Spotting Scopes.. What do you use?

na1lb0hm

na1lb0hm

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Alright, I'm looking at spotting scopes, and have come the conclusion I know absolutely nothing about them.
Looking to use it for range use and maybe a little bit of hunting maybe out to 400 yards for now.
I am assuming like all optics, what you pay for is what you get, but has anyone found a gem?
my price range is around $500 at max, as I can't justify more than that for only 400 yards or so.
Do you prefer angled or straight?

Any personal reflection would be much appreciated.
 
I have a cheap Bushnell, 16-36x50 Sentry, which is good enough for seeing centrefire holes in paper at 100m. Not at 200m. For spotting game I almost always use just binoculars anyway, maybe because the spotting scope isn't a particularly good one.
 
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You are absolutely correct...you get what you pay for. No free lunches here. For your price range you will be limited if you want a quality piece, however, I have a Vortex Nomad 20-60X60 angled that I really like and feel strongly you will have a hard time beating it for $380 brand new. It is light and fairly compact, comes with a soft case and you can rotate the scope inside the body band (correct terminology?) which makes the scope much more user friendly over the straight model in my opinion.

If you want to spend $500, Vortex has a new scope coming out later this year called the Viper 15-45X65, available in angled or straight for $499. I saw this one at the SHOT Show and it is very impressive too for the money, but that was in a building with mediocre lighting.

Check out One Shot Tactical Supply, they are a board sponsor and I think they had a Nomad in stock the last time I was there a few weeks ago. Good luck!
 
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I have an inexpensive Bushnell Discoverer, 15x60x60mm. It has worked well as a range spotting scope. It is too big to carry in the field.

Resolution is fine and I can easily see .30 cal bullet holes on white or black at 200m.
 
I have a Minox 62ED that I'm extremely happy with. Lightweight and crystal clear. Check out CameraLand NY up top on the masthead. Doug is great to deal with and they often have demos and deals going on various brands.
 
the thing to do is forget about the sporting goods stores and go to a camera store. check out what's within your price range, and take a good look through them, looking for faults, coronas, etc- a good camera shop also sells binos and telescopes, as well as astronomical telescope; you might even consider one of those , provided you keep in mind that the image might be inverted, and not all the riflescope makers make a telescope, and vice-versa,and sometimes an outstanding telescope is made by somebody that has nothing to do with riflescopes- david white comes to mind- telescopes, geodesic and binocs only- appeals strictly to the survey people and the bird watching crowd
 
I use a Kowa TSN-1, but do not use it for hunting. I shoot target rifle from 300-1000 yards and have used it for coaching 10m rifle rifle events when I coached a cadet team.
A Kowa is about double the price you are looking to spend.
 
Have a Swarovski AT85HD angled.

The angled scope is nice if you happen to digiscope or shoot video with it like i do.

The Swarovski glass is very good in my opinion but i am also using to its extremes by shooting target video footage out to 1500 yards.

When compared to the cost of a Nikon 200-400mm camera lens the Swarovski scope becomes a very cost effective option, note i will be taking my spotting scope to africa in place of a long lens for my camera.
 
I got a Redfield 20-60x60mm . Came well appointed with case & tripod. Can clearly see .22 cal holes at around 250-300 yrds (haven't tried any further). Cost was about $229.00
 
I have a Pentax 65mm with the eyepiece for the 80mm. It's a good all around combo. The glass is excellent. I bought it as a demo sale at Cameraland (site sponsor). The Pentax is basically the step just below the stuff costing more than twice as much. You have to go Zeiss, Swarovski or some of the other super specialized stuff to get better.

Worth checking out Cameraland, especially with our dollar being so strong and their demo sales. I bought a Swarovski range finder from them as well. Saved about $400 from the Canadian price (A few years ago now but also when the dollar was at par).

Check out bird watching sites. They tend to have good reviews on spotting scopes, binoculars etc. Yes the angle piece is nice if you'll be looking through it a lot, but keep in mind it's adding another mirror so the image might not be quite as good. Plus with target shooting I'm not looking through it for that long.
 
some of the good ones last a long time, don't be afraid to buy used. I bought a 3o year old spotting scope that is better than most made today and it was in your price range. I wouldn't trade it for the best Swaro makes, its that good. Look around a bit.
 
Disclaimer: I am seller of high end optics, so I am biased.

Rather than dwelling on brands, I'll try to provide you with a little info to help you decide what configuration will best suit your needs.

Straight vs. Angled Eyepiece:
If you will be doing most of your shooting from the prone position, then a straight is much preferred over an angled. Likewise, if you will be glued to a bench, a straight will be easier to use - provided you can situate the scope beside you on the bench. If, however, you will be viewing while standing or kneeling, then an angled is easier to adjust and easier on your neck.

Objective Size:
If you do not plan on packing the scope around, then a larger objective is preferred. Without getting too technical, a larger objective will gather more light which will provide you with a brighter image throughout the day, and throughout the magnification range.

Magnification Range:
While more magnification may seem the way to go, visual quality must be considered. With a cheaper scope exhibiting a smaller objective, the quality of the image at the higher end of the magnification range may not be satisfactory (the exit pupil decreases as the magnification gets higher resulting in a darker image). Likewise, if you are shooting beyond 300 yards, a "lower quality" scope may not provide you with the visual accuity that you require to see where you are hitting with ease.

Tripod:
Quite simply, buy the best that you can afford. Many people spend all of their money on their scope and leave little for the tripod. However what is the point of having a great scope if the tripod is wobbly and unstable - the resulting image will be difficult to view for any appreciable time. The tripod is a critical component of the viewing system.

Hopefully that info provides you with some utility.
 
+1 on the Vortex Nomad. I put one next to a Swarovski at dusk once and while the Vortex did not have the depth of field, edge-to-edge focus or ease on the eye of the Swaro, it had great near-dark performance for $389. Best I could afford, I bought it on the spot and have never looked back.
 
dizzy said:
some of the good ones last a long time, don't be afraid to buy used. I bought a 3o year old spotting scope that is better than most made today and it was in your price range. I wouldn't trade it for the best Swaro makes, its that good. Look around a bit.
Click to expand...

ditto, except mine is a Bushnell Spacemaster.

I found a set of alum scope caps to replace the break-on-demand plastic ones, and a replacement screw in eyepiece. Now I have two different powers (25x and 40x, IIRC). The big Bushnell Shooter's Tripod attachment knob is supposed to be on the bottom, but I made a cradle to change it to the side, so the lateral adjustment is swivelling the post and the vertical change is the cradle. I wrapped the tube in plastic wrap and a chunk of sheet vinyl so it won't get dinged or wet. No need to wear out the paint on this tool. And, I like the straight design because I can lose the target really easily looking at it sideways.
 
Actually I find the angled eyepiece much better for prone shooting.If you situate the scope properly beside you no change in body position is required.
Just move your head off the rifle and onto the eyepiece.No need to let go of the grip or anything.
I have a Kowa TSN 770 and honestly once you look through glass this good there is no going back.I'd rather save longer than to have to rebuy when you lookl through someone elses good glass
and realize your $300 job is actually junk in comparison.
 
I would agree with Longshot on quality and on the angled eyepiece. When I was buying my Razor HD, they let me take both the straight and angled spotters out into the parking lot and play with them. I tried them in every imaginable position. The angle was definitely more versatile and required a lot less straining of the neck. The only advantage I saw with the straight was quicker target acquisition when using a regular bipod. However, once I put the angled scope on my Manfrotto tripod with the pistol grip head, that wasn't an issue at all. Target acquisition was quick.
 
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