binoculars: any reason to pick an 8 over a 10?

[john keyes]

I'm gonna buy another set of binoculars, bushnell natureview, and they come in 8x42 and 10x42.  It always seemed like a no-brainer to take the ten power, why would anybody pick the eight?
Now I think I might give the 8x42 a try. One of my stands is real tight, heavy cover, nothing past 100yds, realistically about 70 yds max.
 
 

[jackruff]

You've just answered your own question by describing a situation in which the 8 power glasses are indeed better than the 10 power.  The field of view of 8X glasses is greater than that of 10X.  You can see more!  And in a thick place you're already close to everything.  You don't need to be a whole lot closer.  In fact, 6X glasses would be better still.  That's what I use now, having used 8X and 7X in the past.  My favorite hunting binoculars are 6X32's.  They're smaller and lighter and with a wider and brighter field of view.

[woodchukhntr]

I've used 6, 7, 8, and 10 power binoculars over the years.  10 power is useable, but really too much power.  It is harder to hold steady, has a narrower field of view and is usually larger than 8's for a specific brand and model.  6x seems to be the best power, giving good resolution and a wide field of view in a small package.
I had a nice Nikon 8x ProStaff, but they were somehow left in the woods so I now have a Bushnell 8x Legend that is working very well for me.  I had been looking for 6x, but there doesn't seem to be too many out there.

[Ranch13]

The 8x will gather more light in the early morning and late evening hours, and you can still see thru the 8's when the 10's have gone black.
Used to be 7x35 was the standard hunting binoculars, due to the compact size and ample magnifaction.  Modern technology sort of displaced those by making good 8 and 10x binoculars that are smaller and lighter than the old standby's.

[LanceR]

John, as the others have written I'd be looking for the lower power set and might hold out for 4x or 6x binos.

I have Bushnell Legend 8x42 binos bought at less than half price so I jumped on them.  Otherwise I'd have something smaller and lower power since 95% or more of my glassing is at 200 yards or less and only a small fraction of that is over 130 yards.

Unless you are glassing long distances the higher magnification has disadvantages when compared to the lower power ones.   As already stated they have a narrower field of view but they also put more of a premium on holding them very steady since any wobble will eventually translate to eye fatigue and when the quality is the same they may have inferior low light performance.  The depth of the field of view will generally be shorter and you'll be fiddling with the focus more often.

At 70 yards even a 4x set is the equivalent of being  52.5' away.  Similarly, even a 3x scope is the same visually as being 70' from the target.  My experience is that, like rifle scopes, many if not most hunters are over magnified.  I use a 1.5-6x scope that even at 100 yards or more is nearly always on 1.5-2 power.  If the deer or pig is in a group I want to know what the others are doing as much as I can and a higher power scope or binos makes that tougher to do.

One useful trick you may not have seen used is one that I learned in the Army as a mortar forward observer.   We used the binos or spotting scope to look well back into the woods or brush.  If you focus on the near edge and then move the focus back into the trees you can see the details and especially the movements of game in the gaps between the trees for a long way, often well over 100 yards.  I use this technique a lot to spot approaching deer in time to have the binos down and gun up before they get anywhere near the edge of the cover.

Also, when you are sitting, if you prop your forearms or elbows on your knees or thighs and let your bone structure holds the binos level just below your eyes all you have to do is tilt your head down and inch or so to start scanning.  This technique avoids all the up and down movement of the arms and binos most folks make and you can hold the binos for a long time with no fatigue.  When doing this I keep my thumbs under the binos to support them and one fingertip where I can change the range of the focus without moving.

Good luck and I hope you enjoy your choice.  Well, I'm off to join my neighbor to see if we can help his 14 year old son get his first deer.  Wish him luck.  The lad sure has helped us drag a lot out over the years and I'd love to return the favor.

Lance

[Lloyd Smale]

personaly I prefer a 8x set for walking when hunting and when hunting out of a stand like a 10x pair.

[drdougrx]

BOY!  I keep going over this in my head.  More than 10 years ago a buddy was up in North Conway NH at the LL BEAN outlet store and found a pair if Swarovski 8x32s that were a return for $375.  He called me and asked if I was interested....heck yeah!  I bought them, sent them to swaro for a check up and have used them ever since.  THEN...I found a pair if Leica 10x42s New Gens on fleabay that I bought for $600.  Excellent glass but heavy.  Took them on a trip for exotic sheep and ended up leaving them back in the camp on day 2 and used the 8x swaros cause they were lighter and handier.  Sold the Leicas for $900 a year later.
 
Just came back from TX a couple weeks ago.  Lots of really long distances. The 8x worked just fine...but...a pair of 10 would have been better...though I have to wonder how much better....so I ponder and ponder this question...should I trade by beloved swaro 8x for a pair of leica, leitz or swaro 10x with the newest glass and coating technology??  Or...leave well enough alone.....so far 60/40....keep the 8x.

[Dave in WV]

John, check out the Bushnell Legend poro prism 8x42 binocular. For the money a good buy in performance.

[chefjeff]

Larger FOV and light gathering ability,as others have stated.

[jackruff]

I've used 6, 7, 8, and 10 power binoculars over the years.  10 power is useable, but really too much power.  It is harder to hold steady, has a narrower field of view and is usually larger than 8's for a specific brand and model.  6x seems to be the best power, giving good resolution and a wide field of view in a small package.
I had a nice Nikon 8x ProStaff, but they were somehow left in the woods so I now have a Bushnell 8x Legend that is working very well for me.  I had been looking for 6x, but there doesn't seem to be too many out there.

Take a look at the Eagle Optics Ranger 6X32's.  I've hunted with them for several years and am very pleased.  They are on sale right now for under $200, and you won't find a better company to deal with than Eagle Optics!  http://www.eagleoptics.com/binoculars/eagle-optics/eagle-optics-ranger-srt-6x32-binocular?tab=customer_reviews#tabs

[woodchukhntr]

Those look about to be the perfect binocular for my use, but I'll have to stick with my Bushnell's for now until my ship (full of $) comes in

[17452]

between your two choices, I would go with the eight power over the ten.  Where I hunt 100 yds is a long shot.  With the adverage being about 70, and the deer I shot yesterday was at 40 yds.  My personal choice is a Vortex Viper 6X32, and I absolutly love them.  They're good to go easily out to 300 yds, the deer I shot yesterday was comig down a ridge heading straight for my stand, and I picked him up through the tree's at about 150 yds and stayed on him until I had a clean shot.  Low power is where its at if your hunting in the woods. 

[Lloyd Smale]

I guess if i could only have ONE set of binocs for all of my hunting it would probably be a set of something like a 10x42 that were realitively light. Luckily i dont have to have just one. 10x is the high end of whats usuable in the brush and to me anyway is much better then 8x in the open. As to light gathering a 8x set with identical glass and the same size objective may gather light a bit better then a 10x but the 10x puts the image a bit closer and that more then makes up the differnce in glassing something say to look at antler size. Now im talking good glass here if your buying a 100 dollar set of binocs all bets are off.

[jackruff]

I guess if i could only have ONE set of binocs for all of my hunting it would probably be a set of something like a 10x42 that were realitively light. Luckily i dont have to have just one. 10x is the high end of whats usuable in the brush and to me anyway is much better then 8x in the open. As to light gathering a 8x set with identical glass and the same size objective may gather light a bit better then a 10x but the 10x puts the image a bit closer and that more then makes up the differnce in glassing something say to look at antler size. Now im talking good glass here if your buying a 100 dollar set of binocs all bets are off.

The two drawbacks to 10x compared to 8x for hunting are reduced field of view, which is not a problem in the open with a target that is not moving much, and shake, which is less of a problem if you have something to rest the binoculars on.  In addition to being a  hunter, I am an astronomer and use 10x binoculars to view the sky at night.  My second choice for that pursuit is 8x, but for hunting the 6x glasses are the best compromise in most situations.  As to price and quality, in my experience if you go with binoculars in the $200 to $400 price range you will see a big difference over those selling for $100 or less.  Above this range you will see slight improvements.