Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics All purpose hunting binocular 8x42 or 10x50?

7-8.5x for general use. Looking long, there doesn't seem to be much difference and up close I really prefer the lower power. When glassing for extended periods, a ten power wears me out faster and takes a little longer to cover the ground thoroughly.

I carry my 8x43 ZEN ED all the time for general purpose. Occasionally, I use a pair of 8x25 pentax for hiking.

I use Leica Trinovid 10x50's, and I love em!

I hunt fairly open country. It's common for me to be glassing across canyons at long distances. 10x50's are great for my use, and 15x56's would be the cats ass at times!

I had a pair of those and I also loved them...just to heavy to pack all day so I went to a pair of the Ultravid 8x32's. But I do wish I could have afforded to keep them as well...I miss them at times when hunting mule deer in the open country.

Of the two choices, 8x42 all day any day.

I'd prefer 7x42 or 6x32 though.

And I live on the treeless prairie so long glassing is all we do.

Bingo.....I've tried, and tried to warm up to 8x in the country I hunt. While they can get the job done, they don't cut it against a good 10x42. I'm talking about serious glassing, not standing there looking through them without any support.

I love my 8x42 porros and prefer them to my far more expensive 8x42 roofs but they are a touch big and heavy. I bought 6x30 yosemites for easier carrying and a bigger field of view but they definitely give up something to the 8x's. I think the perfect all around hunting size is a 7x35 and wish someone made something, in a porro, similar to the Nikon Action Extreme's but a little more modern and compact. Closest thing is likely the Vortex or Eagle Optic 6.5x32.

How about at home or in Maine?

Bob, I respect you a lot, but I think you are making a way bigger difference between eight and ten than there really is. I live out west, hunt rather tight forest for Whitetail, more open mountains for Elk and the way open plains for Antelope and Mule Deer. I own a 6x30 Yosemite, 8x32 Nikon SE, 8x42 Ultravid and 10x42 SE. I thought I would use the 6x30 in the woods, 8x32 in the mountains, 8x42 in bad weather and 10x42 Antelope hunting. I have found that I use the 8x32 SE's 90% of the time with the 8x42 Ultravids coming out in the rain. I just don't see that much if any difference going up to ten power.

For what it's worth, that's my experience. On the other hand, my optics nut buddy manager of our local sprting goods store says they sell ten power two to one over eight power, even though he tries to talk them out of it.

John

I have a pair of Zeiss 8x42 which I have had about 15 years and a pair of Zeiss 10x50's for double that, and more.

I cannot like the smaller glass no matter how I compare them. A pair of 10x50's provides everything I want in a glass and after all these years, they just feel right.

JW

Yep. 10x is the answer.......until you hunt this. And even this is looking a country mile in much of the areas in WI.

I've compiled a pretty good batch of bino's, as of right now, the highest X I have is 8X and no plans of going higher. I've spent much good money on 10X bino's just to see them sit...No plans for 10X in the future...

laffin. Very important to have lots of X's and a small FOV..

I prefer 10X here in NW Montana. Have tried 8X plenty and always go back to 10X.It has made a difference for me when looking at detail like counting point's etc. John are you talking about Dennis? Grin Small town, description fits too well.LOL

HR,

Yep, that'd be Dennis. Great guy and really knows his optics.

I think an individual's preference for power is similar to ergonomics, some people just value different things in optics. I like a fair amount of FOV, so looking through most ten power bins is like looking down a straw to me. I also see very little additional detail with my 10x42 SEs versus my 8x42 Ultravids. I can certainly see antlers with both, but I guess there would be some hypothetical distance where horns would show up on the ten but not the eight. Like I said previously, I really thought I'd use the 10s all the time in Eastern Montana's open country, but the lighter weight, easier carrying larger field of view of the little 8x32SEs trump the little extra power. Obviously there are many experienced hunters who feel the opposite.

I hope you got a nice deer or Elk, hunting conditions were just perfect the last week of the season, were'nt they.

John