Why shouldn't I buy an inexpensive spotting scope?

Because with a swarovski you can tell a legal ram at over 2 miles! Saves an awful lot of footsteps! I had a very hard time justifying the cost of it.... Until I used it on a few hunts.

When your in the midst of "saving those footsteps" you would pay $10,000 to not have to walk anymore than you have to after a week of it.

That being said, I had to sell a lot of other toys to be able to afford it.

Best of luck! My reccomendations would be to keep an eye on ebay, and watch for deals, as well as the EE. Lots of not super expensive, but quality glass around!
 
It doesn't take much of a riflescope to see bullet holes at 200 yards. If you can't, then the cure for a cheap riflescope isn't a cheap spotting scope. Disregard this if you're shooting irons of course.

Optics buyers usually follow the standard pattern. First they buy a POS hoping that it will be good enough, or don't know any better, or manage to convince themselves that somehow they will be the chosen one who gets something for nothing. Most of us have done it.

After it craps out or otherwise lets them down, the buyer will usually pick something in the lower to upper midrange and get optics worth owning. There's better out there, but if he doesn't look through them he will likely be happy for many years. That is, until he gets his mitts on high end glass which will ruin him for anything else now that he can appreciate it. That brings him to stage 3, and by now he either can afford it or doesn't care. The cool thing is no matter what stage the optics owner is at he is totally convinced he's right and that everyone with worse is a stupid cheap poverty stricken prick and everyone with better is a stupid elitist prick with more money than brains.

There no reason why you should be an exception to the rule,(except for saving money) so buy the biggest POS you can find and start the education process.;)
 
I bought a Barska variable power spotting scope to use at the range to make out those tiny holes at 200-300 yards. I couldn't see them. The scope could resolve reasonably well at its lowest power out to about 75 yards but beyond that it was USELESS. It now sits in a drawer and I let my kids play pirates with it when the mood takes them. I replaced it with the low end, made in America 15-30x Leupold. Its smaller and the optical quality is night and day (literally) compared to the Barska. The Barska is so bad, I wouldn't even consider putting it on the EE. And yes, I can see the tiny holes at 300 yards @25X (or so). Now if I could only spend the time to get them into a 4" circle instead of a 7" circle...
 
Hey, I resemble that quote!! ;)

Dogleg said:
It doesn't take much of a riflescope to see bullet holes at 200 yards. If you can't, then the cure for a cheap riflescope isn't a cheap spotting scope. Disregard this if you're shooting irons of course.

Optics buyers usually follow the standard pattern. First they buy a POS hoping that it will be good enough, or don't know any better, or manage to convince themselves that somehow they will be the chosen one who gets something for nothing. Most of us have done it.

After it craps out or otherwise lets them down, the buyer will usually pick something in the lower to upper midrange and get optics worth owning. There's better out there, but if he doesn't look through them he will likely be happy for many years. That is, until he gets his mitts on high end glass which will ruin him for anything else now that he can appreciate it. That brings him to stage 3, and by now he either can afford it or doesn't care. The cool thing is no matter what stage the optics owner is at he is totally convinced he's right and that everyone with worse is a stupid cheap poverty stricken prick and everyone with better is a stupid elitist prick with more money than brains.

There no reason why you should be an exception to the rule,(except for saving money) so buy the biggest POS you can find and start the education process.;)
Click to expand...
 
Also depends how big the holes are you're punching in the paper. 223 holes in a black bullseye will drive you to drink if you don't have a good scope.

You'll never regret buying quality optics, regardless if you're talking scope, spotter or binos. Droppign $1-2K on a good to great spotter may sting initially, but it will last forever and will give you great service.
 
buy a Celestron for about 180 bucks or 300 for the 80 mm objective, they make spotting scopes and star gazing equipment, good inexpensive spotting scopes when I do not want to lend out my Kowa

Jefferson
 
I have an old Optex spotting scope that I picked up at a yard sale for the grand total of $20. It came with 20X and 60X ocular attachments, matching tripod, and the overall finish was chipped and rubbed in spots. I purchased the scope because when I looked through it I was absolutely amazed at the image quality. The scope has served well over the years both at the local range and in competition. It was a rare find.
 
An old timer once told me that in optics resolution, contrast and brightness are all important but at the end of the day you need to be able to afford your optic. He suggested trying out the absolute best available optic, and then comparing it to others to see what the best you could afford would be. This allows you to know what you are giving up, and usually folks end up paying more than they expected but getting closer to what they need.
 
sometimes you get what you pay for i bought a cheap vanguard spotting scope. Very small eye relief the tripod is garbage hard to focus in fuzzy with everything over 200m. darn thing was 200$ should of spent the extra coin

sometimes you can find some nice used spotting scopes. tryied a friends antique Redfield and the quality was fantastic
 
I was in the same boat. Reading all the input on here and reviews all over the place. I didn't want to spend big coin on something that I have never had and wasn't sure how much I'd use. Ya, I hunt, and shoot, but not as much as many do. I have tried the'ultra cheap' route, and it was a waste. I know everyone here says get the best you can afford. But I say only if it's necessary. No need to justify something to yourself if you can use something for 20% of the cost of a Swaro and not have it make a difference. A friend of mine got a Vortex Nomad last winter, and I had a look through it off his deck, and it looked good to me. I picked one up off Cameraland. All in i think it was $200. It's small, cheap enough to take out hunting and not stress over it, and I can see 7mm bullet holes at 380 no problem. Not to mention the Vortex warranty... It was a hot sunny day, and the Mirage was horrible, but I could actually make out holes from a .300 win mag at 500yds. on and off. IF it were a cool day, I think that I could see them no problem. Just my $2 (adjusting for inflation). But that sounds like just what you are looking for.
 
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