Hunting involves a lot of specifics and while the surrounding, the spot, and the area matter, what is integral to your hunting experience is binocular magnification. This is that one factor you can’t skip out on at all. With the right optics in your toolkit, a hunter can optimize their hunting experience and ensure a successful hunt by the end of it.
However, with the morass of options available in the market, which one should you choose? Should you focus on size and shape as your priority or divert your focus to quality and magnification?
Buying and using a quality pair of binoculars can make or break your hunting experience, and for all the right reasons.
This article will wade through all the available options when it comes to binocular magnification and which one you should focus your blind reliance on.
What Makes a Quality Binocular?
When you look into the online or offline market for binoculars, your mind is going to be blown by the plethora of options available. Understanding the anatomy of your binoculars makes it a lot easier for you to pick the right one for your next hunting expedition.
Magnification – Since our article focuses primarily on magnification, we knew we had to include this in the first point. You should be able to pinpoint the magnification on the body of the eyepiece. The 10x and 12x are the most common of the two. But, if you want something even better, the 20x is possibly the best of the lot.
Objective lens – The size of the objective lens plays a crucial role in multiple aspects. It influences the comfort of viewing the target at a distance and it also decides the degree of light transmission, which is crucial to your hunting experience.
Glass – Last factor to consider is the glass. The higher the quality of the glass, the crisper the image would be on the other side. So, if you don’t want to compromise on the viewing quality, we’d recommend looking into a binocular with a higher glass quality.
Types of Magnification in Binoculars
With anatomy 101 out of the way, let us walk you through the different types of binocular magnification options and how they influence the hunting experience.
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10×42 binoculars for hunting
If you are looking for the most standard binocular specifications in the market, the 10×42 is hands down the most common one. It comes with 10x magnification and a 42 mm objective lens, which is enough for optimal light transmission and easy viewing of the area that you are hunting in. These are ideal for viewing distant objects, and hunting wildlife where you can’t go near the animal for your safety. Also, the 42 mm objective lens ensures brighter image reproduction, which is a reason enough for you to go with it.
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10×50 binoculars for hunting
If you are one of those hunters that prefer night time for their hunting expedition, the 10×50 binoculars are a pretty great option. The 10x magnification, paired with the 50 mm objective lens is quite promising. They are great for long-range hunting activities, especially because they come with an in-depth focus for easy viewing of the surroundings before you take the final shot.
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10×32 binoculars for hunting
If you are working with a smaller field of view, especially ones different from the 8×32 ones, the 10×32 is a pretty decent choice for your hunting requirements. The exit pupil in the 10×32 is comparably smaller but they do come with the required comfort that you need to have a successful hunt without falling through. Also, you do need to have pretty steady arms when using 10×32 binoculars since the focus takes some time to settle.
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8×32 binoculars for hunting
Amidst all the available binocular options, the 8×32 is hands down the most standard and diverse option you’d come across. It is easy to use, very versatile, and probably one of the best ones with a wider field of view for comfortably tracking your target in the field. The 8x magnification power of these binoculars is pretty impressive too, further adding to the overall benefits. The objective lens of 32 mm is decent for tracking down fast-moving targets, including wildlife.
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10x binoculars for hunting
For the people hunting area in smaller areas, we’d recommend looking into the 10x binoculars for hunting, especially because of how interactive the 10x binoculars are. Since they have a steady magnification with the 10x function, it isn’t surprising that they work effortlessly while scanning through larger areas in the surrounding. It is also ideal when you don’t want to risk your safety by inching closer to the animal you are planning to hunt. Using the 10x magnification, hunters can zero in on their target from a distance and then go ahead and take the final shot.
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15x binoculars for hunting
If there’s one magnification of binoculars that beats the rest, it has to be the 15x one. It offers better clarity of the images and field of view, even on some of the darkest nights. For the hunters hunting during the evening or dusk periods, the 15x binoculars ensures optimal light transmission for easy viewing and hunting experience. The average field of view with a 15x binocular can reach up to 1000 yards, which is pretty promising as well.
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12×50 binoculars for hunting
The 12×50 is the most popular variant among advanced hunters. If there’s a king to the list of binoculars, this would be it. Not just for hunting, the binoculars also pair well with stargazing, long-range shooting, etc. Besides the 12x magnification, the combined 50 mm objective lens takes the cake in this case. Not only does it ensure optimal light transmission, but it also features very clarity of visuals, especially during low light conditions. The field of view with this pair of binoculars is also around 1000 yards, which is a standard at this point.
With such a diversity of binoculars and magnifications available in the market, it isn’t surprising that you do get access to a variety of options that best suit your hunting needs. Which one of the lots you choose for your personal hunting experience entirely depends on the type of animal you are hunting and the accuracy you are on the lookout for.
Are 8x or 10x binoculars better?
Choosing between an 8x and 10 x binocular magnification might be very confusing, given how close the numbers are.
And, when you look at the situation from the outside, you might think that they won’t have much of a difference or the 10x would be a better optics to carry during your hunts.
However, you need to focus on the product’s image stability, light transmission, image resolution, and production to be able to decide what would be a better option for you.
10x has a slight advantage to it if you are hunting in a larger area of the forest where you need better magnification to secure your target.
10×50 or 12×50 binoculars better?
If you are on a budget and don’t want to spare a few extra hundred dollars for an extra 2x magnification, we’d recommend 10×50 as a superior option.
The 10x magnification with a 50mm objective lens diameter is more than enough to support you in your hunting expedition. However, there might come times when you’d be confused about which one to opt for and which ones to avoid.
If you don’t mind sparing the extra money for 2x magnification, go for the 12×50 binoculars instead.
What’s The Best Magnification for Hunting?
When you are hunting in the forest or open areas spread across a larger field, the ideal magnification would be between 3-15x. This means that you should be able to adjust the magnification between 3x to 15x comfortably to secure your target.
Having this diversity in the magnification allows you to magnify the animals at a closer range and in long shots as well.
FAQs
How powerful binoculars do I need for hunting?
For a powerful yet comfortable hunting experience, an 8-10x magnification in the binocular is more than enough.
What’s the best magnification for hunting?
The 10x magnification in the binoculars is considered the best magnification for hunting. However, if you are hunting dangerous wild animals wherein you can’t inch close to taking the shot, 15-20x magnification is a superior choice when hunting out west.
8 or 10 power binoculars for hunting?
Both 8x and 10x power binoculars are worth the money, provided you are buying a good quality one. They don’t have a lot of difference but we’d recommend sticking to the 10x for the standard hunting experience.
Conclusion
If you are confused about binocular magnification for hunting, we hope this article gives you a detailed outlook on everything you need to know. Always pick an option based on where what and when you will go hunting. These factors do make a lot of the difference in the final choice that you make so keep that into consideration.
Make sure to check our best compact binoculars for hunting list.