I recently had a question sent into me by someone looking for a pair of binoculars for hunting where they specifically wanted them to be of high quality, have a powerful magnification and where weight was not an issue. I thought that my reply may be of interest to others out there and so have posted it below:
Answer
Many people ask me about hunting binoculars, wanting to know what to get and don’t really give me any more details than that, so it is great that you are being a little more specific. As I suggest in my section on Binoculars for Hunting, the general rule is that a wider field of view is more important than the magnification and an easy to carry binocular is better than a larger bulkier one.
But this is a general rule and assumes that there is tracking involved, possibly in dense vegetation, meaning that you need to carry the binocular with you, possibly for great distances. Try the thermal vision goggles for you next adventure and the best spotting scope under 200.
So what if you are hunting from a hide (blind or stand) and there are some wide open areas where you can spot game at larger distances?
Magnification The good news is that because you are in a hide, the extra image shake that you get with a high powered binocular can be countered by you either being able to rest your elbows on a steady surface or you could even consider mounting the optics on a tripod, car Window Clamp/Mount or Hide Clamp using a Binocular Tripod Adapter. If you do decide to go down this route, you can get a very high powered pair of binoculars, you just need to make sure that they are tripod adaptable. Another option would be to get a pair of image stabilized binoculars.
The other downside to high powered binoculars is that the field of view tends to get smaller the higher you go. For most terrain a magnification of between 12x and 15x will be sufficient and you will easily be able to age and score deer from well over a 100 yards. It will also mean that you can also use your binoculars without any form of a steady base (unless you have very unsteady hands) and can be used in a variety of different situations. But for extra image detail, a much further reach and as an alternative to a scope, you could consider going even higher with an 18x binocular, where there are some great options available.
Size Again because you are hunting from a hide, you rightly say that weight and size are not an issue, so we will mostly be looking at full sized and large binoculars (with an objective lens diameter of about 42mm or more).
The advantage here is that the larger objective lens diameters will let in more light, producing a brighter image, which means that the binoculars will work far better in poor light conditions than compact or even mid-sized versions.
As most wildlife, including the deer and antelope that I am used to is most active in the early morning and late afternoons, early evening when the light is not at it’s best, this is a real bonus.
Waterproofing & Toughness The general advice when choosing top hunting binoculars is to look for a pair that will easily handle anything that you can throw at them, again this usually assumes that you will be tracking the animal. I assume that this is not too important for you, so it’s nice to have but not critical and to be honest because you want a high-quality pair of optics, they usually have an excellent quality exterior and are 100% fog and waterproof anyway.
I mentioned in the magnification section above that you could consider a pair of binoculars that come with image stabilization. I wouldn’t normally recommend them as a pair of binoculars for deer hunting because of the added weight and the electronics make them less “tough” than standard optics, but in your case, this may be a viable option?
Price You say that price is not a constraint, which is great and means we can look for an excellent quality pair of deer hunting binoculars. Remember one of the worst combinations you can put together in the world of optics is a cheap high powered pair of binoculars – if you are looking for a high powered pair of optics, it is best to get the best quality you can afford.
If you have a good budget but is not unlimited but still need a really high end pair of optics, then I would suggest looking at either the Athlon Midas 12×50 ED, the Celestron Granite ED 12×50 or if you want more than 12x power, take a look at the Steiner HX 15×56, Minox BL 15×56 or 13×56 BR Binoculars.
If price is no object and you simply want the best high powered hunting binoculars that you can buy then the 12×50 Swarovski EL’s, the Vortex Kaibab HD 18×56 or Vortex Razor HD’s should most certainly be on your very short list:
BinoWizard’s Top Picks:
High Power Hunting Binoculars with Rangefinder
Best Hunting Binoculars – 15x Magnification or More
Below are a few suggestions, I am sure there are many other options for you to consider, but the models below are the ones that I can confidently recommend to you:
Best Hunting Binoculars – 12x Magnification or Greater
Whilst not quite as powerful as the models above, at 12x or more, these binos below are still considered high-powered and have the advantage of a wider field of view and generally an improved low light performance and thus can make a better option should you often go out hunting before dawn, just after sunset or in thick forests or woodlands where the light is often sub-optimal and the distance to your target is often less than out on the plains, open fields or high up in the hills.
A Few More Options:
Binoculars for Hunting – Further Reading
- Take a look at my section on the best binoculars for hunting, that includes some general advice and reviews of some binoculars that are suitable most types of hunting.
- High Powered, Long Distance Viewing Binoculars – Guide to some of the best high powered binoculars for long distance terrestrial viewing
- Different Binocular Configurations & Which to Choose
