Spotting Scope Recommendations?

[Crunchy]

The difference between $500 dollar glass and $2,000 dollar glass is at a thousand yards not just seeing a deer, but being able to count its points.  Once you get to high end glass its a little more difficult to tell the differences.  I purchased the Swaro 20-60 X 65 and love it.  If I had to do it again I would have probably went with their wide angle 25-50 because I rarely zoom into 60 power.  That's pretty minor issue.

[thinkingman]

I have been watching this thread with some interest.
I just ordered a Pentax 65mm ED spotter body.
Got a smoking deal.
Now I need an eyepiece (1.25") and am stuck between a 20-60x or a fixed wide view.
People LOVE the fixed eyepiece for it's optical performance.
What power fixed do you think is most practical?

[magnumb]

I have been watching this thread with some interest.
I just ordered a Pentax 65mm ED spotter body.
Got a smoking deal.
Now I need an eyepiece (1.25") and am stuck between a 20-60x or a fixed wide view.
People LOVE the fixed eyepiece for it's optical performance.
What power fixed do you think is most practical?

'Most practical'.......?  If like me, since 99% of my annual shooting is done at a range on paper, you might pick the best fixed power eyepiece based on what power that you would most use at what distances you typically find yourself shooting off the bench. 

As most of us choose to hunt certain areas more often than not, year after year, I have a pretty good idea of the maximum range that I'm comfortable shooting in a hunting situation.  Given that, I would likely choose a fixed magnification based on that maximum distance that I can easily and clearly see my intended target and have ample FOV, be it on paper or hair.

A Pentax anything is a safe bet and I truly enjoy and find that a 65mm spotter is perfect for my purposes.  Good choice!

Good luck and enjoy.

   

[thinkingman]

I have been watching this thread with some interest.
I just ordered a Pentax 65mm ED spotter body.
Got a smoking deal.
Now I need an eyepiece (1.25") and am stuck between a 20-60x or a fixed wide view.
People LOVE the fixed eyepiece for it's optical performance.
What power fixed do you think is most practical?

'Most practical'.......?  If like me, since 99% of my annual shooting is done at a range on paper, you might pick the best fixed power eyepiece based on what power that you would most use at what distances you typically find yourself shooting off the bench. 

As most of us choose to hunt certain areas more often than not, year after year, I have a pretty good idea of the maximum range that I'm comfortable shooting in a hunting situation.  Given that, I would likely choose a fixed magnification based on that maximum distance that I can easily and clearly see my intended target and have ample FOV, be it on paper or hair.

A Pentax anything is a safe bet and I truly enjoy and find that a 65mm spotter is perfect for my purposes.  Good choice!

Good luck and enjoy.

   

Thanks.
I just ordered a fixed 14mm wide view, which calculates to approx 27X.
We'll see how that does.

[bearpaw]

Buy a decent spotter or don't waste your money, save until you can get a good one! The cheap ones are hard to use for extended times and they simply are not clear enough. I would get no less than a Nikon. I like the Leopold 12x40x60 the best of all spotters. It's compact, lightweight, long lasting, and good enough to look through all day. I've had the same one for 17 years and still prefer it over more costly spotters due to the reasons stated. I had a Swarovski that was great but got tired of packing the bulk and the weight. 

[CoryTDF]

This is the one I have and I love it! it's huge though and would be awful for packing. Trust me i'm not the kind or guy to spend $4K on a spotter though. I just kinda got lucky and my old one borke and they dont make it anymore so they replaced it with this. So I got a HUGE upgrade.

If you are goingto do it though make sure you save and buy HD or good glass you wont be sorry.

http://www.opticsplanet.com/nikon-spottingscope-85mm-edg-20-60x-zoom-fieldscope.html

[Bob33]

Buy a decent spotter or don't waste your money, save until you can get a good one! The cheap ones are hard to use for extended times and they simply are not clear enough. I would get no less than a Nikon. I like the Leopold 12x40x60 the best of all spotters. It's compact, lightweight, long lasting, and good enough to look through all day. I've had the same one for 17 years and still prefer it over more costly spotters due to the reasons stated. I had a Swarovski that was great but got tired of packing the bulk and the weight. 

Funny you should say that. I have a Leupold 12-40x60 HD spotter and a Swarovski 20-60x80 spotter. I use the Leupold much more. However, I had the Swarovski out this past weekend in the Blues looking at sheep, elk, and bears - and it sure was nice.

[Tbar]

+2 on the leupold spotters. They are clear and very practical.  I have an 88mm Kowa and often miss my smaller scopes.

[Larry S.]

I think you'll be more than happy with your choice. In more than 35+ years of hunting and using spotting scopes, I've found that I spend most of my time glassing between 15X-25X - only going to higher powers when I've found an animal, have a steady mount, and am trying to determine if the animal is a legal shooter.

[magnumb]

I have been watching this thread with some interest.
I just ordered a Pentax 65mm ED spotter body.
Got a smoking deal.
Now I need an eyepiece (1.25") and am stuck between a 20-60x or a fixed wide view.
People LOVE the fixed eyepiece for it's optical performance.
What power fixed do you think is most practical?

'Most practical'.......?  If like me, since 99% of my annual shooting is done at a range on paper, you might pick the best fixed power eyepiece based on what power that you would most use at what distances you typically find yourself shooting off the bench. 

As most of us choose to hunt certain areas more often than not, year after year, I have a pretty good idea of the maximum range that I'm comfortable shooting in a hunting situation.  Given that, I would likely choose a fixed magnification based on that maximum distance that I can easily and clearly see my intended target and have ample FOV, be it on paper or hair.

A Pentax anything is a safe bet and I truly enjoy and find that a 65mm spotter is perfect for my purposes.  Good choice!

Good luck and enjoy.

   

Thanks.
I just ordered a fixed 14mm wide view, which calculates to approx 27X.
We'll see how that does.

Likely the same x as I would have picked..... .

If 14x can't get you what you want, try again!  Having said that........no law against acquiring a higher fixed x later or sell/trade/buy a variable later.  Lots of choices!

Good luck!

[Bill W]

I bought an Alpen and really like it.. Lifetime warranty.

Alpen here also.   I used to shoot in score matches at Paul Bunyan and needed good glass that would spot .30 caliber holes in the black against a dark background early on rainy, dreary days at 200 yards.  The difference between a 10 and a 9 can be only a quarter of an inch but that quarter of an inch can cost you the match. The Alpen let me make scope adjustments with confidence.

It did not help when I had it angled wrong and was viewing a competitors target and making sight adjustments based on his hits.

[KFhunter]

+50 on the Alpin

fantastic scope for the money and you won't cry if you leave it on the mountain or break it

[KFhunter]

The difference between $500 dollar glass and $2,000 dollar glass is at a thousand yards not just seeing a deer, but being able to count its points.  Once you get to high end glass its a little more difficult to tell the differences.  I purchased the Swaro 20-60 X 65 and love it.  If I had to do it again I would have probably went with their wide angle 25-50 because I rarely zoom into 60 power.  That's pretty minor issue.

during hunting season when you're down to the brass tacks and deciding your animal I completely agree,  for summer scouting though it's not so important the horns aren't even grown. 

much cheaper alpin is fine for summer scouts, where they're often abused riding on the ATV and getting banged around dusty and dirty.  Leave the expensive glass at home ready for hunting season when it really matters. 

[magnumb]

Does anyone remember Leupolds first compact spotter...?  It was a 20 x 60 'Hunter' model.  Compact, typical good Leupy glass and reliability.  Came with a nice case and did the job.  I prized that scope for many seasons and sold it to a friend when I went to my Leica.  In other words, I don't go through alot of spotters as I've only owned the two mentioned.

As for owning 2 spotters simultaneously, a 'cheapy, beater' type for scouting/ATV excursions and also a 'good' one for those more serious times, Good+ to great glass can't be replaced whether scouting or hunting.  If I wish that I had brought along better glass to truly make out the specifics of a rack or other personally desirable attributes of any game animal, then I screwed up. 

I've spotted several bucks and bulls in the past that only allowed me one good look during only a single pre-season chance encounter that allowed me to know that they inhabited that area, that they were wall hangers and that they were certainly worth my time to pass on all else in order to pursue them once that season began.  If limbs, leaves, distance, dawn and dusk light conditions and cover of all types are much more easily discerned while using the more expensive spotter as opposed to your other less expensive spotter, then that one opportunity, perhaps of a lifetime, can't help but up your chances for success. 

My preferred method is to always use the best glass I own during scouting or hunting seasons and if I am packin' in, on horseback, ATV'n, drivin' the backroads, whatever.....I choose to buy the best insulated 'shock/weather proof' spotter cover available and confidently go from there.  Such a scope/spotter/optics cover and/or protector, no matter it's cost, is going to be much cheaper than even purchasing the least expensive glass that we might consider 'scouting/ATV' optics.

We should also hope and expect that our most expensive glass (bino's/scopes or spotters) should stand up to a higher standard of hard use as compared to less expensive offerings.  Whether real or imagined, one would hope this to be true. 

Buy and use the best glass that you can afford.  It can make or break a hunt and for me, most of my hunts are made well prior to the seasons opener.

Good luck to all...........

 

[MtnMuley]

Buy a decent spotter or don't waste your money, save until you can get a good one! The cheap ones are hard to use for extended times and they simply are not clear enough. I would get no less than a Nikon. I like the Leopold 12x40x60 the best of all spotters. It's compact, lightweight, long lasting, and good enough to look through all day. I've had the same one for 17 years and still prefer it over more costly spotters due to the reasons stated. I had a Swarovski that was great but got tired of packing the bulk and the weight. 

Funny you should say that. I have a Leupold 12-40x60 HD spotter and a Swarovski 20-60x80 spotter. I use the Leupold much more. However, I had the Swarovski out this past weekend in the Blues looking at sheep, elk, and bears - and it sure was nice.

I'm in the same shoes as you two, except I went with the big Zeiss 85mm HD.  The Leupy is priceless and was worth every penny spent.