Maven B.7 Compact Binoculars Review: Perfect for Bow Hunting

If you are looking for a pair of binoculars for bow hunting, I just completed a 6-month test and review of the Maven B.7 8 x 25 compact binoculars and they are perfect for it.

Now, I am not a binocular expert by any stretch, but I have a lot of experience with high-powered binos and optics from my time in the U.S. Army’s 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), and I used that knowledge and two other pairs of compact binoculars to compare in this review.

With it being the offseason and my primary focus being turkey hunting through the spring and scouting for whitetails through the spring and summer, I wanted to take every opportunity I had to do a thorough test and review. I don’t like to do this stuff half-assed.

In this Maven B7 8 x 25 Binoculars review, I detail what I found from this extensive test and why I think these are a long-term solution for bow hunters. Especially bow hunters who hunt in hill country or mountains in the northeast like I do.

Maven B7 8×25 Compact Binoculars Review

Maven B.7 Binoculars

Compact and light enough to not weigh you down, the Maven B7 8×25 binoculars are a bow hunter’s best friend. They provide a level of clarity and field of view not expected in such a small bino. The Extra-low Dispersion ED Glass excels in low light conditions in deep woods environments where bow hunters need it the most. The fog-proof coating proved to be a much-needed asset on a few humid and rainy days and its waterproofing was tested extensively, holding up in some very demanding conditions.

I highly recommend them.

Pros

Excellent clarity for such a small binocular
Great in low-light conditions
Field of view that exceeds what is expected from an 8×25 bino
Waterproof and Fog proof
Fits in the palm of your hand (size medium for me)
Extremely lightweight
Tough and Durable

Cons

Price
There are no other cons. These are that good.

SEE IT AT MAVEN

SEE IT ON AMAZON

Background: How I Tested the Maven B7

I have been using the Vortex compact binoculars for the last two archery seasons and they have worked well for me. They are not in the same league as the Maven B7 but are a premium set of binos. I also have an older pair of Bushnell’s compact binos that I replaced with the Vortex pair after seven years of use.

It was nice having something to compare against during this Maven B7 Review because if they didn’t hold up to what is expected to be lower-tier options, then that would tell you everything right there. Luckily, that didn’t happen.

Every time I went to the range, went in the woods scouting, went turkey hunting, etc., I had all three sets of binos with me. It sucked to carry them all the time, but if I recommend a product, I want to make sure that recommendation means something.

I focused on getting them out in rainy weather and low-light conditions where bow hunters need them to perform. We all know how important it can be to properly identify a mature buck walking your way right after daybreak or just before dark. I wanted to replicate those scenarios as much as possible and I think I achieved that during this review.

My Testing Criteria

When I started testing the Maven B.7’s I wanted to see how they held up in rainy, muggy conditions where you would expect binos to fox up, leak, or underperform. I wanted to test how they felt wearing them all day and if they could handle being dropped from my treestand. I wanted to see how they performed in low-light conditions early in the morning and just before dark.

I wanted to make sure if I recommended these binoculars that they met a bow hunter’s criteria for a hunting bino. Now, I understand these binoculars are not meant for long-distance glassing from mountain to mountain in the western part of the country and I didn’t expect that either. I expected them to perform in encounters 400 yards or less in tough mountain conditions in the big woods of north-central Pennsylvania.

Perfect for Bow Hunters

When I first went into the woods with the Maven B 7 binoculars it started raining on me within 30 minutes. I hadn’t even gotten to the spot where I wanted to set up a quick observation of a north-south/ east-west connecting trail at a solid ambush point.

I sat there ticked off that the forecast was wrong and I was getting seriously wet. The rain made me forget about the bino test and started thinking about heading back to camp when the rain stopped. I decided to hold out and see what I could see. I put up the binos to scan the area and the view was crystal clear. I was actually so surprised I pulled my Vortex binos out of my pack to compare. There was no comparison.

This was my first introduction to what I think are the perfect binoculars for bow hunters.

You know how it is in low light when you are trying to scan and your field of view is shaking as you try to focus on objects at distances? I did not have that problem with the B.7. The small profile allowed me to scan and hold my points very well and the clarity and light-gathering ability of the lenses made it easy to see even though it was just past sunrise as the mountain was blocking the sun.

I caught movement and ended up seeing a small flock of turkeys at around 200 yards and I could see them clear as day using the adjustment knob that scrolls easily and quickly provides focus without much effort. The Maven’s didn’t fog up and the rain had rolled right off. I was really impressed.

When sitting in a treestand you need to have something that can work in low light and still be clear and easy to see through without fogging in humid conditions, but have a small enough size that they don’t stand out when you are watching a big mature buck walking your way and want to confirm he is a shooter.

These binos can do that and my testing built that confidence again and again.

Months of Reinforcement

This would be a continuing theme over the months I tested the Maven B.7’s. The aluminum body provided to be extremely tough and you can tell they are tough as soon as you pick them up. They simply feel tough as soon as you hold them in your hand.

If you are a bow hunter, you value a small profile compact binocular that can be carried all day in a harness on your chest or in your pockets. The small compact profile impressed me as I am a minimalist who doesn’t like carrying the kitchen sink into the woods, but still needs a tough and capable binocular.

In comparison, my compact Vortex binoculars are bulky in profile and don’t fit in my hands quite as comfortably. I didn’t think I would be so enamored with the B. 7s but ended up carrying them more than I expected through turkey season and into my summer scouting trips. They were great for even tracking acorn growth in oak trees near several of my potential hunting spots.

My Recommendation

I ended up using the Maven’s (8 x 25) for about 6 months and found them to provide an extra level of capability to my bow-hunting arsenal. We all want a compact binocular that is clear at a distance and is lightweight and portable. I don’t think I would ever say that I need to have a $600 set of binoculars for archery hunting in the Pennsylvania mountains, but just like a lot of things, until you actually experience it yourself you don’t realize what they can do for you.

The Maven B.7 8×25 Compact Binoculars I tested this year did exactly that and I highly recommend them.