straight or angle lense for your backcountry spotter?

[Woodchuck]

I sprint from drainage to drainage. If you aren't sprinting you don't want it bad enough and you are a low life road hunter with a straight eye piece spotter. Insert extreme sarcasm font here.

I used to sprint, but I accidently deleted my recording of Cam Hanes' book Backcountry Bowhunting: A guide to the wildside from my IPOD and just can't find the motivation.

 I just ordered the window mount for my straight spotter.

[Karl Blanchard]

I think some are confused at what a 40 degree angle is   If your cranking uphill 40 degrees and glassing, your doing it wrong   Also, if you invested in a good tripod and head then you should adjust it to do the work for you, not your neck.

40% is different than 40 degree I guess that's confusing to some .And try looking real far to the left with your strait spotter from a sitting position and not move your body. Also looking down hill you just crank the angled eye piece over and your head is basicly staying strait. Pretty funny how offended some get on here. Kinda fun actually

Saw that you used % and not degree.  My mistake.  I guess I'm an idiot because I've always just moved my tripod 6" and scooted my behind a little if I wanted to glass left or right.  I'm not offended, just thought your comment about everyone on this sight being bench shooters and  :hello:road hunters because of the use of straight spotters to be comical.

[jackelope]

I think some are confused at what a 40 degree angle is   If your cranking uphill 40 degrees and glassing, your doing it wrong   Also, if you invested in a good tripod and head then you should adjust it to do the work for you, not your neck.

40% is different than 40 degree I guess that's confusing to some .And try looking real far to the left with your strait spotter from a sitting position and not move your body. Also looking down hill you just crank the angled eye piece over and your head is basicly staying strait. Pretty funny how offended some get on here. Kinda fun actually

Saw that you used % and not degree.  My mistake.  I guess I'm an idiot because I've always just moved my tripod 6" and scooted my behind a little if I wanted to glass left or right.  I'm not offended, just thought your comment about everyone on this sight being bench shooters and  :hello:road hunters because of the use of straight spotters to be comical.

Me too.

[JWBINX]

If you can afford it, go with the Swarovski STS 65 it can't be beat!!! At 899.99 the Leupold 12x40 gold ring is tough to beat
and it's made by the right people!!! They also make a HD model for a couple hundred dollars more. There is nothing in between
the Leupold HD and Swarovski worth spending your money on. A angle eyepiece cannot be used on a window mount and when in
the field you have to raise your head and body above the spotter to look through which will expose you to the quarry your hunting.
Go straight!!

[MtnMuley]

Straight for me - but I don't sit and glass with a spotter.   I sit and glass with tripod mounted 15x's.   When I've located something that requires a closer inspection, I can quick detach my 15s from my tripod and click in my spotter and be on the critter in seconds with no adjustment to my tripod.

On backcountry hunts, I pack both.   I'd rather live without something else than leave my beloved 15s behind.

.........I continue to shake my head

[longwalker]

the field you have to raise your head and body above the spotter to look through which will expose you to the quarry your hunting.
Go straight!!

If your that close why would you be using a spotting scope? And nothing between Swarovski and Leopold? That's exactly where vortex razors sit. I kinda wonder if you know what's being talked about here

[JWBINX]

Maybe you have not hunted on the plains for antelope, they have sharp eyes!! Keep the movement to a minimum. I've been in the optic
business for 30 years and I won't settle for Vortex when I can buy Leupold or Swarovski.

[Bean Counter]

I too have been less impressed with the Vortex stuff I have looked through. Everything I've looked at is midrange stuff. I sure hope their high end stuff is nicer.

If your that close why would you be using a spotting scope?

^ This. When I glass stuff with my spotter its often a country mile away (1,600+ yards). I can talk, jump, throw rocks and they wouldn't bat an eye.

[addicted2hunting]

I too have been less impressed with the Vortex stuff I have looked through. Everything I've looked at is midrange stuff. I sure hope their high end stuff is nicer.

If your that close why would you be using a spotting scope?

^ This. When I glass stuff with my spotter its often a country mile away (1,600+ yards). I can talk, jump, throw rocks and they wouldn't bat an eye.

So would the vortex be a good start till I save for some Swarovski?

[huntnphool]

I too have been less impressed with the Vortex stuff I have looked through. Everything I've looked at is midrange stuff. I sure hope their high end stuff is nicer.

If your that close why would you be using a spotting scope?

^ This. When I glass stuff with my spotter its often a country mile away (1,600+ yards). I can talk, jump, throw rocks and they wouldn't bat an eye.

So would the vortex be a good start till I save for some Swarovski?

 I know a member on here that picked up a Swaro 65 yesterday for $1000, they are out there if you keep your eyes open.

[Bean Counter]

  Don't be afraid to buy used. If you get a good deal on one used, you should be able to sell it later with minimal loss in trading up. There is far more to be scared about buying a used camera lens and that is something I've done several times without problems.

• Put your eyes up to it and focus and zoom. It should look smooth as it pulls in and out and focuses in and out
• Do the rings feel smooth to your fingers as you focus and zoom in and out?
• Look at the the objective LENS and the eyepiece glass. Coatings should be unscratched and smooth. lack of any coating or completely deformed coatings might mean some ammonia based cleaner was used (    )
  

[addicted2hunting]

Don't be afraid to buy used. If you get a good deal on one used, you should be able to sell it later with minimal loss in trading up. There is far more to be scared about buying a used camera lens and that is something I've done several times without problems.

• Put your eyes up to it and focus and zoom. It should look smooth as it pulls in and out and focuses in and out
• Do the rings feel smooth to your fingers as you focus and zoom in and out?
• Look at the the objective LENS and the eyepiece glass. Coatings should be unscratched and smooth. lack of any coating or completely deformed coatings might mean some ammonia based cleaner was used (    )
  

ok good stuff... thanks a ton guys.

[Karl Blanchard]

One thing to remember, Swaro's warranty is not transferable, so used glass is not covered.  If you buy new, the glass is covered for life but mechanical stuff like eye cups, focus wheel, etc are only covered for ten years.

[Karl Blanchard]

Something I suggest for you to do, and this was what I did when I was trying to decide on a spotter was to buy them, use them for a day and return them.  I bought almost every high end glass that Cabelas and Cameraland carried and ran them through a full day of glassing.  Low light, heat of the day, all of it.  You can't tell the quality of an optic by looking around the store.  Cabelas has a no questions asked return policy so your not out anything.  Finally landed on the big razor for several reasons.  One was warranty.  Literally cant top it.  The swaro was def a better optic but not 1500 bucks better.  Long story short, edge to edge clarity was great, I used it all day and never got a headache or achy eyeballs and it was second best I looked through.  I suggest picking up a straight and an angled spotter and run them through some glassing and decide from there.  They don't even have to be expensive ones.  Figure out the straight/angle thing and then decide which brand/model you want.

[coachcw]

I have a hell of a time with a angle spotter , some do some don't .