Best Of The Best Winners
Vortex Viper 10x42mm (Top)
$610
800-426-0048
vortexoptics.com Based in Wisconsin, Vortex has been marketing its own line of optics since the late 1990s, and the Viper 10x42mm is one of the company's very best. It has features similar to those of the Brunton (below), including a piano hinge and locking diopter adjustment ring. It even has screw-out eyecups that, happily unlike the Brunton's, only screw out, not off. The high magnification does restrict exit pupil, but the BaK-4 glass prism keeps those pupils full and round, and you get a higher twilight factor for making out details. There's sufficient eye relief for even eyeglass wearers, and the resolution is exceptionally good, with virtually undetectable spherical aberration. All in all, this is the right size and weight package at the right price.

Weight: 26.5 oz.
OAL: 6"
Width (with hinges closed): 41⁄2"
Exit Pupil: 4.2mm
Eye Relief: 16.5mm
Fov: 320' @ 1,000 yd.
Twilight Factor: 20.5
Waterproof-Fogproof: Yes
Resolution: Exceptionally Good

 Brunton Epoch 7.5x43mm (Bottom)
$1,450
307-857-4700
brunton.com Choosing the best top-priced binocular was no easy task. Three ranked together, and tester opinions kept shifting. Ultimately, the Epoch 7.5x43mm got the nod. First the flaw: The non-diopter eyecup not only screws out but off, and it should not. Beyond that there is little to complain about. Resolution is exquisite. For a binocular with 43mm objective lenses, the size and weight are excellent. The 7.5x43mm configuration offers an ample exit pupil and is great in low light. All testers liked the feel of the locking diopter adjustment ring and the gray armoring, which is soft enough for a good grip. A piano hinge should ensure that the binocular will stay in collimation. The rubber-dotted brushed-metal adjustment rings lend the Brunton an Art Deco touch. This is simply an excellent piece of hunting optics.

Weight: 26.5 oz.
OAL: 6"
Width (with hinges closed): 41⁄2"
Exit Pupil: 5.7mm
Eye Relief: 20mm
Fov: 370' @ 1,000 yd.
Twilight Factor: 17.9
Waterproof-Fogproof: Yes
Resolution: Exquisite