with uses 10's. I just bought a 80mm spotter and its great. However I don't think you are giving up that much with a 60-65mm and they are easier to pack. The 50mm in my opinion would be for guys that count every ounce, but I have never hunted with a 50mm so take that with a grain of salt.