I'm going elk hunting this fall. I don't get the opportunity to hunt elk every year. I'm considering a pair of 8x30 binoculars for the trip. I handled a pair of Swaro CL 8x30s and some Zeiss Conquest HD 8x32s while on a work trip in Utah last week. The Swaro 8x32 ELs are out of my price range, but they were very nice also.
For some context, I also hunt whitetail in the midwest, mule deer out west, pronghorn, maybe some moose in a couple of years in Newfoundland if I remain stationed here in D.C.
I have a pair of older (pre ATB 3) Nikon Monarch ATB 10x42s that will make the trip if I do nothing.
So here's the question--should I consider an upgrade before the trip? I liked how the CLs fit, size, weight, clarity. I assume they are much, much better than my old Monarchs. Can I tell the difference between a good elk and a great elk with the CLs?
I used the Swaro 8-30 CL's on a recent Red Stag and Tahr hunt on the South Island in NZ. Lots of large vistas and I never felt underglassed. They are light and bright and that's what I wanted.
