Upgrading from Vortex to Swaro - Why?

[4th_point]

I actually didn’t notice it yet, but definitely need to spend more time behind it. I may just not know what to look for. Only have about 1.5 hours behind it so far.

If you have sunshine, just simulate a worse case scenario with your viewing direction and angle. You just need some direct light to enter the objective. Takes seconds to check.

I just compared the 8x32, 10x32, 8x42, and 10x42 NL. The 10x models were my favorite even though I generally prefer 8x, but they all had noticable flare.

Just a trade off to consider. And how relevant it is for you.

 

[nick2021]

Just upgraded from the vortex viper hd like you’re contemplating…viper 12x50 to the NL 12x42. So far, I think the edge to edge clarity is worth it for me. Going on a moose hunt for 14 days in Alaska and eager to see its performance in low light conditions. The purchase definitely put a dent in the wallet….but luckily, was able to find a vet discount on top of the Swarovski sale price. Every little bit helps…Will follow up end of sept after the hunt

 

[keystone112]

Mid grade glass (Nikon?) is ok for most of the day.

Top glass is great for the same time and also really really good for the first and last 15 minutes of the day.

Is that worth the price for you?

 

[nick2021]

Great way to put it….Def worth it for sure….at least for me . Seeing the moose in your profile photo….most of the activity I saw was first/last 30 minutes of the day last season. These hunts aren’t easy, and if I’m spending 14 days in the bush, this is an easy decision for me despite the hard hit on wallet. A lot goes into planning hunt trips and great optics can go a long way imo

Mid grade glass (Nikon?) is ok for most of the day.

Top glass is great for the same time and also really really good for the first and last 15 minutes of the day.

Is that worth the price for you?

 

[mountainmystic1]

Well, turns out the Aziak mount doesn’t work as well as I’d hoped for the NL Pure. Anyone got a better recommendation? The RRS Cinch looks interesting.

NL's have two different types of adapters needed. They changed mounting type mid 2024. There is a program where you can send your older style NL's for the new ones for free. Video below shows the difference

 

[mountainmystic1]

PS - how is the glare with the NL?

I have two years behind my 8x42 NL's and have only noticed it once. It was very challenging side sun conditions at a low angle. A slight adjustment with grip corrected it quickly. I can honestly say these are the most clear binoculars that i have looked through. Including the EL series with Swarovision. They truly are a pleasure to look through.

 

[jvon2011]

Some recent experience to shed light on your question. Took my FIL out in early October for his first ever elk hunt. Tags were for a bull, and he was willing to shoot the first legal elk we came across. Meat > antlers on that hunt. He was glassing with Vortex Crossfires and I was glassing with Vortex UHDs. I glassed up a group of 6 bulls at 800 yards early (5 spikes and a raghorn) and we watched them move into the dark timber and bed at 525. One elk bedded with its butt just barely visible from behind a tree. I was still able to see it. My FIL was not. We decided to post up on them, hoping for a shot. After a 3 hour wait, my FIL says “Is that a rock? I don’t remember seeing that there earlier.” I quickly threw up my binos, and sure enough, one of the bulls had gotten up and fed out to about 535 behind some sparse aspens. I could see clear as day that it was the raghorn, and he couldn’t tell if it was an elk or a rock. That bull eventually fed to 491 into a clearing and my FIL dropped him in his tracks with a single shot.

I’m sure the difference between Viper and Swaro glass isn’t quite as extreme as Crossfire and Razor glass, but I find the value in quality glass. You can’t shoot animals if you can’t find animals, and sometimes it’s the tiny details while glassing into timber that makes the difference in finding them. Again, speaking from experience while glassing with friends.

Try to find someone in your area that will let you look through theirs side by side with yours and make the call yourself. Maybe it’s obvious for you. Maybe you can’t see the difference. Everyone’s eyes are different.

 

[zpearo]

Howdy fellas,

Need some guidance on optics and the reasons folks would upgrade. I’ve been unsuccessfully hunting elk in CO for the last 5 years and will be moving to WY in the next month or so. I currently use a set of Vortex Viper HD 10x50s and paid about $300 for them a few years ago. I’ve really enjoyed them and find them to be pretty good optically, but I’ve never owned a better set of binos. I’ve been told a million times that NL Pures from Swaro are the gold standard but have never felt like spending the $ to upgrade as I don’t really find critters as is to hunt. However, Swaro has a pretty good sale until the end of the year and I’m curious if this would be a good time to buy.

So my question for y’all is this:

If you weren’t successful at finding elk in the first place, does purchasing a Tier 1 Bino make sense? I’ve heard that people like the superb glass for identifying trophy quality on Mule Deer (which I hunt more as a side thing once done with elk) but is it necessary for elk? I figure if I ever did run into them, even my Vipers could spot and animal that large.

Would love it if y’all could drop some knowledge on me about why it would or wouldn’t be beneficial to upgrade.

Thanks!

Having low level glass is a problem, you just can't pick things out that are there. But mid level glass is absolutely fine versus premium.

I started with some Vortex Diamondback HD binos 12x42 and thought they seemed fine...

Then I found a pair of Nikon Monarch M7 8x42 for cheap and found that the glass is way better in those. I could pick out things with 8x in those that I couldn't see with the 12x Vortex.

I recently got a pair of Swaro EL 8.5x42, and the improvement over the Nikons is there, but only marginal. I don't think I will find anything with the Swaros that I wouldn't find with the Nikons.