Which 15x56?

[quibton]

Hey folks,
Looking at some 15x56 binos but I am stuck on what to do. I’m a family guy with a skinny budget. I’ve read good things about the vortex vulture HD’s and can get a super deal on them. Do I jump on them or spring for more? Ive also heard good things about the mavens, Zeiss, and Meopta.
I have diamondback 10x42 that go on my chest now to give you an idea on my limited optic experience.


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[Hatchet Jack]

That is a very big jump from vultures to the other 3 you listed. The meoptas are incredible, the zeiss are very good too. If you are on a tight budget don't overlook the docter 15x60, Minox 15x58, or even the Nikon monarch 16x56 are decent. Make sure you leave some room in the budget for a solid tripod and a quality pan head. Good luck

 

[307]

Upgrade the 10's and buy a good tripod system if you don't already have one.

 

[Felix40]

I like my vultures quite a bit. They arent as good as swaro or meopta Ive compared them with but they will get the job done. I bought them for $300 and have used them an absolute crap ton. Ive used then for sheep, elk, mule deer, sitka blacktail, whitetails, coyotes, dang near everything I hunt. I even run them for bow shoots. I probably use them at least twice a week. The glass will be better than your diamondbacks by a bit. They gather light really well. You will have to change the focus more often than is ideal but I can handle that for the price. At some point I will sell them and upgrade. I will only be out a few bucks and for me spending $2k on swaros right now would litterally use up my entire hunting budget for the year.

They will get the job done. I would post some pictures from digiscoping with them but I havent taken the time to learn how without photobucket.

 

[quibton]

That is a very big jump from vultures to the other 3 you listed. The meoptas are incredible, the zeiss are very good too. If you are on a tight budget don't overlook the docter 15x60, Minox 15x58, or even the Nikon monarch 16x56 are decent. Make sure you leave some room in the budget for a solid tripod and a quality pan head. Good luck

Yeah I realize that’s quite a jump. Those three are all pretty close in price and seemed like the next step from what I was finding. Thank you for the other suggestions. I would have passed them by if you didn’t say anything


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[quibton]

I like my vultures quite a bit. They arent as good as swaro or meopta Ive compared them with but they will get the job done. I bought them for $300 and have used them an absolute crap ton. Ive used then for sheep, elk, mule deer, sitka blacktail, whitetails, coyotes, dang near everything I hunt. I even run them for bow shoots. I probably use them at least twice a week. The glass will be better than your diamondbacks by a bit. They gather light really well. You will have to change the focus more often than is ideal but I can handle that for the price. At some point I will sell them and upgrade. I will only be out a few bucks and for me spending $2k on swaros right now would litterally use up my entire hunting budget for the year.

They will get the job done. I would post some pictures from digiscoping with them but I havent taken the time to learn how without photobucket.

Thank you for the response. This is great info, as I’m kind of in the same boat. First trip out West was last year and want to continue doing that but can’t break the bank. How often were you refocusing? What was causing you to refocus?


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[kickemall]

For the money its hard to beat the Vultures. It sounds like they're exactly what your looking for and will serve you well.

 

[Felix40]

The refocusing issue is just when you are panning across a hillside and looking at things at different distances. If you go from looking at something at 1000yds to something at 800yds you will have to turn the wheel and find the sweet spot again. No big deal but it is noticable. The kaibabs dont have that issue and neither do the swaros or meoptas Ive used. Kaibabs would be another good option for just a little more money. Just depends on your budget. If you think you can find some way to afford meoptas for $1200 or whatever then you should by all means do it. They are better. Vultures will get you in the field and you will be able to find game with them. I never feel handicapped when glassing next to buddies with better stuff.

 

[DRMULEYAZ28]

If you can I’d go with Meopta 15x56 Meostars, Best Buy for the money, I just finished my Mule Deer hunt and I ran into several seasoned hunting friends they looked thru them and no joke they instantly said they are like Swarovskis. They own swaros btw, as do I but the 10x50 EL’s, and I can honestly say are just as clear and color neutral as my babies (the Swarovskis I mean). The only difference is edge to edge clarity but it’s not a true apples to apples comparison as the 10’s and 15’s are in a different ballpark and also the EL’s being the flagship swaro with field flatteners. Long story short I spotted a crap ton of game with my 15’s and here in the desert with lesser glass, would’ve been much harder to do so, especially in the morning and evening when it really matters.

 

[efnm]

I've owned the Kaibabs, which are the next level up on the vultures, and I noticed a difference going up to the meoptas from Cabela's. I would try to save for at least the Kaibabs if I were you. They don't hold value as much as meoptas and higher, so you can likely find a good used deal in the classifieds. Be patient.

That said, I LOVE the meoptas/Cabela's euro HDs.

 

[quibton]

Thanks for all the input folks. Gonna have to do some more research and look for some deals


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[mainbeam pursuit2]

Check the bargain cave at different Cabelas. I just picked a pair of the all green euros not the new two tone that look new with no box for $600. Van

 

[efnm]

Ahhh, I wish I had a Cabela's near me, I'm looking for a 10*42 euro on clearance like that.

 

[excaliber]

I've not been happy with anything Vortex I've owned to date or looked through. Optically I find they there are very overrated and just nowhere close to the reviews they seem to get. Those Euro HD's for 650.00 is a really good deal.

 

[Hatchet Jack]

Euro 15s for $650 is highway robbery.

 

[AZElk]

I just went from the Vulture to the Zeiss Conquest HD 15x56 and I cannot explain how impressive it is. I have done many side by side comparisons with Zeiss, German Precision Optics, Swarovski, Vortex, and Leicca which showed me that Zeiss was a solid choice for the money. Zeiss edge to edge clarity is very good compared to some of the others but in the end it really matters what your eyes see in different glass. The only piece of advice I would give you is get something that has a decent warranty like Vortex, Zeiss, GPO, ets. Good luck and I hope you glass up everything you are looking for and more with your new 15's

 

[rgrx1276]

Just a thought, check out the Nikon 16x56's. Definitely in your range and the Nikons I've had in the past exceeded my expectations.