TangSafetyM77
Member
Folks, in a bit of a dilemma over a high-end optics purchase. I have used the search function here and read everything on a couple of the birder sites about high-end binocs.
I am going on an Alaskan caribou hunt in September. We went in 2002 and got decent bulls, took a year off to save up and are going back looking for the big one this time. With the exception of a western big game hunt every couple of years as finances allow, 90% of my hunting is done for whitetails in Texas out of blinds and still-hunting. I currently use a pair of Steiner 8X30's. Decent glass, but not adequate for counting points in a shadow at 300 yards. I have read that I should go for better quality glass rather than more magnification for more practicality in the field, so I have narrowed it down to 2 pairs: the Zeiss Victory II 8X40 or the Swarovski EL 8.5 X 42. The Zeiss 'nocs are $1000, the Swaro's $1600, pretty big gap. I have only been able to look through the Swaro's locally, no one has the Zeiss V II's in stock. The Swaros were of course an eye-popping image, but I am not sure if they are worth the additional $600. Since I can't compare side-by-side, I am in a quandary. I am hesitant to buy anything that costs a thousand dollars without looking through them first. What would you folks do? Any opinions would be welcomed. THanks.
I am going on an Alaskan caribou hunt in September. We went in 2002 and got decent bulls, took a year off to save up and are going back looking for the big one this time. With the exception of a western big game hunt every couple of years as finances allow, 90% of my hunting is done for whitetails in Texas out of blinds and still-hunting. I currently use a pair of Steiner 8X30's. Decent glass, but not adequate for counting points in a shadow at 300 yards. I have read that I should go for better quality glass rather than more magnification for more practicality in the field, so I have narrowed it down to 2 pairs: the Zeiss Victory II 8X40 or the Swarovski EL 8.5 X 42. The Zeiss 'nocs are $1000, the Swaro's $1600, pretty big gap. I have only been able to look through the Swaro's locally, no one has the Zeiss V II's in stock. The Swaros were of course an eye-popping image, but I am not sure if they are worth the additional $600. Since I can't compare side-by-side, I am in a quandary. I am hesitant to buy anything that costs a thousand dollars without looking through them first. What would you folks do? Any opinions would be welcomed. THanks.