“There is no growth in the comfort zone.”--Jocko Willink
"You can never have too many knives." --Joe Ambercrombie
With a little bit of practice, a mild recoiling rifle, and a scope in the 10 - 15X range, one can spot one's own misses.
The real skill of being a spotter is being able to give your shooter a wind call so good that we won't need to spot his miss.
One of the most valuable skills I learned in service rifle competition was the self use of a spotting scope to evaluate mirage and other environmental clues to make a good enough wind call.
Last edited by Alpha Sierra; 01-22-2020 at 07:32 PM.
I went with a similar budget as to what the OP states.
I went with Vortex as it seems to be a good brand with a potentially-great warranty, should you ever need it (which I haven't). This is a lifetime warranty and it doesn't matter if you drop it; run over it; burn it; or have a receipt. Just somehow prove you had/have it and it's broken. The company is in the USA, but I'm pretty sure it's made somewhere in Asia.
I spent ~$300+ for the Vortex Diamondback 20-60x 65mm scope; and another $180+ for its PRO GT tripod.
I think this is Vortex' lowest-end spotting scope with its highest-end tripod.
To go with Vortex' next-up "Viper" scope(s) the scope price would already be over $500 even at a good discount.
The PRO GT tripod was much better than my hardware store bought Bosch tripod as it reduces vibration if set-up in a house, as mine is, or on any type of manufactured floor. The tripod does have an inverted hook to hang a weight if necessary, too. It won't matter how good the glass is if one's tripod is causing a scope to vibrate/blur in the wind or on the ground/flooring it's on.
Given the price-point, the only thing I'd consider if I'd do it again is trying a larger diameter lens, like an 80mm instead of the 65mm, in hopes of getting, perhaps, a possibly brighter image. But I've not tried an 80mm model and I could be complaining about some other unforeseen factor (sharpness, brightness, weight, image edge clarity, who knows).
If you only want to spot the hits on a range, then you might consider a target cam rather than a scope.
Scopes only gave me trouble and I am very satisfied with my 300 yard HD target cam. I use an old
tablet computer with the camera.
https://www.longshotcameras.com/coll...cts/marksman-1
"To achieve any significant technological breakthrough, much Derp must be endured." -Rich@CCC
"Your shotgun is running a bit frenetic, you should add some lavender to your lubricant, that should calm it down." -Aray, Oils and Lotions SME
I have used several different spotterson occasion, up to and including the big Swaro’s. None of them were as easy to use as a pair of good clear 15x binocs on a tripod.
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It has been a while since I have been shopping for a spotting scope as I picked up a Vortex three years ago and it has been a good scope. I think I paid $400 on sale, probably can get them for less in today's market. Sometimes I like the angled eyepiece and other times I wish I went with something straight.
Model
On the tripod
Not a great pic but here is one I took with my cell looking through the scope on 60X, targets placed at 1030 yards.
-Seconds Count. Misses Don't-