Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Binocs over 10X?

Zero experience here.

TInman said he uses 15X. I know the common belief is that anything over 10X cannot be held steady enough without a tripod. Anyone else use these as hand-held?

My 30 year old , cheap ($160?) Cabela's "Pine Ridge"10X40 finally failed to meet a need while caribou hunting recently. My wife's 8X40 lower-end Leupolds that she won as a prize also proved insufficient, so we are looking at options, probably in binocs, possibly a rifle scope to 18X or so. One guy up there said he needed his 18X scope to ID by penis sheath the small bull he shot, and ours were (duh) insufficient for that. I need to replace my binocs anyway - they have never been quite the same since I bounced them off a too-close grizzly a few years ago.

Personally, I think ADFG should breed bulls with bigger peckers..... the current ones are real hard to see!

Bulls only season - so the smaller bulls had to be ID by penis sheath or vulva patch (lack of) as caribou cows also have antlers. Out of over 300 live caribou we saw, none had sufficiently large antlers to be sure they were bulls, most were on the move, at range, and few gave us a butt-view, tho the vulva patch is more easily seen than a penis sheath. We just determined we would not shoot anything not identifiable by antlers, and that worked, tho we didn't make a kill. But we didn't get a "participation award" from F&G for shooting a cow, as by rumor, many others did.

I don't think much of "scoping" game (etc!) with a rifle as the guy above did, but....I'm a man..I can change..If I have to...

I'm leaning toward more powerful binocs - up to 18 power, if I can hold them steady (visit to SW and Cabelas in next week to try some. They don't have to be real good in low-light conditions as I don't hunt that way anymore. They do need good clarity in decent light conditions. So - scope or binocs?

I don't want to spend both legs and an arm either, so target figure is under $1200 or so. Looking for hands-on experience, brand suggestions, etc , but ultimately, it will be an in-store decision, tho I might order on line afterward once I get a feel.

It's our pleasure, as a long standing supporting vendor here, to discuss the different available options and special opportunities with you. Please give a call, 516-217-1000, when you have the time. Thanks

Thanks - will do. I've almost a year to do this. First some eye-balling...

If you’re back in Fairbanks at some point I’d have no issue letting you play with my Meopta 15x for a while…and see if they’d do what you want. You’d be welcome to try them both on a tripod and off.
For clarity—-I do use them somewhat without support, but they can be shaky that way if I am winded. I usually brace my elbows on my knees to stabilize them. I forgo the tripod because it tweaks my back so badly when pivoting around, not necessarily because I don’t need the stability.

I’d 100% suggest binos over a high power scope too, and not just for safety reasons.

I don’t have a brand suggestion, though if you decide to go 18x, 15x or even 12x, I’d take whatever Doug suggests within your price point.

Seems many in AZ are switching to the Swaro NL Pure 12x42 as their sole bino for Coues hunting, instead of 15x. The NL Pures would be above your $1200 budget though. I used the Leica 10+15 Duovids for many years. I have seen a used pair for $1250 on another forum

As far as being able to hold 15x binoculars steady - you need to try it for yourself. I can and have used them in certain situations as my sole binocular, but most are not able to hold 15x binoculars steady enough to use them practically in the field. 12x is too much for some people. It’s an individual thing and must be tried before committing. 15x binoculars are also heavy. The weight to me helps to keep them steady, but it also will tire you out quicker if your holding them unsupported and the shakes will get real bad then.

I run Swarovski 15x, but have looked through Meopta 15x binoculars before and found them to be nearly the equal to my Swarovski for much less money.

I got a used Swaro 15x set a few years ago for Coues hunting (LOTS of glassing). My guide had a set of 12.5x Swaros. I decided the 15X were just too darn heavy and the FOV was somewhat limited and they were difficult to use without the tripod. Sold the Swaros and got some 12.5 Tracts. Much smaller and lighter and easier to hold steady and my 70 year old eyes can't fault them optically. If you order a set and don't like them I'm sure they would let you return and I'm sure Doug would let you do the same so since you have time, maybe get a couple of sets and compare.

My own choice has been to have a variety of good enough for the same money as one really great. I give up a little bit of light transmission but I compromise less in other areas. I do have a set of big-eye 15X from Camera Land then 12X and ranging down to 6X. For woods walking in Idaho I use the 6X more than all the others combined but that's woods. For open country the tripod is nice to have with big eyes or spotting scopes or a car window mount cruising through the Park.

For my money the statement " anything over 10X cannot be held steady enough without a tripod" is an exaggeration to make a valid point. True enough for extended, take all the time you need, glassing of larger areas for game spotting but not quite true for counting points or distinguishing antlers and branches or as here looking over an identified animal that is not moving so quickly that a motion picture quality pan head is needed.

Folks who aren't winded can assume a stable position and use all the traditional aids including grabbing the firm bill of a baseball style cap or gripping a cartridge box or magazine along with the binoculars to add weight or dropping a line from the binoculars and stepping on the line to tension the line somewhat like a tight sling or resting the glass on a pack a rock or a branch and many more. I strongly discourage using a higher power rifle scope as a spotting scope in the hunting field although I do find it useful from a benchrest on a hot range and of course in the field to call off a shot at the last minute when appropriate.

I can't make any specific suggestions as to brands and models and power beyond saying that I do believe today's affordable are about as good as yesterday's top of the line. I'd go with whatever Camera Land suggests as this year's value choice and I do believe capitalism works to mean anything that lasts in the market place offers some value. For many years I yearned after Bausch and Lomb just like Jack O'Connor's but by the time I could afford them the desire was mostly gone.

Because I have them I might well carry big eyes for the purpose described but I'd expect to be happier with handheld 8x or 10x binoculars and a folded or otherwise compact spotting scope with well above 15X power just to be sure at a glance.

Several guys in our hunting group have gone to 12x and 15x binos and I've had a chance to try them out a couple times. If I hadn't just purchased some Swaro 10 x 42 ELs I would have been tempted to look more into the bigger glass. For the open country we sometimes hunt in, it is really nice at times to have the extra power to catch animals on the move across canyons or large meadows or on the edge of a forested area.

I've used the trick with having on a baseball cap with a stiff bill and using my hand to clamp the binos to the bill as I'm holding the binos and it works very well and has the added bonus of keeping excess light off your ocular area and in your eyes. I'm pretty sure JJHack taught me that trick , among other things he passed along...

You would have a hard time going wrong with a recommendation from Doug. He knows his glass and is a straight shooter- and his customer service is second to none IMO...

If you are going to use 10 power or above binos for more than say 3-4 minutes, I’d recommend getting a tripod as you can’t hold them steady. But for a quick look, no tripod is necessary

I glass for hours and hours at a time. I use a tripod when using my 10 or 15 power binos with my hunting group. I even use a tripod when using my 7 power binos.

I realize a tripod is more gear to carry, but when glassing for extended periods, a tripod is more important than alpha glass.

Just my opinion.

Couldn't agree more. 10's and 8's on a tripod kickasss.

10’s around my neck and 15’s on a tripod. I’ve tried 12x as an attempt to make two units do one, and it didn’t work for me. I just wanted the 12’s on a tripod which made me go back to 15’s. I also do put my 10’s on my tripod regularly too. Makes them much more effective. If I needed to spot critter peckers regularly I’d be packing a spotting scope. 10’s just to find animals and then spotter to find the peckers.

I gave up on binoculars higher than 10 power. If I need more than 10 power, it is on to a spotting scope. This is after messing with a 15x, and 18x pair.

I really like my 10x42 Leica's on a tri-pod.

My advice is to check out the higher power products, spend some time behind them and make a decision based on what you like.

Always a pleasure to "meet" the members here and discuss optics. Please feel free to give a call, 516-217-1000

Call Doug and ask about the Sig Zulu 6 (I think). 16X image stabilized

I like my 10s. Best of both worlds.

But if I’m Hunting open or big country. I rather have tripod and spotter

Have experimented a lot with 12-15x binoculars over the years. Found with 12xs I could see detail better than with 10xs IF I sat down with something at my back, whether a tree or fencepost or even a sagebrush, and rested the binocular on my short shooting sticks. In fact, when I was guiding most of the clients who brought the typical 8x or 10x often asked to use my 12x, in order to see the antlers better on a distant mule deer.

With 15x a tripod worked better, but eventually decided a really good 10x binocular was enough, combined with a spotter & tripod. But we all have different eyes and requirements....

The Sig Sauer ZULU6 HDX 16x42mm OIS Image Stabilized Binocular - FDE are in stock and are on sale for only $899.99

Higher magnification is to find more animals, ones that hand holding and sweeping won't find, that requires a tripod. Binos are better than a spotting scope for finding the hidden animals, scopes are better for detail once you find them.

If you won't commit to a tripod stay with 8s and 10s.

Hand sweeping will only find the easy to see animals, it doesn't take an alpha or even midrange bino to do that, anything that doesn't give you a headache after 5 minutes is fine.

But there are a lot more animals there you don't see.

Kent

Where's the LIKE button? No offense to Doug (he's awesome), but binos that rely on batteries to work correctly? That would be my last choice. At least if the batteries in a bino/rf quit working you still have a bino that works.