Optimal Mule Deer Optics Setup

[BBob]

but alpha glass won't help you find any more game than that trio you already have.

You joking right???

 

[Hnthrdr]

Assuming that one has identified a deer and wants a closer look I see no issue with looking through a riflescope. Wouldn’t be using it for spotting in the first place though personally


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Not the worst, just had too many experiences with guys glassing me with their rifle scopes… not cool man. But yeah if it’s all you got and you are using your binos primarily go for it

 

[Hnthrdr]

You joking right???

I mean I’ve owned a lot of different optics, buying swaro everything does not make you see all the game on the mountain, biggest difference IMO is low light advantage with higher end stuff, maybe a few more min, but high power zoom with a spotter if it’s not good glass you will 100% miss not see everything. Figuring out vantage points where you hunt and have the patience to really burn up the hill side with whatever you got will trump just owning expensive stuff 10/10 times

 

[WeiserBucks]

Alpha glass wins every time in every scenario. It's a simple affordability issue for some people.

 

[Hnthrdr]

Alpha glass wins every time in every scenario. It's a simple affordability issue for some people.

With all else equal sure. Don’t care how good your glass is when you can’t be bothered to sit still for more than 10 min haha

 

[BBob]

Don’t care how good your glass is when you can’t be bothered to sit still for more than 10 min haha

If someone can’t be bothered to learn and adopt good glassing habits then yeah mby alpha optics aren’t a good choice for them.

 

[WeiserBucks]

Don’t care how good your glass is when you can’t be bothered to sit still for more than 10 min haha

Those are my favorite kind of hunters, quick look, no game, move on.

 

[Hnthrdr]

Those are my favorite kind of hunters, quick look, no game, move on.

Chased a buck in a drainage who was a slippery SOB it wasn’t far from a road, I saw him 4 times in 4 days and saw about 250 hunters who would pull in park glass for 10-20 min and haul ass

 

[Hnthrdr]

If someone can’t be bothered to learn and adopt good glassing habits then yeah mby alpha optics aren’t a good choice for them.

Yes, I think like much of the hunting world, guys throw money at stuff expecting a quick fix or things to magically change. reality is the art of hunting is far more important than gear, heck my NL’s sit on the shelf archery hunting elk in favor of my 8x razors since very little if any glassing is done outside some still hunting, but NL’s are amazing to sit behind all day during deer season or any other time really

 

[JGRaider]

You joking right???

Alpha glass wins every time in every scenario. It's a simple affordability issue for some people.

I own 10x Meostar HD, old Gold Ring HD, Swaro SLC, Swaro EL, Vortex Razor UHD, and Vortex Razor. The absolute best glass of the bunch is the EL 10x50, but you will not see things through it that you can't see 99% as well with the Razor, won't happen. I've had them side by side on tripods numerous times mule deer hunting, and guiding hunts. If you like alpha glass (I do too obviously), but don't kid myself into thinking they'll see things and find things better than any good $1000 optic today.

 

[blksno]

You imply you glass with your rifle scope? Interesting

I hunt wide open private land and between my binos and my rifle optic, I've never needed a spotter.
That's just me. I carried a Bushnell LMSS 8-40x for a few years and never used it once to observe game. Literally never once.

The amount of high end optics that have 5-7 on the low end and 35-40 on the top end is extensive. I've never even considered needing lower magnification that 10x for mule deer. Even if most shots are taken around 12-16x....having 35x+ means I don't need to carry a spotter. Ever.

 

[ThatsBishop]

I run NL 8’s, NL 14’s and Kowa 88s. Each time I go from the 8s to 14’s I think they are my new favorite. Both are so incredible I can’t imagine not have both on me. The glass in the Kowa is, in my opinion, even better than the glass in the NL’s. The detail you can see through the 88 is stunning.

 

[htlt_surfboards]

I use 12x NL’s and a Kowa 55. Love this combo.

 

[nphunter]

Yes, I think like much of the hunting world, guys throw money at stuff expecting a quick fix or things to magically change. reality is the art of hunting is far more important than gear, heck my NL’s sit on the shelf archery hunting elk in favor of my 8x razors since very little if any glassing is done outside some still hunting, but NL’s are amazing to sit behind all day during deer season or any other time really

Try some 8x NL’s, it’s unbelievable how much better they are when glassing at all ranges. I actually have 8x32’s and they are unreal. I just got back from an Antelope hunt where it was over 100deg most days and my NL14’s and spotter were not very useful mid day with the heat waves, I could clearly glass most of the day with my 8’s. I was picking up goats at over 2 miles mid day easily with the 8’s.

Doing the math they shouldn’t be better in low light than my Razor 10x42’s but they are hands down better. I can glass deer well past being able to make them out with my naked eye.

 

[Hnthrdr]

I’m

Try some 8x NL’s, it’s unbelievable how much better they are when glassing at all ranges. I actually have 8x32’s and they are unreal. I just got back from an Antelope hunt where it was over 100deg most days and my NL14’s and spotter were not very useful mid day with the heat waves, I could clearly glass most of the day with my 8’s. I was picking up goats at over 2 miles mid day easily with the 8’s.

Doing the math they shouldn’t be better in low light than my Razor 10x42’s but they are hands down better. I can glass deer well past being able to make them out with my naked eye.

afraid to try the NL 8’s if they are anything like the 12’s im sure they are unbelievably good

 

[MontanaMuley]

I got some hands-on time today with the 10x and 12x NLs and compared them directly against my Razors. My non-scientific, subjective takeaway: I really liked the NLs, but they didn’t blow me away quite as much as I expected.

Are they better? Absolutely. Are they $2k better? For me, I'm not completely sold.

If I were to pick a pair, I’d lean toward the 10x, and I might still try the 8x just to compare.

This was during the late afternoon, though, and I imagine the NLs would really start to separate themselves in the last 30 minutes of light and on a tripod.

For those who switched from mid-levels to alphas, what made you pull the trigger?

 

[sndmn11]

For those who switched from mid-levels to alphas, what made you pull the trigger?

Looking through the 8x nl on a tripod

 

[Hnthrdr]

I got some hands-on time today with the 10x and 12x NLs and compared them directly against my Razors. My non-scientific, subjective takeaway: I really liked the NLs, but they didn’t blow me away quite as much as I expected.

Are they better? Absolutely. Are they $2k better? For me, I'm not completely sold.

If I were to pick a pair, I’d lean toward the 10x, and I might still try the 8x just to compare.

This was during the late afternoon, though, and I imagine the NLs would really start to separate themselves in the last 30 minutes of light and on a tripod.

For those who switched from mid-levels to alphas, what made you pull the trigger?

A few reasons:
1. I love tinkering
2. I was tired of making incremental improvements in my optics
3. I am finally at a place where it wasn’t a financial burden, I’m kind of a tight wad but I see/saw the value in the swaro optics I bought, I could likely sell either one for close to what I paid for them

 

[handwerk]

This year for me it's my 10x42 Geovids and Swaro STC.

 

[dirtytough]

Whether someone is glassing “right”, or someone is glassing “wrong”, better glass will help spot more game.

Depending how picky a guy is makes a difference in glass setup.

Not very picky grab EL range and some 14x52 NL’s.

Really picky I believe it’s harder to decide. I like packing the Swaro BTX plus an eye piece, 12x42 NL’s or 10x42 EL range. The 12’s are awesome off a tripod. The EL’s are great for clarity and a fast shooting solution.