What binoculars would suit me best?

[Sbrannon]

I have been whitetail hunting in Georgia my entire life and rarely have had longer than 50 yard shooting lanes, however I am about to lose access to my primary hunting land due to death in family and land getting sold and am more than likely going to be hunting public land next year unless I can get on a lease somewhere. Next year I plan to go with a buddy on both our first DIY elk hunt out west. I’ve only ever used my dads 8x21 tasco binoculars so I have no experience with any modern, non pocket binoculars. My rangefinder is a 6x, even though it’s not optimal to use as a binocular. Am I better off going with an 8x or a 10x? I’ve been leaning toward 10x to be more versatile and a little overkill in whitetail woods but I’d rather not end up buying 2 pairs before next seasons. Anybody have good input? I’ve watched just about every binocular video on YouTube so I’m really just trying to learn the most I can to make the best decision


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[Ferrulewax]

I have been whitetail hunting in Georgia my entire life and rarely have had longer than 50 yard shooting lanes, however I am about to lose access to my primary hunting land due to death in family and land getting sold and am more than likely going to be hunting public land next year unless I can get on a lease somewhere. Next year I plan to go with a buddy on both our first DIY elk hunt out west. I’ve only ever used my dads 8x21 tasco binoculars so I have no experience with any modern, non pocket binoculars. My rangefinder is a 6x, even though it’s not optimal to use as a binocular. Am I better off going with an 8x or a 10x? I’ve been leaning toward 10x to be more versatile and a little overkill in whitetail woods but I’d rather not end up buying 2 pairs before next seasons. Anybody have good input? I’ve watched just about every binocular video on YouTube so I’m really just trying to learn the most I can to make the best decision


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Fellow Georgia guy here, about the same use case as you. I'd advocate for 2 pairs. I picked up a pair of maven 7x28 and love them for hunting around here. I wouldn't want to lug around a heavy pair here for turkey and deer. A second pair of 10x is in my future for trips out west.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

I love my 8x50 range finding binos from Meopta. They make a 10x42 as well. Ditch the separate units and be more effective.

 

[hiker270]

Vortex Viper 10x42 for about $500 are an excellent choice for western elk hunting. Hard to beat the customer service and lifetime warranty Vortex offers.

 

[BigCountry49]

I’d go lower power for stand hunting or first trip west. maybe 8x42, 7x42, or possibly 8x30. 10x really shine when they are on tripod or glassing far distances from sitting position.

 

[Sbrannon]

I’d go lower power for stand hunting or first trip west. maybe 8x42, 7x42, or possibly 8x30. 10x really shine when they are on tripod or glassing far distances from sitting position.

Would a 10x42 be too much for whitetail? I plan on having a tripod for the western hunt, so that would be covered. I plan on having the gear I need for that western hunt so I can’t blame my lack of skills on the gear lol


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[rideold]

All depends on your hands and your eyes. My son has shaky hands and an 8x is his sweet spot. I carry 12x and love them because my eyes aren't that great and they really help me see the landscape better. Go to a store and try 8's and 10's and see if you like hand holding 10's.

 

[AZ_Hunter_2000]

Take a look here (take with a grain of salt like everything online):

26 Best Binoculars For Hunting | Backwoods Pursuit

Looking for the best binoculars on the market and aren't quite sure which ones to purchase? Maybe you are looking for the best binoculars for hunting or the

backwoodspursuit.com

Come up with requirements and budget. Then give S&S and CameraLand (site sponsors) and get their input. They know more about optics than most of us and can take great care of you.

 

[grfox92]

What is your budget?

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[Sbrannon]

What is your budget?

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Top of my budget is $500, but I was really hoping to get a set that MSRP at that price used so I could use that extra money for a harness or other gear things


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[Thinkingman]

High quality 8X42s are going to do more for you than compromised pairs for each scenario.
I have been using 8X for years in western open country and yes, there are times when I wished for more power however the majority of the time, I appreciate the wide field of view and better low-light performance, plus I hunt archery elk and don't think I ever needed 10X for archery.

 

[Sbrannon]

High quality 8X42s are going to do more for you than compromised pairs for each scenario.
I have been using 8X for years in western open country and yes, there are times when I wished for more power however the majority of the time, I appreciate the wide field of view and better low-light performance, plus I hunt archery elk and don't think I ever needed 10X for archery.

Which ones do you currently have?

 

[Corvus Corax]

I wouldn’t think that you’d need more than a quality 8x42 binocular. Steady in the hands, decent light transmission and good field of view.

 

[Huntin Fool]

Cabelas/ bass pro has the vortex vipers coming up on sale for Black Friday for 299$ in 10x42. IMO that is a steal, I don’t believe anything will beat them at that price point

 

[Sbrannon]

I wouldn’t think that you’d need more than a quality 8x42 binocular. Steady in the hands, decent light transmission and good field of view.

Thats the kind of reply I was looking for thank you!

 

[WI in the west]

I dint think you can make a wrong choice. But it is a personal decision. I like a little more zoom and can hold pretty steady but also use a tripod a lot so i use 12x. A 10x is that perfect middle ground until you have the extra money to buy a smaller tree stand set. I also dont think its very hard to pick up stuff woth higher zoom binos in a woods. But 8x binos will work wonders for you to. You cant choose wrong. The main factor should be if you can hand hold 10x well or not in my opinion

 

[Thinkingman]

Which ones do you currently have?

My favorites are an older pair of Nikon's high end.
If I were you, I would look for used Nikon, Zeiss, Leica.