Which Spotting Scope??

Ghunter

Ghunter

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I never really bothered with spotting scopes for hunting so I basically know close to nothing about them.

Now I decided to get one for checking out my targets out to 500 yrds.
To save on walking back and forth! I don't want to spend a fortune.

Basically what I'm I looking for? What magnification would it have to be?
What does, for example 25-50 x 50mm really means?

X-mas is around the corner! Help.

Thanks,
 
well... I am not a scope expert, so someone else more helpful will probably be along in a moment, but here is my $.02
25-50 is the magnification. in this case, it is a zoom from 25X to 50X
50mm is the size of the lens... bigger is generally brighter and a bit less sensitive to movement.

when you say "check out my targets" do you mean confirm identity or are you looking to see bullet holes at 500 yards?
If the latter, I am skeptical that you will be able to find anything that will do the job... doesn't take much mirage to make a small hole impossible to see.
I shoot much shorter ranges and use a 20-60X80
I can easily see 223 holes at 100m, but I really doubt I could see them at five times that range...
those targets that show orange when you hit them might help though.

good luck!
 
I just picked up a Bushmaster 20-60x60mm at Canadian Tire for $99, it's nice and sharp even at 60x but it does get a little darker, but not horribly so. It's my first spotting scope and I can't really say how it ranks up against others, but for the money I think it was well worth it. I'm waiting for a nice clear night with a full moon to try it out at night, so I can't really comment on how well it works for star gazing.
 
500yr, I think you need 20-60x80mm.
I have Burris Landmark, nothing really special, but it does the job.
It is not waterproof, so I have to watch for the rain.
Good choice is Nikon.
At high magnifications lots of picture distortion when they shake, so you need to invest some serious $$$ for a stand.
 
Yeah forgot to add that my bushmaster came with a tripod, it's nothing fancy but it's solid as all hell.

Spend the money on a tripod though, if you get a good one you'll have it forever, and they're good for everything, scopes, binoculars, cameras.
 
I bought mine for $200 from champion shooter supply in the states
google it yourself
once the dollar hit parity I decided to give it a try
 
Vortex makes a damn nice spotter for the price. I got mine (20-60X60 Nomad $359 + tax and ship) from a place back east called forthebirds and it is clear as can be. No edge distortion that I can detect, the edge seems as clear as the center of the lens at all focal lengths.

VIP warranty, which means if you break it (other than deliberate damage like taking it apart etc) they will replace or repair on their dime. Lifetime, transferable, no proof of purchase needed.
 
What would you guys think about the Tasco 20-60x80??

I know that you get what you pay for, but it is the most powerful at the lowest price. 169.99$
Could I get by with this one or just step up a bit? $$$
 
Just my 0.02 but like anything else in life , you get what you pay for. When your trying to get a real good look on a bull Elk at 700yds across a canyon or a big horn at 1000yds you will really see the difference quality makes. It really sucks to spend half a day trying to get close only to find that the rack or curl is not what you thought it was. If all your going to do is stare at a target in full bright daylight at 100 to 200 yards then a Bushnel will do just fine. My opinion is spend as much as you can on a quality piece of glass and you will always be glad you did. Buy the cheaper stuff and shortly you will find yourself looking to move up. With todays prices against the US dollar there are some real deals south of the border. I just ordered in a Zeiss scope and althou it sat in Customs for 17 days , it did come thru with no issues.
 
I use a Nikon XL 16X45 spotter. Small compact, light, weatherproof. Makes a nice dual spotting scope. Under good conditions, I can spot 30cal holes in the white at 600+yds.

Unfortunately, to really be able to spot bullet holes in the black, you are going to need to spend some serious cash.

KOWA, Pentax ED, Leica, Swarovski are names to consider and spotting scopes I have personal looked through. Yep, bring money. Used if you are lucky, think high side of $600. New, $1200 and up.

If you wear glasses, the Swar are a dog. The Kowa and Pentax are far more eyeglass friendly. The Leica is simply spooky with what you can resolve.

Unless you shoot off the aiming point and have the bullets land on a white sheet of paper, the lower end optics will leave you seriously frustrated.

You might find it less expensive to buy some high mag binos. I can recommend the 16X50 Nikon EX Action ATB binos. for the money, the resolution is amazing.

Under mirage, there isn't a spotting scope that will let you see a small cal bullet hole at any price.
Jerry
 
With the US $$ the way it is you should check out Konus spotting scopes.
Every bit as clear as my Kowa TSN-1. As mentioned before it is unlikely you will find anything that will allow you to see bullet holes at 500 yards regarless of what eye peice is on it.
 
I use a Bushnell 18-36x50 when sighting in my rifles. Sure saves a lot of walking. I can also count the points on a bucks rack at just under 1/2 mile depending on the background. It came with a cheepo tripod, works but not greatest. So i made my own.
 
I have 2 spotting scopes. One is the Leupold Sequoia 15-45 x 60 and the other is Burris 15-45 x 60. They work well out to 200 yards at the range but forget 500 yards. Spotting deer in the field at long distance with these spotting scopes work well but not at the range looking for holes on paper beyond maybe 300 yards...
 
This is really great info guys! Most of my sight-ins are within 200yds and the odd time a fun shoot at 400-500 yds. At least I know what to expect from a spotting scope and different magnifications.
What about compacts vs full size spotting scopes and also which eye piece?
Off-set or straight?

Ghunter,
 
If you're working inside of 200 yards against a white target, most spotting scopes (even really cheap ones) will save you a lot of walking. I used a very inexpensive (under $100) Bushnell for years and it worked fine for sighting in, even out to 300 yards as long as the sun was out and the targets were on white paper.

Where the whole thing becomes tricky is if you're looking at .22 cal holes on black paper in poor light. Then the higher-end scopes, with their better resolution, will make it easier for you to see the holes instead of a "muddy" target.

So, the question becomes: how much do you want to spend? (and what do really want to do with the 'scope?)

Watching game (and birds) at a long distances is another thing that people do with their spotters. In that situation you can't have glass that is "too good". But, like Jerry said, be prepared to spend serious cash.
 
Ghunter said:
This is really great info guys! Most of my sight-ins are within 200yds and the odd time a fun shoot at 400-500 yds. At least I know what to expect from a spotting scope and different magnifications.
What about compacts vs full size spotting scopes and also which eye piece?
Off-set or straight?

Ghunter,
Click to expand...

Compact Vs. Full size depends on what you want to drag around. The Konus scope Syxx15 has is about 1/2 the weight of my Kowa TSN-1.
Angled Vs. straight depends on the type of shooting you do and the type of scope stand you have. For prone shooting or prolonged veiwing the angled scope is much easier on the neck. Also easier to view while still in the shooting position.
The higher the power on the eye piece results in less field of view and less eye relief. This is something to think about if you wear glasses.
 
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