Just wondering if ya'll had any suggestions for some binoculars in the $400 and down range. I had a pair of 10x42 Nikon ATB that I liked that someone broke into my truck and stole, but before I bought another pair like that I thought I would see if there were any better for the money. Thanks!

Drury Outdoors Dream Season Nikon Monarch ATB Binocular 10x56...Best you can buy, they have an unbeatable lifetime no-fault guarantee. Also the Burris fullfield II Binocular 10x42...Great clarity and brightness.

I second the Burris FullfieldII. Great clarity and about a hundred bucks cheaper than the Nikon Team Realtree.

Leopold Wind River and you can get them for about $250.00.

I just bought a pair of 10x42 Steiner's last years models for around 500 and they were 840's last year and they appear to be good glass for the money.

Wind rivers seem pretty clear with a good sight picture.

I bet the 10x with 56mm would be worth taking a look at.

I am forunate enough to land a pair of Swarvoskis; get you some

You might want to look at the Minox. I bought a pair last year and they are real good glass for the money.

Thanks for the help!

ditto on leupold wind river

I have the Cascades, good eye relief, especially if you wear glasses, 10x is a little strong up close. My dad just got the Katmai 10x, a little smaller than the 10x, slightly less eye relief, but still good. A good combination of full size features in a near compact size.

Vortex Vipers or Pentax DCF or as said earlier Minox. They are only about $100 more than your $400.00 but are a DEFINITE step up from Monarchs. Nothing wrong with Monarchs at all but they are simply not in the same class as the bino's listed above. Of course the above listed cost a couple hundred more, but only a $100 or so more than your $400 budgeted. you'll never regret spending the extra $100.
Spend the most you can afford on binos, you will absolutely never regret it.

Bill

Almost all of my rifle scopes are Leupold and I have some Leupold compact binoculars, but the ones I like the best for the money are the Nikon Monarch 10x42. They are hard to beat for the price!!

I just got the burris fullfield II combo pack from academy and they seem to be a real nice set of binoculars.

For the money I'd have to go with Nikon. I've got two pair that I have had for around 15 years and they have been outstanding.

My girlfriend just bought me a set of Zeiss Conquest 12x45's binos. Guess I've been a good boy. She said she has ordered my Zeiss Conquest rifle scope. The binos I was able to compare to a couple of other top end sets and these seem to be the best.

I just took delivery of a Weaver Grand Slam 10.5x45 binocular bought new from a guy off EBay. The list price on the box was $399 (I was the high bidder and paid $187). This glass is a roof prism model and is phase corrected with fully multi-coated lenses. I bought them on a whim because I very much like Grand Slam riflescopes--I have a 3x9 mounted on my .30-06 and another on my 7x57 and a 4.5x14 on my 7mm Mag. These scopes are nothing like the units your dad once had on his old rifle, are now made in Japan, and are overlooked by the Leupold/Burris cognicenti. I also own Leupold and Burris, as well as B&L, Pentax, Nikon, and Zeiss.

Last night, right at dark, I sat on the back porch with the new binocular, along with my go-to glass--my Leica 10x42s. I compared the two binos and their ability to resolve detail and gather light. The Weavers actually seemed clearer to me, even a bit brighter. My Leicas had a crisper image toward the edges of the field of view, but one should expect this for a bino costing three times as much as the Weavers.

I think you ought to look at the Grand Slams alongside the other binos recommended on this thread. Dave

I have thought about getting a grand slam scope, how is it compared to the Bushnell elites?

My lightweight spotting scope is a B&L (now Bushnell) 15x45 Elite. It has accompanied me on several mountain hunts in the past and will be in my daypack this September in Wyoming for my Unit 5 bighorn hunt. IMO, the Elite line and Grand Slam are comparable....but my experience with the Elites is thin. Perhaps others can chime in......

By the way, you should check out some birdwatcher websites: betterviewdesired.com and birdwatching.com/optics. We hunters can be anal about our optics, but we're not even close to the birders when it comes to evaluating and coddling their binos. I once bought a pair of Olympus Magellan 8x42 binos for my wife after reading the reviews by the birdwatchers......amazing optical performance for less than $200! Dave

I side with copperhead, you can't beat a good pair of Zeiss

Bats21, I own 2 Zeiss binos and agree that they're top-of-the-line. Tell me: Where can you buy a new Zeiss glass for less than $400, the upper limit set by the poster? He'll have to rely on Pacific Rim products, not European I believe. Dave

If she hadn't of bought the Zeiss for me I would have settled for Leupold windrivers, good glass for the cost. As I get older I find that glassing sure saves me a lot of tracks. So instead of investing in expensive boots, I go for the glasses now.