Do I really need binos?

[Leaky Waders]

He has a pair of 12x's from a respectable brand that he deosn't use now.

My guess is because - the field of view is so small it's difficult to find what he's trying to see, the exit pupil is so small ca. 2 that it's hard to see what he can in anything but the best lighted conditions, and the magnification is so large that they are hard to hold steady.

When you're using your binocular, you want to see the object you're looking at quickly, not having to sweep the field looking or be whispering to someone next to you "OK, I'm looking at a vine on the big oak tree, do i need to look left or right to see the possum or whatever."

Stick with 7 or 8's. Try to get a light pair with an exit pupil of 4...then you'd most likely use them.

For binos, the price tends to go up as you pay for waterproofing, precision lenses, lens coatings, light weight, and durability.

 

[natman]

If you need to use binocs to see that it is an antler, what type of shot are you being presented?

None. Yet.

But it might be nice to know that there is indeed a buck behind that bush.

Part of the OPs problem is that while his current binos may be small and light, they are too powerful. It's very hard to handhold a 12 power. A pair of 8s would serve better.

+1 on do NOT scout with your riflescope!

 

[jmr40]

You do not have to have binoculars to take game. I never leave home without them because it makes the hunt much more enjoyable. Hunting is not just about killing something.

I enjoy observing all wildlife and use mine all the time to do that or just check out the scenery. You do not have to use them just for distant viewing either. They can come in handy for getting a closer look at a rub or scrape from 25 yards away with out getting too close and leaving your scent right on it.

Stay with 7-8 power and get at least a 40mm front glass. 8X42's are popular for a reason. The 10X and bigger are bigger and heavier to carry and the extra magnification is hard to use because any shake you have in them is magnified as well. If you want more power get a 20X spotting scope and use it with a tripod.

The $400 price seems about right in my experience. Binoculars are a lot like scopes and the cheap ones will eventually let you down. Some sell for over $2000 and just like scopes,yes, they are better, but not enough better to get my money. I can see a huge difference between a $200 binocular and a $400 one however.

 

[buck460XVR]

I too sometimes wonder how man ever survived in the wild before the invention of Binos, rangefinders and all the other paraphernalia that the gun rags tell us we NEED in order to be successful, and what the 'ell hunters use to carry all that stuff in and outta the woods. No wonder ATVs have become so popular. That said, I realize that there are some forms of hunting where a good pair of binos or a spotting scope are a necessity. For me I use them all the time for turkey hunting, but rarely ever use them for deer hunting. Like the OP, I gun deer hunt in heavy cover and am generally walking and stalking. Have maybe killed one deer in my 44 years of hunting over 100 yards with a gun. When I see something I cannot identify clearly I will use my scope. Since gun hunters here are required to wear 50% blaze orange, I have yet to mistake a hunter for a deer and accidentally put a scope on one of them..... Many times at the range I see deer, the movement required to bring up the binos, then put them back down so they are outta the way and then bring up the gun is enough to spook them. If I raise the gun to scope them and they become alarmed, all I need to do is release the safety, put my finger in the trigger guard and pull the trigger. Also since it only takes a matter of a few seconds to identify the target, the issue of holding the gun up for long periods of time is moot. When I hunt with my handguns and open sights, the ranges I shoot at, it's pretty easy to identify the target without magnification. For the few rare times I sit on stand in the open, whether it be gun or bow, I will take along my Nikon 8X40s.

 

[PT1911]

short answer... you dont NEED them.. I carried them for a while then realized I never used them so I dont carry them anymore...if you are yote or prairie dog hunting and have to see for several hundred yards.. I would recommend a quality pair but for 150 yards and closer, medium to large game, I dont find them to be a necessity.

 

[alaskanativeson]

As was stated, one of the reasons magazines focus on certain products is because they're either being paid to, or they hope to get paid to. Another reason is that optics are very important to some hunters, and these articles give them a chance tolearn more about an aspect of hunting that appeals to them.

As for quality of glass, everyone's needs are different, everyone's wishes are different, and everyone's eyes are different. Another thought, these things can change over time. When I was 19 I hunted with 19 year old eyes and I never used binoculars and rarely used anything but open sights on my guns. Now that I'm 44, I want really good binoculars, and the cheapest scope I have on any of my rifles is a Leupold Vari-X II 4-12 power.

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

No, you don't NEED them, as you've figured out. And you certainly don't need really expensive ones in the deep woods where you hunt. In the open areas maybe, but not the woodsy areas.

What I've gleaned about binos so far:

1. Though I don't need them, I prefer to have them. Even in the woods, for still hunting (stalking). They help you to see much further *through* the trees, to look for that eye, white spot, antler, etc., on a bedded deer or even a standing animal.

2. I prefer a low magnification bino in the woods - 6 power is perfect. 7 power is OK. 8 power is bordering on too much.

3. I like a LIGHT bino - small and light is good when hiking a ways.

4. I prefer a porro prism - far superior for stalking in my view, due to the larger depth of field. They are also cheaper and usually a smidge lighter than roofies.

5. You DO want a waterproof bino. Never know when you might fall in the creek or have a downpour start on you.

7. There are several fine inexpensive ones, which is important, because they get scratched up etc. - don't want anything TOO nice in the woods.

8. The best value, bar none, in an inexpensive bino, is the Leupold "Green Ring" Yosemite 6x30mm, and I've had Steiner, Bushnell Legend, Brunton Echo, Nikon Action, and others. You can get this bino in several colors and both 6x30mm and 8x30mm configs - both are good but I prefer the 6x for stalking in the woods.


http://www.opticsplanet.net/leupold-yosemite-6x30mm-black-binoculars-61165.html

http://www.google.com/search?q=leup...ls=com.google:en-US:official&client=firefox-a

Hunting is not just about killing something.

I enjoy observing all wildlife and use mine all the time to do that or just check out the scenery. You do not have to use them just for distant viewing either. They can come in handy for getting a closer look at a rub or scrape from 25 yards away with out getting too close and leaving your scent right on it.

Absolutely; that too!

 

[BENELLIMONTE]

waffen'

Get yourself a lightweight pair of 7 or 8x 25 binos. You will definitely improve your chances of seeing game.

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

By the way, the Brunton Echo is also a pretty fine value in sub-$125 bino, particularly for a roofie, but still not as good as the Yosemite. Great close-in focus - the Echo roofie is an excellent bug-watching or other close-in activity bino.

 

[qajaq59]

If you don't use a scope on your rifle then No, you don't need binos. However.......

 

[Grizfire]

It all depends on the environment you are hunting in. Go to south western Montana units and I feel binos are a must with large expanses of open sage brush. Even a spotting scope is worth having in that country.

But the thickets of the western washington, then no I don't think so.