Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Which 15x bino!?

800 yard bedded muley buck with 15s



There are over 15 bulls on that slope

Javalina way down in that bottom over half a mile away. I actually found them with my 8s quick glassing before setting up the 15s. So glassing isn't just one denominational, what skills you learn with 15s translate to less magnified also.

KRP,

Nice pics, and good info!

Which tripod and head is in the pic with the SLC- the pic with your back to us ( rocking the pink- red Jansport)? And also which tripod and head have you found to be the best for you? One more?- ever use a spotter, and which one. Thanks

- Stephen

My winnie the pooh bag was at the launderers...

That's my buddy's SLC and I think it's a Bogen/mannfrotto setup. I can't use the SLCs as my eyes are too close together... probably a reflection of my intelligence.

That's also a 15 year old new hunter killing her first big game. Here she is after the hike down and shot.

I backpack hunt mostly for coues and don't use a spotter. My optics with 8s or 10s and then 15s with tripod and then weapon put me at about 15 lbs. Add camp and water in this environment... No spotter for me.

Kent

Though here's a Swaro spotter my buddy had on that 800 yard muley. I stared that buck down for minutes till he moved his head with my 15s.

I use a light weight Slik pro tripod with Velbon head and also have a heavy weight Velbon tripod for the truck. As long as the head tracks smooth it's fine with me.

Kent

Kent,

Thank you for all the replies. And nice pics again- love the one with the big smile with the new hunter.

So, if you do not use the SLC's ( and yes I had heard they did not have IPD's low enough for some), which 15's do you like? I am thinking of adding 15's instead of my large spotter.

-Stephen

I have Steiner bighorns, don't know if they even make them anymore. preinternet, a guy had some 10x steiners that were great compared to my nikons. So I went steiner. They're an oddball in the 15 crowd but so am I.

Docter was another I considered, I've since compared the steiners and docters, I like the steiners better but could just be a familiarity issue, the docters aren't optically better.

The old Zeiss 15x60 would be a good one to find. Pretty much will have to find those porros used.

The worst 15s I looked through were the Zeiss 15X45s. The cheap Brunton or Vortex are better. Any of the big objective Roofs I really don't have a comparison. The new Swaros are supposed to fit eyes better, but at 58 I don't see a good return for the money on what years I have left hitting the wilderness hard. What I have is good enough. Like the guy with just one gun that he knows well.

My suggestion for those new to 15s is see if someone you know has a loner pair, go out and try sitting for a few hours looking for animals. It will amaze you or irritate the chit out of ya... then figure which one you want.



Kent

Good advice and insight, as usual, krp!

I know those SLCs! I too agree on the lightweight slik tripods for backpacking.

Regards.

Some very fun info here, guys.

Is the German Minox 15x56 noticeably better than the chinese made version?

Tell us more about where this model is made ?

If you think there were some changes where they
were made, tell us about it.

Thanks for the info and pics Kent. And I appreciate the comment on 15x binos in thick stuff.

I've had good success scanning with 7x binos on shooting sticks, but when its time to get serious I've used a 50mm spotter set at 25x. Earlier this year I upgraded the binos to 10x, but haven't settled on 15x or another spotter for longer distances.

Problem with many places that I hunt here in the PNWet is that close ground doesn't exist. On the coast, the vegetation is so thick that you "see" more game at distance than up close (i.e. across a drainage). In really steep arid canyon country there literally is no ground up close to glass as its near vertical all around And then, you're looking into dark ribbons of thick timber.

I've thought about 15x binos numerous times but nobody that I know uses them for the above as distances can be pretty far as noted. These are hardcore hunters that do a ton of glassing. And every time I've run my spotter its set on 25x while dissecting shadows. I used a 16x wide angle for a bit but never felt it had the reach for areas like the breaks of the Snake River or coast range.

What I see in your pics is more rolling terrain which is relatively open. And no thick ribbons of timber like the arid canyons here. No knock on you, I just think that we all tend to focus on optics that work in our home turf. I find that magnification from a spotter really helps to look "into" those dark shadows and see those vague outlines of deer and elk... in the thick ribbons. Numerous times I've turned my spotter down to 13-16x after spotting game in that timber but never felt confident that I'd have found them at those low magnifications.

Still, I'm open minded to 15x binos as I get fatigued using a spotter and maybe I would have good results with 15x even at those longer distances with both eyes open. But I always come away wanting more magnification, not less.

Anyway, thanks again for the posts.

Jason

Kent,

You turned this thread into one of the best posts I have seen on the Campfire. You not only answered the OPs question, but provided a substantial amount of context and for us simple people, some great pictures. I've done a good bit of glassing, but never with 12s or 15s. A pair of "Big Eyes" are definitely on my wish list, even if I never make it to hunt the SW.

Thanks for a great post that many will benefit from.

After Minox discontinued the 15x58 bino several years ago, they introduced the 13x56 and 15x56, both were made in china. The 13x56 had good reviews from those here that used them but they were discontinued. I never heard much in the way of reviews about the chinese made 15x56's when they were offered. Minox now makes the 15x56 in Germany at least that's how they're advertised by Doug and other vendors. I'm wondering if anyone knows if there were any changes in design/coatings/quality control between the chinese and German made binos to make one better than the other excluding place of origin.

The 15 faction was birthed here in Az for specifically finding hard to see deer in very rough country. My description of coues hunting is a poor man's sheep hunt. The advantage of glassing miles of country then formulating a stock for shot is self evident in my pictures.

Glassing with big binos for extended periods produces more results than with higher powered spotting scopes. I personally don't know anyone specifically using a scope in the same context.

Obviously there is plenty of country a 15 wouldn't work, but it can be used in some mule deer, elk, bear country and pronghorn no doubt.

So if the type area you hunt will benefit from 15s, can you stick with it until you are proficient. That truly is the hardest part. Of the guys I grew up hunting with and still hunt with, I'm the only glasser.

Even when two years ago I went with my buddy I've known since 7 years old, killed my first buck with years ago. He was drawn for the same unit, I went with him first morning and immediately glassed a big muley that he blew the shot on... even though he thought it was great what I can do, he doesn't want to do it himself.

I'm hesitant to tell folks, buy a 15, when I know most won't follow through because it doesn't fit their personality.

Kent

Good stuff....really enjoyed the pics. Those 15x's really have my interest as well, as I believe they'd be perfect for how I hunt in the wide open places I hunt mule deer. I've been using 10x42's forever, tripod mounted, along with a high class spotter......amazing how much more you can see with even 10x mounted on a tripod.

Absolutely, I used to recommend and forgot in this thread. Buy a decent tripod and glass with what you have. It'll be an eye opener and if you want to extend your range with 15s you'll be well ahead.

Kent

Our problem is that there is little elevation variance, and lot's of undulating country. We find the high spots and sit for hours......

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