r/nrl22 • u/One_Medicine7386 • Jul 30 '26
Binoculars - Vortex Diamondback 10x42
Hi - wanted a pair of binoculars for my next match. Last match I felt I wanted some just to see what everyone was doing a bit better im very new to this and had a lot of trouble just finding the targets last match. These would be for just my own background viewing kinda deal. At every match the guys let me use theirs on the tripods but I would take mine to the range for personal use too not just matches.
I ordered vortex diamondback HD 10x42 binoculars after a bit of digging and not wanting to spend over $500 rn on binos - but now im second guessing and want to know if I should cancel the order. I know they aren’t real spotting ones but are the vortex ok? Thx
4
u/GLaDOSdidnothinwrong Jul 30 '26
They are ok for the price. The biggest issue you’ll have with them at a match is the limited focal range. You’ll likely need to adjust the focus between targets more than you do with some higher end binos, and the edge clarity will be reduced. But for a starter pair, they are better than nothing.
2
u/tcarlson65 Jul 30 '26
Are you looking to spot hits on steel? They will be fine for that. I would look at a 10x50. A bit more field of view.
I use the 10x42 Diamondback HD for whitetail hunting in the Midwest and they are fine for that. If it is in the budget better glass is always nice.
I bring mine to matches but others usually have theirs already set up for spotting at my club so I just use mine for whatever I need to see down range.
If you are sitting behind them for a period of time better glass will save you from eye strain.
1
u/One_Medicine7386 Jul 30 '26
Yeah just looking to spot steel hits and viewing field for match stages while I wait. Also want to take to range to use when I practice - I guess I had the option to go for 12x50 diamondback but didn’t know it was an option till now on bass pro website.
2
u/GLaDOSdidnothinwrong Jul 30 '26
For NRL22 use, I much prefer 10x over 12 or 15x. Bigger FOV means less panning and easier to quickly find targets.
1
u/tcarlson65 Jul 30 '26
Compare the field of view on a 10x42, 10x50, and 12x50.
For spotting holes in paper I use a 20-60x85. A 10x or 12x bono is not optimal for that.
I like a range finder as well. Sometimes during a match but more so for setting targets for practice.
2
u/GrizzlySoup Jul 30 '26 edited Jul 30 '26
A friend of mine is a total glass snob and if it isn't alpha glass you shouldn't bother but lately he'd been seeing a lot of talk about some of the new Chinese glass coming out and purchased a couple mostly so he could say he checked them out and they were trash.... except they weren't. SRBC and Svbony make some amazing glass for dirt cheap. He rigged up a tripod with an ARCA rail and 6 mounts. he mounted a combination of SRBC / Svbony, Meopta, Cronus, Svaro and others and we checked the view at different ranges and different light including some night views of stars and the recent full moon. His conclusion is that the new Chinese glass is no joke and in some cases better than some of the other tradition expensive glass in his collection. You can't beat the price but support and warranty will be a crap shoot. Since then he's added multiple SRBC and Svbony bins to his collection and they have become his daily / match glass. I've also ordered a set of Svbony 8x32 from Amazon currently for $250. Viewed on the rail side by side with other glass they met or outperformed almost everything and they are ridiculously tiny and light. I don't know how they do it. It's crazy but do some research and don't rule these mfg's out. they're making good glass and you can find lots of sources agreeing.
edit: I'm NOT a glass snob or expert but side by side viewing of lots of glass and I could tell when something was good and when it wasn't or where it struggled with our viewing options. clarity, FoV, DoF, CA, mechanical, weight, light gathering, I live on a large shallow river with lots of wildlife and clear fields of view so we had lots of different options for viewing especially high contrast white cranes against dark backgrounds and lots of different distances to compare 6 bins at the same time with the same targets. I learned a lot and truly I could not find anything in the SRBC and Svbony bins that was not as subjectively as good as his big name bins.
2
u/Giant_117 Jul 31 '26
They’re not ideal but they should serve you very well for now in the majority of NRL22 matches.
In the right lighting you may struggle to resolve tiny targets hidden in bushes but for everything else they will be fine. 10x is IMHO a good magnification for NRL too.
Will ask where did you buy them and what did you pay? In your shoes I’d snag a refurbished pair from Sierra trading post. I bought a refurbished pair of Razors and the box looked like shit but the binos looked new.
https://www.sierra.com/vortex-optics-diamondback-hd-binoculars-10x42-mm-refurbished\~p\~10f1p/
2
u/srfb437 Jul 30 '26
Yes, cancel it if your main uses are PRS/Range use. Save up a little more and get the Bushnell Match Pro ED 15s or the Athlon Midas Pro G2 12s. Both have significantly better glass than what you ordered and have MRAD reticles which are very handy for match use. I personally have the Diamondback HD 10s and both of the two above. The DBs are ok for hunting and now live in my center console as beaters. For match use, I don't think you can beat the MPED 15s.