I am looking at getting some new bino's, but there are sooo many out there. I haven't done much big-game hunting and what I have done, I've done just fine with Tasco's or some other cheap off-brand. I think right now I have Bushnells or something cheap, and they aren't great, I have a hard time with them.

I talked to my buddies who are into big game hunting and they all spent at least $1300 on the binoculars and $1800 on their spotting scopes. I really just want to shoot a deer to have the food from it, and enjoy the hunt. I am thinking I want to spend much less than that.

What are good recommendations around $200, or should I just swallow and buy something more expensive?

No, I really believe you can get a decent pair of bino's for $200. Just take an hour at a place with a good selection and pick out small objects across the store...stuff you can't read with your naked eye.

I personally sacrifice a bit of comfort for a bigger lense that will let in more light. It may ba a bit bulkier but it works for me.

For the money it's tough to beat the Leupold Green Ring Mesa compacts, they run about $130. As Castingpearls said, head to the store and grab a few pairs and look across the store into dark spots for clarity and field of view. For around here waterproof and fogproof are pretty much mandatory.

take a look at these...

http://www.betterviewdesired.com/Venturer-LX-32s.php

I have a pair NIB for $550.
PM if interested.
GFC

Vipors!!! great bino for the money. will nearly pass forr Swovarski, just not as wide of view. I think you can pick them up for about 5 hundred. I think you can get them from a web site called ELKNUTS. my buddy has some and they really perform in low light. I went through several cheaper pairs around 200 hunred and just wasn't happy. I have the Burris signature Selects in 10x50. they are great glasses but for about the same cost the Vipor is much better. I will be selling my Burris before to long.

My advise is to save some $$$ and buy good glasses. If I had done it from the start I would have save over 1k.

I allso use mine as much when fishing as hunting. allways looking around when on rivers for animals and what not.


Kris

I've got a pair of Swifts. The birders like em. They were less than half the price of Z's. I did side by side tests on them against much pricier glass and still think they are good 10 years later.

Yeah, I pretty much am looking at some Swifts and Vortex (Vipers) right now. They are both highly recommended.

i'd check riflescopes.com. they often have open box deals, factory refurbs etc. check their "sample list" at the bottom of the page. i have a pair of bushnell legend 10x42 that are big, heavy and great. i got them for $200 from them. i also have a pair of the leupold mesas, and i'm a bit disappointed, but you can't compare 42mm and 20mm lenses. depends what you're hunting and where. my buddy hunts muleys in nevada, and uses leica duovids they zoom from 10x-18x and weigh about 3.5# If you're hunting in the woods, 8x is probably enough. avoid objectives less than 4x the power of the binos. high power + small lenses = poor performance and f.o.v. i personally would go with 8x40 as a starting point. looking at stuff across a fluorescent-light lit store is really not a good judge as to how they perform in the field. go with a nome brand. nikon, bushnell, swift, pentax all have reasonable prices. if you're in seattle, go to captain's on 15th in ballard. the guy there is amazing. spent his military career as an optics specialist in the navy. they have only the best, but can offer an amazing amout of information. then, when you're all done, check out a pair of swarovski EL's they are the most amazing binos i've ever looked through.


good luck,
willy

Be sure to check out Zen Ray. This company is somewhat local and they offer pretty good stuff for a reasonable price. My buddy just got a pair of the 10x42 Vistas and I don't think you can get a better set of binos for the price.

Yeah, I just looked at the Zen Ray site, and read some reviews. A lot of people think they are as good as the Nikon Monarchs, which are around $260. That is a pretty big savings. I might go for the Vistas at $100.

Thanks for the info.