First Binoculars

https://Immersive-optics.com/
I'm new to stalking and on recommendation from a mate I bought Vortex Viper HD's they are perfect for my needs and have a unlimited lifetime warranty.
 
what can you not like about swarovski binos there is a pair of 8x42s el,s on flea bay £ 899 bargain macleod,s are the people to see about binos bs
 
caorach said:
One thing I will say if you are just starting out and are looking to do your first stalks etc. is that your money is better spent on going stalking than on buying gear, assuming you are on a budget like most of us.

You'd get a pair of the Minox 8X33 BV binos for less than £200 and that would leave you with an extra £400 towards your stalking budget. You'll still have a decent pair of binos that will be adequate for your task.

Again I'm making a lot of assumptions here but if you are just starting out you will likely be taking "paid" days with a pro stalker who will be well set up with binos etc. so in the very lowest of light you'll still have someone looking out for you (and if you compare your Minox to some of the big name offerings you might find that you suffer no real lowlight disadvantage anyhow) and your £400 would pay for quite a few outings for female cull deer.
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There are various Minox very cheap on sportsmanguncentre at the moment - I’m fact even a package with a scope and bins that I thought looked a good deal.
 
Thanks for the responses gents.

I've looked through the Zeiss Conquest 8x32 locally and liked them. The New version of the Swaro CL 8x30 are very nice but over budget. I can't get to look through Minox or Vortex locally so would have to order and send back which can be annoying. I am tempted by the older Swaro CLs based on feedback here so will see if I can find some locally to look through.

I see Macleoud's have the Zeiss Conquest going for £495 new which seems a pretty in eatable deal.
 
Petay said:
Long time lurker here. Looking to get into Stalking in 2020 and thought it would be a good excuse to treat myself to some binoculars as I've wanted some for ages for use out on hikes / camping.

Budget I'd say is £600 and I'd prefer new unless it's second hand and local as I am not a fan of buying used optics unseen.

The compromise I need is I want something that is easy to carry on day hikes so am limiting myself to a 33mm objective. Appreciate these won't be optimised for stalking but I need something that's a good all rounder for a few years.

Models I've looked at and can find in budget.

Swaro CL 8x30 - these are the first generation ones and seem to draw some criticism in reviews.

Zeiss Conquest HD 8x32

Minox HG 8x33

Would love input on these models plus any other suggestions.

Cheers
Pete
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Minox good.

at your price point id say vortex. Excellent glass.

The advice given to me starting out was your best binoculars cost as much as your rifle and scope combined. Your scope is worth more than your rifle.

my rifle - tikka t3 sh 500
Scope (at time) swaro habicht 8x56 s/h 400 later replaced by 4-12x50 swaro havicht 600
Binos - 8x56 zeiss victory fl £2200 although I happened to get them on a deal for €1800. Better than a spotting scope - ive found dozens of deer at the critical moments before last light.

only thing id change is i prefer swaro handling. Glass is similar. They are heavy but thats ok.
 
Minox BV 8x42. £200. Great value for money, they'll get you started and will always be a handy back-up option if you upgrade later on.

I know most people will tell you to put all your money into glass, but when you're starting out, the extra 15-25 minutes that the expensive glass will buy you at dusk might be wasted as your chances of recovery in the dark are next to zero without a TI... Just a thought.

Put an extra £20 towards a Monarch binos cover.
 
mChavez said:
Minox BV 8x42. £200. Great value for money, they'll get you started and will always be a handy back-up option if you upgrade later on.

I know most people will tell you to put all your money into glass, but when you're starting out, the extra 15-25 minutes that the expensive glass will buy you at dusk might be wasted as your chances of recovery in the dark are next to zero without a TI... Just a thought.

Put an extra £20 towards a Monarch binos cover.
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Respectfully I couldnt disagree more. Good glass on both binos and scope allows you to 1/ properly ID animal, gets you able to shoot animals you otherwise wont see 2/ permits precise shot placement which should drop the animal on the spot. It just increases the time window for an ethical shot can be taken in. Less good glass in poor light doesnt assist as much in this regard.

however you dont need to spend thousands to get good glass. Coatings are much better now. get something that works and is ergonomic and you will take it out more and get good value. Learn about the exit pupil.

Tonight I dropped a munty buck after sunset with less than 5 mins of usable light left deep in woodland from ground level at 70yds in a semi clearing. the binos also allowed me to pick out shape of trees nearby - I followed up with a good old headtorch. my companion stopped seeing things 20mins before that shot in his highseat.

you do not need a TI to follow up. There is a skill to drop animals on the spot-good glass complements this skill and for those inevitable times when mistakes happen and an animal bounds on , key skills(although now thought old fashioned) such as breaking a cyalume or orange tape at shot location and referring back, using glass to pick out distinguishing features and good old distance estimation and being able to pace it out gets you close, torches and tracking skills do the rest.

And if thats not possible.... a good dog...
 
Tikka - Well, I'm not suggesting a £10 plastic toy off ebay!

Petay is looking to get into stalking and wants compact all-rounder binos, so I'd stick to my opinion that Minox BV 8x42 are more than up to the job. Spend the remaining £400 budget on actual stalking.
 
mChavez said:
Tikka - Well, I'm not suggesting a £10 plastic toy off ebay!

Petay is looking to get into stalking and wants compact all-rounder binos, so I'd stick to my opinion that Minox BV 8x42 are more than up to the job. Spend the remaining £400 budget on actual stalking.
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8x42..... you lose light just by having that objective lens.

want minox - try ...https://www.amazon.co.uk/Minox-BV-8X56-BR-Binoculars/dp/B002YSOMY6?SubscriptionId=AKIAILSHYYTFIVPWUY6Q&tag=duckduckgo-iphone-uk-21&linkCode=xm2&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B002YSOMY6
 
Not necessarily, if you read chuck hawkes on exit pupil... but in this particular case the light transmission is not ideal, I agree.
Makes no difference on the hill ;)
 
Scouting out a fallow deer park at the weekend looking for cull animals, had a swap between my swaros and mates Binos that I can’t recall the name of. He was gobsmacked with the clarity and detail the old swaros had, these are 1980s 8x50 habitch model. Just forget how good they are when you’re looking at new models online, no need to change. If I was the OP I’d be looking at the older stuff that’s within budget.
 
Thanks for all the comments thus far. I'm at the shooting show next month so thinking to try as many as I can there and then see if I can haggle a bargain whilst there.
 
I am new to stalking and was in same situation - I happen to work near the Leica shop in London and was talking to a guy there. He told me the binoculars made 20-30 years ago are worth considering as they generally over engineered and whilst heavier than modern binoculars the body can with stand knocks and the gas seals are mounted better. Pick up a pair under 30 years and they are still just in warranty and Leica will service then for free.

Interestingly and forget all the marketing bull**** two decades hasn’t really improved light transmission / coatings all that much (he said 4% In the trinvoid model he recommended). All the development went in to saving weight (aluminium to manganese body) and improve near focus range from 3.1m to 1.5m.

The trinvoid model I bought for 250 on eBay from a shop in Germany is the grandfather to the ultravid model which costs over 1500 today. Ultimately I don’t mind the additional weight knowing I have great binoculars and feel very pleased with myself knowing I got a saving. Naturally whatever I saved went on the gun etc

McLeods and Swillington - two excellent shops
 
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