GUIDE TO HUNTING OPTICS

Glassing for deer using 10×42 BINOS

When It comes to hunting in the Southwest you can bet that you will be glassing hills and far off open areas looking for the game that you are pursuing.

In this article we are going to over the differences in optics and understanding optics a little better.

Glassing patience is key you can spend all day looking over the same hill, valley, or ridge over and over.

TYPES OF OPTICS

When it comes to choosing the right Optics for Glassing there are many choices to make from the optic company you want to choose and then what type of Optic you want. From Binoculars to Spotting scopes it may seem that you have unlimited options.

When it comes to choosing the right optic It is really up to your preference and price point. Optics can range any where from 100 dollars all the way up to 3,000 plus dollars. One of the factors that you will want to take in when it comes to purchasing optics is the game you are going for. For example if you are hunting Mountain Goats in the Rocky mountains or the Coyotes of the Sonoran desert you are going to want two different types of Optics. I typically use Riton Optics HD 10X42

WHAT DO THE NUMBERS ON YOUR OPTICS MEAN?

So What does it mean when the Optics you are looking at say 8×42 or 10×42. It means when you see “8×42”, the first number followed by an “x” is the magnification. So in this example, the binoculars have an 8x magnification and thus it will make whatever you look at through them seem eight times (8x) closer (or larger) than what they would with the naked eye.

Binoculars with 10×42, 10×65 or even a 10×52 in their name will all magnify the image ten times (10x)

The number that comes directly after the magnification when looking at the name on a binocular indicates the size (diameter) in millimeters of the main objective lenses (those are the bigger ones on the end of the binoculars).

So using the examples above, an 8×32 binocular has 32mm diameter objective lenses. A 10×42 will also have the same size (42mm) lenses, but with a higher magnification.

Whilst the 10×32 has 32mm objective lenses and those on the 10×26 are 26mm across.

The size of these lenses is important in many ways:

Firstly it plays a major factor in determining just how physically big the overall instrument will be: the larger the lens, the bigger and heavier the binocular.

So why would you want larger lenses?
Well a good way to think of it is like looking through a window. A larger window lets in more light than a small one.

This is the same with lenses: The increased surface area of larger objective lenses means they are able to capture more light and thus play a critical role in determining the brightness or more accurately the low light performance of the binocular.

Spotting Scope VS Binoculars

SPOTTING SCOPEBINOCULARS
Spotting scopes have only one lens and eyepiece,Binoculars have two lenses and two eyepieces.
Spotting scopes mostly have high-end magnification,Binoculars Magnification tend to have a smaller magnification
Spotting scopes pick up from there with magnification levels that most commonly fall between 15x-60xMagnification typically tops out around 12x
Spotting scopes are great for when you’ve already located your target and they’re not moving much and you want to keep an eye on them. Because you have a very small field of view With a much larger field of view, binoculars make it easier to locate a target that you saw with your naked eyes
Spotting scopes are best when you need to see something that’s really far away.These are the best choice when you need something small and lightweight. They’re also best for viewing subjects that aren’t too distant.

To break it down Binoculars are better when you are trying to spot your game off in the distance and then you can use your spotting scope to get a closer look.

WHAT TO USE WHEN HUNTING

If you are sheep hunting or hunting in an area where you will be spotting animals in a distances of 1 mile or more such as couse deer hunting in the desert I would suggest using a pair of Binoculars that are at-least 15 power or bigger and then use a spotting scope to get a closer view on the animal and to watch it while you plan your next move to get in shooting range. If you are hunting javalina, predators, or anything under a mile I would suggest not using a spotting scope and using Binoculars with Powers of at-least 10X42 ‘s.

Now that you have an understanding of Optics head on over to How to Glass to find out how to use your optics and tips and tricks when it comes to spotting your game.


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  1. Pingback: HOW TO GLASS : SouthWestern Outdoorsman

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