Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Rik Bin: Big Eye - a couple of questions

I plan to go on my first Elk hunt this fall and of course want to do everything I can to come up successful. I currently own a nice pair of 8x42 leupold binoculars and was planning to take them, but was thinking perhaps I should get a new set of 10x or 12x. Then I read this article, you caught me hook line and sinker, though the buy-in is a little steep.
So my question is; In the article you stated you had a 20-60x85 spotting scope - why was this inferior to 15x60 binoculars?

I'm not Rick, but my personal experience is that it is MUCH easier to glass for extended periods of time (hours at a time) with big eye binoculars than with a spotting scope because I am using both eyes with the binocular. Using both eyes results in a lot less fatigue for me. I have not found a comfortable way to look through a spotting scope for very long - neither closing nor covering the unused eye works very well for me, particularly compared to using both eyes with big eye binocs. My 15x58 binoc is my primary glassing tool, and I view my spotting scope as a very specialized tool for getting a closer look at something I found with my binoc. I'm even questioning the need for a spotting scope in a lot of hunting situations for which I use my 15x58 binoc.

You might check with Doug at CameralandNY (gr8fuldoug on this site) about Minox 15x binocs for under $1k if you are on a budget. I really like my Minox 15x58 ED, but I think that model is out of production. For myself, I couldn't justify the price difference between the Minox 15x58 ED and the Swaros, but other people see advantage in spending more for the Swaros (and I might too if I used my 15x binoc for more than a week or two a year).

OK a shameless plug for my Minox ED I am selling

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbth..._FS_Zeiss_Minox_Weaver_Optic#Post4794436

I used my Big Eyes on hunts in Colorado and it was much easier on my eyes using the Minox Big Eyes to search the mountains then switching to my Leupold HD spotter only when I needed to do a close up.

It's funny how every time I go on a hunt with someone from Alaska, they insist on glassing for everything with a spotting scope. I think they feel like they need the scope for sheep and don't want to carry too much else into the mountains so they just "make do" with a spotter. Once they try the big binoculars on a tripod they are hooked!

While on Kodiak, I found 10 deer for every one that they guys with me using a spotter or regular binocs with no tripod did. Same thing on a deer hunt for coues deer in Mexico. It is very fatiguing and tough to cover the country in a nice complete fashion.

Alaska is a huge place, with a wide variety of game, each with different requirements; something that needs to be kept in perspective. While I completely agree that "big eye" bino's are superior in every way to a spotting scope for spotting game(my eyes were opened to the value of big eyes, on a mule deer hunt). Depending on their magnification, they may not be so good for evaluating the critter's from afar. In particular, while hunting animals like sheep and moose; with legal minimum horn/antler requirements. In order to save time and boot leather, many in AK use a spotting scope to decide if an animal that's miles away, is even legal, let alone worth a closer look. I don't take a spotting scope to Kodiak, when hunting deer, nor do the guys I hunt with. Good old 8 or 10x binos work fine.

Jeff

Thanks for the feedback; I currently own a nice pair of 8x42 Leupold binoculars. I have used 12x50s and very plainly can see the advantages of having the increased magnification.
I'm attempting to acquire a set of 15x58s (from Ted) used, if it doesn't work out I'll go with the best 12x50s I can get for around about the same price.
Other optics for the trip include a range finder (hunting partner's job to bring these) and
Leupold VXII 3-9 x 40 scope.

Something else you might keep in mind is the need for a tripod. 15X bins are as bad to use w/o a tripod as a spotter is to use for glassing.
Good, heavy, high quality 12X50 binoculars are very useful w/o a tripod. If you walk very far hunting, especially if you climb much, this can make a big difference.
Please note that I mentioned "heavy" when describing the 12X bin. "Heavy" helps alot when glassing, even with an 8X binocular.
I've known and hunted with lots of world class hunters over my almost 50 yrs. hunting. I've done lots of open country hunting with binoculars, etc. Very few I know use any tripod binoculars. Those that do, and I'm one, use them close to or on some sort of road where a vehicle of some sort carries the tripod.
The bottom line is that binoculars are used for finding game and the spotting scope is used for getting a better look at it.
I've noticed that the small spotters, like my 50mm Nikon ED really don't show me much, if anything more on a critter some 2 miles out over my 12X50 Leica binoculars, while my 82mm Nikon ED will show me stuff that no binocular I've ever seen can show me. E

Steve,

Depending on how much you are gonna use those bins after your elk hunt is a question I would ask.
The bins Ted has might be worth a look. If you are going to use them more than just the elk hunt, I'd jump on them.
Doug also has some 13x56 and 15x56 Minox for sale.
If you are looking to just use em once, maybe look at something that is more useful for how you hunt in your area so you can use them more than just that once. A good set of 10x50's on a tripod do a lot and are more universal in application. 12x50 is an awesome combination as well and probaly the best combination in binos since most companies don't make a true 15x60 anymore.
What is your budget?

Kique

I did the Spotting scope vs. Big eyes when hunting lopes last year.

We ran it almost as a competition, one guy used a spotter to scan cut wheat fields in Western KS (miles long) and the other used 15x56 Minox.

During Scanning the Minox won hands down, more than a couple times big eyes found them and the spotter missed them. On the other side of the coin we couldn't see the horns cleanly enough with the Big eyes so once spotted via scanning we had to change to the spotter to zoom in and really rate the rack.

Spot

Yeah, for big country, you need binocs to spot them and a decent spotting scope to evaluate them. I'd stick with the 8x42 binocs, and get a spotting scope. Elk are big, and pretty easy to spot. In the morning and evening they can glow like a neon light.

You would think this is the case but in AZ, the late season bulls head to the brush once they are done with cows. We killed one bull this past season that we could only see the tips of his antlers and this was after he stood up to move in his bed for a few seconds. Extremely difficult to see. The brush was so thick that we used a machete to make our way into recover him. I was glad for a tripod and both binos and a spotting scope. He was 1100 yds when we first found him and were able to close to 600.

I carry a tripod about 90% of the time now.