Upgrading from Vortex to Swaro - Why?

[Fever Buck]

Also for what it’s worth my experience is Wyoming elk has always been more conducive to glassing elk than Colorado but this really is a unit to unit consideration. Most of Wyoming except for the Medicine Bow has more open or partially open country and less severe elevation changes than Colorado. Lots of Colorado elk areas are more heavily timber and steeper/higher where long distance glassing is not as possible or requires getting to 13k’ elevation to see multiple drainages at once. Regardless of species every time I’ve moved states I’ve had to recalibrate the priority of hunting gear for the environment.

That’s good to know. My issue with Colorado is that every good glassing point seems to have other folks on it. Will be interesting to see how difficult it is to get away from other hunters. Am looking forward to learning WY.

 

[mighteywhitehunter]

I own all swaro optics now, but I didn't when I was younger....

My success has increased mainly from hunting experience but... having good optics can help. They help with spotting animals, in some cases adding confidence, and by providing a good viewing experience so you actually use the binos that you are carrying.

NLs are the best bino out there IMO, I have had the 10xs for a couple years now. Moving states may help you see more elk, but the thing that will make you see the most critters is the effort you put in before and during the season, scouting, glassing, and covering ground to find the areas that actually hold the animals you seek.

 

[Mule3006Elk]

I started with Vortex and I find it much easier to glass for long periods of time behind Swaro.
I have made purchases in my life that I regret Swaro glass is definitely not one of them. I have the 12 NLs and I want 8 NL. Great combo IMO. Only regret, well maybe, I have a Swaro 80 mm spotter and sometimes I think about a 65 mm. I have some 10x SLCs which IMO is great glass. They don't give up much when compared to the NLs. I don't have the 14x Swaro itch. I don't think I could handhold those.

My kids were using Vortex Viper HD and side-by-side there is no comparison.

 

[JakeSCH]

It depends on how much you glass and how you use them. If you are picking apart bushes, spending hours glassing, etc the better glass is absolutely worth it.

Going from NL's to $1000 binos makes you constantly try to adjust the focus knob because it just cannot get as crisp. You also find that it feels like you have higher power binos because you see more details.

That said, grab a pair of used EL's or Zeiss SF's for sub 2k and you can be extremely happy.

Swaro EL 8.5x42 is an amazing all around bino and some good deals. https://rokslide.com/forums/threads/swarovski-el-8-5x42.362758/

 

[NiteQwill]

No purchasing a tier 1 Bino is not necessary to find game.

You also need a spotting scope and a tripod.

You Vortex 10x50's are fine. Pair it with a 80mm objective or bigger spotter and a good tripod and you will have a pair for success in Wyoming.

Do yourself a favor. Most Wyoming natives have an absolute hatred of outsiders. Lose the Y'all bit and other southern slang.

No one is going to care that you moved there from somewhere else. .

If you stay long term, don't ever compare Wyoming to wherever you came from. No one is going to care.

This also applies to surrounding states and Alaska.

I grew up in Wyoming and have been gone for 30 years with the military. I get treated like an outsider when I go home.

You MUST be the life of the party.

Talk about an unnecessary rant.

 

[Salmon River Solutions]

Do you get a headache when you glass?


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This, 100%.

I was never able to glass very long. I have messed up retinal disparity which will cause my eyes to try to rectify the center to edge clarity. Where a buddy could glass with Vortex Vipers for hours, I could do it for about 30 minutes then have to lay there with my eyes closed to get my head to stop pounding.

Fast forward to last year and I got NL Pures. All of a sudden I can glass for hours on end with very minor to almost no eye / head pain.

 

[Fever Buck]

You MUST be the life of the party.

Talk about an unnecessary rant.

Dude has made negative comments towards southern folks in another thread as well. Luckily everyone I’ve met in WY has been much nicer than him.

 

[LongWayAround]

You can see an elk from a long way with 10x vipers. Likely miles under good conditions.

Vortex Vs Swarovski isn't the problem if you are not seeing them.

The resolution of the image will be much better with the high end binoculars.

 

[JohnJohnson]

I don't know if you'd find more animals due to higher resolution or whatever. But I do find that my ELs make me enjoy glassing a lot more. So I don't get headaches glassing and I enjoy glassing more, the net effect is that I glass more with them giving me the chance to see more animals.

 

[Fireflyfishing]

Do you need them, no. However, maybe if you buy them you’ll get out more and start figuring out how to find the elk easier.

 

[Fever Buck]

It depends on how much you glass and how you use them. If you are picking apart bushes, spending hours glassing, etc the better glass is absolutely worth it.

Going from NL's to $1000 binos makes you constantly try to adjust the focus knob because it just cannot get as crisp. You also find that it feels like you have higher power binos because you see more details.

That said, grab a pair of used EL's or Zeiss SF's for sub 2k and you can be extremely happy.

Swaro EL 8.5x42 is an amazing all around bino and some good deals. https://rokslide.com/forums/threads/swarovski-el-8-5x42.362758/

That makes sense. So far (and I’m sure this contributes to my lack of success) I haven’t found any units that really hold good glassing spots that aren’t swarmed with other folks. Maybe WY will be different and I’ll regret not grabbing a pair of Swaros.

 

[nobody]

Like others have stated, buying better glass won’t find the animals for you. I’d argue I’ve seen exponentially more Vipers around the neck of serious western hunters (I live in the west) than probably any other optic. Is alpha glass better? You betcha. Is it the end-all be-all that their marketing team wants you to think it is? Not even close.

Keep in mind, recommendations on the internet and forums oftentimes come from people who have spent dramatic amounts of money to purchase the thing they’re recommending (IE, NL’s), and they’ll defend their purchase because they feel like they need to justify the money they’ve spent. I myself fall in that camp as well, it’s just human nature and isn’t a dig at anyone on this thread or on this forum.

Only you can decide for yourself if it’s worth the cost. Try to borrow or rent a few pairs of alpha glass and test them side by side in poor light conditions and low light conditions next to your vipers. Be really honest and objective with yourself and whether or not you need the upgrade. If you have the disposable income and it passes the “burn test” (could you handle setting that amount of money on fire in the middle of the floor and watching it burn), and if it does, then go ahead and scoop up a pair of alpha glass. That said, if you DO decide to jump to Tier 1 glass, be sure to compare all the big players. Swaro is often to alpha glass what Kleenex is to tissues in a box, it’s the catch-all term used to describe high quality glass. But I know that, for me, you couldn’t gift me a pair of NL’s (or any Swarovski optic for that matter), and I would argue most of the fanfare surrounding them is just hype. My eyes VASTLY prefer Leica and Maven color palettes, and I even prefer the Vortex Razor UHD’s over any Swarovski offering, and it’s not an even close contest.

I say that to illustrate that opinions on glass are all subjective. If you’re looking to spend serious 4 figure cash, make sure to do it right the first time. Research and testing are your friends. And once you make the decision and purchase, STOP SHOPPING AND JUST BE HAPPY!

Good luck with the purchase!

 

[Fever Buck]

Like others have stated, buying better glass won’t find the animals for you. I’d argue I’ve seen exponentially more Vipers around the neck of serious western hunters (I live in the west) than probably any other optic. Is alpha glass better? You betcha. Is it the end-all be-all that their marketing team wants you to think it is? Not even close.

Keep in mind, recommendations on the internet and forums oftentimes come from people who have spent dramatic amounts of money to purchase the thing they’re recommending (IE, NL’s), and they’ll defend their purchase because they feel like they need to justify the money they’ve spent. I myself fall in that camp as well, it’s just human nature and isn’t a dig at anyone on this thread or on this forum.

Only you can decide for yourself if it’s worth the cost. Try to borrow or rent a few pairs of alpha glass and test them side by side in poor light conditions and low light conditions next to your vipers. Be really honest and objective with yourself and whether or not you need the upgrade. If you have the disposable income and it passes the “burn test” (could you handle setting that amount of money on fire in the middle of the floor and watching it burn), and if it does, then go ahead and scoop up a pair of alpha glass. That said, if you DO decide to jump to Tier 1 glass, be sure to compare all the big players. Swaro is often to alpha glass what Kleenex is to tissues in a box, it’s the catch-all term used to describe high quality glass. But I know that, for me, you couldn’t gift me a pair of NL’s (or any Swarovski optic for that matter), and I would argue most of the fanfare surrounding them is just hype. My eyes VASTLY prefer Leica and Maven color palettes, and I even prefer the Vortex Razor UHD’s over any Swarovski offering, and it’s not an even close contest.

I say that to illustrate that opinions on glass are all subjective. If you’re looking to spend serious 4 figure cash, make sure to do it right the first time. Research and testing are your friends. And once you make the decision and purchase, STOP SHOPPING AND JUST BE HAPPY!

Good luck with the purchase!

Thanks man, well said. I should def find some place that has a bunch of different models to compare.

 

[Schoolhousegrizz]

I've had vortex and Swaro spotters. While the Swaro is a touch crispier it is not a huge difference. Now in low light at far distances with the power cranked up you will notice the Swaro is for sure better, but still not a game changer. With binos around 8 and 10 power I feel like there is even less difference from razor binos to Swaro binos.

I dare say it will have zero affect on you killing more animals.

 

[JGRaider]

No purchasing a tier 1 Bino is not necessary to find game.

You also need a spotting scope and a tripod.

You Vortex 10x50's are fine. Pair it with a 80mm objective or bigger spotter and a good tripod and you will have a pair for success in Wyoming.

Do yourself a favor. Most Wyoming natives have an absolute hatred of outsiders. Lose the Y'all bit and other southern slang.

No one is going to care that you moved there from somewhere else. .

If you stay long term, don't ever compare Wyoming to wherever you came from. No one is going to care.

This also applies to surrounding states and Alaska.

I grew up in Wyoming and have been gone for 30 years with the military. I get treated like an outsider when I go home.

Lighten up Francis........

 

[Ucsdryder]

The difference is looking through mud vs clear glass. There is a dramatic difference in glass quality between Vortex and Swaro. I've been there. I can no longer spend money on anything less.

As far as improving your chances on a hunt... Better glass may improve clarity and resolution of seeing an animal. But if the animal isn't there to begin with, I guess it doesn't matter...

Good hunting

Mud? Come on. You don’t even need binos to identify an elk. If he’s hunting for an elk his vortex are perfectly fine. Nobody glasses for hours upon hours for elk in Colorado.

Stick with what you got. If you decide to hunting mule deer or similar where you’re looking for an ear or a tine then maybe it’s time to switch.

If you want to find and kill an elk in Colorado the chances of a swaro finding an elk the vortex can’t are exactly 0 percent.

 

[Mule3006Elk]

Could also rent a pair and then decide if the expense is worth it. Nobody can decide except you.

As others have said not required to find Elk. I did fine with Viper HD 10x42 for years before I upgraded.
I find more game, no question, but this is due to my enjoyment of glassing with my Swaro nocs which keeps me behind the glass. I didn't realize how much I enjoyed glassing until I upgraded. I focus on mule deer more than elk so glass is important for me. Elk are pretty easy to spot TBO. I still have Viper HDs in my truck. FWIW

 

[Maverick1]

If you weren’t successful at finding elk in the first place, does purchasing a Tier 1 Bino make sense?

No, it does not make sense. Why? Because the gear and equipment do not make the hunter.

Here's an example: when I started out as a 12 year-old kid just getting into hunting, I had no idea what I was doing. At that point in my life, my goal was to kill a deer, any deer, with my bow. It took a couple of years, but it obviously happened!

If I were to take all of the very expensive and high end gear I own NOW, and give it to that 12 year-old kid - that 12 year old kid would still not be successful in shooting a deer. Any deer. Even if I had every top of the line piece of gear when I was 12, it just was not going to happen.

However, take all of the crappy gear and clothing that I used when I was 12, and if I were to go hunting with it today, I am very confident I'd be able to kill a deer with that same equipment now. Many deer per season, if I so wanted!

It's not the bow, the boots, or the camouflage patterns; it is the hunter.

It's not the brand of the spotting scope, either.

I've been nearly 100% shot opportunity on elk for archery going on two decades now, using mostly Nikon and Vortex binoculars. (I own Swarovski's as well, but tend to beat the pi$$ out of my optics on the mountains, so the alpha glass is used from a treestand.)

OK, mini-rant over. The noticeable difference may include sharper and brighter images, an ability to glass for longer periods of time, with less eye strain. This may help you locate more animals on your hunt, but does not come with any guarantees, obviously. If you have the money and will enjoy the purchase, go for it!

 

[Eastonsgrandpa]

I own 8 and 12 power NL Pure and will say they are night and day better than the Viper.

But do you need them? Nope. My dad hunted (and so did I by default) with cheap Kmart binoculars his entire life and never thought twice. His scopes came from the same store.

I have them because it was in the budget and I value fine gear. They definitely help in dark timber and in those low light situations but if it’s a question if it’s worth it, I say use what you have. If struggling to locate animals, maybe a better use of your funds would be to hire a guide for a weekend.

These binoculars have absolutely not made me a better hunter. Only experience can do that.

 

[fisherman983]

I say buy them. You won't be disappointed. And if for some reason you don't like the purchase and think you want your money back, sell them for almost what you paid and buy something else. Swaro has great resale value.

Yes I have swaro stuff and I've used lesser stuff and compared my swaro to friends/clients gear. Swaro is always brighter, crisper, clear

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