Optic loadout help (leupold vs Maven... Maybe?)

[10ringer]

I personally have 15’s (sig Zulu 9) and my hunting partner has a viper 15-45 spotting scope. His scope is surprisingly clear (newest model). He spent 99% of his time on his 10’s. My time was almost 50/50 between 8’s and 15’s. This was on a rifle elk hunt in fairly open terrain. Archery elk I only pack the 8’s and a tripod. Mule deer / antelope my buddy used his spotter almost as much as his 10’s. Definitely good to have a mix of different glass for the type of hunt. I would definitely reach out to Leupold on those BX-4s, it’s actually a pretty solid binocular. Something is off if you have a headache from using them.

 

[Erussell01]

I personally have 15’s (sig Zulu 9) and my hunting partner has a viper 15-45 spotting scope. His scope is surprisingly clear (newest model). He spent 99% of his time on his 10’s. My time was almost 50/50 between 8’s and 15’s. This was on a rifle elk hunt in fairly open terrain. Archery elk I only pack the 8’s and a tripod. Mule deer / antelope my buddy used his spotter almost as much as his 10’s. Definitely good to have a mix of different glass for the type of hunt. I would definitely reach out to Leupold on those BX-4s, it’s actually a pretty solid binocular. Something is off if you have a headache from using them.

That is what everybody has said, so I am hopeful that I can get them fixed up. Like I said I really want to love them. I like the build quality, and when I called Leupold to ask about it they said I could send them in and they would take a look. My only fear is that I only have 30 days to return them if I don't love them so if I send them back I will likely end up keeping them and if they don't work for my eyes needing to sell them to someone who has better eyes than mine.

I'm going to ask a really dumb question...

Why does everybody forgo higher mag optics for archery elk?

Last year I glassed briefly with my old vortex diamondback non hd 10x42s and it sure seemed like I just could not pick the elk out once they got in the timber. Am I crazy to think a little more mag would have helped? I know I am showing my ignorance with that, but it seems like a 15x or a spotter might work to pick them out once they bed down. What binos do you run for your 8s and 10s?

 

[10ringer]

Many reasons for your above question but in general with higher temperatures elk won’t be out in the open as often so your best bet is to cover more dark timber with your boots. You’ll be covering more miles in general and typically at higher elevations so you want to keep your setup light and simple.
Plus with folage on trees during archery season long range glassing is less productive.

During rifle season you’ll be glassing at first light and last light and possibly all day, during archery season your typically bugling or listening for bugles.

You also mentioned mule deer and antelope hunting and that’s going to be a heavy glassing game no matter what time of year.

 

[Erussell01]

Many reasons for your above question but in general with higher temperatures elk won’t be out in the open as often so your best bet is to cover more dark timber with your boots. You’ll be covering more miles in general and typically at higher elevations so you want to keep your setup light and simple.
Plus with folage on trees during archery season long range glassing is less productive.

During rifle season you’ll be glassing at first light and last light and possibly all day, during archery season your typically bugling or listening for bugles.

You also mentioned mule deer and antelope hunting and that’s going to be a heavy glassing game no matter what time of year.

That makes sense. I was trying to find a way to use my eyes to find them since I felt like I was running through the woods bumping elk last year trying to cover miles and find them. I have no experience so my plan was to find them by covering ground. This year I would like to find them, then make a smarter play rather than just go run in after them. The elk didn't start bugling where we were hunting until the last day of the trip. But man, that got me HOOKED. I can still hear it.

I was shocked at the amount of elk just bedded in the sage. I had spent most of my time in the timber, but when I crossed this ridge at the back side of the of the bowl, the elk were bedded out in the flat sage in the wide open. I wish I knew more elk hunters from Idaho because that felt weird to me.

I haven't hunted muleys yet, all of my deer hunting is here in MN, but now that I have the western bug chewing on me I know it won't be long now.

 

[Sled]

That makes sense. I was trying to find a way to use my eyes to find them since I felt like I was running through the woods bumping elk last year trying to cover miles and find them. I have no experience so my plan was to find them by covering ground. This year I would like to find them, then make a smarter play rather than just go run in after them. The elk didn't start bugling where we were hunting until the last day of the trip. But man, that got me HOOKED. I can still hear it.

I was shocked at the amount of elk just bedded in the sage. I had spent most of my time in the timber, but when I crossed this ridge at the back side of the of the bowl, the elk were bedded out in the flat sage in the wide open. I wish I knew more elk hunters from Idaho because that felt weird to me.

I haven't hunted muleys yet, all of my deer hunting is here in MN, but now that I have the western bug chewing on me I know it won't be long now.

do you think your wife is ready for a move? sounds like you might be.

as for glassing:
i use maven b3's for my primary optic, tract toric 10x42 for rifle season in the open. the spotter is a viper 20-60x80 and stays in the truck/cabin. the razor 11-33x50 used come on hunts in open country but i just purchased some maven b5 15x56 to fill that spot. those will be dedicated to the tripod and stay in the pack when not actively glassing big terrain. i'd highly suggest using maven's demo program. your not out much cash if you decide you don't want them. compare a couple sets of different binos while you have them.

as for the spotter, i've never owned high end scopes but i don't trophy hunt so i can get by with less. what i need is good resolution dusk and dawn at around 20-40x. it is all i need for most of what i do. i've been using a friends maven spotter and found that i like a lower power that 25 for acquiring the animal. the glass is great in it but it doesn't give me anything that i don't already have with my viper.

i guess what i'm saying is you can get away without a spotter but they are nice to verify what you can't see with your binos. dirt cheap spotters are not going to get you very far but a mid range is all that is needed if you aren't using them professionally or if the difference of a 330 and 350 bull is a huge deal to you.

 

[Erussell01]

do you think your wife is ready for a move? sounds like you might be.

as for glassing:
i use maven b3's for my primary optic, tract toric 10x42 for rifle season in the open. the spotter is a viper 20-60x80 and stays in the truck/cabin. the razor 11-33x50 used come on hunts in open country but i just purchased some maven b5 15x56 to fill that spot. those will be dedicated to the tripod and stay in the pack when not actively glassing big terrain. i'd highly suggest using maven's demo program. your not out much cash if you decide you don't want them. compare a couple sets of different binos while you have them.

as for the spotter, i've never owned high end scopes but i don't trophy hunt so i can get by with less. what i need is good resolution dusk and dawn at around 20-40x. it is all i need for most of what i do. i've been using a friends maven spotter and found that i like a lower power that 25 for acquiring the animal. the glass is great in it but it doesn't give me anything that i don't already have with my viper.

i guess what i'm saying is you can get away without a spotter but they are nice to verify what you can't see with your binos. dirt cheap spotters are not going to get you very far but a mid range is all that is needed if you aren't using them professionally or if the difference of a 330 and 350 bull is a huge deal to you.

Funny you should mention it... She keeps finding houses in Nortg and South Dakota, Montana and Wyoming... I better pack a bag or she will head off without me pretty quick. Lol.

Which B3s do you have?

It sounds to me like you have gone through the same growing pains as I am currently going through and have finally settled into a set up that works really well for you.

I am definitely not worried about counting inches at this point, I am far too new to be picky. It sure seems like the money spent on a decent set of primary binos goes a long ways across all of the different hunting types and the niceties like 15s or a decent spotter are the icing on the cake. It sounds like you think that decent pair of 8 or 10s and a mid range spotter might cover my bases better for now, is that what you would do in my case?

Do you ever hunt antelope? Do you use your spotter for them if you do? I would imagine you could glass with lower power binos and then get behind the spotter to really pick apart the sage of you think you saw something.

My wife loves antelope and I really love taking her hunting. She was so pumped last year to look at her antelope through her binos before the stalk. Whatever bino / high mag bino/ spotter setup I get myself into will also have to be wife approved (not the cost but that she also gets to use them lol) or she will steal mine anyway

 

[WI in the west]

I think everyone goes through these growing pains woth goass until you end up having something for each occasion. I thought i was set with binos, a big spotter and some 18’s. Sold the binos and spotter for some swaros recently now thinking the 18’s arent going to be as valuable as a spotter now that i got top tier binos and might look to sell thise and go back to a bog spotter. The game never ends lol

 

[sndmn11]

What's going on with the BX4s? Did you fiddle with the diopter?

 

[Erussell01]

I think everyone goes through these growing pains woth goass until you end up having something for each occasion. I thought i was set with binos, a big spotter and some 18’s. Sold the binos and spotter for some swaros recently now thinking the 18’s arent going to be as valuable as a spotter now that i got top tier binos and might look to sell thise and go back to a bog spotter. The game never ends lol

Tinkering is half the fun lol

 

[Erussell01]

What's going on with the BX4s? Did you fiddle with the diopter?

I did and still no luck. I can't say that they are out whack but they almost immediately make me feel dizzy. I am getting a different pair of 10s on Monday to compare and if those don't give me grief I'll either send the 8s in to Leupold or send them back. If the 10s give me the same issue, I think I'm going to just bite the bullet and get a pair of Maven C3s. We shall see

 

[Sled]

Funny you should mention it... She keeps finding houses in Nortg and South Dakota, Montana and Wyoming... I better pack a bag or she will head off without me pretty quick. Lol.

Which B3s do you have?

It sounds to me like you have gone through the same growing pains as I am currently going through and have finally settled into a set up that works really well for you.

I am definitely not worried about counting inches at this point, I am far too new to be picky. It sure seems like the money spent on a decent set of primary binos goes a long ways across all of the different hunting types and the niceties like 15s or a decent spotter are the icing on the cake. It sounds like you think that decent pair of 8 or 10s and a mid range spotter might cover my bases better for now, is that what you would do in my case?

Do you ever hunt antelope? Do you use your spotter for them if you do? I would imagine you could glass with lower power binos and then get behind the spotter to really pick apart the sage of you think you saw something.

My wife loves antelope and I really love taking her hunting. She was so pumped last year to look at her antelope through her binos before the stalk. Whatever bino / high mag bino/ spotter setup I get myself into will also have to be wife approved (not the cost but that she also gets to use them lol) or she will steal mine anyway

I use the 8x30 b3 for the majority of my hunting. I love antelope and the spotter is for confirming a legal doe. Its easier to see the black cheek patch at distance with the spotter for me. For finding them a simple 10x is great. Where I hunt the loapes are either in the open or in a ditch. When I get into juniper, I like a higher power optic for looking into the shadows. Spotter or high power binos are fine for that.

If you're in the truck, it's hard to beat an angled spotter for being comfortable all day long. Spotting high to low, straight or binos are great. Otherwise you get creative with the angled spotter to stay comfortable.

Fwiw, the vortex razor gen 1 85 objective can be had for around 750 or less. To me it's very similar to the viper I have. So similar I sold the razor and kept the viper. To me the viper was warmer in color while the razor was neutral. I like a little warmth.


Looks like they went up in price:

https://www.sportsmans.com/hunting-gear-supplies/optics-binoculars-scopes-rangefinders/spotting-

scopes/vortex-razor-hd-20-60-x-85-spotting-scope-angled/p/1232811

 

[Erussell01]

Ok guys. So small wrench in the works.

The 10x bx4s I ordered arrived.
So far they do not give me a headache. No weird rolling ball effect. Glass is clear and super sharp.


Do I send my 8xs back to amazon or do I send them into Leupold for warranty work?

I was almost all set on sending both pairs back and getting a set of maven b series to just be done finally... However, these 10s seem to kick butt.
Off the tripod they mad short work of glassing some deer in the back yard tonight after dark in the moon light. I will spend time on them tomorrow and then I will let you guys know what I find.

The only issue, the 10s are a little tough to hand hold compared to the 8s. Not terrible. And I could probably learn to hand hold them well enough for quick looks. Off the tripod they are rock solid. Makes me see why you guys recommend a tripod.

And now I am torn...

 

[Sled]

Ok guys. So small wrench in the works.

The 10x bx4s I ordered arrived.
So far they do not give me a headache. No weird rolling ball effect. Glass is clear and super sharp.


Do I send my 8xs back to amazon or do I send them into Leupold for warranty work?

I was almost all set on sending both pairs back and getting a set of maven b series to just be done finally... However, these 10s seem to kick butt.
Off the tripod they mad short work of glassing some deer in the back yard tonight after dark in the moon light. I will spend time on them tomorrow and then I will let you guys know what I find.

The only issue, the 10s are a little tough to hand hold compared to the 8s. Not terrible. And I could probably learn to hand hold them well enough for quick looks. Off the tripod they are rock solid. Makes me see why you guys recommend a tripod.

And now I am torn...

Shakey is not good at any magnification. Spend some time learning how to stabilize hand held before you make a decision.

 

[Erussell01]

Shakey is not good at any magnification. Spend some time learning how to stabilize hand held before you make a decision.

Any good tips?

 

[sndmn11]

Ok guys. So small wrench in the works.

The 10x bx4s I ordered arrived.
So far they do not give me a headache. No weird rolling ball effect. Glass is clear and super sharp.


Do I send my 8xs back to amazon or do I send them into Leupold for warranty work?

I was almost all set on sending both pairs back and getting a set of maven b series to just be done finally... However, these 10s seem to kick butt.
Off the tripod they mad short work of glassing some deer in the back yard tonight after dark in the moon light. I will spend time on them tomorrow and then I will let you guys know what I find.

The only issue, the 10s are a little tough to hand hold compared to the 8s. Not terrible. And I could probably learn to hand hold them well enough for quick looks. Off the tripod they are rock solid. Makes me see why you guys recommend a tripod.

And now I am torn...

Replace through Amazon.

 

[Erussell01]

Replace through Amazon.

Yeah I think the 8s are going back. Since I bought both pairs they will just refund me for the 8s. I like the wider fov a lot and the more stable image but after glassing deer tonight off my tripod ar well over a half mile, the 10s just have me sold. I was really considering returning both pairs and buying mavens but man that 10x pair is really really good.

 

[sndmn11]

Yeah I think the 8s are going back. Since I bought both pairs they will just refund me for the 8s. I like the wider fov a lot and the more stable image but after glassing deer tonight off my tripod ar well over a half mile, the 10s just have me sold. I was really considering returning both pairs and buying mavens but man that 10x pair is really really good.

I meant swap the 8s for another pair of 8s. There is nothing about them that should give you headaches unless they are out of collimation.

You might find that with 8s you can resolve better because if less shakies.

 

[Erussell01]

I meant swap the 8s for another pair of 8s. There is nothing about them that should give you headaches unless they are out of collimation.

You might find that with 8s you can resolve better because if less shakies.

Gotcha, I think they will only return these... Not exchange them otherwise that would be the ticket for sure. I glassed with the 10s off the tripod for more than a half hour steady and had no headache. Something must be up with those 8s. I was able to glass a fish house across the lake that I could not see with my naked eye in the low light. Through the binos I could make out pretty good detail to see that it was a clam fish house, the guy had a polaris snowmobile and a frabil ice suit lol.

He probably thought I was Mr. Green Jeans

 

[Sled]

Any good tips?

Find ways to support the bino or your arms while holding the bino. Use a tree/limb, similar to supporting a rifle. Use the brim of a ball cap to sandwich the bino. Use the barrel of an unloaded rifle in a vertical position to split the optic. Use the top cam of a bow to rest the bino and the bottom cam on your leg. Use your legs in a seated position to support your elbows and combo the hat grab. Use a trekking pole from a seated position as a monopod.

Plenty of ways to take some shake out. Just get creative.

 

[Erussell01]

Ok boys, you have been incredibly helpful to this point.
Now we have a real pickle. I need some more help thinking this through.

Are leupold bx4s enough glass to buy once cry once?

Or do I need to look a little harder at something like a Maven b1.2?

I started to think. Dangerous I know. Is there something out there better at this price?
(Full disclosure the 10s were marked used but were brand new in box and I paid 325 for them which felt like a good deal)


Anybody ever use a pair of Tract Toric?
I see they get good reviews but I have no clue where they are even from.

I also see Athlons top binocular is on sale right now on Amazon for a pretty good price. (Is this comparable or better than bx4s?) People seem to like them. Never looked through them

Is there something else I should try and compare these bx4s to before I settle?

Am I settling?

Am I going to gain anything with any of the above options?

I really want to try a pair of Mavens but I don't kow why I am scared. Leupold has been around forever. The name felt safe or something lol that and the ones i want are 1000$ or so which is the same as these leupolds and an antelope tag and some of the gas to get to WY

Plus their CS team made me feel great.

All of a sudden I'm feeling like I don't want to get trapped in a pair of good binoculars if not much more money will get me to "great". How much better are maven B1.2s over my bx4s? How much better are Tracts?

Help. I am becoming an bino whoooore....