Old Swaro 8x30

[muskysaloon]

Hopefully you guys can help with your input. Before my very first elk hunt in 1999, me and my buddy drove up to the Cabelas in MN to get some gear for the trip. He thought I was insane, because after being in the store for 20 minutes I had a new pair of Swaro 8x30's in my cart lol. I couldn't believe how much better they were than all the others I looked through. Well, 26 years later I still use these and guess who has borrowed them on several of his past trips.....same friend. I took a 20 yr hiatus from elk hunting and 3 years ago, I started going again. Still using these binos and they are still amazing. However, how do the older binos compare to the newer stuff? Does anyone have any experience with older swaros vs middle of the road binos like an Athlon Cronus or GPO. Admittedly I would love to get some new Alpha glass, but unlike when I was 26, I now have a daughter going to grad school and another daughter a senior in H.S. I just can't justify spending 3k right now. And trust me, I'm the king of buy once try once. But, sometimes you just have to take things down a notch for the betterment of the family. I would love to get something in the 12x50 range. If I can buy a comparable newer glass for under $700 than my 26yr old swaro's I'll do it until I can get my alpha glass in a couple of years.

 

[nnmarcher]

I don’t know anything about your specific hunt, like what country you’re in and what size elk you may be chasing, but those Swaros will be great on nearly any hunt. The optical quality probably keeps up very well with today’s glass.

Maybe one day you’ll want to add a pair with higher magnification, range finding capability, or even a spotting scope, but those 8x30s are probably your most versatile pair!


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[JGRaider]

$500+ optics in todays binoculars are at least as good and most times better than any alpha you could buy 25+ years ago. I had those 8x30 SLC's myself, and found the Meopta Meostar HD better, and so is the Nikon MHG. I'm certain the new Tract Toric UHD would be as well.