Critical Gaze

31 December 2020

Photo Credits: Aaron Thesing.

Build for Success

My father once told me that when building a house, you measure twice, and you cut once. He also told me that to be successful in building that same house you “use the right tool for the job”. Meaning if I have a wall to frame up, can I use a framing hammer? Sure, it’s a great tool for the job, but I can tell you this after having framed several walls for several houses, I would much rather use a pneumatic nailing gun and shoot each nail in as opposed to driving it into place. It saves, time and is much more efficient.

Framing walls, choosing the right optic for your hunt are both critical pieces as to how your hunt is going to be built. The questions you want to ask yourself, am I going after Midwestern Giant Whitetails where I can get away with a standard 10x42 pair of binoculars or am I heading out West Elk hunting at 9,000 feet, where the Weather can be a huge factor, when glassing? These are serious considerations to consider when selecting your optics. 

I’ve been hunting my entire life and for as long I can remember whenever I hunted, I’ve had a pair of binoculars around my neck. Now many years have passed since my first squirrel hunt in the fall of 1994, but my gear list hasn’t changed. Camouflage, a good pair of hiking boots, a day pack, and binoculars.

These are must have items for many hunters, myself included. In this article we are going to break down many different aspects of selecting the right optics for you.

Budget and Cost

The first factor that you are going to have to figure out for yourself, is what can you afford? There are many things in hunting that you can skimp money on, but optics should never be one of them. I see discussions on the internet almost weekly, with many hunters, asking other hunter’s, what is the best bargain level binoculars that they should get for their trip out west hunting for elk, or mule deer where lots of glassing is going to be occurring. Many of those discussions are based around common brands, such as Vortex, Leupold, Nikon, Burris with many hunters boasting in field success with lower costing optics. This is fine as most modern-day optics makers produce decent quality optics at all price point tiers.

What I am getting at though, is If I am going to be pursuing animals on the North American Super Slam, which is extremely expensive and takes many hunter’s their entire lives to accomplish, I am most definitely go to be using the most expensive pair of binoculars that I can afford. 

I recently within the past two years purchased a pair of Nikon Pro Staff 5 10x42 Binoculars… I purchased these for around $200.00 from the local Wal-Mart. This will be my third year having them, and I already need replace them, as they now break down on me each time I go into the field, to where I need re-affix one or both ocular pieces. This is a critical equipment failure and one that should not be occurring to begin with. Always buy the best equipment you can afford. That includes your gun. Your bow. The ammunition or arrows you choose to use. There are so many different factors that can be included into the success or failure of you hunt, so why not stack the odds in your favor, when and where you can?

Quality

There are many good brands out there that offer quality optics. Leupold, Maven, Athlon, Bushnell, Burris, Vortex, Sig Sauer are some of the American optics brands and all offer a quality product, just be wary of the price point and proceed accordingly. Again, nothing scathing or detrimental against any of these brands, but If I am going on a once in a lifetime hunt, I surely will not be using economical tiered optics. I will be shucking out the money to get their top of the line products to help ensure my safety and success.

Availability

The optics that you are looking to purchase should be in good availability. What exactly do I mean by this? What I mean, is that You should be able to readily get a second pair of your binoculars for your trip that you are about to embark on. Many folks, myself included, will take a back up weapon on hunting trips incase the worst happens while I am 6 hours away from home, in another state, and you should also consider doing the same with your hunting optics. This may not always be the most feasible option, but it is a damn good one. A hunt of a lifetime is going to be costly. Why skimp on a critical piece of equipment that you are going to cornerstone your hunt around? If it is my hunt and I can afford to do it, I am bringing a second rifle scope, a duplicate of the one I am currently using and the mounting kit to be able to do some quick field assembly back at camp should the worst happen and my rifle falls down the mountain or off of my ATV or pack horse. Be prepared. If you have a backup, your hunt should still be okay. If you don’t now is going to be the time you had wished, you had it.

Size and Weight Offerings

Looking at the major American optics brands that I have mentioned above, a vast majority of them will have a wide offering for consumers to choose from. Some of my personal favorites are the Sig Sauer Sierra3BDX 4.5-14x50mm Rifle Scope paired with a KILO2200BDX Range Finder. I was able to get this scope and range finder combo from a decent sale that I found online. I am also a huge fan of the Vortex Razor HD Binoculars 10x42mm. These pieces, both respectively are exceptionally clear, offer fantastic light gathering abilities and are both possessing HD glass, and are high price pointed options sold by their manufacturer, and these are items that I have either purchased myself or have been ones I have tested in the store, whether that was Sportsman’s Warehouse, Cabela’s, or Scheels.

Looking at the different brands available that I have mentioned, it would behoove you to look at their premium product lines and go test them out. I am absolutely in love with the Vortex Razor HD’s and the Sig Sauer Sierra3BDX’s that I mentioned earlier, and both would have an equal spot in my hunting pack on a trip out West. The point is, you need to go to the stores, do your research get your hands on the glass, feel them, see them, and put them through the paces in the store if you feasibly can. Otherwise make the purchase, save the receipts, and go test them and return the ones that don’t make the cut.

I am a huge fan of the 10x42 sized binoculars. Most companies make this size, and you can find premium HD glass readily available in this sizing. It is perfect for hunting Whitetails from a tree stand, just as it is equally at home glassing hillsides searching for Mule Deer in the long grass, or perhaps you are looking into the shadows for a sign of Grizzly, or Elk. The point is, good glass can save your eyes, and it can too, help save your life. Bottom line, you’re going to want something rugged enough to match the physical demands of your hunt, and light enough to not slow you down.

Warranty

I work very hard to afford the lifestyle that I live. I work two jobs 70-75 hours a week to pay for my truck, my hunting land and my hunting equipment and to be able to support this blog. I need to make sure that my money works as hard as I do, and that demands top shelf equipment with a top shelf warranty. I can’t afford to keep throwing money away on marginal equipment, which is why it is imperative to buy good expensive equipment with a world class warranty. The good thing about the top shelf binoculars and optics available today, is that you can find some of these on sale for some fantastic prices. I was able to get a $1,500 value with my Sig Sauer set, and I was able to get it for around $700.00. Take the time to scour the internet for sales, sign up for emails from online stores and manufacturers. There are better ways to get your hands on these optics than paying full suggested retail price, you just need to be patient, and do your homework… Same thing as scouting for a whitetail or glassing for a muley. Put in the work, sign up for emails, save your money, and pull the trigger when you’re able to.