One mile plus spotting scope

[Retired shooter]

Hello All
Last weekend a group of shooters had a great 2 day range event. Multiple range targets from 300 to out past 1760 yards.
My son with his 338 Lapua and the instructor spotter in windy conditions were on target dead center in 8 - 10 rounds.
Looking back most of the posts and threads are really not current. Spotter was using Kowa. Shooter using night force scope.

Now my son and I are starting our research for a really good spotting scope I am looking at trying with old eyes to get my son on target out at around the 2000 yard mark. Looking for suggestions from the ELR shooters as to the newer makes, models, and options available currently. We know good , better, and best, are not less expensive. Buy once cry once Also enlighten us as to eye piece magnifiers for the old man

All thoughts and opinions welcomed , with your reasoning as to why.
Thank you.
Retired shooter

 

[R.Morehouse]

For that range, I would be looking into target cams.......Why?......I had the top-of-the-line Meopta and on a really clear day in perfect conditions and if you knew what you were looking at I could see them at 1000yds max.

Regards
Rick

 

[hoz53]

Hello All
Last weekend a group of shooters had a great 2 day range event. Multiple range targets from 300 to out past 1760 yards.
My son with his 338 Lapua and the instructor spotter in windy conditions were on target dead center in 8 - 10 rounds.
Looking back most of the posts and threads are really not current. Spotter was using Kowa. Shooter using night force scope.

Now my son and I are starting our research for a really good spotting scope I am looking at trying with old eyes to get my son on target out at around the 2000 yard mark. Looking for suggestions from the ELR shooters as to the newer makes, models, and options available currently. We know good , better, and best, are not less expensive. Buy once cry once Also enlighten us as to eye piece magnifiers for the old man

All thoughts and opinions welcomed , with your reasoning as to why.
Thank you.
Retired shooter

there are places that rent high end spotting scopes. Mite be worth while if youre spending thousands on one. search online

 

[JEFFPPC]

What R.Morehouse said.

 

[6bra1k]

i have a meopa s2 82 that allows me to see clays on brown dirt at 2000.
i think is is the very min for spotting.
lica and such is where you need to look...3500 and more. the binocular ones would be better.
do not listen to those that say 25x is plenty

 

[Retired shooter]

For that range, I would be looking into target cams.......Why?......I had the top-of-the-line Meopta and on a really clear day in perfect conditions and if you knew what you were looking at I could see them at 1000yds max.

Regards
Rick

Cams would be great if we had control of the range.
Thanks

 

[Retired shooter]

i have a meopa s2 82 that allows me to see clays on brown dirt at 2000.
i think is is the very min for spotting.
lica and such is where you need to look...3500 and more. the binocular ones would be better.
do not listen to those that say 25x is plenty

Thank you.!

 

[Retired shooter]

there are places that rent high end spotting scopes. Mite be worth while if youre spending thousands on one. search online

Thank you.

 

[JEFFPPC]

Spot on, binocular vision is superior. I have an 85mm Zeiss that is very good. Now a pair mounted together would be really really terrific.

 

[Retired shooter]

Spot on, binocular vision is superior. I have an 86mm Zeiss that is very good. Now a pair mouted together would be really really terrific.

Thank you

 

[Turbulent Turtle]

The limiting factor to long distance viewing is, in a word, conditions.

The most important one is what most people call mirage, but is in fact shimmer. This shimmer will mess up the IQ (image quality) of any riflescope, spotter or other optics. In the last few years, we have come to realize that ED and most especially Super ED glass, coupled with a good optical design, is less impacted by shimmer compared to traditional optical glass.


The most bestest ED glass is pure fluorite crystal glass. There are no LR riflescopes made with this type of glass, and only Kowa makes spotting scopes with CaF2 glass, that I am aware of.

If you're looking for the best IQ with high magnification, you need to look at the Kowa 880 series, the newer and larger 99x series, or if you're into binoculars, the Kowa High Lander series with CaF2 glass. Warning, sticker shock on that last one.

Nothing else comes close for high magnification.

 

[Retired shooter]

Was just surfing the net about the newer Kowa models, and the magnifying eye pieces. I am sure the sticker shock will be amazing. Hey go big or go home. Used to drag race. Saying back then was " Speed costs, How fast do you want to go.? " Same situation.

Thank you sir.

 

[1911nut]

Yeah camera or something from NASA or the Pentagon

 

[WSnyder]

Best? A few of them anyway. Kowa TSN-99, Kowa TSN-883, Swarovski ATX 95 or 115, Leica Televid APO-82, Zeiss Conquest Gavia 85

Competitive shooters tend to sway to the Kowa's, Hunters tend to sway to the Swaro though lots of hunters are finding the lower cost and comparable performance of the Kowa's attractive. The other two are still very good but not as preferred or as popular as the Swaro and Kowa.

 

[Retired shooter]

Thank you.

 

[BW64]

I like the 25x100 big eye binos myself. Easier to get on target & bring in lots of light. Very good for spotting antlers or a tail at a mile plus. Just get a good sturdy tripod.

 

[Retired shooter]

Thank you.

 

[Retired shooter]

TTT
Hello All
Thank you to all that have replied.
Comparing the newer Metopa spotting scopes to the newer Kowa scopes, using for one mile plus spotting, all weather , and time of day, from those who have actual experience with or compared them to one another which one gets the vote . Pros vs cons.
And do both of the models offer a different eyepiece. ( magnifiers or wide angle)

Thank you.
Retired shooter

 

[Retired shooter]

ANYONE ???
Cabelas version comes with fixed eye piece cannot be changed. That answers part of the question.
Now. Pros and cons of the newer KOWA versus the newer Meopta

Thank you
Retired shooter

 

[6and7mm]

The current king of the hill is the Zeiss Harpia 95. Don't take my word for, just go and compare. Some come close, but none exceeds it's performance for image quality at 70-72x. The Meopta S2 is an excellent spotter, but misses the blue ribbon when compared to the Zeiss Harpia (painful to purchase...highly comforting to look through and own). There are several great spotters, but very few will do what you are looking for, as you are asking for phenomenal resolution, at extreme distances, in multiple environmental conditions.