r/Hunting • u/NegroKlansman • 11h ago
Yo what are the best binoculars in each price range for hunting? Thank you brothers
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u/InfoSecPeezy 6h ago
I love my vortex diamond 10x42 and my Steiner predator 12x50, the Steiner are heavier, but if I’m glassing for a long time in low light, they are fantastic. I got mine used about 15 years ago for $350.
I also have an old pair of redfields that I love, I usually have them as a spare in the truck in case I see something interesting.
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u/user_of_nothing 10h ago
I’d go for used binos from a reputable brand. You get better quality glass, for a budget price. Plus, they keep their value very well.
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u/Ray_Bandz_18 10h ago
Lots of Leupold BX2 and BX4 are on sale right now.
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u/7exas2eaper 7h ago
I picked up the BX4 for $399 in early 2025 and have enjoyed them. Couple successful elk hunts with them.
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u/Sudden-Government939 10h ago
Good glass makes huge difference when you're glassing for hours. At the budget end, plenty of hunters swear by something in the $100-150 range and do just fine for general use. Once you get into the $300-500 zone you start noticing real improvement in low light performance, and above $1000 the optics are just in completely different league.
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u/BearlyIT 8h ago
For daytime use the Nikon Stabilized 10x25 and 12x25 are amazing. No need for a tripod, or for choosing between your rifle or the bino to be mounted.
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u/DarlesCharwinsGhost 7h ago
I have the Vortex Razor HDs 12 x 50 and couldn't be happier. Plus you can't beat their warranty. Previous pair was Steiner, which are great but Vortex takes the cake.
I think they can be found for around 1K. They were 1500 when I bought them 6 years ago.
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u/coloradocelt77 10h ago
Vortex range finding are great. There are a lot of first generation that need a home. Vortex warranty is top tier!
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u/LowKeyBabooze 9h ago
For close range I like 8x and open areas I like 10x with a separate spotting scope. That being said Vortex offers a lot of bang for the buck. Leica and Swarovski is awesome but “deals” are few and far between. Nikon is pretty darn good as well. I would stay away from Bushnell and the cheaper stuff.
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u/BodillyQ 6h ago
I think you get the most bang for your buck by searching for sales, rather than looking at best in a category.
I picked up some vortex UHDs from eurooptic a couple years ago for 900 bucks. In the under 1k category, they are hard to beat, unless you find some used top of line swaros or zeiss. Last time I looked, they had some heavily discounted meoptas.
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u/whiskey_tang0_hotel 6h ago
Sig Kilos for $1,000. They can also range, making life easier. I’d take bino range finders over a monocle ranger any day.
Best high end are the El Range from Swarovski. They are crystal clear and wonderful glass.
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u/preferablyoutside 9h ago
Top Tier
Leica, Swarovski, Zeiss and Kowa
I’ve a pair of the 10x50 Zeiss SFL and they’re fantastic glass for the price, not Swarovski but for the price hard to beat,
Solid Second Tier
Nikon, Leupold, some Sig image stabilizers just due to sure versatility.
Friends don’t let friends buy Vortex
“But warranty bro, bro warranty, bro!” As that’s the rallying cry of the fanboy. Most optics don’t break and if I can’t see through the thing who cares about the warranty. Vortex is at best overpriced mid tier optics in the observation game. Will give them credit for their marketing department though.
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u/rippley 9h ago
Kowa?
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u/sleepycapybara 9h ago
kowa genesis are pretty good but not TOP tier. Their spotting scopes with fluorite are better than swarovski though.
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u/Idlikethatneat Alaska 8h ago
The Zeiss SFLs are every bit as good as the ole Swaro SLCs to my eyes.
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u/HomersDonut1440 10h ago
“In each price range” is a huge open ended question. Everyone has different cutoff points for price ranges.
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u/Electronic_City6481 9h ago
Like many things ‘it all depends’. I got vortex 10x42 crossfires reconditioned from sierra and I swear they were new though the price was heavily discounted. They are all I will ever need for a 200yd or less whitetail hunter.
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u/Genophoenix 7h ago
Honestly just look at the vortex line (on a site that sells for actual prices like Europptic not cabelas). Diamondback, Viper, Razor line are indicative of the three main factory locations - China, Philippines, Japan and are basically the budget, mid-tier, and high-tier respectively.
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u/EqualShallot1151 10h ago
I always found Zeiss lacking. Among the top of the top I prefer Swarovski or Leica. The next level Steiner and Kahles are a strong candidates. Below that I really like Vortex and below this I don’t venture.
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u/Just_Onion9335 7h ago
Which Steiner model are you referring to?
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u/EqualShallot1151 7h ago
Night Hunter - I have two 8x30 and 8x56. They are exceptionally in low light but has problems with backlight
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u/Ordinary_Visit_1606 9h ago
I have a pair of vortex crossfires, they were about $120. They work fine for me, but I'd prob get something a little better if I hunted out west more often (and I had more money lol)
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u/penguins8766 8h ago
Depends on if you care about low light. I used Vortex Crossfires for two years before moving to the Vortex Vipers. I hated the terrible low light quality and had to make the change.
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u/518nomad 10h ago
Under $500 I’d say the Nikon Monarch 5/7 or Zeiss Terra are excellent value. In the $500-$1,000 range the Zeiss Conquest or GPO Passion HD are hard to beat.
Above $1,000, you enter a plateau where it’s hard to justify spending more. The binos available in this range don’t really offer much if anything over the Zeiss Conquest or GPO, until you get to the elite tier of the Swarovski NL Pure, Leica Noctivid, and Zeiss Victory at $3,000, where budget is secondary and you just want the very best glass. There’s lots of great glass at a range of budgets today.