Optics?????

[BeardownAZ]

 

Swarovskis are great but they do not make game appear that aren't there regardless what anyone hear tells you. As with all things, you have to ask yourself if spending more is worth it or justified based in how much you'll use them. You don't need to spend $1500 or more on one set of binos or any other optics if you are ok with shooting the average deer. It astounds me how many people brag about spending thousands of dollars on a single gun and another few thousand on optics only to shoot little deer. I'd just go back to the Walmart goods and road hunt and use the money elsewhere if that's all you want to shoot. But if you want to really get serious or think you will at some point, buy what makes YOU happy and pay what YOU are willing to live with. I try and find a balance between price and realistic use. It's just like buying a corvette cause your buddies say it's cool, only to realize you should've spent the money on a 4x4 truck you'd use ten times as much, and pay less for too.

 

dude wtf. so much wrong in this i dont know where to begin.

Well you buy what you want. Hunting isn't all that goes on in everyone's lives

[5guyshunting]

 

 

Swarovskis are great but they do not make game appear that aren't there regardless what anyone hear tells you. As with all things, you have to ask yourself if spending more is worth it or justified based in how much you'll use them. You don't need to spend $1500 or more on one set of binos or any other optics if you are ok with shooting the average deer. It astounds me how many people brag about spending thousands of dollars on a single gun and another few thousand on optics only to shoot little deer. I'd just go back to the Walmart goods and road hunt and use the money elsewhere if that's all you want to shoot. But if you want to really get serious or think you will at some point, buy what makes YOU happy and pay what YOU are willing to live with. I try and find a balance between price and realistic use. It's just like buying a corvette cause your buddies say it's cool, only to realize you should've spent the money on a 4x4 truck you'd use ten times as much, and pay less for too.

dude wtf. so much wrong in this i dont know where to begin.

Well you buy what you want. Hunting isn't all that goes on in everyone's lives

I agree you buy what you want , but the op. Inquired peoples opinions .

[creed_az_88]

I didn't read any of the previous responses so I'm sorry if somebody already gave you this advice but there is a pair of 12x50 euro hd binoculars in the classifieds for $950. Buy them before somebody else does and never look back. They are amazing glass for the money. They are amazing glass even if you don't consider how much cheaper they are than the swaros. Yes, the swaros are top notch, but a guy doesn't have to own a pair of swaros to be successful. I glass with guys using the most expensive glass on the market and I consider them to be really good glassers and I don't feel like I'm at a disadvantage at all with my euro hd's. If you do decide eventually that you want the swaros then sell the euro hd's for what you paid for them and buy the swaros. 950 Is a smoking deal and the only reason those binos are still there is because not very many people know what they are and what they're capable of. You would be wasting money in my opinion buying and Vortex product over those euro hds. That's my educated opinion anyways.

[trphyhntr]

Interesting

[kazpilot25]

I went through the same thing you did when I first started out. I started with some cheap bushnell binos, then got the vortex diamondback 10x50, then the Vortex Viper 15x50, then the Vortex Kaibab 15x56 before finally getting the Swarovski 15x56. Comparing the diamondback to the viper is a pretty big difference, but that being said, I did not really like the viper binoculars. They were not nearly as bright or clear or colorful as I'd like. The kaibab's are ok, but at that price you can do better. The clarity around the edges is pretty bad, which is why I upgraded to the swaros. It was driving me nuts.

 

If I were you, I'd get a new pair of the Vortex Razor HD 12x50 or buy those Euro HD 12x50 in the classifieds. If you shop around you can get the Razor HD for around or just under $1000.

 

Good luck.

[BMC]

I really like my Vortex Viper 15x50. Are there better options out there, yes. It comes down to what will work best for you, only you can decide that. Just like with everything else, rifle, caliber, packs, etc...

 

Are you a veteran or active duty by chance?

[Whitesheep]

How long it takes each of us to learn that quality isn't cheap is an individual journey. Some never get there and spend more money in the long run trading in and out of lesser quality goods than those that figure out "you get what you pay for" earlier. Just get over it and buy the best made. For what you spend on a 4x4 truck or annually on your cell phone and TV bill $3000 for optics should not be out of the question for any serious hunter or outdoors man.

 

I too had to get "optics religion" after trying to save money. Luckily I figured it out at the Nikon level and jumped right to the Swarovski, Zeiss and Leica level for binoculars and spotting scopes. My Swarovski Spotter on an Outdoorsman's tripod is the nicest thing I own as it is IMHO the best of the best; probably in the world. I can't afford to do this in a truck or rifle, but I can with optics. You know what they say about not being able to shoot what you can't see.

 

Not quite there on rifle scopes and am currently stuck at the Leupold VX-3 level as because each rifle needs a scope I really can't afford $2500 for each rifle I hunt with. Now maybe if I settle down on that .280AI M48 for everything from coues to Elk I can get there too.

 

Go big on optics, you will not regret it.

[Jawa512]

Thanks all. I decided on AverageJoe's Euro's.

[Arizona Griz]

Thanks all. I decided on AverageJoe's Euro's.

 

Good deal, I have the 15's and sure like them.

[Heat]

Do yourself a favor and skip the Vultures and go straight to Kaibabs or better. Swarovskis remain the gold standard for 15X binos!

[hoghntr]

Sorry got lost in the reply readin so here is my w cents

 

Yes swaros are the bomb!

 

Cabela's euro HD binoculars are quite amazing and well worth the $

 

Im currently using nikon monarch 12's & 16's cuz thats what i could afford at time and they are very good for the $.

 

You can buy many 8's and 10's now that are very nice for low $ but 12power and up still requires some coin for qualty glass that does not strain eyes.

[hoghntr]

Thanks all. I decided on AverageJoe's Euro's.

Good cuz i needed them gone before i returned from hunt. Enjoy they are awesome glass!

[TOBY]

10x and 15 x Vortex both going in for warrany. 10x for the second time. 15 Swaros still going strong and no comparison to the other. Make the payment and be done. Lifetime binoculars that are the best. Factor the yearly payment over 30 plus years of hunting. Not very much unless you are anal and have to upgrade everytime they change one little thing.

[eagle#eyes]

 

You can buy many 8's and 10's now that are very nice for low $ but 12power and up still requires some coin for qualty glass that does not strain eyes.

 

 

I know you said you have decided on your choice but I think this spot on.

[Trapdoor]

Late to the party, but what the heck...

 

What hunting gear do you spend the most time using? For me its binoculars by multiple factors. So, I put my money into binos about 12 years back when I made my trip to Africa. Single best decision I made, because as it turns out, I use them all the time, not just hunting! Swaro's are the gold standard, for both binos and spotting scopes.

 

My second most used piece of gear is the spotting scope of which I currently use the Leupold HD. Have always been tickled pink with it, until this year when my hunting buddy upgraded his Leupold to a Swaro. He went on a stalk after a good mule deer buck and I put his Swaro next to mine watching the buck. By shifting 24" back and forth looking at the exact same view, I now will be upgrading to the Swaro spotter to accompany the Swaro binos. Unbelievable, the difference!

 

My second best decision was putting those Swaro binos on a tripod mount. That took my use of the binos from used most to used almost exclusively, only switching to the spotting scope to dissect an anomaly or look at horn.

 

The only problem with the Swaro spotter is the minimum power of 20x. That 12x of the Leupold is very handy and I wish like heck that a 12x eyepiece was available for the Swaro...