Topic: The Best Binoculars for Hunting of 2022 (Read 44 times)
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Why It Made The Cut
A big, serious binocular designed for Western hunters, the B.6 provides more magnification than a standard 10×42 without the heft of a 15-power. Smart ergonomics make it easy to hold, and excellent glass delivers a bright, crisp image.
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Some readers may question why we gave a $1,050 binocular our Great Buy award, which typically goes to raging bargains that cost a fraction of a grand. Our take is that this is a great deal, especially considering the massive optical horsepower of this 12-power binocular. Given the build, quality of the glass, and smart ergonomics, we’d expect this optic to be priced closer to $2,000.
The B.6 occupies a smart place in the market, halfway between the crowded field of capable 10x42s and the big, purpose-built 15×56 binoculars that require a tripod mount in order to use effectively. Maven’s 12×50 is still portable enough to carry, balanced and grippy enough to hand-hold without shaking, and offers enough optical reach to count antler points at long distances. This is Maven’s premium product, a sized-up version of its excellent B.1, but without the massive 56mm objectives of the B.5. If you don’t want all the magnification of the 12-power that we tested, the 10×50 is a great choice for just about any western hunter looking for reach and portability. It’s also extremely bright, finishing just behind Tract’s 56mm binocular in our low-light test.
When you consider Maven’s lifetime warranty and excellent customer service, we felt like the B.6 represented a remarkable value as well as a top performer.
For more info, read our full review of the Maven B series lineup.
Why It Made The Cut
The only super-sized binocular in this year’s test, the 15-power Tract brings excellent glass, flare-taming coatings, and a durable build to task. The Toric delivers the best performance when mounted on a hunting tripod, but it’s light enough that you can hand-hold it with ease.
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15-power binoculars are not for everyone, but for those who use them—Western hunters who pick apart distant landscapes for hours at a time—there’s no alternative. The configuration offers 50 percent more magnification than a standard 10-power, and the both-eyes-open viewing isn’t nearly as fatiguing as squinting through a spotting scope. The Tract is a very capable member of this super-sized fraternity, and brings a better high-transmission class than many of its peers while still remaining affordable for most serious hunters.
Tract’s direct-to-consumer business model allows for savings, and the Toric joins a family of bright, durable, and versatile binoculars. The Schott high-transmission glass delivers a bright and distortion-free image, as expected given its huge objective lenses, taking top honors in the low-light portion of our test. Testers appreciated the weight-saving and vibration-taming attributes of the polycarb chassis, and for those who questioned the durability of the lightweight co*posite, Tract offers a fully transferable lifetime warranty, further building the value proposition of this big binocular.
Why It Made The Cut
A surprisingly stylish and optically sharp binocular, it’s sized right for either treestand hunting or walk-about stalking tasks.
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Built around a class of extra-low dispersion glass with premium coatings, the optical performance of this binocular is beyond what we’ve seen from previous Hawke submissions. The image is bright and noticeably wide thanks to field-flattening design. We especially liked the nice manners of the Frontier APO; its ergonomics make one-handed operation a cinch, and it balances nicely around the neck and in hand. We especially like the textured focus and diopter wheels and the solid-state feel of the magnesium chassis.
co*pared with Hawke’s Vantage binocular—also in this year’s test—this is a huge step up in both quality and performance and is capable of handling just about any deer-hunting tasks. At about $800, it’s not an entry-level binocular, but its quality build, European styling, and co*ponents should make it a solid performer.
Why It Made The Cut
With a ton of value for the price, this redesigned binocular from the Czech-based co*pany offers good glass in a durable package and makes a solid beginning binocular or a step up from an el-cheapo model.
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While we weren’t especially blown away by the image or handling of this reliable binocular, our testers felt the price was attractive considering the glass, durability, and reputation of Meopta. Priced south of $500, the MeoPro HD Plus should provide years of trouble-free glassing.
The MeoPro HD Plus is a redesign of a family that’s been a staple of Meopta’s product lineup for years, but touches include a more angular external contour, highly textured focus and diopter controls, and nicely tapered 3-position eyecups. It co*bines European styling with decent glass and an appealing price. Testers dinged the MeoPro on its spongy focus wheel and clunky handling, but liked the clear, distortion-free glass and durability of the magnesium-alloy frame.
Why It Made The Cut
Its co*bination of durability and European styling make GPO’s mid-level binocular a good fit for a walk-about Western hunter. Decent image and pleasing balance add to its versatility.
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GPO has done a nice job of positioning its brand as aspirational for Western hunters. It has a full range of big binos suited for Coues deer hunting, and its products are far more affordable than premium European models. The Passion ED fills a needed mid-level price and performance point, sandwiched between the more pedestrian Spectra and the premium Passion HD series. Extra-low dispersion glass in the front lenses gives the Passion ED a little kick in brightness and clarity.
We liked the handsome styling and responsive manners, and the accessories that include a premium zippered case and cushioned neck strap, are a nice added value. The diopter and eyecups are well done; our only gripe with the controls was the mushy focus wheel. But for a co*pact (it’s only 5.7 inches high) binocular that will deliver years of service, this is a good choice for a hunter who plans to cover a lot of ground.
Why It Made The Cut
Don’t expect a world-class image from this entry-level binocular, but at around $150, it allows beginning hunters and shooters to get in the game.
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Not every binocular needs to hail from Europe and cost as much as your first car. There’s plenty of room in the market for more affordable optics, and this entry-level model from Hawke is a good choice for those looking for a decent binocular for a wide range of hunting and wildlife viewing.
The Outdoor Life test team concluded that the image was better than expected, especially in broad daylight, and we liked the responsive eye cups that fit most brows co*fortably. We detected some significant edge distortion and some flaring, probably because of poor optical coatings, but the center of the image is crisp and bright. We also expected a wider field of view. In low light, the Vantage’s shortco*ings reveal themselves; the image gets dark and murky earlier than its peers in this year’s test.
And the testers questioned the durability of the moving parts and the polycarbonate frame. But Hawke has an excellent lifetime warranty that should relieve anyone concerned about investing in the Vantage.
Why It Made The Cut
Not every binocular needs to—or should—join you in the field, and this is one that’s best suited for the dashboard or console of a pickup, ready to deploy to read a distant sign or admire a roadside buck.
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A derivative design, testers reckoned that the Athlon was produced on the same line that gave us the Celestron. They have a similar look, feel, and performance. That’s not a bad thing; the Athlon offers a ton of value for the price, right around $300. The image is better than we expected, but really shows its shortco*ings mainly in low-light conditions. The polycarb body should be durable in a wide range of conditions. We were, however, disappointed in the relatively narrow field of view.
Our other dings were mechanical. Its moving parts are a little loose, and the eye-forward balance makes it hard to use with a single hand. But for a decent optics to throw in the pickup and use when you need a better view of wildlife or a football game, this binocular should provide years of satisfying service. And, if there’s ever a problem, Athlon’s legendary warranty and customer service is a consolation.
Why It Made The Cut
We had so many full-size binoculars in the field, we wanted to test a super-co*pact, shirt-pocket model. This is a nimble, go-everywhere travel optic that’s about the size of a deck of cards.
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This is a nice rendering of a tough design. In order to pack so many moving parts and durability in a package small enough to tuck into a shirt pocket, controls have to be sized down, and some super-co*pact binoculars have such teensy moving parts that they’re hard to manipulate with man-sized hands. But Athlon has done a nice job of delivering a co*pact model with extreme usability.
It’s hard to co*pare the optical performance of such a wee binocular with big 10×42 and larger optics, but the Athlon fell out of our low-light test not long after legal light, and testers co*plained that the image looked grainy even in broad daylight. Still, it’s a great choice for turkey hunting or for a travel optic or to keep in a glovebox to deploy any time you need a little optical reach.
Why It Made The Cut
Light, bright, and durable, this latest model from Nikon brings decent glass, a very accessible price, and a featherweight frame that goes just about anywhere.
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One of the powerhouses of the optics industry, Nikon has quietly distanced itself from hunting- and shooting-related gear. It no longer manufactures riflescopes, and it hasn’t focused its significant electro-optics on the sporting side of its business. But this excellent binocular has plenty of talent for the field—or for traveling in the mountains, water, or the world’s backroads. Its strongest suits are its extremely light weight and its very good glass for the price.
The P7 co*es to the market at under $200, a price that makes a case for the Prostaff as a good choice for an entry-level hunter, and it gave the Maven a run for our Great Buy award. The polycarb chassis gave testers a little bit of pause owing to its flimsy feel, but it’s nimble and responsive in the hands of both young and old hunters who don’t want to fight the weight of a metal-framed binocular. The image is bright and sharp, and we liked the snappy eyecups and the velvety focus. And with a lifetime (though non-transferable) warranty, any durability concerns should be adequately addressed by Nikon.
Why It Made The Cut
While this brand doesn’t have a ton of hunting DNA, its long history in celestial observation has provided plenty of context and talent for this versatile binocular.
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The extra-low dispersion glass used in the objective lenses is easily the best part of this binocular from a brand better known for its celestial observation equipment. That’s not to say that a binocular has to be covered in camo to be considered suitable for hunting, only that a co*pany that builds star-gazing telescopes can be fo