Best Binoculars for Elk Hunting in 2018 (Reviews & Guide)

Buying the best binoculars for elk hunting is one of the things you need to do if you are to succeed at hunting the intricately horned ungulates. It’s always advised that elk hunters keep their distance to avoid provoking a response from the wild beasts. This is why you’d need an efficient pair of binoculars to stalk them from a distance.

Getting the right binocular for this purpose is easy when you know where to look and what to look out for. The process gets even easier when you let our comprehensive guide and reviews of elk hunting binoculars lead the way.

Top 10 List of the Best Binoculars for Elk Hunting

1. Nikon PROSTAFF 7S 10×42 Inches All-Terrain Binocular
2. Vortex Optics Diamondback 8×42 Roof Prism Binoculars
3. Steiner Predator 10×42 Binoculars
4. Zeiss Terra 10×42 ED Binoculars
5. Leupold BX-1 Yosemite 6×30 Porro Prism Binoculars
6. Bushnell PowerView 10×50 mm Porro Prism Instafocus Binoculars
7. Xgazer Optics 10×42 Ultra HD Certvision Binoculars
8. Bushnell Green Roof Trophy 10×42 Binoculars
9. Bushnell Legend L-Series 10x42mm Binoculars
10. Carson 3D Series High Definition Waterproof Binoculars with ED Glass

What to Look for Before Buying Best Binoculars for Elk Hunting

• Magnification:

This is one of the first features you should check when buying binoculars for any purpose. For deer hunting, a decent pair of 8x or 10x binoculars will allow you observe a herd and stalk one in great details. You will be forgiven to think that more magnification would serve you better, but that’s not the case.

High powered binoculars (exceeding 10x) can get very shaky which will make your binoculars less useful to you unless it comes with an image stabilizer. Considering the fact that elks are quite sizeable, 10×42 binoculars and binoculars around that specification are just what you need to hit the bullseye on your next adventure.

• Field of view

The field of view is measured at a distance of 1000 meters a thousand yards. It tells the width of the view you can observe through your binocular lenses. For good elk hunting binoculars, the field of view should be around 100 meters or more @1000 m.

This ensures that you don’t struggle with focusing on your target even when they are in motion. Wide fields of views also enable you to observe a larger area of your hunting ground, especially from an elevated ground.

• The handling and weight

Nothing short of a great handling would do when you purchase a binocular for elk hunting. Most binoculars come with a rubber armor covering most parts of the housing. This should be suitably textured to provide a non-slip grip even when the binoculars get wet.

You should also be comfortable with the weight of your binoculars. Quality binoculars can be slightly heavy, but this bit of extra weight is something you should be willing to put up with since compact binoculars hardly serve well for hunting.

• Optical type and quality

You’d need the best optical components in your elk hunting binoculars. This includes lenses made from top quality glass and preferably BaK-4 rather than BaK-7 prisms. It’s also recommended to go for binoculars with fully multicoated optics.

Though Porro prisms generally perform better than the more recent roof prisms, the latter allows for binoculars to be more compact and also performs impressively in terms of image clarity. We will place our bets on a nice pair of roof prism binoculars any day. But others professionals can have a different opinion regarding this.

• Objective sizes

The size of your objectives determines the level of brightness of your views. High-quality 42 mm lenses gather a good amount of light in all conditions and are reasonably sized. Lenses with diameters reaching 50mm and more specialized for low-light conditions but these can be much heavier than standard size (8×42) binoculars.

Reviews of the Recommended Top 5 Best Binoculars for Elk Hunting

1. Nikon PROSTAFF 7S 10×42 Inches All-Terrain Binocular – best power binoculars for elk hunting

The 10×42 Nikon Prostaff binocular will ensure that you meet you elk hunting goals. Its nice green camo rubber armoring makes sure that you stay hidden as you observe the elks from a distance. The 10x magnification is just what you need to bring the target bring your targets closer and keep a close eye on your surroundings.

The 42 mm gathers sufficient light even when your hunting area is densely packed with trees that obstruct the sunlight from reaching the forest ground. Every hunter needs a sharp eyesight, but this binocular makes things even clearer with the HD images provided by the fully multicoated lenses and roof prisms with phase correction coating.

The 1.42 pounds is a good weight for a full-sized binocular and the 10×42 Nikon Prostaff binocular is water as well as fog proof. The field of view of is great for elk hunting at 324ft. /1000 yards.

2. Steiner Predator 10×42 Binoculars – best size binoculars for elk hunting

This 10×42 Steiner Predator binocular is a great choice for elk hunting. It is specially built to make spotting animals in the wild much easier. The special coating on the lenses acts as a color filter which takes the blue and green off your views while making red, brown and other colors close to these colors more pronounced.

This makes elks and other wildlife easy to spot. The chassis as well as the properly textured black rubber armoring are of great quality and provide the binoculars with all the protection they need when you go hunting. The fast close-focus system makes tracking moving animals stress-free.

The 42 mm objectives provide an excellent level of image brightness in all conditions while the minimum focus distance of 6mm enables you to observe other games moving close by. The price/performance ratio is awesome and the housing is completely sealed and nitrogen filled to make the binoculars water and fog proof.

3. Zeiss Terra 10×42 ED Binoculars – best binoculars for Colorado elk hunting

Zeiss has a good number of high-end binoculars on the market but this 10×42 binocular is a mid-range gear in the Terra series. The ergonomics is amazing; the large centrally positioned knob is easy to adjust even when you have gloves on.

The rubber armor covering the exterior features strategically placed depressed patterns that improve your grip and prevents the binoculars from slipping. The 10x magnification gives the binocular a long reach and the 42 mm lenses makes it very bright even in low light. The minimum focus distance is just 1.6 meters (5.25 ft.) and the binoculars are relatively light at 690g.

The field of view you get at 1000 meters is 110 meters. The FMC lenses provide images of outstanding clarity and the 4.2 mm exit pupil is a great value for hunting at dusk and dawn. All these features and more make this ear one of the best binocular for elk hunting though there are better performing binoculars from Zeiss, especially those in the Victory series but they cost almost four times this binocular.

4. Bushnell PowerView 10×50 mm Porro Prism Instafocus Binoculars – best elk hunting binoculars under $200

If your budget isn’t so friendly, then this 10×50 binocular from the Bushnell PowerView series is your best bet. It helps you get the most of your elk hunting adventures with its great blend of good optics and a durable build.

The imaging performance provided by the fully multicoated lenses and BaK-7 Porro prisms is impressive. The rugged camouflage rubber armor adequately equips the binocular for the extreme situations you are likely to face outdoors. The fold-down eyecups make the binocular practical for both eyeglass and non-eyeglass wearers.

The color reproduction and clarity at 10x magnification is beyond satisfactory for a low priced binocular. The 50mm objectives guarantee bright images and the exit pupil value of 5mm makes this Bushnell binocular great for low light use. The dimensions are 2.68 inches x 6.61 inches x 6.61 inches and the total weight is 1.56 lbs. (680.4 grams).

5. Xgazer Optics 10×42 Ultra HD Certvision Binoculars – best binoculars for hunting elk

This is yet another 10×42 binocular that made the list. The great views it offers in HD clarity are invaluable to elk hunters and remind you of how awesome the great outdoors can be. The central focus wheel is ergonomically placed for smooth and easy adjustments.

The black armor gives the device a sleek look and also provides a secure grip and protection against dents, scratches, and shock. Like most good hunting binoculars, the optics are fully multi-coated and the roof prisms are phase-corrected to prevent reflections and boost light transmittance for the best level of imaging performance.

Views are clear across the wide 342 ft. / 1000 yards field of vision. The binoculars weigh 1.6 pounds which is slightly heavy but manageable and that’s mostly due to the 42 mm objectives which let in enough light in all conditions. All included accessories are good quality and they greatly increase user comfort and the binoculars durability.

Conclusion

For so many obvious reasons you’d need a binocular the next time you go elk hunting. Several hunters sometimes comb the same area for games and you’d agree that it’d be more forgiving for a fellow thrill seeker to find you trying to make out his figure in the dark through your binocular lenses rather than your rifle scope with your weapon pointed at him.

The definition of a great binocular always depends on individual preferences but when making your choice, be sure to put all you’ve discovered in our guide to good use and revisit our reviews of the best binoculars for elk hunting.