spotting scope?

[boonerboy]

what would you recomend for an inexpensive spotting scope?

[jackelope]

define inexpensive.

whats your price range?

[boonerboy]

under $250

[whacker1]

I haven't found one that I am happy with yet for under $500.  I currently own the Windriver by Leupold 15 - 45 x 60, and will be replacing it as soon as I can afford something better.  It will be awhile before I can afford a Swarovski. 

ZenRay is supposed to be releasing a spotting scope in the summer sometime.  I am crossing my fingers that it both meets the quality of their binoculars and that it is affordable.

[littlemac]

Try garage sales and Craigslist.  My kid found a good one at a garage sale for $100.  Its a long shot but you never know.
At retail I have to agree with whacker.  Doubtful to find a decent one for $250 IMO.

[jackelope]

I would look at something Vortex maybe but I don't know if you'll be happy with a sub-$250 scope. I have a Burris Landmark and it is ok for about $200. Next time I will save my money and buy a better one.
With that said now that I have a spotter I never feel like carrying it anywhere so for sitting on the porch looking at deer it's fine.

 

There was a vortex scope in the classifieds a while back for around $300 that looked like a good deal. not sure if it's still there or not.

[Jamieb]

I don't think you'll be able to find a (good) spotter even in the used market at that price.  IMHO spending $250. on a spotter is a waste of $250.
Save your money awhile up, watch craigs list and the classifieds.

[whacker1]

Jamieb - what would you suggest and what price?   I have tried Nikon, windriver, bushnell, burris, nothing seems to even get close to Swarovski.  It seems there are many more quality options in the mid-price range for binoculars and rifle scopes than there are in spotting scopes.

[MtnMuley]

what would you recomend for an inexpensive spotting scope?

Konus 20-60x80.  Under $200.  Not a Swaro, but for the price range you listed, IMO, it's the best.  Burris Landmark would be my second choice in that price range.

[jackelope]

My landmark was a great scope for $200 until I looked through a $2k Swarovski.
 
If you want a budget spotter, don't look through an expensive great quality one after you bought the cheapy.

[JackOfAllTrades]

As impressed as I am with a recent binocular purchase, I'd have to seriously look at:

http://www.zen-ray.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=191

for that price range.

-Steve

[jackelope]

Vortex Nomad
http://www.elknut.com/Newsletter_1.html

[Bob33]

I know someone selling a Bausch and Lomb Elite 15-45x60 spotting scope.  It has since been superseded by an equivalent Bushnell model.  I think he would take $250.

http://www.opticsplanet.net/bushnell-15-45x60mm-elite-spotting-scope-781548p.html

[Jamieb]

Over the last 20 years I bought a new spotter about everyother year. I started with a cheap simmons and upgraded a little with each new purchase.
I wasted alot of money on junk optics in that time.  I thought the Burris landmark was alright in bright light but went dark way before my riflescope or binos.  Bushnell makes junk, I only say that becuse I've owned/used their crap. I never used anything made by Nikon so I cant comment on their spotter.
I was realy disipointed in the wind river spotter, it has leupolds name on it so I thought it would be better then it is. The spotting scope I have now, I found on Craigslist for $500. A leupold goldring  12x40x60, a soft case, and a compact leupold tripod. I think "good" starts about here at the goldring price and go's up from there.

[whacker1]

That is kind of what I have found in trying several friends' spotters.  Nikon had one that was pretty nice, but I think it weighed as much as a 20 lb armorlite 50 cal a friend of mine shoots.   A little sarcasm, but that was one big heavy spotter.

[Jamieb]

Whenever a topic like this comes up I allways say to to save up and buy a good spotter the first time, you'll come out money ahead over trying to go the cheap route and upgrade like I did. Ziess, leica, and sworovski are the top 3 but way out of my price range, even used.

[whacker1]

That was the path I was planning on taking - The big 3, but that is still a long way off.   Maybe if I save my Cabelas points for 10 years, I will get a free spotter for $3000?

[MtnMuley]

If you are going to spend more and go up few hundred, don't look past the Leupold Gold Ring 12-40x60.  I use mine 10 times more than I use my Zeiss HD 20-60x85.

[jackelope]

I think one of that size is a lot more practical than a 20-60x of the size those typically are unless you're hercules and don't mind carrying a giant spotter.

[boonerboy]

thanks for the info guys. I know that there is no golden nugget when it comes to lower-end spotters but I refuse to look through my piece of crap Bushnell one more time and I just can't afford a swaro just yet. I have put in a couple bids on ebay for a Burris Landmark, hopefully it will suffice till I can afford the one I really want.

[G.R.K]

You get what you pay for. 

[Cylvertip]

Depending on what size you want, check these two out.  Burris 12-24x50mm Compact Spotting Scope and Konus  20-60x80mm  - some one else had already mentioned the Konus.  Look up some of the reviews, it's a lot of scope for the $$$.

[jackelope]

You get what you pay for. 

For a couple hundred the burris is a decent scope...just don't look through a swaro.

[Intruder]

Vortex Nomad for 300 is about the best you can do for under 600-700.

[GoldTip]

I have the Vortex Impact, and it's fairly compact and not too bad a scope at the lower magnification levels.  The Vortex Nomad is a step up for sure, but mine suffices for what I use it for and for as much as I use it.

[Alpine Mojo]

Depending on what size you want, check these two out.  Burris 12-24x50mm Compact Spotting Scope and Konus  20-60x80mm  - some one else had already mentioned the Konus.  Look up some of the reviews, it's a lot of scope for the $$$.

The Burris Compact is a great 24x power for the money and is light enough to pack in for the high buck.

[Bigshooter]

Depending on what size you want, check these two out.  Burris 12-24x50mm Compact Spotting Scope and Konus  20-60x80mm  - some one else had already mentioned the Konus.  Look up some of the reviews, it's a lot of scope for the $$$.

The Burris Compact is a great 24x power for the money and is light enough to pack in for the high buck.

I have a burris landmark 20-60x80 that I really like.  I got to compare it to a wind river last hunting season and it was 100x's better than the windriver.  There were about 10 of us looking at the same deer through both spotters and everyone agreed that the burris was alot better.

[7mag.]

There is no such thing as "value" in a spotter. You have to spend money to get quality. If you can't afford at least $1500, then don't waste your money. There is no decent spotter for the money, only good and bad. There are miles of difference in spotting scopes. If you take a $500 spotter and a $2000 spotter, and ask "is the expensive one 4 times better?" The answer is yes, at least 4 times better. As G.R.K. said, you get what you pay for, especially in spotting scopes.

[jackelope]

There is no such thing as "value" in a spotter. You have to spend money to get quality. If you can't afford at least $1500, then don't waste your money. There is no decent spotter for the money, only good and bad. There are miles of difference in spotting scopes. If you take a $500 spotter and a $2000 spotter, and ask "is the expensive one 4 times better?" The answer is yes, at least 4 times better. As G.R.K. said, you get what you pay for, especially in spotting scopes.

 

[Dansk]

I went cheap on my trip to MT last year- came back and immediately dropped $600 on the Nikon Prostaff 80mm.  Don't waste a dime on a cheap spotter.  You can get away with cheaper binos, but not a spotter... when cranking the zoom up - quality differences are HUGE... and I agree with everyone who says you get what you pay for.

I Looked through MANY spotting scopes before settling on the Nikon, and read many comparison- the Nikon was consistently rated higher in articles, and it was better than all competitors between 500-700 when I went out shopping to actually try them... up until the Leupold gold ring - that would be my next choice, but to me it wasn't worth another $400.

IMO and based on all the homework I did, you can't get anything decent for under $500.