Binoculars

[Ketchup]

I have had these Bushnell binos for years. They have traveled many states hunting and fishing. They have been the reason behind several of my wildlife harvests, as without them I wouldn’t have seen that turkey coming in, deer sneaking through the timber, or spotted bald eagles perched in a tree. 
 

Recently while getting hunting gear out for the season, i placed them on the flatbed of my truck. Went and did chores, then headed off to town. About 10 miles down the road I remembered what i had done, but they were gone. 
 

As i sit here scanning online for a new pair, i feel like i have lost my best rod in 100’ of water. 
 

Looking for something in that $300 range. Any input?

As of now the Vortex Diamondback HD 12-50 have caught my eye. At $279.00 they seem pretty legit. 
 

 

[nomolites]

This is another one of those you get what you pay for items.  The good news is these days glass is way better on the economical end than ever, but the really good stuff still costs $$$.  Vortex makes decent optics, for what we do in Missouri those are likely quite capable.  I would ask the store to let you take them outside and compare at various ranges and lighting gradients.  I have a pair of 10x Vipers I bought when I took my son elk hunting a few years back, and while they are certainly good, I still prefer my old Leupold Golden Rings( but they are definitely heavier due to the optics).

Mike

[Ketchup]

1 hour ago, nomolites said:

This is another one of those you get what you pay for items.  The good news is these days glass is way better on the economical end than ever, but the really good stuff still costs $$$.  Vortex makes decent optics, for what we do in Missouri those are likely quite capable.  I would ask the store to let you take them outside and compare at various ranges and lighting gradients.  I have a pair of 10x Vipers I bought when I took my son elk hunting a few years back, and while they are certainly good, I still prefer my old Leupold Golden Rings( but they are definitely heavier due to the optics).

Mike

I agree Mike. 
 Leupold Alpine are in my price range, and are a proven set that is one to consider as well. In todays modern technology, it’s hard to not pick up a usable pair for anything over that $150 range. 

[fishinwrench]

I have never had binoculars that failed to show me what I wanted to see because of LENS QUALITY.   

But I have had cheaper ones fail to be useful because of fogging or water intrusion.    The fact that they are sealed up good, and nitrogen filled, is the important thing.  Lens quality isn't that big of a factor IMO. 

The mechanical focus apparatus is where the problem lies.  Pretty hard to effectively seal the tubes when you have THAT.  

 

[Ketchup]

Agree wrench. Most, if not all are nitrogen and sealed nowadays i believe. The days of cheap “under $200” optics is pretty rare given the technology advances that most companies employee these days. Even the lesser known brands, that copy off the others have products that would would work. The warranty is part of paying the higher prices. 

[BilletHead]

2 hours ago, nomolites said:

This is another one of those you get what you pay for items.  The good news is these days glass is way better on the economical end than ever, but the really good stuff still costs $$$.  Vortex makes decent optics, for what we do in Missouri those are likely quite capable.  I would ask the store to let you take them outside and compare at various ranges and lighting gradients.  I have a pair of 10x Vipers I bought when I took my son elk hunting a few years back, and while they are certainly good, I still prefer my old Leupold Golden Rings( but they are definitely heavier due to the optics).

Mike

    @Ketchup  Just like Mike said you will pay a bit more for good optics. I was really wanting the Vortex that Bass Pro/ Cabelas had on sale a year or so back. As soon as I got the online flyer I ordered. It went through and a few minutes later got an Email that they were sold out. Needless to say I was pretty mad. It was knocked off regular price pretty well. I argued with them go figure:).  Cotton picking order said it was available and went through. They knew I was mad, and I talked to three people until I got some results. Squeaky wheel does get the grease. Asked what was comparable. Found one I wanted and said what can I get that for? Oh, regular price sir, I went on a mini rant again and they finally agreed to knock off the same percentage of the Vortex.    What I got out of that was Zeiss Terra ED 10 X 42.  I have never had a nicer set of Binoculars.  We treat them very special.  Again, like Mike said go somewhere and look through each brand if you are able. 

[Carl1969]

I’m a believer in buying the best glass you can afford. I ran $250-$300 scopes on my rifles, Leupold VX2s, Vortex Vipers & such. When I was putting together my SHTF AR, I sprung for a Steiner P4Xi for it. My heart sank immediately when I looked through it, as I realized optics were gonna start costing me a lot more money going forward.

We’ve got a cheap set of old Simmons variable binos that are okay-ish for sitting on the porch watching wildlife, but I would really like to pick up something nicer.

[Ketchup]

51 minutes ago, BilletHead said:

    @Ketchup  Just like Mike said you will pay a bit more for good optics. I was really wanting the Vortex that Bass Pro/ Cabelas had on sale a year or so back. As soon as I got the online flyer I ordered. It went through and a few minutes later got an Email that they were sold out. Needless to say I was pretty mad. It was knocked off regular price pretty well. I argued with them go figure:).  Cotton picking order said it was available and went through. They knew I was mad, and I talked to three people until I got some results. Squeaky wheel does get the grease. Asked what was comparable. Found one I wanted and said what can I get that for? Oh, regular price sir, I went on a mini rant again and they finally agreed to knock off the same percentage of the Vortex.    What I got out of that was Zeiss Terra ED 10 X 42.  I have never had a nicer set of Binoculars.  We treat them very special.  Again, like Mike said go somewhere and look through each brand if you are able. 

So did you ever get to look through those Vortex?

[Ketchup]

Something else i need advice on. I haven’t sharpened my own knives in years. I usually take the 2 i carry in the woods, to Bass Pro before season and have them do their best. This season I’m going to do my own. Looking at stones, the world has exploded the past 10+ years with new things. So many from the old school stones like gramps used, to the new diamond style. Looking for one that will put an edge on one. Any input?

[MrGiggles]

I have Vortex, they do just fine. I've been thinking about trying out Hawke, have a couple of their scopes that are pretty good. Binos aren't nearly as important as your gun optics, something mid-range isn't really a big sacrifice.

I have never been able to sharpen anything with a stone. I use one of those carbide deals that you pull the knife through, cheap and it works. Some people say that they're hard on the knife and they remove too much material, but I say if you aren't removing any material, you aren't sharpening anything.

I always thought the Worksharp deal was probably the best sharpening device that I've seen, aside from a full blown belt sander setup.