wapitiwhacker
CGN Regular
- Location
- East Kootenay B.C.
Unless you want to pack the Pentax hunting as well. It's a fair bit larger and heavier.
Spotting scope recommendations for long distance mirage reading
- Thread starter GSoD
- Start date
Unless you want to pack the Pentax hunting as well. It's a fair bit larger and heavier.
Brutus
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
I have a Kowa TSN 661. I purchased seperate a Celestron brand table top tripod, just for use at the sturdy shooting benches at our rifle range a while ago, and was very disappointed. (you get what you pay for) I suspect Leupold has added a Celestron tripod to thier new line of lower priced spotting scopes. This is a bad mistake I think.
I think for a table top tripod I'm going to go with the Vortex. Reasonably priced I believe.
It seems to be a near exact copy of the Bushnell spotting scope table top tripod, which they do not sell as a seperate product on it's own apparently. My older camera tripod of unknown manufacturer has taken too much rough abuse on long distance moves. I think a large Manfrotto optics tripod to replace it, is in my future. Guess what, it's reasonably priced, has many neat features and it's not made in China!
For ground use I have a Ewing, which is nearly perfect for uneven and grassy surfaces I think. But it's unsuited for slick table top use. That's not just my opinion btw. I should have looked at the Freeland tripod from the get go, I notice many older and/or expereinced F-class and TR rifle shooters own and use these ones for prone shooting on the ground. They look very good and sturdy, maybe not as easy to accidently bump and knock off you sighting target like my Ewing. (one of my few #####es about the lightweight Ewing and its funky little legs)
Back to the Kowa, I run a 20-60 eyepiece on mine, which was a seperate purchase from the fixed 25 power eyepiece that came with it. Costly yes, but well worth it. I've used it at various long distance shooting venues. You will not be disappointed IMO.
Words to consider, if you are going to take video or pics, I know the Kowa has a special eyepiece adapter exactly for this task.
I have a good shooting friend that runs a much more exspensive Swarovski spotting scope, he ended up with a Burris table top tripod which he is grudgingly okay with. (the fine adjust sucks he says)
Thank you for your pateince in reading this. My point is it's easier finding a good optic, than finding a mount or two that suites all of your shooting needs.
my two bits only
I think for a table top tripod I'm going to go with the Vortex. Reasonably priced I believe.
It seems to be a near exact copy of the Bushnell spotting scope table top tripod, which they do not sell as a seperate product on it's own apparently. My older camera tripod of unknown manufacturer has taken too much rough abuse on long distance moves. I think a large Manfrotto optics tripod to replace it, is in my future. Guess what, it's reasonably priced, has many neat features and it's not made in China!
For ground use I have a Ewing, which is nearly perfect for uneven and grassy surfaces I think. But it's unsuited for slick table top use. That's not just my opinion btw. I should have looked at the Freeland tripod from the get go, I notice many older and/or expereinced F-class and TR rifle shooters own and use these ones for prone shooting on the ground. They look very good and sturdy, maybe not as easy to accidently bump and knock off you sighting target like my Ewing. (one of my few #####es about the lightweight Ewing and its funky little legs)
Back to the Kowa, I run a 20-60 eyepiece on mine, which was a seperate purchase from the fixed 25 power eyepiece that came with it. Costly yes, but well worth it. I've used it at various long distance shooting venues. You will not be disappointed IMO.
Words to consider, if you are going to take video or pics, I know the Kowa has a special eyepiece adapter exactly for this task.
I have a good shooting friend that runs a much more exspensive Swarovski spotting scope, he ended up with a Burris table top tripod which he is grudgingly okay with. (the fine adjust sucks he says)
Thank you for your pateince in reading this. My point is it's easier finding a good optic, than finding a mount or two that suites all of your shooting needs.
my two bits only
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I have the Pentax PF-65ED it is a pretty good unit. All the research that I did was on Snipers hide and American sites. They really liked them. With that being said I find that I am not using mine at all and would let it go to buy another rifle. Send me a PM if you are thinking about one.
I use a leica APO and love it. Bought it through greatfuldoug at cameraland as a demo and saved a tonne. Haven't been impressed with anything recent from leupold IMO, for the money the elite line from bushnell wasn't too bad, not sure if they are still running it.
Checkout the sales at cameraland, you never know what you'll see. They also had some really great optics reviews from the recent shot show.
Good luck in your search.
Checkout the sales at cameraland, you never know what you'll see. They also had some really great optics reviews from the recent shot show.
Good luck in your search.
