15x50, 10x50, 10x42 binocs

woody622 · Apr 7, 2012

I'm looking to purchase the new vortex viper hd binoculars this month.. i've been struggling on what power I should buy. I hunt in utah, mainly elk but a little of everything, I'll use them spotting prob from 1000 yards and less. I'm leaning more towards the 10x50s but I would love your opinion on the better power or from your own experience which do you prefer? Thanks in advance

Timberbuck · Apr 7, 2012

Premium 10x50's are to the point of being light and compact enough for 80% of hunting needs, the one exception is still extreme backpacking. So the 10x42 class is still the best size for all situations.

Modern 10x42's are more than bright enough.

15x is better with larger objectives and tripod use.

SteveC · Apr 8, 2012

I'd go 10x42. They will always be lighter and have a wider fov than a 10x50 of the same brand and model. As has been said, they are bright enough unless your prime objective is low light. Frankly 50mm is not enough glass for 15x. You need 56mm or thereabouts for a dedicated long range rig. Also 15x is probably too much magnification to be handheld steady by the average human being. 15x requires a tripod to get the use of the reach it affords.

dang302 · Apr 10, 2012

I think 10X is even too much for an all around binocular. I have a high quality 7X50 and the same ones in 10X50. The 10X are great for open country glassing(mostly looking for animals past 1000yards). But by that I mean spending hours on my butt with my elbows on my knees for stabilizing. It is tough to stabilize while standing and my 7X50's provide a much clearer picture offhand. I really love my 10X50's on a tripod. Elk are huge and not hard to spot and for an elk hunting binocular I would go with more of like an 8X42. I think of elk hunting as more hiking than glassing. Definately some glassing, but not hours of it, and you can see an elk at 1000 yards with the naked eye. 15X is basically a spotting scope.

Corihor · Apr 16, 2012

I have the 10x42 Viper HD's and have loved them! Light weight and plenty powerful for my style of hunting. I tracked a buck all winter, morning and evening, waiting for him to shed his antlers, and spent hours every day looking through them. The clarity and sharpness is awesome and I even used them in the middle of the night on full moons. I don't see any need to go with the larger objective since the 42's gather plenty of light.

MichaelJ · Apr 17, 2012

I am in the same boat as yourself but can't decide between the 15x50 or the 10x42's.

I've been using a nice pair of Minox 10x42's for the last 4 or 5 years and they've served me well but have been beat up pretty good. My hunting partner has a pair of 14X minox's and that extra 4x is NIGHT and DAY difference when we're glassing together. Often times I will see an animal, and the details he can pick out are much more than myself. And his binos aren't any clearer than mine, they just have more range.

When I glass, I am sitting down and using my hat and elbows/knees for support. We hunt big country and I feel a lot of times that I would have better luck with 15X binos than I would 10X. Only question is do the 15x50's gather enough light? From what I've seen of the Viper HD glass is Vortex wouldn't make them in that size if they didn't work. Thoughts?

Mike

woody622 · Apr 19, 2012

I ended up buyin the 10x50's vortex viper hds. I'm sure the 15x50s bring in great light as well, there is great reviews for them, but I was told if you go 15x50s you should definitely get a tripod for them. To me the 10x50s were the perfect inbetween glass, and the few days i've had them i absolutely love them. Can't go wrong with the Viper HDs, you just gotta decide what fits your power better. Good luck...

BPKHunter · Apr 19, 2012

10x50's are awesome and since I own them, 15x56's are even better(on a tripod), but if you are only looking up to 1000 yds max, then a really clean pair of 8x30's would do all you want, at less than 1LB.

I use my 8x30's for up to 1 mile, 15x56 for up to ~3mi on deer and ~5mi on elk, of course pulling up spotter to judge on longer ranges. I have a friend who is really good with his 10x50's though and can almost keep up with me, freehand, so some of it is the user.

forkhunter · Apr 20, 2012

I have the 15x50's. Pretty good glass. I cannot use them without a tripod though.

hank4elk · Apr 20, 2012

I use my 10x50's (Alpens) most of the time now. They are great on a tripod,or anybrace. And hold steady enough on bino harness freehand,then I brace them for steady long time glassing.But I still take my 8x30 Steiners for thick country and close in glassing.

MichaelJ · Apr 24, 2012

When you guys say you can't use them without a tripod, are you referring to free handing them? 99% of the time when I stop to glass I'll sit my @$$ in the dirt and get as stable as I can resting elbows on knees and stabilizing the bino's on my hat brim as well.

Mike

tx_packmule · May 2, 2012

I have a stable of 10x42s, that size tends to fit my needs and I want to see an animal good enough to formulate a score to know if it's worth the trouble of breaking out the spotter. For a cheaper set than the ELs or UVs I'd really take a hard look at Meopta.

littlebighorn · May 2, 2012

I have Swaro 15X56 for long range looking, but you absolutely need a tripod to keep them steady, unless you like headaches.
I have used 10X for my main hunting binos. I just won a new pair of Zeiss 10X42 HD that I may be willing to sell.

BPKHunter · May 5, 2012

The only way to get 15x bino's steady is on a tripod, if you want to get the benefit of their power.

Any bino use over 1000 yards with any cover for critters to hide in will benefit from a tripod. Even with my 8x30, I use a very tall set of Stoney Point shooting sticks to, and it makes a huge difference at longer ranges.

Since I use 8x30's and 15x56's, I have always thought I was hampered by low light, with exit pupils of 3.75mm and 3.60mm, compared to 4.2 or 5.0 on 10x42 and 10x50. My friend uses Swaro 10x50's so I have compared them to my 10x56's many times now at early and late light. I find the extra magnification, on a very steady platform, clearly balances out the "extra light", to allow me to identify animals just as early. I don't think this works in my favor at say under 500 yards though.

My .02cents...