Hunting Binoculars

From: Kevin
Subject: Hunting Binos

Hello, My name is Kevin and I need some help/recommendations. I’m planning a moose hunting trip to Newfoundland next year and my wife has agreed to buy me a new set of binoculars for X-mas. I would like to stay under the $500 mark and of course I want the most bang for my buck. I have been looking at the Nikon Monarch 10x42 as they seem to very popular with hunters and get a lot of good binocular reviews. I was also looking at the Eagle Optics Ranger SRT 10x42 as they also get very good reviews. I also noticed the Vortex Viper 10x42 though they are a little over my budget. I would be willing to consider them if the performance over the other options is worth it. I am also open to other suggestions as I have never owned a decent set of binoculars in my life.

If you could offer some advice or recommendations I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks, Kevin

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Hi Kevin, thanks for the email. The Rangers and the Monarchs are essentially the same binoculars, just slightly different body styles, so the Nikon's are the better value. The Vipers are a step up form the other two models, especially noticeable in low-lighting conditions where the Viper image will be a bit sharper, and with less color fringing, than the Ranger or Monarch. Another one to look at that is very similar optical quality but a bit better price is the Burris Signature Select 10x42. The Signature Select are very close to the Vipers, but are a bit better value, though many people like the Vortex warranty that Burris can't really touch, though they do have good customer service generally.

Hope this helps, thanks for your consideration.