No matter what big game species you’re hunting in New Mexico, quality hunting optics are an important part of the equation. This country is big and open, often requiring us to glass long distances. What’s more, drawing a big game tag in New Mexico can be a big deal for many hunters. So quality optics are critical in determining trophy quality in order for the hunter to maximize that opportunity.
Over the years we’ve used many different brands of hunting optics. We’ve been behind the glass with Leica, Swarovski, Vortex and others. But eventually, we’ve settled on Zeiss optics. We highly recommend Zeiss binoculars and spotting scopes for hunters – in large part due to the extremely high quality of the optics. And also because of their outstanding customer service.
For a complete Zeiss product review and a look at the hunting optics that we choose to use in New Mexico, check out the following video:
Our Top Recommended Hunting Binoculars:
When it comes to all all-around versatile bino that you can carry on any big game hunt, we recommend the Zeiss Victory RF 10×42 range finding bino. It’s perfect for anything from close-range bow hunting for archery elk, out to long distance glassing for species like Barbary sheep and pronghorn.
Whether you’re hunting alone or with a partner, having rangefinding capabilities in your binocular is a total game-changer. Instead of switching between two pieces, you’ve got everything all in one. When you’re calling out ranges for a hunting partner who is getting ready to take a shot, you don’t have to take your eyes off the animal when switching between your binos and your rangefinder. The ability to keep eyes on the game while taking constant ranges is extremely helpful.
The Zeiss Victory RF 10×42 gives you the best of both worlds in a very high quality package. This includes angle compensation and other features you’d find in a top-tier rangefinder, plus the incredible high quality glass that Zeiss optics are known for. When paired with the Zeiss app, you can enter 9 different ballistic profiles for different guns. This provides you with bullet drop and ballistic data in real time with your range finding binoculars.
Binoculars for Long Glassing Sessions
The 10×42 binoculars are perfect to carry in a chest harness as a great all-around bino. But when we sit down to glass for longer periods of time, we bring out the tripod and the Zeiss 15×56 binoculars. They come with a tripod adapter and are perfect for long-distance glassing or anytime you’ll be combing the landscape for game. When mounted on a quality tripod, the wide field of view and the sharp clarity of these 15×56 binoculars allow you to spot game that you may not have seen otherwise.
LOH Outfitters Recommended Spotting Scope
When it comes to spotting scopes, we recommend the Zeiss Victory Harpia, in a 22-65 power and 85mm objective lens. It carries plenty of power to get a closer look at game to evaluate trophy quality, while the 85mm objective provides excellent light-gathering abilities.
This spotting scope has the focus and the magnification in the body, while most spotting scopes have the magnification built into in the eyepiece. This is a critical difference, as it allows you to zoom in to 65 power, but maintain a wide field of view. This is an important feature whenever you take a shot because it allows you to have a close-up view of the animal while the wide view helps you see where the animal goes after the shot.
Questions About Hunting Optics?
If you have questions about which hunting optics to bring on any New Mexico big game hunt, please don’t hesitate to ask. We’d be happy to provide you with more specific recommendations for a particular hunt.
Whether it’s questions about optics, other gear or our guided hunts, feel free to contact us. You can find our phone, email and the rest of our contact information here. To learn more about our guided New Mexico Hunts, please take a few minutes to review the rest of the information here on our website.