Best Hunting Binoculars For The Money in 2022

The usefulness of binoculars is often overlooked by novice hunters, but those with a bit more experience know just how important good optics are in the field. Never underestimate a quality pair of hunting binoculars, and do your research to avoid purchasing just another pair of cheap binoculars.

In this guide we lay out our picks for the top binoculars in a few different categories, and arm you with a few tricks to pick the best pair for your needs and your budget.

Best Binoculars for Hunting Deer

If your family is like mine, then deer hunting is what it’s all about. Deer hunting, though, can be challenging, whether deep in the woods or in a wide open field. Knowing your hunting terrain preference will allow you to choose a pair of binoculars with a larger field of view or more magnification.

Upland Optics Perception HD 10x42mm Hunting Binoculars Review

If you want a pair of binoculars built specifically for hunters, look no further than the Perception HDs from Upland Optics.

These are a great all-around choice when it comes to hunting whitetail, or any other species of deer. The optics are high quality, but the product itself isn’t so outrageously expensive that you would be nervous carrying it around in the woods. Quality is important, but I certainly don’t want to hunt with a pair of binoculars that cost as much as a used car!

10x42mm is an ideal size and magnification for hunting binoculars. They are small enough that they can easily be carried around the neck all day long, which is key for spot and stalk hunting big game. Despite their portable size, the magnification is strong enough to allow you to spot deer from miles away.

For a young company, Upland Optics has churned out some great products in recent years. Many products have been praised by hunters, as well as earned endorsements from industry sites like OpticsDen.com.

Best 10×42 Binoculars for Hunting

Vortex Optics Viper HD 10×42 Binoculars Review

The Upland binoculars mentioned above offer great quality at a manageable cost, but if you have a slightly higher budget, check out the Viper HD binoculars. While these have a mid-level price, they deliver top of the line features at a lower cost than other products with comparable features.

These binoculars are typically sold at about double the price of the Upland pair above. The exact price varies from one store to the next, so we suggest comparing prices for the best deal.

Viper HD binoculars are fog proof and waterproof. The lenses also offer increased brightness and light transmission, which makes a noticeable difference in the quality and detail of the images, especially in low-light.

The best feature of this set of impressive hunting binoculars is the included lifetime warranty guarantee. That alone is worth the higher price tag of this model.

Best 8×42 Binoculars for Hunting

Nikon MONARCH5 8 x 42 Binocular Review

While the 10×42 style is one most commonly used by hunters, it is not an ideal choice for everyone. 8×42 style binoculars are best for hunters who do most of their hunting in heavily wooded areas. These are also a good choice for hunters who are looking for the the most lightweight option. With that in mind, our recommendation for the best 8×42 hunting binocular for the money is the Nikon MONARCH5.

The Nikon MONARCH5 is affordable and offers all the basic features hunters look for in an 8×42 binoc. The image is clear and sharp, which is more than you would except from a lightweight and affordable pair of binoculars. Even better, these binocs were designed for extreme use and extreme weather — they are fog proof, waterproof, and have a rubber armored body that is extremely durable and provides a non-slip grip for any occasion.

When comparing prices locally and online this name seems to vary significantly from one shop to the next, so make sure to shop around to find the best price.

Best Compact Hunting Binoculars

Bushnell H2O Waterproof/Fogproof Compact Roof Prism Binocular Review

If you find that space is usually limited on your hunting trips, consider purchasing compact binoculars. These are smaller and weigh less than a full-size model. Of these, my favorite model is the Bushnell H2O Compact Binocular.

Although small and affordable, these binocs are still waterproof and fog proof, which are two of the most important features in hunting optics. They also have a good non-slip grip, but before jumping to buy these cheap hunting binoculars, know that the compact style has more differences from full-size versions than just weight and size. The lenses are small in diameter due to the smaller size of the frames, which means that the image will be less bright than a similar, full-size model.

If you’re willing to make some trade-offs for your budget, these are a great lightweight and inexpensive option.

Best Binoculars with a Rangefinder

Leica 10×42 Geovid HD-B Laser Range Finding Binocular Review

For those interested in design and technology, consider a quality pair of hunting binoculars with a rangefinder. Having hunting binocs with a built-in laser rangefinder really takes your hunting game to a whole new level. These are not cheap, but our favorite model is the Leica Geovid HD-B Binocular.

These binocs have so many quality features it’s hard to find any faults! Features include:

• fog proof
• waterproof
• non-slip grip rubber housing
• thermometer
• barometer
• inclinometer
• 2000-yard laser rangefinder
• integrated ballistics computer

Although attractive, take into consideration how many of these features will actually be useful for you when you’re hunting. These binoculars might make you the envy of all your hunting buddies, but there is a hefty price-tag to match!

More Great Binocular Options

Bushnell Legend Ultra HD 10x 42mm Hunting Binoculars Review

If your hunting expeditions often bring you to big fields or mountains, then the Legend Ultra HD will likely be a good fit.

They have great magnification (of course this isn’t as important as a bow hunter), they are lightweight, the exterior has a camo design, and the lenses have a nice coating that repels water when you’re caught in the rain. In fact, the entire body is waterproof!

The Legend Ultra HD is made by Bushnell, a brand known for creating high quality optics gear. These binocs are consistently one of the top rated hunting products on the market and have received many impressive customer reviews on Amazon.

Vanguard Spirit XF Review

Having never used any Vanguard optics before, I wasn’t sure what to expect from the relatively inexpensive Spirit XF binoculars. I was surprised to find that they perform very well; they don’t fog up in the rain, fit comfortably in your hands for an easy grip, have good image clarity and field of view, and most importantly, are budget friendly.

These are an all around “safe bet” for quality and budget.

 

Vortex Optics Diamondback Review

The Diamondback is a great option for both quality and budget. Although a bit heavier than some of the more compact options, these binoculars are waterproof and fog proof, have good clarity, and come with a rainguard.

These binos are versatile and durable, making them a good option for most hunting conditions.

They also come with a lifetime warranty from the manufacturer, which is an incredible deal for the low price.

Steiner Predator Binoculars Review

If you do a lot of hunting at dusk or dawn, you will want something that works well in low-light scenarios. The Steiner Predator binos are a great option for hunting in dim conditions. They are ultra lightweight (although slightly larger in frame size), have good clarity and durability, and perform excellently in low-light conditions.

Their low-light performance makes them seem like they were custom made for hunters! That have an affordable price and do well out in the field.

Why Use Binoculars for Hunting?

Any experienced hunter will likely tell you the benefits of hunting with binoculars. When you’re up in a deer stand looking for your next kill, a good pair of binocs vastly improves your chances of spotting one. Quality binoculars allow you to see distant animals and surroundings with precision not possible to the naked eye. Unquestionably, binoculars are one of the most powerful tools in a hunter’s arsenal.

Hunting Binoculars Shopping Guide

Ideally, purchasing a pair of binoculars will be a lifetime investment. Most models are made to be durable, and short of dropping them, it will be hard to ever really wear a pair out. With lifetime use in mind, it is important to put a lot of thought into which model to buy and which features will help the most for your style of hunting.

For hunting game, one of the first priorities should be looking for models that perform well in low-light conditions. Deer and other game are typically most active at dusk and dawn, which means often working with limited visibility. Typically, models with objective lenses in the 42-50mm range provide the best results in dim light.

The level of magnification you will need from your binocs varies from one hunter to the next as it depends mostly on the type of hunting terrain. For turkey and deer hunting in woods and open fields, a 7x or 8x magnification is ideal. This will come in use when scanning tree lines and fields; as any hunter who has managed to snag a trophy buck can tell you, they like to hang back at the tree lines further away from the herd.

For hunters who tend to stay in open areas where the game don’t have a lot of cover, a 10x magnification helps to have great views at a further distance. However, I suggest not going much above 10x. Unless you are using a tripod to keep the binoculars steady, you will get a bit of image degradation from binocs 11x or above.

Since you’ll likely be out in unpredictable weather conditions, make sure your binoculars can handle the events of Mother Nature. I find that a good roof prism binocular performs best when you’re dealing with impact and high moisture situations. Most roof prism models are both weatherproof and fog proof, which is a nice bonus.

If you are looking to buy your first pair of binoculars, I can provide some of my own personal opinions and experiences to help guide your decision making. For your first set, you might want to go for the cheapest option, and purchase a low-end pair of binoculars for beginners. Take my word for it and resist this urge. Of course, don’t spend more than you can comfortably afford, but in my opinion you should expect to spend at least $100 on binoculars for them to perform well for many hunting seasons to come.

When you start shopping, as you maybe have already noticed, there are a lot of different brands and models on the market. Additionally, there are a lot of different features available, some better for things like bird watching while others are better for hunting.

Some features to consider for hunting binoculars include:

• magnification
• wide field of view
• weight
• waterproof body
• fog proof lenses
• coated lenses

While this is not a full list of all the features available, a product that includes even a few of them will suffice. If you are on a tight budget, start thinking about where you can make trade-offs among these features to find affordable hunting binoculars that won’t set you back too much.