Help upgrading optics

[Dzlmech]

Long story short, I’m looking to update my animal finding optics. I hunt Northwest Montana for mule deer and elk as well as breaks country for Elk during archery season. There’s some bear hunting in there as well. My current set up is Vortex diamondback 12x50 Binos and Vortex diamondback 20-60x60 spotter (less than thrilled with this one but it did serve it’s purpose) I have about $800 at cabelas (wonderful gift cards and cc) if you were to upgrade any of these which one would it be and to what. Now granted the binos are on my face a lot and I don’t hate them once I get out to that 600 yard mark things start to get a little fuzzy but at least I can tell if I need to move in on it or not. The spotter is usually used once or twice a weekend but on any power over about 40 I might as well take my contacts out. any Help would be appreciated or just say screw it and keep hunting the way I do and save it up for something else that may strike my fancy further down the road

 

[MT_Chad]

I would say binos, 800 at cabelas isnt going to get you much in a spotting scope, it doesn't even go that far with binos there. The cabelas instinct is probably the best deal there if they have any 10x42s, they dont on the website. The instincts are the same as meopta meostars, which are very nice. The zeiss conquest are also nice at 1000, so a little over your amount. 800 is kind of a black hole for a price point, it jumps from 600 to 1000. My suggestion is go to 1100 and compare the two above and the vortex razor and choose the best for your eyes. Go at twilight and take them all outside for a true comparison.

 

[Dzlmech]

I may just keep saving the more shopping and review readings I’m doing. It’s not like I NEED either this year and if I do decide to upgrade I still have some time before September to save enough to jump budget ranges

 

[std7mag]

While i don't know about the optics listed, i can share what i use.
For spotter i got a Celestron C70 Mini Mak.
Celesrton make some high end telescopes and microscopes.
The C70 is a Maksutov style. It's fat, short, lightweight. It gathers light extremely well. And has great clarity edge to edge.
Being from a company that makes telescopes, you can change the eyepiece lens with standard telescope eyepieces.
I bought an additional lens/filter kit from Celestron also.
The blue, and yellow filters i use alot!

If i had that kind of coin to spend at Cabellas, i'd be getting a Savage 12VT!
Just say'n.

 

[Bowhuntrben]

One thing to consider. If you wait Cabela’s has gift cards on sale for 10% off from time to time. I believe they did on Father’s Day this year and Christmas. Might try buying more gift cards with your gift cards. I haven’t done this yet but plan to try.
Also, go through active junky to do your Cabela’s purchase. You can get an additional 7-10% off.
Then of course wait for one of Cabela’s regular 10% off deals.
Takes a bit more time but can be a way of stretching your money farther if not in a hurry

 

[Don Fischer]

I was stationed in Lakeside from 1967 to 1973, loved that country! Scope's on my rifles were all max straight 4x, worked really well up there. Never went over east and hunted but suspect there I'd prefer something like a 2-7x. I tend to think most people, at least those that post a lot, prefer a lot more scope than they'll ever need. They like carrying them around more power to them. Even made a few trips to up to Polebridge, well more than a few, and low power scope's were never a problem. My favorite hunting scope is a 2 3/4x Redfield I bought at the Snappy Service Center up there in the early 70's! Have also made more than a few trips down the Swan Range hunting, 4x worked very well but 2-7x wouldn't bother me there. Made a trip up to Kalispell in the late 1990's and was really disappointed in the changes up there. Went out to Near Big Fork where I used to live and the dairy farm had been turned into a golf course. Guy's have been known to ride a horse into a couple bar's in Big Fork back then, bet that doesn't happen anymore! But I still miss N.W. Montana. Durning the winter up there Foy's Lake was a good place to ice fish for perch and durning the spring to fall, nice trout on the bugs we'd catch in the edges of the lake, called them Itchy bugs! Marshmello with an itchy bug on it and you would catch trout!

 

[Deleted member 16014]

IMO some of the best values going in good glass:
-Binos: 10x42 Zeiss Victory T/T* FL
-Spotter: Nikon Fieldscope ED 60 or 82
Neither can be found at Cabela’s of course but watching forums and eBay you could be in both for $1500-$1700. If you sold your gift card for a slight loss and sold your current glass you could be nearly there.

 

[schmalts]

If you are not tied to Cabelas, contact me about some bino and spotter options.

 

[SoCalHuntr]

One thing to consider. If you wait Cabela’s has gift cards on sale for 10% off from time to time. I believe they did on Father’s Day this year and Christmas. Might try buying more gift cards with your gift cards. I haven’t done this yet but plan to try.
Also, go through active junky to do your Cabela’s purchase. You can get an additional 7-10% off.
Then of course wait for one of Cabela’s regular 10% off deals.
Takes a bit more time but can be a way of stretching your money farther if not in a hurry

I believe they stipulate you can’t buy those discounted gift cards with gift cards... for obvious reasons haha you could continue to reuse your vet and over.

I would save a little more imo. You can stick with vortex and get the razor line binos or spotter for about 300$ more. Probably get binos first. As you use them more and I’ve never had a image that was fuzzy with my razors. 10x42 is what I have.

 

[Bowhuntrben]

I believe they stipulate you can’t buy those discounted gift cards with gift cards... for obvious reasons haha you could continue to reuse your vet and over.

Quite possible. I’ll report back when they have the deal again.

 

[Losing_Sanity]

I have a Nikon spotting scope I bought some years ago. The salesman at Sportsman's talk me into getting it. Said it was better than the Leupold I was looking at. Never have liked that scope. My son totes it around and uses it some, but it is not very clear at longer ranges. Should have went with my gut instinct and got the Leupold.
Get the best you can afford. A few extra bucks is better than a disappointing scope that aggravates you to use it.

 

[Dsnow9]

I would invest in a nice bino tripod mount like the one outdoorsmans makes. It will buy some time to upgrade to top of the line glass and if you haven’t glasses off a tripod you don’t know what your missing. Improves your binos for sitting and glassing and almost negates the need for a spotter unless you are trying to count points of pick out an antler in brush over a mile. Then when you get new binos you can switch it over to the new glass. Binos are more important than spotter in my book, hands down.

Outdoorsmans Binocular Adapter

The most robust, durable binocular tripod mount in existence. The first of its kind. Made in the USA.

outdoorsmans.com

 

[Deleted member 38069]

I would reach out to Schmalts. I heard he will take good care of you!

 

[Dzlmech]

So I’ve decided to save up more and buy as top of the line as I can which is around that 1200-1400 mark for a spotting scope. But has anyone had much experience with Leupolds bx4 spotter? I want to try and stick with 60-65 mm objective as it will go into my pack for hunts and an 80 gets pretty heavy fast. But I just came across the bx4 and have seen almost no information on them compared to say the vortex Razor line?