The right pair of binoculars for hunting can make all the difference. Whether you’re looking to spot a deer from far away or trying to get an up-close look at your trophy buck, there are many different options and features that will suit your needs.
In the posts linked above, we’ll go over topics such as some of the best choices for binoculars on the market today, including price ranges and other important considerations. We’ll also teach you how to choose the best ones for your uses and how to use them properly so that you can spot more game in the forest!
Why Do We Use Binoculars For Hunting?
The most common use for binoculars in hunting is to spot game from a distance. This can be done with the naked eye, but it’s much easier and more effective when using them. They provide an enlarged view of what you’re looking at that makes spotting animals far away significantly simpler than without magnification!
Additionally, good quality binoculars can make it much easier to see fine details in low-light situations such as at dawn or dusk. They can make a huge difference in low light to help you determine if an animal is legal, Or the buck of your dreams! They can also help you decide if you should pass on the animal you are watching and spend your time searching for his big brother.
Binocular Magnification Ranges Explained
Binoculars come in various magnification ranges with the most popular usually being 8 power or 10 power. These numbers mean that the binoculars will make objects appear eight or ten times closer than they would without magnification.
Binoculars with a higher power are often more expensive and heavier, due to their larger lenses. But, they can provide also provide better quality views of faraway animals in low light conditions such as at dawn/dusk.
When there is not much ambient lighting to help you see what’s out on your hunting grounds, a good set of binoculars is a must! The downside though? Higher powered binos may have less light gathering capabilities than lower power unless their objective lenses are larger to compensate for this.
There are higher power magnification binoculars that can serve close to the same purpose as a good spotting scope, however, they are usually much heavier than a single eye scope. The balance is, many people find them much easier to use and produce less eye stress than a spotting scope in similar situations.
Objective Lens Size Differences Explained
The size of the objective lens is important because it determines how much light can be gathered by a pair of binoculars. The objective lenses are the ones at the front of the binoculars, on the other end from the eyepieces. The larger these lenses are, and the higher quality the lenses are, the more light they can gather and the brighter and more details your viewable image will have.
The downside to this though is that these larger lenses and corresponding larger binocular body size makes them larger, heavier, and often, more expensive than binoculars with smaller objective lenses. Smaller lenses will gather less than large ones so keep these differences in mind before making any purchase decisions!
A common misunderstanding is that larger objective lenses mean a larger magnification range. This is not usually the case. The actual geometry and shape of the lenses within the binoculars have more to do with the magnification than the objective lens size.
Lens Quality Effects Overall Brightness And Detail
The lens quality is one of the most important factors to consider when purchasing a pair of binoculars. The better and more expensive lenses will have less distortion, provide brighter images with higher detail than cheaper ones that are often made from plastic instead of glass or other materials. This can cause light scatter in your viewable image which can cause blurry images and stress your eyes as well!
It may be tough to determine the quality of the lenses within specific binoculars just based on specifications alone. This is one of the main reasons to read quality reviews for guidance like the ones we have linked above. Also, it can be a good idea to try to get your hands on similar priced binoculars side by side to determine for yourself just how much the lens quality can affect the overall brightness and clarity of details.
Binocular Fiend Of View Explained
Binocular field-of-view refers to how wide of an area around your point of focus will appear within your view when looking through them. A bino with a smaller field of view will show less of the surrounding area, while a bino with a larger field-of-view will show more.
If it is important to have an unobstructed wide-angle for hunting purposes then this may be something that should factor into which binoculars are best suited for you. If you are glassing large areas of timer for an elusive sign or covering large wide-open prairies then having a larger field of view can prove useful. Keep in mind though, that there will be trade-offs for that wider field of view, in the form of either lower magnification range or larger objective lens size to provide this extra viewable area.
Compact VS Full Sized Binoculars Explained
Binoculars are typically categorized into two types: compact and full-sized. Compact binos, also called “pocket” or “travel” models can be easily carried in a pocket of a backpack without much fuss while still providing high-quality viewing capabilities for the user to see objects at long distances.
Full size bino’s on average have greater light-gathering capabilities than smaller versions available as well as greater eye relief distance which makes them easier to use when wearing glasses. That said, they will not fit conveniently inside smaller pockets in your pack like their smaller counterparts do so you’ll need some sort of carrying case or chest rig to keep them at easy reach.
The Price Of Hunting Binoculars Explained
The price of hunting binoculars is a question that many hunters ask themselves when they are looking to purchase their next pair. The cost can range from a lower end of $50 to $150 for the compact models all way up into thousands if you want top-of-the-line optics with features like night vision and thermal imaging capabilities, but what do these prices really mean?
What should be considered in order to determine which model will work best based on your needs as well as how much money one has available at any given time or budget constraints There’s no easy answer here; it depends largely upon personal preference because there isn’t necessarily an “ideal” set up that will work for everyone, but instead, there are lots of different options that will appeal to different types of users in different hunting scenarios and budget considerations.
Often, higher-priced binoculars have better quality lenses, housings, lens coatings, and warranties too! That isn’t to say that you need to spring for that top-of-the-line $2000 Zeiss or Swarovski’s that you saw in the latest hunting shows. There are many very good quality binoculars on the market today that work very well for the majority of hunters without breaking the bank
Make sure you check out our comparison reviews and specific model reviews if you are searching for the best quality binoculars for the money.
Conclusion
There is a lot of technical research and personal use factors that can determine what the best binocular for you may be. You don’t need to do all that research yourself and understand all of the technical details of what makes one binocular model better than another. Check out our detailed reviews to help you make the best decision and choose the best binocular model for your next hunt!