Spotting Scopes

hlpressley

hlpressley

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Looking for recommendations for a decent spotting scope. Would like something to be able to see .22 caliber holes 2-300 yards. Not looking to second mortgage my house so a good budget option would be great!
 
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Konus Sport 20-60x80 for $180-$220

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/prod...nuspot_20_60x80_spotting_scope.html?sts=pi-ps

https://smile.amazon.com/Konus-20x-...96799558&sr=8-1&keywords=konus+spotting+scope

I've had mine for ~5 years and it is a great scope. Spend some coin though and get a good solid tripod:

https://smile.amazon.com/Ravelli-AP...e=UTF8&qid=1496799881&sr=1-4&keywords=Ravelli

It's not a Manfrotto, but a pretty good clone-ish and provides a solid base to spot from. The best glass in the World isn't going to help you if your image shakes with every wind gust. :cool:
 
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Picking out .22 holes at 200 yards is not too difficult, but 300 yards is going to be more difficult and will depend greatly upon conditions. Extreme lighting (dark or very bright) and heavy migrate can make it quite difficult to pick out the holes, not matter how clear the optics. You can make it a little easier to pick out holes at 300 yards by either using a shoot-n-see target, or by cutting a hole in your target backer to allow light to pass through (back-lighting the holes).

As for a scope recommendation:
+1 to the Konus recommendation. They make a good, affordable scope. Another option to look at is the Celestron Ultima 80mm.

However... if you can afford it, I'd recommend getting a Kowa. The construction is solid, the clarity is fantastic on these scopes and you will not be disappointed. I've been running a Kowa TSN821M with 27x LER eyepiece for nearly a decade shooting highpower rifle matches. I can easily pick out a 3" spotter at 600 yards with this spotting scope.

Here are a few points to ponder, no matter what scope you get.
  • High magnification is nice, but it decreases your field of view. Even the smallest bump on the scope @ 60x and you've lost the target.
  • High magnification also amplifies conditions, such as mirage. 25x-27x is a nice medium.
  • The larger the objective lens, the more light is allowed into the scope, making for a brighter image. Bigger objective lenses also mean bulkier and heavier scopes
  • Long eye relief (aka - LER) eye pieces are a great feature. Pretty much mandatory if you need glasses to shoot, like me.
  • A great scope is useless without a solid mount. Tripods are steady, but have a large footprint and take up shooting space. A good solid scope stand can cost as much as the scope.
 
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I've got that Konus, was a price I couldn't refuse during a sale on Dvor. It's not bad. It's huge. Gets some chromatic aberration as you crank the power. If I spent hours looking through a spotter I'd have something else.
If you want to look through one I can bring it to match Saturday. I definitely need a stouter tripod.
 
I picked up a LNIB, with the box and backpack. Bushnell Spacemaster 15x45x60 off eBay for $75 to my door. Older scope but one heck of a deal and I can spot steel hits with .22 at 300 yards. Not sure about paper. Just never tried. FYI, if the range is busy you can't hear a .22 hit the steel so it has to be spotted. Just another option if you have time to watch some auctions on eBay.
 
I ordered a Konus from Amazon because the price was good and it had plenty of good reviews, mine arrived with loose pieces rattling around inside so I sent it back.

Did a bunch more research and decided to spend a little more.

Picked up a Vortex Razer HD 50mm, it's the small one but very compact to take to the range and is crystal clear. Also picked up a digiscope case for my iphone that attaches to the scope so I can just look at my phone and see where my shots are hitting.
No legs included so I also bought some Vortex legs for it.
IMG_8402 by hd_rolling, on Flickr

100 yd target

18221946_10155193246515786_5156416348049066417_n by hd_rolling, on Flickr

18342357_10155193246520786_3854434599594357293_n by hd_rolling, on Flickr

IMG_8410 by hd_rolling, on Flickr
 
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I picked up a Redfield Rampage 20-60x60 kit (cheap tripod, case and scope coat) for $160 off Amazon just before Christmas to give to my BIL ... for the price it is a steal and is actually sitting in my office because I liked it so much I kept it. I can call good corrections out to 300 yards pretty easy but it does start to fall off there. At 500 yards it is basically good calling ... dead center, left or right and high and low on steel.
 
hdrolling said:
I ordered a Konus from Amazon because the price was good and it had plenty of good reviews, mine arrived with loose pieces rattling around inside so I sent it back.

Did a bunch more research and decided to spend a little more.

Picked up a Vortex Razer HD 50mm, it's the small one but very compact to take to the range and is crystal clear. Also picked up a digiscope case for my iphone that attaches to the scope so I can just look at my phone and see where my shots are hitting.
No legs included so I also bought some Vortex legs for it.

18342357_10155193246520786_3854434599594357293_n_zpsqq4l3oda.jpg


100 yd target
18222322_10155193246525786_5530378282298041455_n_zpsghnpo20l.jpg

IMG_8428_zps0eaxvowd.jpg

IMG_8408_zpsrijolkw7.jpg

IMG_8410_zps5wbaldsf.jpg
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Hahahahaha a "spend a little more "!...?
 
hdrolling said:
I know, I'm still getting over the initial shock of how much I wanted to spent compared to what I ended up spending. Still crying from the "Buy once, Cry once" logic.....
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"buy once, cry once" for spotting scopes usually results is a ~$3k Kowa. I love me some Vortex, but they don't hold a candle to a Kowa at 1k and beyond in my book. :cool:

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/470680-REG/Kowa_TSN_883_TSN_883_Angled_88_mm.html

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/prod...wz_25_60x_zoom_eyepiece.html/pageID/accessory
 
I bought a Meade Cassegrain 100 x 1000 focal length years ago, has interchangeable lens.
Heavy, but good Lord can you see with it.
Also great for the moon and stars.
A good stand makes any scope better for the most part, I have a shoot stand that I made a spike to stick into the ground.
 
Bunsen said:
Konus Sport 20-60x80 for $180-$220

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/prod...nuspot_20_60x80_spotting_scope.html?sts=pi-ps

https://smile.amazon.com/Konus-20x-60x80mm-Spotting-Smartphone-Adapter/dp/B01N413Q15/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1496799558&sr=8-1&keywords=konus+spotting+scope

I've had mine for ~5 years and it is a great scope. Spend some coin though and get a good solid tripod:

https://smile.amazon.com/Ravelli-AP...e=UTF8&qid=1496799881&sr=1-4&keywords=Ravelli

It's not a Manfrotto, but a pretty good clone-ish and provides a solid base to spot from. The best glass in the World isn't going to help you if your image shakes with every wind gust. :cool:
Click to expand...

You convinced me. Ordered one today.
 
CZfool68 said:
Oops. Missed this thread last night when I started mine. For $2400 that Kowa better be nice.
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The body is only $2,400 you still need to buy the eyepiece for $700! :oops:

I do NOT fool around when recommending a "buy once, cry once" option. If you want to pony up the $5k for a Swarovski go for it. (I personally wouldn't, but will for a Kowa). :D
 
Bunsen said:
The body is only $2,400 you still need to buy the eyepiece for $700! :oops:

I do NOT fool around when recommending a "buy once, cry once" option. If you want to pony up the $5k for a Swarovski go for it. (I personally wouldn't, but will for a Kowa). :D
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Well, since right now my budget and access is limited to 100 yards I think I'll pass on that, but I do agree with your logic. In a few days my little spotter will arrive and I'll post some pics before I get it to the range.
 
Leupold Compact Tripod.
IMG_1570.JPG
It has a few levels and all sorts of little adjustments I am totally ignorant about right now. Very sturdy amd should be perfect for bench use.
 
The little baby spotter that will be accompanying the tripod. Vortex 11-33x50. Very light and easy to pack or carry. Intended use is 100 yard indoor range, maybe some light hiking and seeing critters from the deck up in the mountains.

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Set up and ready to go.

IMG_1573.JPG

At 11x it is crystal clear and easy to read license plates within sight of my house. Need to get it somewhere that I can see what it does at distance and at higher magnifications. But for 22 holes at 100 yards it should be perfectly fine. Hope to get a range trip in this weekend.
 
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Took the new Razor to the range today. Was shooting my CZ 527 .223. At 100' the holes look huge and are crystal clear. Focusing was very easy with the fast and fine focus knobs. What a nice change having a good spotter. I am defintely going to habe to try it outdoors at so e longer distances to see wht it can do. That phoneskope mentioned about looks pretty slick too. Pretty sure that is in my future. Oh, and the Leupold tripod is perfect. I thought it was too tall, but it allows you to pretty much stand up and look downrange. No squatting or bending funny. But you cannot just lean over from your scope if that's what you like to do.
 
ronn47 said:
I bought a Meade Cassegrain 100 x 1000 focal length years ago, has interchangeable lens.
Heavy, but good Lord can you see with it.
Also great for the moon and stars.
A good stand makes any scope better for the most part, I have a shoot stand that I made a spike to stick into the ground.
Click to expand...
You've just reminded me that I have a 90mm Meade Maksutov- Cassegrain astronomical telescope that I bought for comet spotting, that's collecting dust in the closet. I should re-pupose it.
 
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