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Best Hunting Binoculars: A Buying Guide

There are few things as disappointing in Hunting as looking through a poor pair of Binoculars when scanning the land for game. Whether the image is very dark, the details are fuzzy, or the zoom just is not enough, the experience will be negative all the same! It is of crucial importance, then, to find a pair of hunting binoculars that are of high quality. A failure to do so may not only result in frustration, but possibly something even worse- a fruitless hunt.

What goes for hunting binoculars generally applies to other activities too — hiking, birdwatching, or simply having a pair of binoculars along on your next road trip.  So you can treat this article as an all-purpose binocular article.

What to Look for In Binoculars

What should you look for in a good pair of hunting binoculars?  There are a few key traits to seek out:

  • A clear picture. Though this one seems obvious, it actually is often overlooked due to the fact that most people assume binoculars made for hunting inherently have a clear picture. Not the case! Cheap and/or poorly-made binoculars will often be made with junky plastic lenses that are too thick to capture good details and fog up easily from cold and/or condensation. Such is why it is very important to find high-quality binoculars made with clear glass lenses.
  • A reasonable zoom. One struggle I have ran into a few times while hunting some of those longer-range animals (Elk being a good example) is looking at them with binoculars that just don’t zoom enough. My advice is to always buy binoculars that seem like they may zoom a bit more than you need, and if you don’t really have a distance in mind, I would recommend 10x binoculars. My reasoning for the “more-than-you-need” mindset with this is that you probably have a distance at which you seek out animals (most hunters do). However, there will almost undoubtedly come a time when there is some trophy out ahead that happens to be a bit out of that comfortable range. Such is a situation when binoculars with a strong zoom will save the day!
  • A comfortable weight. Because you will most likely be carrying both a weapon and a pack of some kind, it is often wise to pick out a pair of binoculars that will not add on to the burden of weight.
  • Intuitive Adjustability.  Look for binocs that will be easy to adjust, zoom, and focus when you are in the field.  Remember that when you need them most, you likely will be in a hurry and perhaps a little preoccupied with looking at that deer, the bird, or the incredible sight.  Or perhaps it will be 10 degrees and you don’t exactly have the dexterity you normally would.  The last thing you want at that moment is to have a complicated zoom or focus feature to try to figure out.

3 Best Hunting Binoculars for 2021

Alright- you now know the specifics of hunting binoculars and why it is important to buy good ones. The next question is, of course, what are some good ones to buy? Allow me to help:

Vortex Diamondback

The Vortex Diamondback binoculars certainly raise eyebrows- and for all of the right reasons. These binoculars are some of the best low-light binoculars on the market, causing them to be ideal for those dawn and dusk hunts that are so common while hunting game like deer. The clear-cut maximum-detail glass lenses on the Diamondbacks allow a hunter to not only easily identify the type of animal you are looking at from impressive distances, but allow one the opportunity to go as far as to look at the condition of the animal itself.

Vortex Diamondback binoculars are made of reliable, durable material that always perform the way you need them to under the toughest of conditions. The Vortex binocs weight just 21 ounces, making them great for long hauls or even backpacking. With hardly a bad rating in sight, it is easy to understand why these binoculars are so loved.

  • Outstanding in low-light conditions
  • Compact, great for situations like overland hunting or backpacking

Leupold Marksman

Leupold is a revered name in the hunting world, and for good reason.  Founded in 1907, Leupold is a mainstay of the Portland, Oregon area.  A brand known for decades as top-standard in the hunting optics category, Leupold’s Marksman binoculars are no exception. The binoculars are excellent for longer-range hunting of game such as elk due to the precision that is present in the zoom-focus system. Able to adjust down to the smallest detail differently for each eye, these binoculars are ideal for any hunter who is getting to a more seasoned age (we all must at some point)!

The Marksman binoculars are also excellent in regards to focus in that the lenses have been crafted in such a way that they zoom in on animals with extreme ease and do not get caught on to small objects such as individual blades of grass or tree branches. That kind of focus is nice when you are in the heat of the moment, trying to figure out exactly what you are dealing with 200 yards away without causing too much commotion.  The glass is extremely clear, and the field-of-vision is great for hunting situations where you are trying to scan the field.  Able to be used for many years, these durable binoculars are definitely a go-to for any dedicated hunter.

  • Great for long range
  • Easy to zoom and focus in the field

Adorrgon Roof Prism

We are always a little leery of recommending any brand that is China-based and sells mainly on Amazon, but Adorrgon has built quite a following and pumps out good products.  If you are looking for a quite versatile pair of binoculars, Adorrgon binoculars are the ones for you. Adorrgon binoculars are renowned for their quick image acquisition and crystal-clear image, which of course is extremely important while on a hunt. What is more is that these specific binoculars are built with a special low-light lens that will make it much easier to spot game in the low-light hours of the day. The reason I say that these binoculars are so versatile, then, is because of the loose design of the image acquisition. Adorrgon binoculars can be used in any situation, ranging from wildlife sightseeing to a baseball game. These are truly the binoculars that you will carry around anywhere you may need them, as they are essentially the universal pair of binoculars.

  • Very good in low-light conditions
  • Performs well for birdwatching

Common Hunting Binocular FAQs:

Q: Should you have different pairs of binoculars for different forms of hunting?

A: In most cases, no. A good pair of hunting binoculars will be able to be used in a variety of hunting situations, allowing the hunter to utilize them in any landscape on any form of game. The only exception would be if you had an extremely high-zoom pair for big game hunting. In that case, it would be wise to get a more mild pair of binoculars for more common sorts of hunts, and save your high-powered binoculars (which likely will be a bit heavier and more complex) for the bigger hunts.  A spotting scope is also a good option for those situations where you know you will need significant range.

Q: Do I need to worry about my binoculars rusting?

A: This very largely depends on how old your binoculars are, but chances are that your binoculars will remain fine through any circumstances you use them in. Older binoculars that are made with metals that oxidize (rust) easily will of course be more prone to rusting after use in rainy or wet environments, but aside from those, the vast majority of binoculars made today consist of materials that are highly resistant to any form of damage resulting from moisture. 

Q: What can moisture do to my binoculars?

A: Rust is the main concern, but it of course is actually relatively uncommon. You will most often notice moisture affecting your binoculars in the form of slowed or gunked-up joints in the binoculars, causing it to be harder to adjust or focus the zoom. This can be easily treated by brushing the crevices of your binoculars with any sort of mechanical oil, such as WD-40 or gun oil. In extreme cases, moisture can make its way inside of the binoculars’ lenses, which means that a part may be loose or broken.  As for the lens, most good binoculars (such as the ones recommended above) have seals to prevent moisture or condensation from getting inside the lenses.  However, on cheaper binoculars it can be a concern.  Condensation inside the line-of-sight is the death knell for binocs — you might be able to temporarily get rid of it by keeping the binoculars in very dry conditions, but the next time you are around rain or humidity it will return.



This post first appeared on North Outdoors, please read the originial post: here

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Best Hunting Binoculars: A Buying Guide

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