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Sponxx Offline OP
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I am planning a trip to Africa. I have a set of 10x43 Pentax DCF SP, which are neat, my wife is travelling with me, and she may do some sightseeing, no hunting.

My question is
Is it worth to upgrade binos for me and let her have mine or get her a pair of decent 6x32s or even 8x40s? She probably doesn't know one way or the other and I know PHs will be doing the judging and scouting and I will be behind the gun when it is time.

even though in the grand budget of things it seems that a pair of binos is not much, it would significantly increase the overall cost, or that money could go to taxidermy or to hunt another specimen.

Thanks

Last edited by Sponxx; 09/19/19.
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If your current binocular works for you, I would suggest buying a glass for your wife and spending any additional money on equipment, clothing and other gear that might make the hunt more enjoyable for both of you.


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One trip we made had the whole family, my wife and three sons, going. I had two of my own so bought each of my sons Leupold Yosemite's that I gave $65 for (2012). They were fine.


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Originally Posted by mudhen
If your current binocular works for you, I would suggest buying a glass for your wife and spending any additional money on equipment, clothing and other gear that might make the hunt more enjoyable for both of you.


Exactly what I was thinking, wanted some input from people who have been there and done it.

Originally Posted by EdM
One trip we made had the whole family, my wife and three sons, going. I had two of my own so bought each of my sons Leupold Yosemite's that I gave $65 for (2012). They were fine.

The Leupold Yosemite was just the one I was thinking about, small enough to be comfy and good enough that will eventually be helpful for me too and when my kids start hunting.

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For just general purposes don't overlook the Nikon Monarch series. Very fine glass for the prices. If I didn't have several sets of Zeiss Classics in 10x40's and 8x30's, I'd be using the Nikon Pro Staff 7 8x30 or next step up Monarch 7 8x30.

As you stated, your PH will be responsible for the "judging" so your 10x are more than enough. May want to look at 8x for additional sets. 8x will give a wider field of view and if you're hunting in the brushier areas, the lower magnification can make it easier to define brush from horn and hide.

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what works for you now will work great for your wife.

i have been told by PH'S you job is to shoot, our job is to find you a trophy and get you close to shoot it.

so i have been leaving mine home. pocket camera with a lot of zoom works great. and you get pictures.


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I wouldn't even consider leaving binocs behind. There's too much to see over there. I had the PH drop me off at a water hole after lunch while the crew liked to take a nap. I saw more birds, animals, etc to gawk at I can't imagine leaving them home. Sponxx, any good 8x42 or 8x32 would be my choice, and that's what I took. Not much long distance glassing really. Jacques and Danie both used the Swaro 8x30 SLC, older version with the focus ring on the wrong end.

Last edited by JGRaider; 09/20/19.

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I took a pair of Vortex Diamondback HD in 8x28 to Namibia last summer and was very happy with the performance.

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Another vote for the Yosemite. It's lightweight and the 6x is really easy to hold steady

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I used 10X42 EL Swarovski. Namibia is very open and a lot of animals were spotted at long range.I wouldn't take less than 10 power.

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Yes the Yosimite for your wife and your current pair for yourself. Go to Etoshapan Park if you have the time extremely beautiful and you can see all of the big five although Leopard are rarely spotted. The birding and wildlife viewing is part of what makes Africa unique. It is not a bad idea to have a back up but it is seldom needed. I have also loaned binos to the trackers who almost always spotted the game first with or with out binos.


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The Pentax 10x42 you have is a GREAT binocular, no reason to change.It will work great.

Would also follow the advice of others on the Kowa vs. latest Leupold Yosemite.


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I’ve been real happy with my 8x Monarch 5’s.
Lots of reasonable priced glass out there now.


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When hunting the only thing I use binoculars for is to make sure the PH and I are on the same animal. I have a pair of 8x20 Zeiss that fit in my shirt pocket and are just the ticket. Mrs Blacktailer carries my 10x so those are nearby but I have honestly never used them when hunting. As others stated I would not go without binoculars but your PH is going to judge trophy size and you are there to get on the sticks and pull the trigger. For sightseeing and photo safari you and your wife can share the 10X.


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Your Pentax will serve you well there. If I were to change, it would be for something a bit more compact, but there's really no reason to deviate from what you have.


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Sounds like you have it figured out. Just a suggestion but forget the taxidermy. Take lots of photos. The money you would have spend on taxidermy use for another animal. Or better yet as a down payment on your next trip over.

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Agree on the trophy advice. If you do take anything back it is best to just take the skull cap/base of horns and remove horns if they will come off or separate along the skull suture and see if it is legal to bring back as baggage. A full bag of trophies will equal the cost of another safari pretty quickly.


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For any/all hunting trips, including Africa (especially for the open country in Namibia) get a very good range finding bino. Let your wife use the Pentax bino. If the cost is a stretch, then forgo the taxidermy AND the possible extra animal to fund the alpha bino/rangefinder combo. At least that's what I'd do. The Swarovski EL Range in 10x42 is excellent. Your PH may, or may not, have a range finder. His job is to find you a good trophy and get you close, but they don't always call out the range for the shot.

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Originally Posted by Mule Deer
The Pentax 10x42 you have is a GREAT binocular, no reason to change.It will work great.

Would also follow the advice of others on the Kowa vs. latest Leupold Yosemite.




I ordered the 6x30 Kowa's. That was actually in the short list of small magnification binos I had perused a while back, when thinking what binos to get for my kids.

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