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If you aren't sure or want the best all around I'd go with the 10X42s myself. Elk country isn't usually small and I hate when I can't tell what I'm looking at just because it's to darn far away. They might lack some field of view in thick stuff but I'd live with that to have what I need on the other end of the spectrum.

My 8 power binos are strictly for tree stand hunting. I hunt pretty open elk country so it's 10 power binos and a 20-60X80 spotting scope for me.

;-)

My 10 x 40 Nikon Monarch's don't come close to my Zeiss 10 x 40 in clarity. The Nikon's ride in the truck, the Zeiss are for hunting.

ElkNut1

On a hunt where theres likely times when we will be glassing for an hour +, the expensive glass gets the nod.

As far as brand, get what fit your eyes, not someone else's.

Joe

Buy the Swaro's. You won't regret.

1. While weight and size seem minimal, there is a difference. And where I hunt every ounce matters. 2. Field of view. Much greater with 8x's than 10x's. And I like to see as much terrain as I can when viewing. 3. Low light. Both are going to be close, but a great pair of 8x's will get you those few extra minutes over a great pair of 10's. 4. Optics... There's really not much difference between 8 and 10 power. Don't criticize before you take the test. Go to the optic store of choice, find the best 8x's and 10x's that you prefer. Take them outside and do a real test. Yes, the 10's will be a little stronger, but when you weigh the advantages of bullets 1, 2 and 3...? I love my 8x's!

Some say a pair of swaros 8x32 are better than other's 10x42.

Also, if you're in one of those dense cover hunts, why do you even need 8x? For sure when I'm rifle hunting I don't have the scope anywhere near 8x in the woods/brush. Binos with 6 x 50 or something that provides a huge field of view, doesn't have to be too heavy or big, decent optics, and optimal low light gathering, because dem woods is dark - would be a great second pair.

This commenting group is obviously pretty experienced and sophisticated when it comes to optics, and several probably wouldn't hesitate to get such an optic as a specialty woods bino, especially if the price point wasn't too painful -somewhere under $1000, but above the garbagy glass price. Where is a manufacturer?

I couldn't recommend them for elk...... well maybe Roosevelt.

So he brings his new set ( Vortex Vipers they upgraded him to the next model as the older ones were out) and I asked to take a look through them. I was shocked, they blew my Zeiss Binos out of the water. I know they were new, and who knows what they will look like in say 5 years, but I was super impressed. WIth a warranty like that, clarity, compact, you can't lose with those things.

Bet they were 10x ! Sheep hunting I think the question is more between 10x or 15x

And I think the 15's are great for elk too. But you'd better be packing an animal. Then , leave them in camp when you climb and do what Dan does and break out the 10x25's and put them in your pocket.

When I hunted the open high desert pinon-juniper country 10X was barely adequate. A scope was more useful most of the time.

There is no "one size fits all". If you can only have one pair for all hunting everywhere, 10x42 is probably the right choice. If that was the only bino I had, I wouldn't carry them in the timber while elk hunting - they be in the truck for road glassing distant stuff.

Back home he called Zeiss and asked WTH? They told him they aren't guaranteed waterproof and wouldn't honor the warranty.

Meanwhile the $400 Steiners I took on that hunt performed flawlessly (for both of us), were soaked for 6 days and never fogged once.

I find that interesting about the Zeiss 10 x 40 classics. I bought mine in 1990 and they have been rained on many, many times and never fogged once. I would rather forget my bow than my binos.

I use mine for more than just when I'm looking for living animals. As I posted earlier, most of the areas I hunt are pretty thick. I use mine extensively as I'm following a bloodtrail. I like being able to look through the downfall that I can't do sufficiently with just my eyes. There've been a couple instances where it was getting towards dark and I was contemplating backing out till morning since I hadn't heard the elk fall, and I certainly didn't want to bump him if he was still alive. I saw a patch of elk hair down through the timber in one case and an antler tine in the other that I wouldn't have seen with my naked eyes. Saved me a couple of sleepless nights.

I will sit and glass from points, there may be times when a 10x might tell me more about the elk I'm watching.... I don't believe I've missed spotting any elk with the 8s.

The issues for me, I bowhunt only and I use them a good deal one handed, stalks and still hunting as well as glassing. Much harder to hold 10s steady without a rest. Secondly we hunt a fair amount in the wind. 8s are much steadier in the wind. You can get motion sick with 10s in the wind. Even 8s can be near impossible at times. Hard to beat 8.5 x 42 swaros for low light too.

I'd maybe jump up to 10s for a sheep/goat hunt and have a spotter along as well. But for DIY elk in 4 states now I've never felt undergunned with 8s.

I don't hunt without them, might as well leave my bow home too.....

So you would be optimally choosing binos something like this, 7x35, 8 x 40, 10 x 50 Etc. Someone previously said an 8x is going to gather more light than a 10x. Not necessarily so. If the exit pupil is less than 5mm, you won't get all the light that your eye can use. more than 5mm and your eye can't use it. For example an 8 x30 is not going to appear as bright in low light as a 10 x 50. Likewise a 10 x30 will not appear to be as bright in low light as an 8 x 40.

But, fully multicoated lenses allow maximum light transmission , hence max brightness. So, expensive well ground glass with fully multicoated lenses will be brighter than cheaper glass without all the coatings. And , this is where we debate the trade off with the cost we are willing to spend on our optics. Good glass and coatings are expensive.