Best Glass You Can Afford: Cody Nelson's No-BS Breakdown on Hunting Optics
|BY TRICER
Optics are one of the most debated categories in hunting gear — and also one of the most misunderstood. Hunters either chase the highest price tag thinking it equals results, or under-buy and leave real performance on the table. Cody Nelson cuts through both mistakes in this episode of Glass Better.
Cody is GOHUNT's Optics Manager and has tested more glass in more conditions than most hunters will in a lifetime. In EP. 2, he breaks down exactly what you get at each price point — and where the value curves actually shift.
The Honest Truth About Optics Pricing
There is a real performance gap between entry-level and mid-tier glass. Edge-to-edge clarity, low-light performance, color fidelity — these things improve meaningfully as you move up the price ladder in the $300–$900 range. The question Cody answers is: where does the curve flatten?
Above a certain price point, you're paying for marginal gains that matter a lot to some hunters and very little to others. Knowing where that threshold sits for your style of hunting is the difference between a smart optics investment and an expensive mistake.
Platform Matters as Much as Glass
Here's the thing most optics conversations miss: the binoculars are only half the equation. If you're handholding $2,000 glass, you're leaving resolution on the table. Mounting your binos on a stable tripod with a quality pan head doesn't just make glassing more comfortable — it fundamentally changes what you're able to see.
A mid-tier binocular on a solid Tricer platform will outperform premium glass in shaky hands at distance. That's not marketing copy. That's physics.
LP Pan Head — the lightest pan head on the market, built for extended glassing sessions
Tricer Tripods — the stable foundation that makes your glass work harder
Watch the Series From the Start
If you haven't watched EP. 1 — The 3 Pillars of Glassing — start there. Cody builds the foundation for understanding how glassing works before he gets into the gear. The two episodes together give you everything you need to upgrade your glassing game heading into season.
Better glass. Better platform. More animals. Shop Tricer.
Ive lugged around an old heavy tripod for years because thats what I had. I often sacrificed taking my Spotting scope because of the weight and almost always wished I hadn't left it behind. This year I decided to upgrade my tripod and pan head and saved over half the weight without sacrificing stability in the tripod. Infact it is easier to set up, quite, and just as sturdy as my old one. The compact pan head and handle work flawlessly and have been well worth the money spent.
Lost a foot on first trip out, (didn’t realize they came out so easy) told to order a replacement, none available?? After 2 weeks and $700, tripod is not usable!
I just returned from an Idaho bull elk hunt. After 5 days of Idaho's steep mountains. I was successfull in killing a great bull. The adjustability and quick deployment of the RP bipod made the 585 yard uphill shot on a side hill possible. The RP was rock solid making the shot easy. Though I am an experience long range shooter and hunter. The RP made my shot process easier and faster. It will be on all my hunts from here on.
