If you had to pick....one set ..or two
From my point of view (o.k. opinion is steered/caused by my wide and vast hunting opportunities all over the world) I really can't understand when a serious hunter restricts himself to just one or just two sets of binos.
You don't use the same gun for open plains antelopes, small varmints, thick alder bears and upland game birds.
As well you do need different optics.
It depends on circumstances, terrain, kind of hunting, kind of animals, physical conditions
- and pocket money of course (which, in my book, is the only restriction).
I drive, since years, any manification/objective size combination that suit the specific need of the specific hunt
- 8x20 or 10x25 mono or duo for every day
- 8/10x30/32 for climbing in real heavy terrain
- 8/10x40/42 for all around use
- 7x42 for woods hunting
- 8/10/12x50/56/60 for heavy dusk/dawn/night use
- 12/13/15/20x56/60 binos with or without tripod
- lightweigt spotting scope in heavy terrain
- fullsize, highgrade big objective spotting scope
- cheap spotting scope for at the range (I hate to "share" excellent groups and my precious spotting scope with curious onlookers..)
Granted - 8 or more optical instruments per capita seems much - but please count the rifles in your safe (including the safe queens) and if you can't afford it now, you will have it later (I begun with a heavyweight 7x50 Porro)
YMMV but I would rather hunt with just one rifle and one shotgun (or one combination gun) instead of permanently missing the advantages of different but "spot on" optics.
