Really dont want to/cant spends hundreds and hundreds on a pair.But would like to find an all around good pair.Ones good for hunting but also for picking out birds too.My kids and wife and me like to go to Assateague Wildlife Refuge in VA looking for birds and deer si want to find a nice clear pair for that.Any suggestiins?

I bought the leupold bx-Acadia 8x42 on sale this past fall and have been pleased with them. There are several good YouTube channels that explain and demonstrate field of view, power & etc. I found them to be helpful.

I use mine for checking traps, deer season (in woods, no long distance), and some bird watching in the backyard. If you look in the t-man search you can finds some threads on this subject.

Cabelas often have these on sale, so if you are not in a rush, you could get a good price on them. The binoculars are great, however, the case and lens covers are about as cheap as you can get.

I bought a pair of redfield 10x42 a few years ago been happy with them. There what I use hunting a little heavy but not to hard on the pocket book.
J

Don't know your budget, but I have an older (10+ years old) pair of Leupold binoculars (Cascade) and a pair of Vortex (Viper) that we bought this past year. The Vortex Viper binocs are very clear and we like these a lot. The Leupold are also pretty good, the Vortex binocs slightly more clear.

10x40nikon monarks great glass

ALPEN!

IMO this is the most underated brand of optics. Easy on the wallet and I have never had any problems with their products. They have lifetime warranty on most all of their products, so if they ever need filled with nitrogen they will do it for free. Get some, you won't regret it.

If I were you I would pick a power and optic size then get the most expensive pair of vortex you are willing to get.

Leupold
I have 2 pair binoculars and 2 scopes 30 years- no problems

I had a pair of older nikon monarch i think they were 12 x 50 and a pair of 10x42 monarch, my son sent them in last year before deer season for new eyecups and cleaning. Some how they lost the big pair and finally sent us a new pair of monarch 5 -16 x 56 i like nikon monarchs they probably are not swarovoski or leica quality but close.. here is a pair on ebay right now nikon monarch bino i think thats pretty good deal !> new they seem to be around $600 -700 . if i was young i tell my kids to invest in a very high end pair as a guy spends most of time hunting looking through glass and its such a joy looking through a great pair. good binos also hold there value very well. while it took nikon quite a while to replace the lost pair i am satisfied with there customer service. my opinion you cant get a good pair cheap and ya get what ya pay for when buying glass. One year deer hunting i had a cheap pair of leopold there lowest end walmart stuff after a few hrs of walking through the hill we came to a big slough i took them and threw them as far as i could and said jeb i lost my binos...lol good luck with your purchase . Have seen some pretty good deals on archery talk classified section ya might want to check it out . i would think this is the right time of year to find a good deal.

I am needing to invest in another pair of binoculars sometime. I will try getting 12x50s smetime. i have nikon series 3 binos, 10x40, works great for hunting, moose, wolves, caribou, and beluga. Seals when I am looking for certain ones. After a few years they are not as clear so I buy another pair and keep the old ones around for emergencies or keep at camp. nikon and leupold makes some awesome binos. can try some of the lower price ones from ebay, amazon, or optics planet if you are not wanting to spend alot of money. I need to wait too on getting a new pair, hopefully during spring once it gets warmer out and don't need to buy stove oil.

Look at Nikon Monarchs. They have different levels to choose from. The quality for the price cannot be beat.

I have had good luck with Nikons also...but like Redfield also

I have been a fan of Nikon but I like my Vortex scopes even better so when I'm in the market for binoculars I'll look long and hard at the Vortex.

vortex viper hd in 12x50,buddy has a pair and when I need next set will have the same.

Theres a decent pair of nikons on camofire.com today only marked way down

I have always been limited in the amount I could/would spend on binoculars and have tried several brands.
Leupold has been the best I've tried.
The BX-1 (8x30) Yosemite are good & clear, but I had to wedge a piece of pipe cleaner in the eye cup adjustment to keep them extended (for no glasses viewing). I'm sure Leupold would repair/replace them if I sent them back, but it's no big deal since I always have them extended and just leave them that way.
The BX-1 Rouge compacts work great, just as clear but the smaller exit pupil (8x25 = 3.10 exit pupil) limits use in very low light.

recently bought Vortex Crossfire 10x15, $189 at Cabelas, love it!

alot depends,on your'e hunting conditions. we deer hunt big rolling hills get to the highest spot them glass for miles then stalk..need better glass than areas that are wooded. have found i enjoy good glass more than any investment i made on hunting...

To answer in your price range, my brother who works optics at Cabelas is sold on Leupold. Honestly, I could not see the difference compared to the lower priced brands. My uncle's binos which I have inherited are Bushnell, 7 x 35. I purchased a like pair a number of years ago too.
I looked up on Cabelas and there is a Bushnell 10 x 42 for 149.99. For the type of use you mentioned, I would go with the higher power, to get a clear view of the birds, and as you are not going to be carrying them miles deer hunting, the large size should not matter. Weight is not so much a factor as materials are not all metal as in years ago.

There are matters of eye relief, or eye strain which are important. Any pair of binos you purchase look through it for five minutes to see how your eyes feel. That is the best test. You need something though for wildlife watching which is a bit clearer, but that is not in your price range.

Personally, the pair I use is a camo Tasco for the shirt pocket, as the last thing I want while hunting is to lose a 500 dollar pair of binos. I do not need to count the hairs on an elk or feathers on a turkey. All I need is to have a pair of binos which show me if I have an log or an animal, to save me from stalking a stick. I paid 12 dollars for the Tasco set.

In that, I would suggest that you purchase the best binos you can, and then add a cheap shirt pocket set. It helps with bird watching too as you can look at things as your wife has the better pair.
Check and see if you like the Bushnells at 150 as the Leopolds are out of my range at 319.99 too.

I hope that helps.