Cheapest binos appropriate for spotting at PRS
- Thread starter Slowbalt
- Start date
15x56 Spotting Binoculars with Reticle - Match Pro ED | Bushnell
BU-BMP1556G, BMP1556G, 15x56mm Match Pro ED Gray AK-Prism, SC-Ret., IPD-Stable, Box 5L, Binoculars, reticle, spotting scope, long-range spotting
www.bushnell.com
You'd be hard pressed going wrong with these. Check out different vendors you can likely find good deals and stay well below $1K.
-LD
I'd encourage higher magnification, I've been spotting with a 10x pair for two years and want more. I've looked through squadmate's glass and my next set will be higher than 10x for sure.
If you wear prescription glasses or want to have your eyepro on 100% of the time, go to a sporting goods store that lets you look through binoculars and look through every 12 or 15 power set they have. Eye relief can get strange, especially at higher power, and being able to leave your eyes on will be a huge quality of life boost that'll be worth paying for. If they all suck, look into in-ear hearing protection so you're not fighting with your earpro every time you go glasses-off to spot, glasses-on to walk around/shoot, etc.
After that, either buy an adapter so you can tripod mount them, or get a small "tac table" for your tripod, slap your rear bag on the table, and lay your binos on the rear bag.
If you wear prescription glasses or want to have your eyepro on 100% of the time, go to a sporting goods store that lets you look through binoculars and look through every 12 or 15 power set they have. Eye relief can get strange, especially at higher power, and being able to leave your eyes on will be a huge quality of life boost that'll be worth paying for. If they all suck, look into in-ear hearing protection so you're not fighting with your earpro every time you go glasses-off to spot, glasses-on to walk around/shoot, etc.
After that, either buy an adapter so you can tripod mount them, or get a small "tac table" for your tripod, slap your rear bag on the table, and lay your binos on the rear bag.
Honestly I think it depends.
All else equal, yes, 15x over 10x.
However, if money is right, I think glass quality is more important than magnification. I would rather have an alpha pair of 10x over a lesser quality 15x. That extra quality in optics makes up for less magnification.
15x56 Spotting Binoculars with Reticle - Match Pro ED | Bushnell
BU-BMP1556G, BMP1556G, 15x56mm Match Pro ED Gray AK-Prism, SC-Ret., IPD-Stable, Box 5L, Binoculars, reticle, spotting scope, long-range spotting
You'd be hard pressed going wrong with these. Check out different vendors you can likely find good deals and stay well below $1K.
-LD
That's the answer. Between the 15x and the reticle it's about perfect to spot for matches. Glass is also very good for the price range and more than good enough for matches.
I'll jump in and second this
, and this is coming from a guy that has been using swaro 12x EL's for the last 5 years and loves them. I just don't want the burden of carrying a spotter with a reticle and until Swaro or Leica add a reticle to their 12 or 15x binos I probably be sticking with these.
Swaro NL Pure 12x
Sorta kidding.
The Bushnell Forge and Match Pro's are probably as cheap as you want to go. Still chicom stuff but not terrible.
I like the Ziess Conquest HD in the 1K range. They are made in japan and better than anything in that price range IMO. The Leopold BX-5 are also really good for the money.
Shooting matches you will spend more time glued to your binos than anything else. Cheaping out here, is not the place IMO.
Sorta kidding.
The Bushnell Forge and Match Pro's are probably as cheap as you want to go. Still chicom stuff but not terrible.
I like the Ziess Conquest HD in the 1K range. They are made in japan and better than anything in that price range IMO. The Leopold BX-5 are also really good for the money.
Shooting matches you will spend more time glued to your binos than anything else. Cheaping out here, is not the place IMO.
If you can get 15x Zeiss Conquest HD's for $1k, that's a great deal. Traditionally they go about $1200 on the used market according to my research, but I bet the recent Zeiss promotions have flooded the markets with used Conquest HD's, bringing down the price. Great time to buy.
That's my next purchase. I've looked through a few at matches and for the price there perfect
Kowa 12x50 SVII ~$300. I bought some as a "placeholder" until I was ready to buy something more Gucci, but they've been good enough that I haven't replaced them yet (and don't feel like they're holding me back from seeing what I need to see).
If/when I upgrade, it'll be to those Match Pro's with the reticle...
If/when I upgrade, it'll be to those Match Pro's with the reticle...
Wrong.
Maybe it's the Japanese manufacturing ethos or something, but I've found the low-end Kowa's hang with many more expensive offerings from some other companies from what I've seen.
I'm not saying $300 binos are alpha-tier by any means... but there have been more than a few times when guys I was squadding with have been impressed with my lowly Kowas, more times than I have been amazed when looking through their Swaros...
I have no experience with the lower end Kowas, but I know that the high end Kowas (Genesis) are right there with Swaro's. You have to be very nitpicky to distinguish the quality between the two.
Yea we arent talking about those though. The genesis have great glass.
Kowa, Minox, Kahles all slap their name on cheap chicom oem shit that is no different than what you will will find from burris, vortex, bushnell ect.
Kowa, Minox, Kahles all slap their name on cheap chicom oem shit that is no different than what you will will find from burris, vortex, bushnell ect.
Don't get the wrong idea, this isn't going to turn into one of those "this dang Arken is as good as..." BS downward spirals lol.
The OP was looking for low-cost binos for getting their feet wet in PRS, that's all.
I'm a couple/few years into PRS now, and would have already bought something better if I really thought binos was what was keeping me stuck in the mid-pack. Some of us are probably better off throwing the money we've got at taking a class, hitting more matches, and buying more components and barrels than buying fancy binos.
Ideally, I'll upgrade once I pick the right certificate up off a prize table lol.
The OP was looking for low-cost binos for getting their feet wet in PRS, that's all.
I'm a couple/few years into PRS now, and would have already bought something better if I really thought binos was what was keeping me stuck in the mid-pack. Some of us are probably better off throwing the money we've got at taking a class, hitting more matches, and buying more components and barrels than buying fancy binos.
Ideally, I'll upgrade once I pick the right certificate up off a prize table lol.
I have uhds which are great but I've been really impressed with the glass from maven and apex. Both have 15x now and you can get a reticle in the apex
You can get Burris Signature HD Series in 12x50 and 15x56 for <$800.
Made in Japan, not China.
www.burrisoptics.com
Made in Japan, not China.
Signature HD Binoculars | Burris Optics
www.burrisoptics.com
RRS Cinch works great for mounting binos to tripods.
For those interested in the Cinch, there are two versions available. The regular Cinch-LR, which is plastic, and the Cinch-LR Elite, which is aluminum. I personally have the aluminum version, which is excellent. No experience with the regular version, and if the extra stiffness of the Elite version is worth the premium or not.
