Favorite woods binoculars?

[nywaw]

What are you guys all rocking for woods hunting and what do you think of them?

[nywaw]

I've had Nikon ATB 8x42s which were nice.  The eyepiece cup failed like 5+ yrs later and Nikon simply replaced the entire set with brand new ones!  Credit to their customer service!

I have a set of Zen ED2 8x43 now which are decent glass but crappy build.  Need to replace them but I just keep going with them.  

[sbuff]

Nikon but I forget the model. 

[Bucksnbows]

I can't or won't spend $3K on binoculars although if I won the lottery, I would.  That said, I own Burris Signature HD in 10x42mm.  If you don't use binoculars a lot, stick with 8x IMO so that you more easily find the "target" in them when you put them up to your eyes.  The 10X in any optics are or can be tougher to acquire your target with.  I also do some birding, so I like the 10x.  Love them as they won't cause any headaches even if I'm using them for an hour on end.  They gather light well and are very clear once adjusted to my eyes.      

[nywaw]

3 hours ago, Bucksnbows said:

I can't or won't spend $3K on binoculars although if I won the lottery, I would.  That said, I own Burris Signature HD in 10x42mm.  If you don't use binoculars a lot, stick with 8x IMO so that you more easily find the "target" in them when you put them up to your eyes.  The 10X in any optics are or can be tougher to acquire your target with.  I also do some birding, so I like the 10x.  Love them as they won't cause any headaches even if I'm using them for an hour on end.  They gather light well and are very clear once adjusted to my eyes.      

For years I never hunted with binos.  Now I can't imagine not having them while on stand.  

[Stubborn1vt]

10x25 Leupold's.  No clue what model, but they were on sale at Dick's for $135 many moons ago.  They're good enough for me.  I may start a thread on house binos, so I can leave these in my pack.

[dbHunterNY]

if bowhunting i don't often bring them. gun hunting yes. my rangefinder doesn't have much for low light performance but it's 6X. I've had a set of Nikon Monarch 10x42 binos for years now. They work well. Nothing compared to Swarovski Optics or similar though. With optics you typically get what you pay for. Most don't do shit to adjust their diopter though to make their binos work much better.

[2BuckBizCT]

I bit the bullet and bought Maven C1 8x42's this year for deer hunting hardwoods (no open fields near me) after spending weeks reading reviews on all kinds. man they are awesome. Before them I was using Nikon ATB or Prostaff for the last 10 years.

https://mavenbuilt.com/products/c-1-8x42-10x42-12x42

Edited January 25, 2023 by 2BuckBizCT

[JohnPlav]

22 minutes ago, 2BuckBizCT said:

I bit the bullet and bought Maven C1 8x42's this year for deer hunting hardwoods (no open fields near me) after spending weeks reading reviews on all kinds. man they are awesome. Before them I was using Nikon ATB or Prostaff for the last 10 years.

https://mavenbuilt.com/products/c-1-8x42-10x42-12x42

My wife got me the same one s for Xmas… they’re great! 

[NYRturkeycall]

Just bought a pair of Bushnell Blackout Camo 10x42 last season and I love them. 

Good weight, good glass, pretty damn fog free, and not breaking the bank!

[Ogee]

Truck pair Nikon Monarch 8x42. Bomb proof, they have been everywhere too; artic, dusty desert,soaking wet. 

I don’t use them much really; I should sell them but they’re kinda sentimental and every time I think about it I change my mind. They’re pretty good glass actually. If I knew a young hunter that would care for them, they could have em’; but everyone thinks disposable, and after all the miles and hundreds of hours glassing with them,I can’t stand the thought of them being trashed. Being stupid I guess.

 

Favorites are Swarovski 8x32 SLC’s. Lightweight and ergonomic. Starting to show their age a bit as they have seen some nasty thick stuff carrying. Swarovski just went through them and upgraded the objective lenses for me  as I sent them in for a cleaning/check up (free of charge, 3 week turn around)

They are a great value for good glass; not exactly EL series, but can hold their own. Some hate the focus on the objective end of the center pivot (I use my ring finger to focus) But for their compact size I rather like it.  Carried cross body on a neck strap, they tuck right under my arm, don’t even know they’re there.

 

Have a love/hate with some Leica Trinovid 10x42.  Fairly bulky, theres just no ergonomic feel to any of the design,  heavy. Good field of view, clarity, etc. Better in open country but wouldn’t buy them again, they work for some birds, I wont carry them again on a hunt anywhere.

[Farflung]

I've got Vortex 10X42's. Liked them well enough that I got the wife a pair, as the 8 powers that she was  using to watch deer, birds, and critters in the  back yard were junk. 

[nywaw]

5 hours ago, 2BuckBizCT said:

I bit the bullet and bought Maven C1 8x42's this year for deer hunting hardwoods (no open fields near me) after spending weeks reading reviews on all kinds. man they are awesome. Before them I was using Nikon ATB or Prostaff for the last 10 years.

https://mavenbuilt.com/products/c-1-8x42-10x42-12x42

4 hours ago, JohnPlav said:

My wife got me the same one s for Xmas… they’re great! 

Very curious about these, definitely keep us posted as they're not very well known (or at least weren't to me).

@2BuckBizCT and @JohnPlav (if you've used them since Christmas), how have they been in lowlight conditions?

[lucky118]

Vortex 10x42 wish I got the 50s. 42 is OK but 50s would have been nicer for the big woods hunting I do.

[crappyice]

Most of my time in the woods is bow hunting hardwoods...I have some off the rack small pocket binocs from Dicks-$55-$75 dollars. There are at least 2 pair hanging in various limbs around 3S hence I don't trust myself with "real" glass!!!!