WHICH IS BETTER - Big Binoculars Vs. Spotting Scope

Is it better to carry a large magnification binocular or a spotting scope? In this video, Brady Miller and Cody Nelson breakdown the benefits of each optic and how to choose which option is best suited for your situation.

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[danielporter]

I run a 10x42 maven c series for hand glassing and pair them with either the 50mm or the 85mm on a tripod. I also don’t get the issue with the eye thing, I just keep an eyepatch in my spotters case (it weighs almost nothing) and glass all day with no problem. Also for anyone looking into the 50mm I think it’s a great piece of gear (especially for backpacking), but I rarely bring my 50mm out anymore… it offers a little help in determining if you’re looking at a buck or not at long range but not a ton. If I’m going on a day hike and already bringing out my tripod I generally just take the extra pound or 2 and bring the 85 and get a much better view of what I’m looking at, the weight savings doesn’t seem to be worth it on a day hike. If I were to go back in time I’d get the maven 65 mm instead of the vortex 50mm… just my 2 cents

[donh]

Take the 12x bino vs 20x spotting scope challenge. I never had someone pick the spotting scope….people say you can zoom higher, but exit pupil and atmospheric conditions don’t always allow you to get any more detail

[jasong]

Cody and Brady are very knowledgeable gents!! Cody helped me with choosing my 12x50 Vortex Razor UHD and man was he right!
Keep up the great work and content GoHunt!

[armandomada]

Got my optics through Cody Nelson awesome guy hands-down thanks Cody good luck on your elk hunt.Happy Hunting 🥩🦌🦌🌮

[eddyflo]

Great info and review guys, it seems it comes to preferences. I much rather keep my bios for the range and feel much comfortable with the extra steps than having a “extra” piece of gear I don’t seem necessary. Other may disagree so again preference.

[Nick-cydj]

Homeboy ain't hiking anywhere... 😅

[jonathanarroyo]

After staring down irons for hours with just one eye I find I like to take breaks and just look around with both eyes to reduce eye fatigue. I’m not sure if I’ll go with a spotting scope or not yet but I can imagine binoculars could really help me with that eye fatigue thanks for bringing up the topic!

[perryknetter]

Cody Brady you guys did a great job 👍 on the video binoculars vs Spotting scope. Very informative Thanks for sharing
God's Blessings on your up coming hunting seasons

[justinmonson]

Best way to avoid face or eye fatigue while using a spotter is to take an eye patch along and leave both open.

[Somerandomtileguy]

I really wanna know is vortex going to make a BTX style spotter or does Swarovski have some patent on that design. I could see that being very very competitive because 6k for a dual eye spotter is pretty rediculous

[jesselopez]

Buy nice or buy twice. Make sure you get a very stable tripod. I use 12x50 in the Central AZ desert, wind in the AM, good tripod makes a world of difference.

[sambono]

Mule Deer, Pronghorn & Elk Swaro 15's all the way.... goats and rams spotter.

[mjpolairs]

Get em both, I run maven 9x45, 15x56 and their 15-45x65 I can hunt open desert sage county to high country basins. I love 15s I got them before I got a spotter and I almost get anxiety if I go to scout or go to hunt and I don't take them. Granted I don't need them for like a cow elk hunt or where I archery elk hunt but deer and antelope they're money. But the spotter has it's places being able to Glass into shade outside what you can see with the 15s or maybe you can see it with the 15s you're just unsure of what it is like is that a stick or is that an antler or that's a deer how big is it is it a buck or doe.

[lynnjohnson]

If I had to choose what optic to leave n camp, it would be my binos! I was the first to discover ed glass in 1992 and it was only offered in spotting scopes! I’ve had hunters that tried to buy my spotting scopes while hunting when they could see spikes at a mile away or further on 60x! My hunting partners feel the same way!

[classiiimalfunction]

Love the combo of the Vortex UHD 10x42’s with a Kowa TSN-554 15-45x55mm. Reasonable weight combo & stellar optics for both. I’ve spent time behind the Vortex Razor 11-33. Nice glass. The Kowa’s are at a different level in their class of compact spotters (of which they’re really are few offerings). Spent hours behind my good friend’s NL 12x42’s last season. Amazing glass! Personally, I’d run the UHD’s all-day-long for the money. My eyes prefer them to the SLC’s, and they’re very close to the EL’s. I haven’t been impressed with Swarovski’s QC. I’ve owned various iterations over the years. My last pair of CL’s had an eyepiece screw back out. My buddy’s NL’s had one eyecup that wouldn’t catch the detents and would back all the way off. Unsat for $3k glass. Other than that, the NL’s are amazing optically.

[drewstrom]

Man if they would just put a ranging reticle in it. I would buy them yesterday!

[tonesmith]

Usually hunting in groups so always plenty of bins and at least one spotter on hand..

[thebigbuckslayerr]

Question ... my 10 × 42 vortex db I had trouble with them viewing turkeys and deer out to 600 yards . I just want to be able to see a turkeys beard and s deers rack out to 600-800 yards . If I upgrade to the 18×56 will they do that for me ?

[RyanSmith]

What about using an eye patch with the spotter?

[bigwestreviews]

Ironically, i struggle with binos but use a spotting scope just fine.