15's or 12x50 and spotting scope?

[azbuck]

I have been going back and forth with this decision so now im asking others opinions. I have the new Swarovski slc 15's and love them but still find that I could use a spotting scope in some situations. I have been thinking of selling the 15's and going with Vortex razor 12x50's and Razor Spotting scope. Just can't decide!

[azelkhunter2]

PLEASE PLEASE dont ever sell your swaros and buy anything vortex.....Keep the 15s and save a little money up....You dont need a high end spotter. Yes they are nice but you can get by with a less costly one for your needs.....

[willhunt4coues]

I know there are LOYAL Vortex fans out there but I promise you will be DOWN grading and wont be able to see anything at all.

[azbuck]

Thank you that helps a lot! What spotting scope do you recommend? I have $600 cash saved up in the slush fund right now

[naturebob]

The only Spotters worth a crap are the high $ ones. Save up till You can get one. Thats why I don't even have one right now. Anything less is, exactly that. Less. I won't get one till I can afford the best. Iv'e tried the rest................BOB!

[rugerman]

You are where I was a year ago. 10x slcs on my neck and 15x in the pack. Can't hand hold the 15x and when I did pull them out and spotted deer way out there, I wanted a better look at the deer before hiking all the way over to them. I sold both and got the 12x50 el and a used STS 80 HD spotter and am very happy. If I'm not trophy hunting I leave the spotter at home

[HuntHarder]

Rugerman said it best. I use 10x on a tripod to locate game, and then use the scope to size them up. 15's IMO are not needed unless you are picking every bush apart in the midday looking for bedded bucks. 10's or 12's and a high end scope is the route I would go.

 

Do not spend 600$ on a scope. You will be severely disappointed in it's quality. Scopes need to be high end to be clear. Also, know that your scope will not be used much during the hunt, maybe 1 hour out of 3-4 days, but that hour determines shoot or don't shoot.

[Zeke-BE]

10s or 12s sometimes where never enough. I got the 15s Cabela's Euro. I love them. Saw more deer with them than I ever have before. I found more deer this year with those. But when I glass it's off a tripod but I was already doing that with 10s and 12s. and I rarely ever see or glass deer less than 150 to 200 yards. By 200 yards they book it out of,there. If I see hem closer than that, it usually means I spooked them out of their beds or they didn't realize I was there. But by that time they are so close I usually have my rifle up and looking at them that way. Don't down grade! Just do what they said, get a scope that at least have 20-25 power unless you save up and buy the nice spotting scope. Just my 2 cents.

[208muley]

I have 10s, 15s, 30s, and a spotter. All have their place and all are used depending on how im hunting. When I'm backpack hunting I only have 15s and my buddy uses 10s with a spotter as he can sit behind his spotter all day and one-eye it, it's crazy to see him do it without headache day after day. Together we are lethal at finding critters. When I'm solo I have 10s 15s and spotter. 30s are only when I'm close to the truck, they are heavy!

 

What I'm saying is it all depends on your style and what you are comfortable doing all day, day after day. If you can one-eye it for long periods of time 10s and a spotter, if you can't, like me, then build your arsenal with the best you can afford and use them based on how you are hunting and what you are hunting.

[Bassmaster]

I ended up getting the razor 12x50 hd's because they were the best glass i could afford. My friend had his brand new swaro 12x50's el with swarovision. After two days of glassing in all conditions, low light, hand held, tripod, super long distances, raining and fog i can tell you my buddy is seriously consider returning his swaros. NO DOUBT the swarovski's were better, In every way except the actual weight of the binoculars. The performance was actually pretty close. The big difference was in field of view, this really bothered my buddy from switching back and forth. You lose a noticeable amount of real estate when glassing with vortex. Free handing was soooo much easier with the lighter and smaller vortex. The only astonishing difference was out past a mile. Were looking at a mountain somewhere between 1.5 miles and 2 miles away. The swarovskis spotted some cow elk on that mountain. I had a very hard time finding them even when he was telling me where to look. He handed me the swaros and the difference was insane. The swaros still gave a very clear and still a 3d view of the mountain..

 

I would keep the swaros if i were you. I WISH i could afford them. But i can tell you my buddy is seriously thinking of getting the vortex razor 12x and a razor spotting scope after a weekend of side by side viewing.

[lancetkenyon]

I ended up getting the razor 12x50 hd's because they were the best glass i could afford. My friend had his brand new swaro 12x50's el with swarovision. After two days of glassing in all conditions, low light, hand held, tripod, super long distances, raining and fog i can tell you my buddy is seriously consider returning his swaros. NO DOUBT the swarovski's were better, In every way except the actual weight of the binoculars. The performance was actually pretty close. The big difference was in field of view, this really bothered my buddy from switching back and forth. You lose a noticeable amount of real estate when glassing with vortex. Free handing was soooo much easier with the lighter and smaller vortex. The only astonishing difference was out past a mile. Were looking at a mountain somewhere between 1.5 miles and 2 miles away. The swarovskis spotted some cow elk on that mountain. I had a very hard time finding them even when he was telling me where to look. He handed me the swaros and the difference was insane. The swaros still gave a very clear and still a 3d view of the mountain..

 

I would keep the swaros if i were you. I WISH i could afford them. But i can tell you my buddy is seriously thinking of getting the vortex razor 12x and a razor spotting scope after a weekend of side by side viewing.

This post makes no sense to me. The Swaros beat the Vortex in absolutely every way, and that was confirmed by both of you, but your buddy is wanting to return the Swaros and DOWNGRADE to the Vortex?

 

Did we just step into the Twilight Zone?

 

 

Anyway....I say keep the 15s. Save up over the next year or so for a GOOD spotter. That is what I am doing.

 

I use my 10s, on a tripod for most of my glassing out to a mile+. Switch to my 15s for picking apart every shadow, and glassing over a mile. Or watching something 1/2 mile away very closely. I can easily spot elk at 1.5-2 miles away, and can tell if it needs a closer look through a rifle scope or bow sight. With the mirage we get, even on cool days, 15X and up get blown out rather quickly in my opinion. But there are the times when a good spotter would be priceless. But that is about 1-2% of the time spent behind glass in my opinion.

[Bassmaster]

 

I ended up getting the razor 12x50 hd's because they were the best glass i could afford. My friend had his brand new swaro 12x50's el with swarovision. After two days of glassing in all conditions, low light, hand held, tripod, super long distances, raining and fog i can tell you my buddy is seriously consider returning his swaros. NO DOUBT the swarovski's were better, In every way except the actual weight of the binoculars. The performance was actually pretty close. The big difference was in field of view, this really bothered my buddy from switching back and forth. You lose a noticeable amount of real estate when glassing with vortex. Free handing was soooo much easier with the lighter and smaller vortex. The only astonishing difference was out past a mile. Were looking at a mountain somewhere between 1.5 miles and 2 miles away. The swarovskis spotted some cow elk on that mountain. I had a very hard time finding them even when he was telling me where to look. He handed me the swaros and the difference was insane. The swaros still gave a very clear and still a 3d view of the mountain..

 

I would keep the swaros if i were you. I WISH i could afford them. But i can tell you my buddy is seriously thinking of getting the vortex razor 12x and a razor spotting scope after a weekend of side by side viewing.

This post makes no sense to me. The Swaros beat the Vortex in absolutely every way, and that was confirmed by both of you, but your buddy is wanting to return the Swaros and DOWNGRADE to the Vortex?

 

Did we just step into the Twilight Zone?

 

 

Anyway....I say keep the 15s. Save up over the next year or so for a GOOD spotter. That is what I am doing.

 

I use my 10s, on a tripod for most of my glassing out to a mile+. Switch to my 15s for picking apart every shadow, and glassing over a mile. Or watching something 1/2 mile away very closely. I can easily spot elk at 1.5-2 miles away, and can tell if it needs a closer look through a rifle scope or bow sight. With the mirage we get, even on cool days, 15X and up get blown out rather quickly in my opinion. But there are the times when a good spotter would be priceless. But that is about 1-2% of the time spent behind glass in my opinion.

 

 

Yes swarovskis do beat them in every way except hand holding, But the $1500 difference is making him think twice since the downgrade was not by as much as your saying.

[lancetkenyon]

I am not saying it, YOU are.

 

I have just never, ever, heard of someone owning a far superior piece of glass and wanting to downgrade by 3 or 4 levels. He would find so much more game keeping the superior glass, as you both have already found out, and not wanting to downgrade to mediocre binos AND spotter.

 

Like wanting to trade a Ford GT40 for a Focus and a Festiva.

[rcdinaz]

Okay first I am not bragging but over the last 15 years I have accumulated some great glass... I have 8's, 10's, 12's and 15's and the HD spotter all Swaor's but the 8's. Part of the reason is my dad and my daughters all use my glass but I loved the 15's for a VERY long time until I bought the 12 El's. My own opinion is the 12's are the single best pair of bino's and it is not even close. I love the 15's on a tripod but I have never missed a thing that the two guys using 15's are able to find using the 12's. I also agree really good glass is the only way to go with a spotter so save, save, save!

 

If I can carry it you will find me with the big spotter and the 12's and now a tripod that is probably a little bigger than necessary as well. Of course this ain't no backpacking setup for that it would be the 12's and nothing else.

[Zeke-BE]

I am not saying it, YOU are.

I have just never, ever, heard of someone owning a far superior piece of glass and wanting to downgrade by 3 or 4 levels. He would find so much more game keeping the superior glass, as you both have already found out, and not wanting to downgrade to mediocre binos AND spotter.

Like wanting to trade a Ford GT40 for a Focus and a Festiva.

But that Focus will save him a ton of gas!!