OT anybody know anything about NIKON or Leupold Bino's

[fordwannabe]

I am thinking about upgrading my binos between now and my elk hunt in 2012. I have a pair of steiner 6x30 that have served me well but, I don't think they are going to be powerful enough for Colorado. I was at caberlas' and looked through a couple pair of Nikon and a pair of leupolds( and a pair of swarofskis for only $1600..no thanks)they were good I guess but really I don't know what I am looking for so please help. Cabela's VERY OFTEN does not have the best pricing so I didn't buy anything until I asked you guy and then looked on the web for pricing.
First question what should I be looking for as far as magnification...10x42 is what I am thinking.

2nd question another pair of steiners? Nikons? Leupolds? and which level of each( I am confused about which is which).
Anybody who wishes to educate the ignorant, have at ' er, and thanks. Tom

[6pt-sika]

I have a pair of the early Leupold WInd River 8x30 roof prism rubber armored binocs I bought in 1991 that are serving me quite well !

They've been to Montana , Alabama , New York , Pennsylvania , Maryland and Virginia .

Also have a pair of Leupold Wind River 10x40 roof prism armor coated binos I've had since 1996 and they two have served me well although not in as many states !

Last year I picked up a pair of Steiner Porro Prism rubber armored binocs 12x50 that work pretty nice also , but they are a bit heavier . Got the Steiners to use on a place I hunt in southern Maryland just to make sure I don't shoot button bucks during the antlerless only season .

[Dave]

I have 3 different pairs of small Nikons (10 x 25's and 8 x somethings) and they have been very good. A buddy has some Wind Rivers which are also very good.

I have a set of 10X Minoltas that are bigger I use to use out West. At the time it was hard to find good binos with enough eye relief you could use them with glasses. They are nice as well.

If you check SWFA's sample list you may get lucky on a good deal.

http://www.samplelist.com/Binoculars-C5.aspx

[rogn]

Ive had a pair of Nikon Monarcs 10X 36 ATB for about 6 years. I wanted 8 X 42 for a Colorado hunt, but all they had was the 10 X36 so I went with them. Ive never been sorry. The light "gathering" is good and the rsolution overall has been very good. Ive compared them to others, some good, some highly rated (and priced) some OK and the Nikons have come off very well. I got my son a pair of 10X 42s Monarc ATB for a Christmas present a year ago. He's military and is used to the binos that cost more than my truck, and he says they are good. There right around 300$. Ive found that shopping around for optics reveals some wide swings in pricing, it really does pay to check. Ive seen my 10 X36s ranging from $350 down to $265. Some "camera" companies sell much more than cameras'

[dkmlever]

There are quite a few very good optics availble now in the mid price range. I would suggest that in the store where it is bright don't get fooled by the light gathering. Try to look into a dark corner of the store.
I would also suggest that a 8 x 46 are the best for elk hunting with a great balance on wieght, light gathering and magnification. 10 x are harder to hold and often you are looking closer to determine 4 points on a side (Co restriction for antlers) I use 10's for antelope as you are looking longer distances and the difference between a 13 or 14 inch antelope is tougher to tell.
let us know what you end up with, and if you need some CO local help, contact me.

[Tycer]

I shake too much for 10x and my eyes tire after a couple of hours. 7x does not seem to bug me as bad. I have never glassed for long periods at distances over 200 yards. My binos are old Redfield 7x35 and I can spend hours with them with no pain. The 10x 50 I had were Leupold and were very very nice.

[M. M. Wright]

Decided a few years ago to upgrade to some decent binoculars and bought a like new Zies 8X40. They are great. Small enough to carry all day and what I think are wonderful optics. Picked mine up at a gun show for $300. I used to see full page ads in Shutterbug for all brands of binocs at reasonable prices.

M. M.

[M. M. Wright]

Decided a few years ago to upgrade to some decent binoculars and bought a like new Zies 8X40. They are great. Small enough to carry all day and what I think are wonderful optics. Picked mine up at a gun show for $300. I used to see full page ads in Shutterbug for all brands of binocs at reasonable prices.

M. M.

[Don McDowell]

I like Burris optics.
A couple of things to keep in mind with the binoculars for elk hunting. The higher powered ones won't gather as much light and that becomes a factor when glassing in the evening hours. It's the pits to not be able to see thru the binoculars when you still have legal shooting light left.
Large objectives help cure the light gathering thing, but also add bulk and weight and those two things can get critical when trying to stumble about elk country.

[BigSky56]

Tom, High X binocs are heavy and only good for long distance if your 6X are lightweight keep them they will be useful when closing the gap and looking in the shadows for game I use steiners 8.5x26 wildlife series they fit in my jacket pocket and light weight and Ive spotted elk along ways off with them. The one thing Ive found about german glass they are better than japanese glass. Alot of guys around here have high x glass in their truck and it stays there when they bail out after elk they take a light weight set of glass with them. Steiner will take trade ins (steiner) for a set of equal value or greater you can google steiner and see the binocs and trade in price generally half of MSRP with trade in. danny

[71fan]

I have no experience with Leupold or Nikon binos, but have two hunting buddies that have both traded in Nikons to get Leupolds.

I have been using Steiner 9x40 Safaris for a while and love them. Once you get accustomed to the auto-focus feature they are very comfortable for long hours behind the glass. Very light too, especially with the bino-buddy-harness-thingy.

I have never had a problem using the 9x or 10x glasses and appreciate the extra magnification.

I have been wanting to upgrade and pass the Steiners to my oldest boy, and have been very impressed by Vortex binos. I have sort of settled on the Vortex Viper HD in 10x42. They are very nice glasses and seem comparable to the much more expensive Zeiss and Swarovskis. The lower line Vortex Fury is even a nice glass, and the 10x42 is under $400.

[44magHunter]

If you want something made in USA than I would go with Leopold Gold Rings (I think they are around $700). When I say "Gold Rings" I mean the model. These are higher grade binos than there price points, which are made in China. I have a pair of Nikons that I love, but they are made in China which is a big turnoff to me. Swaro's are VERY nice and if I had the money for some I would deff. buy them because they really are that much clearer. When buying a pait of binos it's much more important to get a pair that is CLEAR rather than powerful. From what I have heard and read, the more magnification you go with, the more money you will want to spend in order to get more clear binos. (If you get 10x you will want to spend about $100 more than you would on a 8x pair.) I have found this to be true in many cases. For whitetails, I really like 8x42's or 10x50's. I have never hunted elk or even been in elk country, so I don't really know, but I would say 12 power would be better.

My current binos are Nikon Monarch 8x42's and they are very nice and clear, but they are made in China.....I will not buy any more Nikons if I can afford better.

[Blaine]

I have a pair of WindRiver 10x50. Had them for about 10 years. They go in the cold and rain every year and I've not had a problem with them. Very bright and clear right out to the edges.

[SFRanger7GP]

I went into Cabela's last year and compared 3 different sets of binos. I spent several hours in the store and they had a "bino test area" set up outside the store. I compared the binos well past legal shooting light. I had made the decision beforehand that price was not a high priority. I was ready to make an investment. I chose the Leupold Gold Ring 10x42 HD over the Swarovski. I have several Swarovski rifle scopes and figured I would be buying their binos as well. However, I preferred the Leupold.

When I chose them, the salesman in Cabela's informed me they were on sale for $100 less and had a mail in rebate for $100 as well. Wow! Now I really liked them. I have used them in the field and loaned them to friends and everyone (to include me) has been very impressed by them. As far as the rebate, I submitted my paperwork in June of 2010. After numerous emails, resubmission of paperwork and phone calls, I have yet to receive the $100 rebate. I have gotten Leupold and Cabela's involved with the company handling the rebate. I am still waiting.

In summary, love the binos.

[jkbrea]

fordwannabe ,
When I first started elkhunting, I bought a small compact pair of binos. They were pretty much worthless. After some research, I bought a pair of Bushnell Legends 10x42. They have been perfect. Medium size and rugged. I think I paid about $280. 10x is about what most people can use without the view shaking much and they work great in elk country. I wouldn't get a large pair. If you're hunting elk and hiking a lot, weight and size of equipment make a huge difference. Don't know much about Nikon but Leupold has great customer service if it breaks or fails.

Either way you go, if your hunting a lot on foot, get a set of straps, like Crooked Horn, that hold the binos close to your chest, otherwise it will sway so much it causes neck pain after a full day. Good luck on whatever you decide.