More Useful ?

[sask boy]

When up Moose hunting with Mike, Gil & gerry my Bushnell binoculars failed & I was using my Leica 1600B as RF & for glassing When Gil saw this he graciously offered me to use his spare set which just happened to be a set of Swarovski :wink:. There is no doubt in my mind that if you have to pick between RF or binoculars it is binoculars especially good glass. I have had my Bushnells repaired but really do not like them after using Gil's Swarovskis they are excellent.
I am only going to purchase 2 things this off season first is a good spotting scope & second is a pair of good binoculars!!
Thanks again Gil for spoiling me :mrgreen:.

Blessings,
Dan

 

[truck driver]

When up Moose hunting with Mike, Gil & gerry my Bushnell binoculars failed & I was using my Leica 1600B as RF & for glassing When Gil saw this he graciously offered me to use his spare set which just happened to be a set of Swarovski :wink:. There is no doubt in my mind that if you have to pick between RF or binoculars it is binoculars especially good glass. I have had my Bushnells repaired but really do not like them after using Gil's Swarovskis they are excellent.
I am only going to purchase 2 things this off season first is a good spotting scope & second is a pair of good binoculars!!
Thanks again Gil for spoiling me :mrgreen:.

Blessings,
Dan

Funny thing Dan, I read where Minox makes the Leica range finder and have also read were Leica owns Minox while looking for range finders and binos. There was a product review that compared the Minox BV II 10X42 against the big 3 and it was better in some areas but not enough difference to tell in full sun light since the higher priced binos had more lens and prism coatings making them a little brighter in twilight and dusk but not $1000 dollars worth.

 

[sask boy]

Rodger, I had a real bad experience with Minox during a Elk hunt where I placed a new Minox on my Son's 270win he shot the rifle 5 times to sight in. The first day of the hunt a beautiful cow Elk stopped at 150 yards he brought up his rifle & the reticle on his scope had turned 3/4s. I really don't have to continue but Minox replaced it & we sold it.
I guess we will see if Leica comes through on repairing my 1600B.

Blessings,
Dan

 

[preacher]

I use both, but if push come to shove, I'd rather have the Binocs. I was given an 8x Swarovski yrs ago. the resolution on this thing is amazing. I used to have a 1600 leica, never really used it, don't hunt that way. I replaced it with a Nikon 500yd RF. Small, compact, fits in shirt pocket and ranges about 150yds further than I am comfortable shooting at!

 

[69gto]

Good glasses are a must for long range glassing and also for glassing for animals bedded in thick cover. I recently bought a Vortex 1500 on sale for $360 shipped and it is outstanding so you don't have spend a fortune on a range finder, spend it on the binoculars.

 

[SJB358]

I'll say they are equally important . you will glass a lot more than rangefind , but when the shot presents itself you'll be glad you have a capable rangefinder .

Amen.

I use Meopta 10x42's for binos and a Leica 1000R for rangefinding duties. They both go part and parcel along with a good pack for them.

 

[tddeangelo]

I'd dearly love a combo optic, but for the quality glass I'd want (I'm using Meopta 7x42's currently), such a thing is pretty dang pricey.

 

[c. schutte]

I use the meopta 8x42 and that same leica 1000R. If for some reason I feel the need for 10x I still have a pair of Zeiss victories 10x40. Probably use them on a aoudad hunt where hunting will be in daylight scanning 1 mile. It's been my observation that it takes about 500 yards before the 10x takes any real advantage over the 8x.

I really think my range finder is just as useful. That might be due to my hunting with a bow as much as a rifle. No matter, that range finder is invaluable.

 

[Elkman]

I have a very informal log of the elk myself, dad and a few close friends have taken. Today I was updating it and thought about this post in a different context. I looked back five years, and found that all of the elk killed, only 1 was killed with the aid of binoculars. The rest were seen with the naked eye and sex determined visually or through the scope while setting up for the shot. However at least 6 were taken because of having an accurate distance. Those were at 540 yards, 460, and 4 at three hundred plus. Of course there were more elk taken that did not require a range finder, with two animals taken at under 200 yards. An elk hunter in the west should have both, bino's and a range finder, in order to meet the demands of the hunt, but for me if I had to pick only one, it would be the RF. Just the continued ramblings of an old man.

 

[truck driver]

Bill I have not used either in the 50 plus years I've been hunting and that was the reason for my question. One of my friends I hunt with can't get over how I can see animals with the naked eye that he needs optics to see and he is 20 years younger than me. I do wear glasses for reading but still have good distance vision but not as good as it once was since I'm starting to get cataracts.
Because I've driven trucks for 40 plus years I have train my self to see things out of the ordinary and unusual movements in the distance which has probably kept me alive and out of wrecks all these years. If it's in front of me or to the side I usually see it well in advance before I get there if that makes sense. I'm no super truck driver but like you with hunting Elk the more experience you get the better you get if you pay attention to your surroundings.

 

[Elkman]

TD, you can see elk a mile away with the naked eye under good lighting conditions. Of course you can't count points but you can usually sex them by color. When my last bull came over the hill at 400 yards away I knew that I was looking at bulls immediately. I did check to see what they were carrying for horns then went to work getting set up. Two days before the season started I saw 128 elk from one vantage point. Some were so far away my 8 X 20's were not able to verify horn size. I have found that if there are 30 elk standing around in a clearing and 4 or 5 of them are of light color, they are most likely bulls. In the canyons, and the big landscapes, you look for color, to find elk.

 

[Elkman]

C schutte. I use the meopta 8x42 and that same leica 1000R. If for some reason I feel the need for 10x I still have a pair of Zeiss victories 10x40. Probably use them on a aoudad hunt where hunting will be in daylight scanning 1 mile. It's been my observation that it takes about 500 yards before the 10x takes any real advantage over the 8x.

I have found similar with my 8 X 20 Zeiss , but as I am not a trophy hunter I would rather carry small glass than the larger heavier ones. I leave those to the young guys. Deer also blend in with the landscape and require more power to sex.

 

[super-7]

When up Moose hunting with Mike, Gil & gerry my Bushnell binoculars failed & I was using my Leica 1600B as RF & for glassing When Gil saw this he graciously offered me to use his spare set which just happened to be a set of Swarovski :wink:. There is no doubt in my mind that if you have to pick between RF or binoculars it is binoculars especially good glass. I have had my Bushnells repaired but really do not like them after using Gil's Swarovskis they are excellent.
I am only going to purchase 2 things this off season first is a good spotting scope & second is a pair of good binoculars!!
Thanks again Gil for spoiling me :mrgreen:.

Blessings,
Dan

Well they aren't Swaros' but my Dad just bought a set of Steiner Predators 10x42's . A step up from my Nikon and Redfields. If your in Cabelas check them out.


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[Muldoon]

Binos!

 

[mcseal2]

I'd also vote binos. I sure like having both though, I ended up with Leica Geovid HD-B binos I bought used off a forum and I absolutely love them. Best hunting purchase I ever made. The glass is excellent for my eyes and the rangefinder is the best I've used, easy to hold steady since it's built into the binos.

 

[1100 Remington Man]

I would vote range finder, My binos are 10x50 and I am looking to buy a new pair of bins like 10x42 any suggestions ?

 

[SJB358]

I would vote range finder, My binos are 10x50 and I am looking to buy a new pair of bins like 10x42 any suggestions ?

Meopta Meostar 10x42 HDs

I love them and they are about 1500 less than Swaros...

 

[truck driver]

Thanks everyone for all the suggestions.
I picked up a pair of Minox BV 10X42mm from Cameralandny at a very reasonable price since they were an open box special.
The glass is great and they fit my budget.