3 Best Binoculars for Elk Hunting In 2025

In this post, I’ll guide you on how to pick a great set of binoculars for elk hunting and recommend you the best models.

With the temperatures finally dropping, this can only mean one thing: the elk hunting season is finally here! But before you head out to the field, there are a few essentials you should get.

Even though elk are part of the deer family, they are more difficult to hunt. One thing that can help you have a successful elk hunt is having the right tools, specifically, a quality pair of binoculars. And with the best binocular for elk hunting, you’ll have a bigger field of view and more magnification.

#	Products	Magnification	Objective lens	Amazon product page
1	Nikon 7577 MONARCH 5 10×42 Binocular	10×	42mm	Check price
2	Celestron 71372 10×42 Granite Binocular	10×	42mm	Check price
3	Nikon Aculon A211 10×42 Binoculars	10×	42mm	Check price

Top 3 Best Binoculars For Elk Hunting (2025)

#1. Nikon 7577 MONARCH 5 10×42 Binocular

Design and build

Nikon 7577 MONARCH 5 10×42 Binocular is the best binocular for elk hunting. As with the majority of binoculars in the Monarch collection, the chassis of Nikon 7577 is made using a blend of polycarbonate and fiberglass. Combining these materials results in a sturdy but lightweight unit, which is easy to carry on your elk hunts. 

Another attribute that makes these binoculars ideal for elk hunting is their waterproof and fog proof construction. The focus mechanism is secured with O-rings and lubricants making it resistant to light water splashes. To prevent internal fogging, the optics set has been purged with dry nitrogen gas molecules that are able to absorb and remove any traces of moisture.

Although Nikon 7577 binoculars are only available in black, they come in two sizes: an 8×42 and 10×42. Another feature worth mentioning regarding its design is the focus knob. It’s large-sized, smooth, precise and it works efficiently.

Eyecups and eye relief are some of the features that determine whether a gadget is the best binoculars for deer hunting.

Well, the Monarch 5 excels in both aspects. The 8×42 has an eye relief of 19.6 mm that works great but that of the 10×42 is 15.5 mm, which is on the shorter side.

Made from pliable rubber, the eyecups feel comfortable against your face. They’re also equipped with a click-stop feature that locks them into a position to prevent slippage.

Furthermore, the interpapillary distance range of the binoculars is 54 to 74mm. This provides a sizeable spread compared to that of other prism binoculars. With these three features, any elk hunter can get a good viewing position when in the field.

Lens

Perhaps the most impressive feature of the Monarch 5 is the lens, which features extra-low dispersion glass. Usually, this is a technology that’s reserved for high-end binoculars. For some reason, Nikon manages to provide ED glass without breaking your bank.

The benefit of ED glass is that it reduces color fringing, providing users with crystal clear images. This also enhances resolution for low light or night time viewing.

There’s a lot more to love about the Monarch’s lens. These include a roof type of prism and an excellent field of view.

As mentioned earlier, the binoculars are available with a magnification of 8x or 10x. The field of view for the 8x gadget is 330 ft per 1000 yards while the 10×42 binocular has a field of view of 288 ft per 1000 yards.

Pros

• Comes with an extra-low dispersion glass lens that provides bright, contrasting images
• Multi-coated glass lens increases light efficiency
• Extremely portable and lightweight

Cons

• The lens cover is quite big, so it’s likely to fall off during use
• Not ideal for viewing objects closer than 2.5 feet
• Vague instructions on how to use the camera

#2. Celestron 71372 10×42 Granite Binocular

Design and build

The build quality of the Celestron 71372 makes them one of the best binoculars for elk hunting. They boast an open-hinge design, which offers both aesthetic and practical benefits.

Function-wise, this pattern cuts back on its total weight and enables you to hold it in one hand. This makes it very handy for elk hunts where you might need to carry extra hunting essentials in your other hand.

This pair of binoculars has a magnesium housing that’s very durable. It’s also waterproof and fog proof, making it possible to hunt even in wet conditions.

The size of the Celestron 71372 varies depending on several aspects such as objective lens and magnification. The size of the 10×42, which is the most suitable for elk hunting, is 6 x 2 x 5 inches. The 8×42 is also a great choice for hunting and it measures 5.5 x 2.25 x 5 inches.

For easy use, these binoculars have a large center focus knob and the standard twist-up eyecups. Important to note is that the eyecups are made of rubber coating so that they can feel comfortable when pressed against your face.

Also, they have an eye relief of 15.2 mm, making them excellent binoculars for people with glasses. This is because the eye relief offers an excellent field of view without requiring users to remove their glasses.

Lens

These binoculars come with Bak-4 prisms, which are regarded as one of the best in the Porro prism category. Constituting superior glass, these prisms result in clearer images.

Like the Monarch 5, the lens of these binoculars features ED glass that provides a high resolution even at night time or low light conditions.

Celestron 71372 is an optics gadget that’s available with different objective lenses and magnification. Each one of these has a specific field of view.

Check out this comparison chart:

Model	10 x 42	8 x 42	10 x 50	12 x 50
Magnification	10x	8x	10x	12x
Field of view at 1000 yards	340	426	341	280
Objective lens(mm)	42	42	50	50

When hunting elk, the ideal magnification is 10x or 8x. Any less you won’t be able to view distant details clearly. Similarly, more magnification will cause images to be unstable.

As for the objective lens, the 42mm is a better option. This gives you a good view of the field without adding too much weight to the device.

Pros

• The ergonomic design makes it possible to hold for a long time
• Magnesium body makes for a solid and durable build
• ED glass lens provides clear images

Cons

• Pricey
• Diopter adjustment knob needs improvement
• The image is not as sharp around the edges

#3. Nikon Aculon A211 10×42 Binoculars

Design and build

For inexpensive elk hunts, the Nikon Aculon A211 is the best option. The beauty about this set is that even with a low price tag, it has fantastic features such as a rugged design.

With an anti-fog coating and waterproof housing, you’ll be able to use these binoculars outdoors in any weather condition.

Another part of this design that is really useful is the large center focusing wheel that makes for easy adjustments. It’s made using a slip-resistant material so that it’s easy to handle even when you’re wearing gloves.

The dimensions of these binoculars are 8.1 x 4.13 x 4.13 inches and they’re only available in black color.

The interpupillary adjustment range of the A211 is 56 to 72 mm. These binoculars also have twist-up eyecups, which feel comfortable regardless of whether you wear glasses or not. For a seamless viewing experience, this optics set has 11.8 mm eye relief.

Lens

The Aculon binoculars have a powerful 10x magnification. This is enough magnification to help you see elks that are far off. This is complemented by the 42 mm objective lens, which enhances its light-gathering capability. Thanks to this feature, you’ll see well both at dawn and dusk.

These binoculars have the traditional Porro prism that produces a reasonable depth of field. The Porro prisms used are actually the Bak-4 type that provides a circular exit pupil and very clear pictures.

Another noteworthy feature is the wide-angle of view. This minimizes the appearance of unstable images which is common when using such high-power optics. To be specific, the binoculars deliver a 314-foot field of view at 1000 yards.

Pros

• Multi-coated glass lenses provide bright, clear images
• Rubber-armored coating provides a non-slip grip
• Affordable
• Has an easy-to-reach focus knob

Cons

• Slightly heavy
• Difficult to focus on high zoom levels
• The plastic-made bridge is likely to bend; hence not the most durable

Conclusion

All the binoculars we’ve reviewed are perfect for elk hunting. However, the Nikon Monarch 5 is the best binocular for elk hunting out of the three. It has a mid-range price and yet it offers numerous features that improve your hunting experience. These include a waterproof/fog proof build, high magnification power, ED lens and reasonable field of view.

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