What binoculars hit the sweet spot in terms of price and quality?

[skywalkrNCSU]

I am looking to get a set of binoculars for this upcoming hunting season and while I am well aware that with optics you get what you pay for I am looking for that sweet spot of price and performance. I don't hunt out west and the furthest distance I can see is about 500-600 yards where the typically distance is under 300 yards. For that reason I was thinking of going with 8x so I could free hand easily.

My default when it comes to scopes is the Vortex Viper line since they seem to be a good value and a good product overall. For binoculars does this hold true? Any ones you would go with over the Vortex Viper line? They run around $500 so I'd like to keep it in that ballpark unless it is really worth spending more.

[Lee Indy]

Athlon talos. Super inexpensive and great clarity. Little heavy but the 10x is super clear.

Another option is the Leopold Yosemite. Great clarity and super light at about 90 bucks. Onky 6x tho. Those are my bow binos

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[voiceofreason]

Not the greatest for low light compared to larger objectives (which will be larger and heavier), but for compact, CLARITY, quality... I'd go with these as my #1 pick. These are not "crap" Leica binoculars, entry level or not the point of diminishing returns starts with these. The only negative is that the nylon case they come with has a single stitch belt loop which makes it useless unless you're willing to risk your binos dropping and hitting the ground or losing them altogether. In a different carry pouch, they work great to simply act as thin cushioning.


https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...Binocular.html

or if you prefer 10x

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...Binocular.html

[Abel]

+1 for the Leupold Yosemite line.

Consider the Leupold Mojave pro guide hd 8x42 @ cabelas bargain cave for $249.99. I'd also suggest considering the cabelas instinct euro hd 8x32 for $649.99 even though it's above $500.

[omegajb]

I bought a Nikon 8244 ACULON A211 7x35 Binocular for my father in law for Christmas and a impressed with the quality. I think I paid less than $70 for them.

[gaijin]

CDNN frequently sells discontinued bino's at very good prices.
I've purchased 8X30 Minox and Kahles for $400 from them in the past.

[skywalkrNCSU]

Thanks for the suggestions everyone

[Boy Scout]

If you're on a cop budget, I have a set of Bushnell Permafocus 10x that are great spotters. They are always clear, suck in a lot of light, and are easy on the budget. You have to look through them with corrected vision though. They are great for that distance.

[VARIABLE9]

I have an older pair of Nikon 10x50's that work great for everything minus hiding in my jacket. They're 15 years old no problems. Here's a link for a current style:

https://www.amazon.com/Nikon-8248-AC...dp_ob_title_ce

[Coal Dragger]

I have a set of the Vortex Viper HD 10X50's and love them. I obsessively tested every set of 10X42's and 10X50's my lcoal Cabela's had in stock and the only ones to outperform the Vortex for my eyes at around dusk were Swarovski, Zeiss, and Leica all of which were over $2K more than the Vortex.

My wife loves birding and she has pretty much appropriated them for her own use. I have to beg to use my own damn binoculars instead of her old pair.