Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics How do Leupold's Gold Ring Binoculars stack up?

How do the Gold Ring Binoculars stack up against the rest?

I have a opportunity to buy some new 8x42's for $500.00.

I have not read anyone's review here on these bino's on this board.

The only review I recall was on the Better View Desired website. $500 sounds pretty good.

i would take that and run with it

I have always thought the Gold Rings were very good. However, at the price they are likely the earlier non HD glass. But at that price you would likely be pretty satisfied. One thing about the newer HD is a redesigned eyecup. The original, IIRC, had some complaints about being too big and uncomfortable. Also seems like Phil Shoemakerhas posted here he is working on an article on high end glass, including Gold Rings, that I think is for Successful Hunter, so I'd keep my eye peeled for that. Somebody else at the fire, Luczink, I think, has some earlier Gold Rings and seems to like them pretty well.

Thanks for the input!

These are the newer HD Bino's. Buyer needs to sell them, just bought them and then just lost his job.

Buy them! Especially since they are the newer HD version. That is a steal of a deal (assuming of course they are in proper working condition.)

I do have the (non-HD) 8x42 Golden Ring and I like it a lot. It currently shares top spot on my list of favorite binoculars with the Porro prism Bausch & Lomb 10x42 Discoverer (a binocular I should never have sold and would buy again in a heartbeat if I could only find one).

I should buy them, the only thing that puts me off is that they weigh 33 ounces. That's packing more weight than I like around my neck especially for a back pack hunter.

SU35

Here is a link to a review posted on Bird Forum by a Canadian Hunter (sort of a strange place for a hunting review).

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=103110

I looked at a pair of Leupolds last year (non-HD model, though) while gathering intel, and found the focus mechanism to be stiff and gritty. It could have been just that individual bino, but it put me off right there. I eventually bought a pair of Pentax DCF ED's (8x43) through Doug at Cameraland. Nice and bright, clear, and lightweight (Pentax's websight lists them at less than 26 ounces)-I really like them, and they ride around in my truck with me, always. If you look at CameraLand's websight, they have NRA show samples for $625, which is considerably less than I paid last year....

Kaiser Norton

Steve9C99

That is my review, I also posted it on here as well. They asked me over there to put up a review after the season.

I love my 8x42GR HD. They are, for me the best glass I have looked through. I have used them for guiding, hunting, fishing and wildlife veiwing. No problems so far.

The bino's come with both a neck strap and an over the shoulder strap. The otsh works with the weight so I do not notice it.

For the $$$ I would buy them in a minute. Great glass for a great price.

Cheers

SS

Sometimes a little extra weight can be a blessing. It helps to keep the image much more stable than is possible with light weight binoculars. You can look to other gear (spotting scope, tripod, rifle, backpack, stove, etc.) for weight savings.

Sitkaspruce

That is a good review. Now as to why I remembered it there and not here seems to be another matter. The Gold Ring is a binocular that I want to test against the Promaster.

su, I too am a weight junky. I think we hunt very similarly. I run the leica trinovids. I have tried to lose weight on my bino, but I have been screwd ever since I looked through what I see as the best. good optics are worth the weight to me.

I've got the 8x32HD model and absolutely love mine. I don't think they're quite on the level of the Leica HDs, but they're also less than 1/3 the price.

-Dan

I love my Nikon Monarchs and hear great things about the Minox

Buy 'Em!

If you don't like them, I will give you your money back ($500).

Just consider me a back up purchaser.

BMT

Great review.

Thanks all for your input!

For the price, and considering they do have FL glass, I think they are definitely worth the $500 that they are being offered for. I would probably buy them too if I were in your shoes.

Having said that though I must admit that the Golden Ring HDs never really appealed to me. The weight isn't an issue as I have used heavier bins before. I didn't have a problem with the focus or the ergonomics. However, there was something about the optics that didn't work well for me. I cannot really put my finger on it. I guess I expected a little better clarity and brightness...something more in tune with the Zeiss FL considering we are talking about Leupold's high end glass here.

..and for what it is worth I have nothing against Leupold. I have owned their Olympics, Cascade roofs, Yosemites and Katmais in the past....

..and, actually, just bought a pair of their Cascade porros to tinker with for a bit.

Have fun with the new bins.

I have the 10x42 hd's and love them. I would grab them again and at $500 it would be very easy to dump them if you don't like them.

I picked up the bin's this afternoon, I ended paying him $540.00 for them.

Worth every penny, boy did I take a quantum step up to a superior view!

I'm no expert on glass but they are far better than I thought they would be or expected.

I appreciate everyone's comments.