Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics 10x or 8x binos?

All of this.........

I like my 8’s so much I got a pair of 6’s. FOV in timber is nice.

Love my 6's in the woods......8x32 worked well for me in the past......agree with above, if under 300 yds....an 8x is fine and less annoying, better FOV.

Out west a small spotting scope and tripod is of value.

I've gone from 7's to 10's and now to 12.5's

8x - buy once, cry once for good glass - you'll know it if you didn't - fully agree with this comment: "Glass is more important than x's".

Thick is good cover, and with a good set of 8x, if you take the time to actually learn to glass - you'll start seeing "through" the thick, and learn to focus the view on what is beyond the brush in front of you.

You'll find holes in the brush that allow you to see further than you can with just your eye - can't tell you how many times I've caught a leg, a flag, or an eyeball looking through the brush, that I never would have seen with just my eye.

I have several hunters locally that don't believe in binos - they can't "see" past 25-30 yards from the stand, so no sense in carrying binos - they don't kill much either.

I've learned from watching where the deer went that I couldn't "see" without binos - where to put the stand if I wanted to be successful.

8x

Rarely in life will you find the perfect compromise in much of any product or endeavor. 8x binos is an exception... they're perfect.

i like and prefer my 10 x 42 binos best for all hunting , but for archery 3-D i like 12 x 42 to see target bullseyes better, i do not like cheap binos.

8s or 6s

This in spades....

I have 7x42, 8x32, and 10x42. The 7x42 are the best low light binos and adequate for all hunting that I do. The 8x32 are my archery binos and great in the tree stand. I don't use the 10 power much but I keep them by the kitchen window to watch the deer in the alfalfa field. All of them work but if I had to pick one of them it would be the 7x42.

My suggestion would be to actually try different glasses before deciding.
For me, 7 power is best for just holding them up to my eyes.
With 8x its best for me to have at least some type of support for a steady view.
Anything over that for me is best on a tripod which is how we hunt most.
You will not hold 10 or 12 power optics steady enough by hand in order to count points on a rack for example at any kind of distance.
Id be looking on Ebay for a nice clean set of old Bausch & Lomb Zephers like Jack O Conner used, and me also.
And you will buy those still great glasses for about $100.

I have used binoculars when hunting for over 50 years. They are a constant companion. Over the years I have settled on 10 x 42s as the best combination of power vs weight and size.

I hunt everything from farms to deep woods and have never felt handicapped by 10x in either environment. Using them constantly becomes second nature and this is key. If I see movement or a flicker I put the binocular up and I'm looking at the object.

I would recommend spending the money and getting good glass. Good glass will be a benefit in low light situations like twilight and deep woods. I would also recommend a binocular harness. It spreads the weigh out and keeps the binocular handy for use with minimum movement.

BTW I would also suggest you go to a place like Cabela's and compare what they have. That way you will see the differences in good glass, binocular size and power.

My walking binos are 8x25, if I am going to sit and glass I use a lightweight carbon fiber tripod w/ my 10x50 binos or my spotting scope. Those little ones have helped me see a lot of animals before they saw me.


mike r

My walking binos are Zeiss Terra ED 8x25, if I am going to sit and glass I use a lightweight carbon fiber tripod w/ my 10x50 binos or my spotting scope. Those little ones have helped me see a lot of animals before they saw me.


mike r

Of course, personal preference. I would go with the 8x for those circumstances and choices.

I use use and love 7x42mm. But, normally carry a pair of 10x54 or 56mm in my pack. There is a significant difference between the 7x42mm and 10x50’ish to my eye when it is getting dark. My distances vary from 25 to 200 yards. The 10x provide much more detail.
Ease of viewing and size wise the 7x42mm win hands down. The bigger 10x50 type, at times, are worth the extra hassle.
I would not want them for my primary binocular though.

Between the two mention for where you live, I would go with the 8X.

That said, don’t overlook 7X42. The exit pupil is 6mm, making them better suited for in low light, thick vegetation type hunting like where you live. I can use mine at night with a moon and still see stuff in the low light I can’t with my 10X42 as the exit pupil on the 10’s is 4.2mm. They are both the same model, about the same year made, and by the same alpha glass manufacturer so it’s an apples to apples comparison. They are also easier to hand hold as the hand shaking issue will be a little better too. Get good glass - buy once, cry once is sage advice.

10x or 8x binos?

Reminds me of a joke.
Guy goes to the doctor because his hands shake.
Doctor asks, "Do you drink too much?"
Guy asks, "How much is too much?"
Doctor suggests, "Like a fifth a day..."
Guy says, "Gosh doc... I SPILL that much!"

8x - buy once, cry once for good glass - you'll know it if you didn't - fully agree with this comment: "Glass is more important than x's".

Thick is good cover, and with a good set of 8x, if you take the time to actually learn to glass - you'll start seeing "through" the thick, and learn to focus the view on what is beyond the brush in front of you.

You'll find holes in the brush that allow you to see further than you can with just your eye - can't tell you how many times I've caught a leg, a flag, or an eyeball looking through the brush, that I never would have seen with just my eye.

I have several hunters locally that don't believe in binos - they can't "see" past 25-30 yards from the stand, so no sense in carrying binos - they don't kill much either.

I've learned from watching where the deer went that I couldn't "see" without binos - where to put the stand if I wanted to be successful.
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This above is great advice. I hunt wv amd pa in thick mountain cover. I purchased a kowa genesis 8x33 bino 3 years ago and have seen deer through thick cover i never would have known were there. Best hunting purchase i have made. Focusing at different levels as stated above has made all the difference. I hqve done it. A small flicker u think is a black and white chicadee turns out to be the white of a deer.

Good luck

Prefer 8's but couldn't pass up offer on a pair of 10's from a fire member.
I used an old pair of Denver Redfields 10x50 for many years that worked fine in timber out west.

Me too, I put both in my pack when I leave in the mornings. Then the one around my neck after I see the conditions I'm hunting.