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Thread: Please Recommend A Spotting Scope.

  1. #1
    Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Location
    Hickory NC

    Please Recommend A Spotting Scope.

    Not using it for hunting. My uses would be observing target hits out to 300-400 yards. As far as budget lets say 200-500 . I can't justify a 1500.00 scope.
    Thanks, David

  2. #2
    Some brands to look at on the low end are Konus, Celestron, and Vanguard. $500 is where mid range starts and you should start to get better glass materials like BAK 4 prisms and Extra low dispersion (ED) glass, as well as better multi-coatings. Then you can look at Vortex.

    The two sizes you want to consider are 65mm and 80mm objective lens sizes. The 65mm is smaller, and more portable than the 80mm size.

    Don’t forget to get a decent tripod that will be stable for high magnification viewing.
    Last edited by DamonL; 01-20-2020 at 10:01 AM.

  3. #3
    I'm no expert, but I've been happy with a Bushnell Legend T.

    One nit is that the focus is a lot more sensitive than any other scope I've had, i.e. you have to make teeeeeeny adjustments to the dial to get crisp focus.

    Unrelated to optical quality, it has attached picatinny rails. I mounted a cheap red dot on them. It's awesome to just put the dot on whatever you want to see, then look through the scope at high power and there it is, vs. tedious hunting around to get whatever it is into the field of view. This doesn't matter much if you're shooting at the same target for two hours, but if you're switching to different targets (or birdwatching!) it's the bee's knees.

  4. #4
    Site Supporter entropy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    Far Upper Midwest. Lower Midwest When I Absolutely Have To
    Ouch. Another optics thread. Standby for incoming!

    I’m going to default to my Happy Place. Look at Vortex.
    Working diligently to enlarge my group size.

  5. #5
    Site Supporter MichaelD's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    South Jordan, Utah
    Following. My use for a spotting scope is identical to the OP.

  6. #6
    Member
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    Western Ohio
    https://cameralandny.com/shop/brands...iation=1665625

    Impossible to do better for the $.

  7. #7
    Kowa TSN-82SV with the long eye relief eyepiece. Pretty much the standard choice among target shooters for under $1,000.

  8. #8
    Member
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    Western Ohio
    Quote Originally Posted by SC_Dave View Post
    Not using it for hunting. My uses would be observing target hits out to 300-400 yards. As far as budget lets say 200-500 . I can't justify a 1500.00 scope.
    Thanks, David
    If you can stretch the budget to the $800 bracket, this is the gold standard in that range:

    https://cameralandny.com/shop/brands...iation=1237101

    Unlike the 501, the 601 (and higher) do not come with the eyepiece: https://cameralandny.com/shop/brands...iation=1853920

    So for $850 you've got a system that lacks nothing until you start spending $2K or more.

  9. #9
    Deadeye Dick Clusterfrack's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2013
    Location
    Wokelandia

    Please Recommend A Spotting Scope.

    Man, that’s a tough choice. I recommend getting a spotting scope with a Mil reticle. Actually, I wouldn’t own one that didn’t have one. Otherwise, how can the spotter call misses or adjustments?

    Looks like you can get a Vortex Razor HD scope and a mil reticle eyepiece for around $1500.

    But... your budget is 1/3 of that... maybe look for a used one?
    Last edited by Clusterfrack; 01-20-2020 at 01:47 PM.
    "You can never have too many knives." --Joe Ambercrombie
    Shabbat shalom, motherf***ers! --Mordechai Jefferson Carver

  10. #10
    Member
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    Western Ohio
    Quote Originally Posted by Clusterfrack View Post
    Man, that’s a tough choice. I recommend getting a spotting scope with a Mil reticle. Actually, I wouldn’t own one that didn’t have one. Otherwise, how can the spotter call misses or adjustments?
    Call out the correction in target fractions (up one full plate, right half a plate). The shooter can translate that to an angle using his reticle.

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