I went the long route to the optics I have now and spent more than was necessary. I'd get something a little better than what I had and end up selling it to upgrade later on. I ended up going top notch or darn close on everything in the long run and wish I'd have taken the shorter and cheaper route getting there. I should have just saved up the first time and bit the bullet once on each piece. I spent several years putting my current set-up together but should be good for quite a while. Someday the technology will probably improve enough I'll upgrade again, but it won't be for a while. Years I struck out on drawing tags I put my hunting budget into optics. Now I'm just putting my hunting budget into hunting for a while!
Several of you here, especially Bitterroot Bulls, helped me along the way and I'd like to thank you all for that help.
Anyway, here is what I ended up with and a review on each of them.
BINOS
For "truck binos" in my vehicles I have 8x30 Steiner Predators, a set of 8x42 Zeiss Conquests, and Minox 8x42's, not sure of the model. I got all used and they work well in decent light at normal range. I use several different vehicles around the ranch and use the glass regularly when checking cattle as well as for evaluating game. Having halfway decent glass in the trucks helps me keep my good stuff in the gun safe except for actual hunting or scouting trips.
Leica Geovid 10x42 HD-B's.
I am very impressed with the glass, they seem to work very well with my eyes. The internal rangefinder is very fast and accurate also. I can pick up the tree row reliably at 1400yds from my porch, and have ranged deer reliably at 800 in a flat alfalfa field under various conditions. I picked these up used off a forum also and they are probably the best purchase I've ever made for my hunting addiction. I haven't used the Swaro version, but have been extremely pleased with these. The rangefinder seems so much easier to steady when built into the binos than the smaller units. I sometimes use them on a tripod with a Nikon Velcro strap mount and the rangefinder is even better when it's that steady.
Swaro 15x56 HD's
These were the last piece of glass I picked up but I'm sure glad I did. The increased magnification is very helpful when glassing long distances from the tripod. I found myself taking them even to the deer blind for whitetail and setting them up on the tripod to evaluate the bucks that showed up at last light several hundred yards away. Eyestrain is much less than using a spotter for long sessions. Binos like this don't fit everyones use but I use mine even more than I thought I would. I seem to pack the extra weight and take them more than I dreamed I would especially if hunting with a partner who has a spotter. I can find more game with these and we can then dial it up with the spotter for evaluation.
SPOTTERS
Nikon ED50
I bought this one early on in my optics search and still really like it. I don't use it nearly as much since I got a bigger one but don't regret owning it. Before I had a big spotter I used it all the time and it worked pretty well all around. Now it goes on hunts when I don't want to pack to much weight. I used to leave the spotter and tripod at home sometimes and regret it. Now I take this little set-up just in case. I have a little cheap Slik Compact II tripod with a built in head that weighs 20oz and this spotter weighs 16oz. I hunt the end of the season in the unit I elk hunt, and lots of bulls are broken up. This little set-up can be just enough to show if it's worth crossing a canyon to get closer to a bull or if he's missing to much antler. Great for when using a spotter isn't a priority, or even planned, because it's light enough to be along just in case.
Swaro 20-60x80HD ATS
This is why the Nikon doesn't get used as much anymore. It's heavy but impressive. I do a lot of scouting whitetail around home and often they are moving only very early and late. This spotter has really helped me evaluate what is in the area, and what gets broke up during the rut. I try to leave it in the safe with the binos as much of the time as I can, but seem to keep getting it out for something. During our calving season I take it along to see if a calf has nursed the cow without getting close and disturbing them. I should have made the ranch buy it!
Several of you here, especially Bitterroot Bulls, helped me along the way and I'd like to thank you all for that help.
Anyway, here is what I ended up with and a review on each of them.
BINOS
For "truck binos" in my vehicles I have 8x30 Steiner Predators, a set of 8x42 Zeiss Conquests, and Minox 8x42's, not sure of the model. I got all used and they work well in decent light at normal range. I use several different vehicles around the ranch and use the glass regularly when checking cattle as well as for evaluating game. Having halfway decent glass in the trucks helps me keep my good stuff in the gun safe except for actual hunting or scouting trips.
Leica Geovid 10x42 HD-B's.
I am very impressed with the glass, they seem to work very well with my eyes. The internal rangefinder is very fast and accurate also. I can pick up the tree row reliably at 1400yds from my porch, and have ranged deer reliably at 800 in a flat alfalfa field under various conditions. I picked these up used off a forum also and they are probably the best purchase I've ever made for my hunting addiction. I haven't used the Swaro version, but have been extremely pleased with these. The rangefinder seems so much easier to steady when built into the binos than the smaller units. I sometimes use them on a tripod with a Nikon Velcro strap mount and the rangefinder is even better when it's that steady.
Swaro 15x56 HD's
These were the last piece of glass I picked up but I'm sure glad I did. The increased magnification is very helpful when glassing long distances from the tripod. I found myself taking them even to the deer blind for whitetail and setting them up on the tripod to evaluate the bucks that showed up at last light several hundred yards away. Eyestrain is much less than using a spotter for long sessions. Binos like this don't fit everyones use but I use mine even more than I thought I would. I seem to pack the extra weight and take them more than I dreamed I would especially if hunting with a partner who has a spotter. I can find more game with these and we can then dial it up with the spotter for evaluation.
SPOTTERS
Nikon ED50
I bought this one early on in my optics search and still really like it. I don't use it nearly as much since I got a bigger one but don't regret owning it. Before I had a big spotter I used it all the time and it worked pretty well all around. Now it goes on hunts when I don't want to pack to much weight. I used to leave the spotter and tripod at home sometimes and regret it. Now I take this little set-up just in case. I have a little cheap Slik Compact II tripod with a built in head that weighs 20oz and this spotter weighs 16oz. I hunt the end of the season in the unit I elk hunt, and lots of bulls are broken up. This little set-up can be just enough to show if it's worth crossing a canyon to get closer to a bull or if he's missing to much antler. Great for when using a spotter isn't a priority, or even planned, because it's light enough to be along just in case.
Swaro 20-60x80HD ATS
This is why the Nikon doesn't get used as much anymore. It's heavy but impressive. I do a lot of scouting whitetail around home and often they are moving only very early and late. This spotter has really helped me evaluate what is in the area, and what gets broke up during the rut. I try to leave it in the safe with the binos as much of the time as I can, but seem to keep getting it out for something. During our calving season I take it along to see if a calf has nursed the cow without getting close and disturbing them. I should have made the ranch buy it!
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