What power of spotting scope?

Kelly Timoffee

Kelly Timoffee

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Looking for minimum type requirements for a spotting scope.

Want to get into long range/precision shooting possibly up to 1000yds. Maybe just recreational but still need decent optics.

What would be a good magnification to get good results with??What brands are recommended?
 
I have a Kowa TSN-661. It came with a 25 power eyepiece initially.
Quickly swithed to a 20-60 eyepiece, as soon as I could afford it.

My best advice is to read/lurk at various bird watching websites. Learn what you can, and spend your money wisely friend.
 
Another vote for Kowa. Top quality glass. Check the glass on the line at a LR shoot (like BPCR or any fullbore silhuoette shoot) and see what they're using. You'll find many Kowa, Leica and Swarovski.
 
I use a Kowa TNS-1 with a 22x Wide angle eye piece. I am a TR shooter (iron sights).
Many F Class shooters in Ontario do not use a spotting scope at all, but some do just to watch conditions when they are not on the line.
 
Celestron products are competitively priced for a good reason.
I've bought one of thier accessories and found it lacking a bit in the quality department.
Results may vary, differing from mine.

my two bits......

Edit: My experience buying a table top tripod, is more frustrating than buying the good optic.
I still have not sorted this out to my satisfaction.
 
A couple models to consider are the Bushnell Elite HD 20-60, as well as the Bushnell Legend Ultra HD. They both have the same basic specs. The Elite is made in Japan and is a little more than $800, while the Legend is about half the price and is made in China. I've looked through them both at the range, and the image is very good. Higginson sells them.

http://www.higginsonpowders.com/images/Bushnell.pdf
 
That Kowa you chose would do you well. if you scroll down the page you will see a bushnell elite dropped from 1300+ to 700+ it might be a good competitor, I'd personally go with the kowa and if you want to step it up you will not regret it.
 
I have a Kowa, and am favourably impressed with it. Ideally, you should look through as many scopes as you can, outdoors, in poor light to really get an idea of what you are buying. Easier said than done, I know.;)

If you are looking for something that is compact and very packable, this deal caught my eye the other day.
http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php?t=543430

I have heard very good things about Minox, I would love to be able to gawk through this one. If you are looking for a smaller 60mm scope it could be a great deal. If you are not going to be packing it around much and need good image quality at higher magnifications in less than ideal light then you might want to look for something with a larger objective. (The 66mm scope you linked to, or maybe even a 70 or 80)
 
Yeah, don't have much available too look at around here.So I am putting my trust in the ever experienced gun nut crowd ;)

Our retailers only stock a couple so, I either take a chance and order, or wait till I head outa town to the city.

And What kind of distance will I be able to see my groupings? forgot about that and it's the most important thing to me.
 
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I have a kowa as well of the 77 mm variety.I love it and on a good day I can see holes to about 300m.
It has the 20-60 eye piece.The 88 is spectacular with the prominar coatings.But its also $3000!
 
i cant say enough about lieca 20-60X77 televids the old model before they went to 82mm its been a little while since i look for one but,you can still find them for around $2000 with the eye pice. plus shipping , the only scope ive ever been able to truly focus at 60power.
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which scope

If you haven't got the $3000+ for the real deal, some cheapo spotting scopes are better than others.

The boys at Nanaimo's Wholesale Sports let me take a top-quality Swarovski outside at dusk one night, and compare it to a couple of their cheapo models.

The Swaro was the classic reference - crystal clear, bright like daytime (even well after sunset), and the depth of field was amazing.

The winner of the cheapos was the Vortex Nomad, which had (as far as I could tell) the same level of brightness at 40x (both were 20-60x60 scopes, I think), the Vortex was pretty clear, but not as good as the Swaro (of course), and its depth of field sucked compared to the Swaro. But it was $375, not $3000+. If/when I can afford a "good" spotter, I'll upgrade. In the mean time, I spend more time focussing and don't worry about abusing it.

I really wanted to like the Leupold 15-45x50 compact (I think anything more than 40x is un-usablel on a 60mm objective, and 80mm is too much to pack around), but it wasn't in the same league as the Vortex, even at nearly twice the price.

Just my 2 cents...but I highly recommend "try before you buy"; get in there on a slow night and just around dark and you'll get a sense of what these things can do...
 
I would only recommend a spotting scope with a reticle in it. They are great for long range spotting as you can correct off the grid. I use a Leupold MK4 with the TMR reticle and my friend has a Bushnell with a mil dot reticle. The prices are around $2200 and $450
 
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