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Best hunting binos @ 500$ |
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mightymike
Optics GrassHopper Joined: January/06/2011 Status: Offline Points: 36 |
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Posted: March/31/2014 at 21:01 |
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Hello all I know you hear this all the time but I have to ask. I'm looking for the best pair of 10X binos for hunting situations.The most important qualities I'm looking for are clarity w/ good FOV, and a close 2nd is low light performance. I'm trying to stay in the 400-500$ range. Thanks in advance I've read tons of posts and just can't make a decision.
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3_tens
Optics Jedi Master Joined: January/08/2007 Location: Oklahoma Status: Offline Points: 7853 |
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Is there a good specific reason for 10X. Less field of view, More weight, harder to hold steady, less light and cost more for the same quality glass.
Try these ZenRay
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Folks ain't got a sense of humor no more. They don't laugh they just get sore.
Need to follow the rules. Just hard to determine which set of rules to follow Now the rules have changed again. |
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mightymike
Optics GrassHopper Joined: January/06/2011 Status: Offline Points: 36 |
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No definitive reason for 10X except that's all I've ever had and it's also what everyone I hunt with carries. That being said I've never owned a good quality pair of optics either.
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PhilR.
Optics Apprentice Joined: August/02/2008 Status: Offline Points: 162 |
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Besides the Z-R already mentioned, take a look at (or through) the Nikon Monarch 7, Leupold Hawthorne and Mojave, Hawke Sapphire, and Krueger Caldera. Any of these will do just fine. Also consider the 1st generation Leupold McKinley, which can sometimes be found in your price range. They are heavy, but they would make a very good hunting bino.
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stickbow46
Optics Master Extraordinaire Joined: January/07/2009 Location: Benton, Pa Status: Offline Points: 4678 |
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+1 Zen- Rays
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Pearls of Wisdom are Heard not Spoken
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Bitterroot Bulls
Optics Master Extraordinaire Joined: May/07/2009 Location: Montana Status: Offline Points: 3416 |
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I would take the Vortex Talons over the ZR for the superior warranty and customer service.
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-Matt
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anweis
Optics Master Joined: January/29/2006 Status: Offline Points: 1148 |
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and the Vortex Razor HD 8x42. A bit over $500. Worth the price, i believe.
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Theo
Optics GrassHopper Joined: June/20/2013 Location: La, USA Status: Offline Points: 23 |
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Razors are going for almost $1200. However, the Vipers are as you said, about $600 and very nice binos that receive high ratings. I've owned the Vipers and for My eyes, prefer the flatter FOV and greater 3-D DOF that my Leupold BX-3 Mohave 10x42's offer. I recently spent over 3 hours glassing at Cabelas, looking at details through 10 different 10X42's (about $9K of glass), from the BX-3's all the way up to the Swaro El's. I'd pick the Swaro SLC's in a heart beat (Best Glass...Period), but not for 5X the price of the BX-3's that were 95% optical equivalent of the SLC's! In the end, I was well pleased at how the BX-3's stood up to the overall much more expensive competition and will be using those for my upcoming hunts! Very Sharp, excellent resolution, superb ergonomics, natural color, lightweight, well balanced and great warranty. All for well under the OP's $500...my 2 cents! Ted |
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Jack of Many Trades-Master of Few!
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mightymike
Optics GrassHopper Joined: January/06/2011 Status: Offline Points: 36 |
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Thanks for all of the replies. I think I will be between the Zen Ray ED3, Vortex Talon HD, and the BX-3. Any specific differences anyone has noticed between these 3? Any of the 3 will be a significant upgrade for me.
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Bitterroot Bulls
Optics Master Extraordinaire Joined: May/07/2009 Location: Montana Status: Offline Points: 3416 |
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Again, the Vortex warranty and CS separate it from the pack, IMO.
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-Matt
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PhilR.
Optics Apprentice Joined: August/02/2008 Status: Offline Points: 162 |
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All are very good, but my preference is the BX-3. They are the lightest in weight, shortest in length, and despite having excellent optics, are significantly lower in price. The color balance is more neutral than the Talon, and it's focus wheel is smoother in operation than the Talon's (in my example, at least). For me, the BX-3 is much more pleasurable to use than the other two, especially the overly-large ED3. One other thing to consider is the fact that all three are known for excellent customer service. Although one can say that there is none better than Vortex, you can also say that there are some that are just as good. Certainly Leupold is one of them. |
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Theo
Optics GrassHopper Joined: June/20/2013 Location: La, USA Status: Offline Points: 23 |
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+1 |
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Jack of Many Trades-Master of Few!
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Bitterroot Bulls
Optics Master Extraordinaire Joined: May/07/2009 Location: Montana Status: Offline Points: 3416 |
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This is not exactly true. With a Vortex optic, if you accidently damage it in some way, Vortex would simply repair or replace it. If you did this with a Leupold, you would receive a charge for the repair. I can be kind of clumsy. A few years ago, I scratched the lenses of my Leupold GR 8X32s when the covers slipped off while belly-crawling for antelope. I sent them in to Leupold for repair and paid a bill (around $120 if I remember correctly) for the fix. I found this reasonable. I haven't damaged any of my Vortex products, but have a friend that did, and they simply replaced his binoculars, for free, in less than a week. While Leupold has good CS, my experience is that it is not up to the level of Vortex. Of the three listed binoculars, they perform similarly enough that the Vortex CS/warranty would make the difference, for me. |
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-Matt
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Klamath
Optics Master Joined: May/20/2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 1308 |
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I have never been charged a single dime by Leopold even when sending a scope I bought used, damaged all by myself, explained to Leupold that I fully expected to pay for. Their response was to send a new scope complete with a zero balance owed invoice.
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Steve
"Everything that can be counted does not necessarily count; everything that counts cannot necessarily be counted". William Bruce Cameron |
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supertool73
Optics God Superstool Joined: January/03/2008 Status: Offline Points: 11814 |
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That tells me that Leupold is not consistent in how they deal with customers. Vortex seems to be pretty consistent in that regard.
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Lifetime warranty and excellent customer service don't mean a thing when your gun fails during a zombie attack.
"A Liberal is a person who will give away everything they don't own." |
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JGRaider
Optics Master Joined: February/06/2008 Status: Offline Points: 1540 |
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Leupold set the standard for CS, warranty work, treating the customer more than fair, etc. Where do you think Swarovski learned it......? Vortex learned it too obviously, but Leupold wrote the book, and still treats its customers better than they deserve 99% of the time.
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PhilR.
Optics Apprentice Joined: August/02/2008 Status: Offline Points: 162 |
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Yup -- just like on so many other internet forums -- people who just can't wait to tell others they are wrong, instead of just posting their own opinions. The problem with Vortex, and why I won't buy a new Vortex of any type, is that they are overpriced 25-33%. This is why they have no problems with giving people a new one -- they earn 1/3rd the price of a new item every time they sell an item. So yeah, if you want to pay ahead of time for a good bit of a replacement that you might not ever need, then go ahead and buy a new Vortex. You sure won't catch me doing that....... |
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Bitterroot Bulls
Optics Master Extraordinaire Joined: May/07/2009 Location: Montana Status: Offline Points: 3416 |
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Yeah Phil, I have been waiting for ages... Of course, I should have posted this: "That is not exactly true for me." I meant no offense to you personally. Perhaps you can help us understand why you think Leupold's Warrany/Customer Service is as good as Vortex'.
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-Matt
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Klamath
Optics Master Joined: May/20/2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 1308 |
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Actually I bet all manufacturers factor in warranty and service costs in their pricing structure. Vortex certainly is not alone. I'm sure Leupold and Swarovski do it as well. It think one of the big things wrong with Leica service we hear so much about is the Leica bean counters insistence their service and repair operations operate at least cost neutral.
A couple of posts got me to thinking. Somewhere in the memory bank I remember Leupold's bean counters decreeing that warranty and service were to run at break even levels, minimum, just like Leica. If I'm remembering this correctly . This did not sit too well in consumer land and the bean counters were over ruled. So it is entirely likely people who got caught up in this scheme and received charges remember the negative aspects of the experience. Leupold's current policy is the old standard" we make it we fix it" lifetime warranty. When doing recent reviews on Leupold's Green ring series binoculars I asked about the more limited warranty printed on the product pages and packaging. I was told that was more or less a formality, but they intended to warranty those as if they were the Gold Ring Lifetime warranty. I remembered one other Leupold experience. I managed to break a strap lug on a Yosemite binocular. I called them and they said send it in, I got a new one back, no charge. I've also used the Vortex policy at times and found it to be just as advertised. I find it hard to quibble with either company.
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Steve
"Everything that can be counted does not necessarily count; everything that counts cannot necessarily be counted". William Bruce Cameron |
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PhilR.
Optics Apprentice Joined: August/02/2008 Status: Offline Points: 162 |
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Personal experience. Which is what I base everything I put up here on. Also personal experience of close friends. And from the writings on the various forums I read, and that are from persons for whom I do not have any reason to doubt. |
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