• The SH Membership has gone live. Only SH Members have access to post in the classifieds. All members can view the classifieds. Starting in 2020 only SH Members will be admitted to the annual hunting contest. Current members will need to follow these steps to upgrade: 1. Click on your username 2. Click on Account upgrades 3. Choose SH Member and purchase.
  • We've been working hard the past few weeks to come up with some big changes to our vendor policies to meet the changing needs of our community. Please see the new vendor rules here: Vendor Access Area Rules

Monocular vs Binocular for saddle hunting

Dig ur elbows into ur body and use 1 hand to support the other making 3 points of contact. Look at what u want to see with both eyes open, raise monocular into the line of sight with dominant eye. Find target with both eyes open then close ur non dominant and u should be seeing ur target thru the lens. I'll put my index finger on my cheek or forehead and u should have as steady a sight pic as binoculars. Or use ur bow to steady like a rangefinder
 
I hunt where it’s thick enough where either are just extra weight. Could see where they are beneficial for watching deer where more open like out in mid west
 
I have used binos for years, but have recently moved to mono due to an eyesight issue which makes using binos impossible ( unless I close one eye and use as a mono).

If I could still effectively use binos, I would. But then again I am not a weight weenie.

I have the vortex 8x36 and 10x36. For swamps and in general, the 8 is better. More light gathering, bigger field of view and strong enough for what I need. I carry both in a Rick young outdoors bino case and harness. I decided I would leave one back that didn’t get used as much. I may eventually leave to 10 back.

I went through a multitude of Amazon purchases and returns for monoculars last year. I wanted to try and get something better,but none compared to the vertex in low light viewing. None. Take that for what it is worth if you choose the monocular route.

Bino or mono, I would recommend buy the highest quality glass you can afford. It does make a difference. And a nice Rick young outdoors harness makes them easy to carry/use.

This one?


I have the Solo 8X25. I figured if I hardly use it, I might as well get the cheapest/lightest. It can easily go in a pants pocket. It's very good for the price.
 
Dig ur elbows into ur body and use 1 hand to support the other making 3 points of contact. Look at what u want to see with both eyes open, raise monocular into the line of sight with dominant eye. Find target with both eyes open then close ur non dominant and u should be seeing ur target thru the lens. I'll put my index finger on my cheek or forehead and u should have as steady a sight pic as binoculars. Or use ur bow to steady like a rangefinder

I learned a lot from that, thanks.
 
2021 is the year of weight savings. One sticking, new lighter saddle, minimalist backpack. Think I will pull the trigger on a mono this year too. My diamondbacks are nearly 1.5 pounds and I only use them maybe once every other hunt right at low light. Thinking the mono should be able to pull this duty at least mostly as well and live in my pocket instead of bouncing around on my sternum.
 
2021 is the year of weight savings. One sticking, new lighter saddle, minimalist backpack. Think I will pull the trigger on a mono this year too. My diamondbacks are nearly 1.5 pounds and I only use them maybe once every other hunt right at low light. Thinking the mono should be able to pull this duty at least mostly as well and live in my pocket instead of bouncing around on my sternum.
This is my thought process exactly also hence my original question.
 
This one?


I have the Solo 8X25. I figured if I hardly use it, I might as well get the cheapest/lightest. It can easily go in a pants pocket. It's very good for the price.

Yes, that exact same one. Everything I have read is that, all other things being equal, the larger the objective lens size (36 versus 25), the better the light gathering for low light. Also found in my research that the lower power has a wider field of view. IMO, the larger field of view is better for scanning / picking up something I want to view.

The vortex, from comparing them to monoculars purchased at Amazon and returned, had way better low light viewing.
 
2021 is the year of weight savings. One sticking, new lighter saddle, minimalist backpack. Think I will pull the trigger on a mono this year too. My diamondbacks are nearly 1.5 pounds and I only use them maybe once every other hunt right at low light. Thinking the mono should be able to pull this duty at least mostly as well and live in my pocket instead of bouncing around on my sternum.

You might be interested in the Rick young outdoors bino harness. Very light, can be configured to use different ways, can hold Bono’s, monos, range finder, etc. …

I find that if my monocular is at the ready all the time when out in the woods, rather than just in a tree, it gets way more use.

Check out RYO marketing. Pay attention to about 2:15 to 2:25 to address the bouncing.

 
I would look at the 8x32 diamondback hd's since you have a gift card. A friend of mine has them and they're surprisingly decent for the price. Maybe order the binos and a monocular and see which one you prefer. Unless you're dead set on ultra-light weight, I think you'll appreciate the extra field of view, perceived brightness, depth perception, and ease of view through the binoculars. Also, that Rick young harness is awesome. You'll barely notice the 16 ounce diamondbacks riding on that harness.
 
The monoculars are intriguing until you use them. Not great for anything more than a few seconds. I use my binoculars all the time and especially in extremely thick cover. The weight savings it not worth the lack of usability to me.
 
well..not an expert though. I use Brunton Echo Zoom Monocular in saddle.
Compact, light, and constructed of durable aluminum, the Monocular is as trail-worthy as they come. It also has a flexible eyecup that is comfortable all day long, can focus as close as 10 ft/3m, boasts a 10x-30x zoom, and provides sharp enough images to distinguish fine details on birds, flora and fauna at great distances. The Echo Zoom comes with a handy case and wrist strap that lets you attach it to your belt or wrist for quick access, while the included lens cloth keeps the monocular clean and clear.
 
I started with the Binos but quickly realized they were not needed for the area I hunt . I have found that 8x range finder was the perfect fit for my set up. My furthest shot is only 35 yards and that’s pretty consistent with my other locations
 
6X rangefinder is what I have at hand, so I use that. Binoculars are much heavier and I'm a saddlehunter, so there's that. :)
 
Use both!

I wear binoculars on a chest harness. Nice to have them “at the ready” in any weather and helps to keep my jacket from proofing out and potentially contacting the bow string in cooler weather while wearing more layers.

I also have a rangefinder in one of my saddle pouches. Range items when I get into the stand and use as a monocular (at times) while hunting. 5 or 6x on the rangefinder is plenty for me.
 
I have used a mono and binos and have found the binos are much easier to use. Especially after looking threw the mono for several seconds it seems like my closed eye starts to get tired from trying to keep it closed. Although the mono is definitely sufficient for any hunt I do in North Central WV. I have found myself using the binos a great deal more than the mono.
 
iv had 5 pairs of binos 2monos and 5 rangfinders .id say thats alot for a minimalist.i havent used any of them to fill a tag.and none of them work right now.thers no such thing as waterproof in oregon .nothing lasts out here.always too wet fogged op or have pine needles in them.al of the above.i measure distances from trees on google earth when im at home and cant see more than 20 yards in the woods.so i dont need arange finder.i like the idea of the mono but could never see anything threw one.probly just me and my hunting conditions.eather way dont waist money on cheep glass none of it works in low light.best exsperiances was with larger good coated glass binos.but they were not mine.and where still to wet however the bigger they are the more you can see past the water.but i like the idea of those luapold yosemite bird wachers. i spend too much money
 
I have a pair of Leupold Yosimite 8x30's that are very lightweight and make a huge difference especially at dawn and dusk. I hunt in some very thick cover as Maine is heavily wooded and I don't hunt field edges unless they are isolated but I carry them religiously so that I can decipher what that flicker of movement is when it's at 45 yards and be ready for a shot when they pop out at 15. Iv'e tried carrying mono's a few times but have always gone back to bino's. I find that binoculars are much better in low light and think that is a big advantage.
 
I just took my binos apart to try out a mono. We will see how I like it. one 8x42 side is 8 ounces vs the whole rig at 24 ounces. Those one pound savings add up.
 
Back
Top