Binoculars & Spotting Scopes

How to choose binoculars for hunting

Choose binoculars by when and where you'll glass: stalking through woodland by day, in a high seat in the evening, or across big fields at long range. There's no single perfect hunting binocular, but one model can cover most situations well. Below we explain what the numbers mean, what separates cheaper binoculars from expensive ones, and when you need a spotting scope.

We carry pocket binoculars, all-round 8x42 and 10x42 models, 8x56 low-light binoculars, binoculars with a rangefinder and spotting scopes from Nikon, Meopta, Vanguard, Steiner and Firefield. We deliver across Europe for €10, or you can collect your order free at our range in Riga.

What 8x42, 10x42 and 8x56 mean

The first number is the magnification, the second is the objective lens diameter in millimetres.

• Magnification: 8x gives a steadier image and a wider field of view, so it's easier to find and follow game. The Meopta MeoStar B1 Plus 8x42, for example, has a field of view of 138 m at 1000 m, while the 10x42 model has 111 m. 10x shows more detail at distance, but hand shake becomes more noticeable. 12x and above, like the Nikon Monarch M5 12x42, is easiest to use on a tripod.
• Objective lens: the bigger it is, the more light it gathers, but the binoculars get heavier.
• Exit pupil is the objective diameter divided by the magnification: 8x56 gives 7 mm, 8x42 about 5.3 mm, 10x42 about 4.2 mm. Your pupil widens at dusk, so a larger exit pupil gives a brighter image in low light.

Which size for which hunt

• Pocket binoculars, 8x25 and 10x25: Nikon Aculon A30 and Meopta MeoSport 8x25. Light and always with you, but too dark at dusk.
• 8x30 and 10x30: Nikon Prostaff 3, Prostaff P7 and the Steiner Ranger 8x30. Light for active daytime hunts where you walk a lot.
• 8x42 and 10x42: the all-round choice. The Nikon Prostaff P7 8x42, Meopta MeoHunter W, Vanguard VEO HD2 and Meopta MeoStar B1 Plus work by day and into early evening.
• 8x56: for dusk and the high seat. The Nikon Monarch 5 8x56 and Steiner Ranger 8x56 gather the most light, but they're heavier.
• 20x56: the Nikon Monarch 5 20x56 for long distances, best used on a tripod.

Optical quality: ED glass, prisms and coatings

More expensive binoculars usually give a sharper, brighter image to the edges and at dusk.

• ED glass reduces colour fringing around high-contrast objects. It's used in the Vanguard VEO ED, VEO HD2 and VEO HD IV (Hoya ED) and the Nikon Monarch 5.
• BAK4 prisms and fully multi-coated lenses give a brighter image with good contrast, as in the Vanguard VEO HD2.
• Water-repellent coatings help in the rain. Meopta's MeoDrop coating stops water sitting on the lenses, and the Vanguard VEO XF lenses have a coating against water droplets too.
• Waterproofing and nitrogen filling stop binoculars fogging up inside. The Nikon Prostaff P7 is waterproof to 1 m for 10 minutes, and the Steiner Ranger and Meopta MeoSport are nitrogen-filled.

If you wear glasses

Eye relief matters: the longer it is, the easier it is to see the whole image with glasses on. The Nikon Prostaff P7 has long eye relief, the Meopta MeoStar B1 Plus 8x42 has 17 mm, and the Vanguard VEO XF eyecups adjust to three positions. With glasses, twist the eyecups down.

Binoculars with a rangefinder

If you want the exact distance to the animal, binoculars with a built-in rangefinder replace two devices. The Meopta MeoPro Optika LR 10x42 ranges up to 2,380 m and weighs 900 g, and the 8x50 version ranges up to 2,740 m. Separate laser rangefinders are under Trail Cameras & Rangefinders.

Spotting scopes

When binoculars aren't enough, for example to glass big fields or judge an animal at long range, a spotting scope with 20–60x magnification and a tripod does the job.

• Vanguard Endeavor HD 82A 20–60x82 with ED glass and an angled eyepiece.
• Vanguard Endeavor XF 80A and XF 60A: magnesium body, waterproof and nitrogen-filled.
• The Nikon Prostaff 3 16–48x60 weighs only 620 g.
• The Firefield 20–60x60SE is water-resistant (IPX6) and comes with a tripod and bag. The compact Vanguard Vesta 460A also comes with a small tripod.
• Meopta MeoStar spotting scopes take interchangeable eyepieces: the S2 30–60x and TGA 20–60x.

Tripods and shooting sticks are under Seats, Sticks & Slings.

Binocular prices: what do good binoculars cost?

• Under €200: Nikon Aculon A30 (€96–102), Nikon Prostaff 3 8x30 and 10x30 (€181–192).
• €200–500: Meopta MeoSport (€206), Nikon Prostaff 3 8x42 and 10x42 (€212–223), Vanguard VEO XF (€206–223), Nikon Prostaff P7 (€234–308), Steiner Ranger 8x30 (€311), Meopta MeoHunter W (€423–447), Vanguard VEO HD2 (€428), Nikon Monarch M5 12x42 (€447).
• Over €500: Steiner Ranger 8x56 (€556), Vanguard VEO HD IV (€515), Nikon Monarch 5 (€774–907), Meopta MeoStar B1 Plus (€1,088–1,273), Meopta MeoPro Optika LR (€1,431–1,622).

Shop by brand: Nikon, Meopta and Vanguard.

Our advice

If these are your first hunting binoculars, get an 8x42 such as the Nikon Prostaff P7 8x42 or Meopta MeoHunter W 8x42: it works by day and into early evening. If you mostly hunt from a high seat at dusk, consider an 8x56. Can't decide? Message us and we'll help you choose.