looking for a good set of binocs. 10x50 ish maybe?

[scottcrb]

so new to hunting within the last couple years and me and hunting buddy dont have any good optic for scouting, we mainly hunt waterfowl turkey and are thinking of getting in to big game. it would be nice to be able to scout field for brids during waterfowl season and scan areas for turkeys in the norhteast and south east. would also be nice to be able to use to scout for big game in the future.  what magnification do you think is the best bet. 8x, 10x or 12x and lens size 42 50 or more. have been looking at the leupold(green ring?)  12x50 and the nikon monarch 12x56. any suggestions? price is close on each around $350 to $500 .

[quadrafire]

I have the Leupys Wind River Olympics in 10x50. I really like them, but wish they were a tad bit smaller. They are in your price range.

[Huntbear]

I like a 10x for open country, 8x for the brushy stuff.  those big lenses are nice, but if you are carrying them very far, they get real heavy.

[whacker1]

Zen-Ray 10 x 43 ED2

Lots of reviews on this site - I think they are in the 450 range
http://www.zen-ray.com/shop/

I have a pair of the 10 x 42 ED, prior to their release of the ED2.  Very happy with them, and haven't found anything better for the same price range.

[huntergreg]

I have nikon 8x42 and love them.

[Boss .300 winmag]

I have nikon 8x42 and love them.

[gadwall]

what you get in magnification and lens size can depend alot on brand quality.  I have 2 pairs of binocs that have seen lots of rough use over the last many years.  One is Leupold 10 x 40 IF and the other is a pair of Fugi 8 x 30 IF (I've had 2 pair of these).  The Leupolds are great but if the hunting situation calls for the best clarity, I like the Fugi's.  All in all, get what you like and don't go too cheap.

[addicted]

if you are going for 10x50's you probably dont care about size too much. go for the Steiner Police models. $300 and Auto focus is a nice thing to have in low light when you arent sure what "in focus" is

[Deep Forks]

Check the new Vortex Talon HD in 10x42, new out on the market and very bright and clear and unsurpassed warranty. 

[high country]

for $500 you can likely find some used trinovids in 8or 10x 32 or 42 and they will SMOKE any of the cheapo binos....save the zens, I have not looked through them yet.

[addicted]

I would definately look through some meotpa meopros and some minox. great glass.

I dropped my minox out of a 12 ft stand and they are still like new. I have put them next to leupys, nikons, steiners and bushnells and they beat them all out for clarity. They were pretty close to a pair of zeiss. I found my BL8x56BR for 400 bucks.

[high country]

keep in mind that good glass holds its value. I bought my first pair of alpha bins in 1995. I bought them at the store dan evans was working as a salesman pre trophy taker, I paid 850 out the door. they were selling for 1k then, but  I haggled with cash in hand. I was a poor kid who made 8 bux an hour and saved my nickles after looking through my 10x50 burris bins and borrowing a friends zeiss.....I was screwed. I hunted that very pair of bins exclusivly for 15 years they never did anyting wrong. I found another pair on craiglist for $400 so I bought them and sold my 15 yo bins for the same exact price I paid for them 15 years and a zillion miles later. currently there are 3 brands that you can get that out of, there are other brands and some are stellar......but will they be stellar in 15 years?

[thinkingman]

I like a 10x for open country, 8x for the brushy stuff.  those big lenses are nice, but if you are carrying them very far, they get real heavy.

Exactly what I would have said.
8X32 in as good a quality glass as you can afford is the ticket.
You can do MUCH better for $500 than the 'nocs mentioned.
Check out CameralandNY website for open box specials on Minox, others.
You're talking about major steps up from Leupold and the lower-mid Nikons.
Higher end Nikon is excellent, too.

[C-Money]

I am a Leupold guy. Back in the mid 90's I bought a $300 pair of 10x50 Pentax bino's. They are excellent! I use the bino system harness and they are not a pain at all to carry out hunting. I cant say enough about my binoculars, I really like them!

[Bob33]

Buy the best optics you can't afford.  You will never regret it.  Many, many others (including myself) have gone down the path of thinking you can get by with less expensive binoculars.  If you use them long enough, you'll end up buying something better.  If they're not good, you'll eventually end up buying something better.  You'll ultimately end up with very good optics, and kick yourself for not doing so in the first place.

50mm is awfully large to carry around for big game.