Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Magnification For Hunting Binoculars

What magnification should I get for hunting binoculars? One of my friend suggest me to that 10x magnification is ideal for the open spaces you'll be glassing. Is it true?

What do you hunt, where do you hunt and under what conditions?

I use 10x

Where I hunt in Ga, I use 6X, When I hunt Arizona Coues I use 10X, In Africa I used 8X; Depends on where and what,

I like 8.5x42s for my uses. Im an eastern whitetail hunter. My glassing is clearcuts and woods. Pretty diverse habitat. I would research the field of view on the 8s vs 10s on whatever model / brand your buying. Your not giving much info on how you plan to use them and where. But choosing either 8 or 10 are not likely to handicap you.

I like 10x50 when I hunt fields and in box blind, when in woods in treestand I use smaller binoculars 8x42

10x42 is always a safe bet. Basically 30/06 of binocs. Simply works for everything.
Get quality binocs the first time and you won’t be sorry.
Love my tracts

I use Vortex 8x Diamondbacks. They work well for my needs.

Most of my hunting in my home states of Colorado and Montana was with 8x20 or 9x20 pocket binos, even for my sheep and goat hunts. About 8 years ago I got a pair of Nikon 10x42s and they have been great for all of my hunts since then.

Prefer an 8x32 for spot and stalk

Any more, I use 10x42's for everything.

Back in the late 90's while prepping for my first hunt in Africa, I had a long conversation with my guide about gear. On the subject of bino's, his recommendation was 6 x 30's for brush and close in hunting and 10 x 50's for everything else. That pretty much nailed it. That said, I rarely used the 10x's as most of my hunting is woods and thick brush. 3 years ago I started using a Zeiss 7 x 42 monocular which has worked out really well.

^^^^^
That’s pretty much my position too. I hunt hills and hollers in some pretty thick stuff. The compact size of the smaller Binos is offset by eye strain after extended use. Anything bigger is just more cumbersome.

Been using 8x30 Swarovskis for years,They will put horns on them so far away you can't get to them today. Beats carrying heavier 10x42s

7 or 8x for me. I've never found the need for 10x and its downsides are many.

Mostly I hunt in the brush so I like lower power glasses. I'm using 8x32s now but I preferred by older 7x42s.

I have trouble holding 10x glasses steady. I might have better luck with them on a tripod...


Okie John

I like my 8x30s for close up work here in the south, in more open spaces, I'd go with a 10x42.

I use 8X33 in a chest pack for offhand/onthemove glassing out west, and in the thick cover of the NE deer woods.

When scanning off a tripod out west, I use 10.5X44. I find them just about useless in the NE woods.

Whatever you buy, get quality. In today's market they don't have to be Euro to be excellent. As others have said, it depends on the hunt. I have 8x20 Euros for backpack hunts all the way up to 12.5x50's and a few in between depending on the application but all are quality glass. My next purchase will be RF with a ballistics app.

I do too. Keep them nice and light too, so you don't even notice you have them on. Mine weight in around 17 oz's.. I've even spotted elk in the treelines at over 600 yards with mine, where you could not see them with the naked eye. So, they are good for near and far.