Telescope for the range?

[Chiquita]

I was wondering if any of the members have tried a telescope at the range for checking targets at long range.

 

[NZ_Fclass]

Well, I just have my first 6.5mm Creedmoor, so I'm obviously gonna need one.

 

[Zero333]

Try it at home during daylight and you be the judge.
If you can see a fly at 100 meters/yards during the day, then it might be worth a try at the range.

I never gave it a thought otherwise.

 

[Fred Bohl]

I was wondering if any of the members have tried a telescope at the range for checking targets at long range.

Yes I have and still do use it instead of conventional spotting scopes at 100 to 1000 yards. At our club range we have used telescopes for public use spotting scopes for 20 years at 50, 100, 200 and 300 yards.

 

[ronemus]

Viewing quality is usually limited by mirage and other atmospheric effects rather than the quality of the optical system. Telescopes are fine when the shooting is under cover or limited to fair weather, but portability and weatherproofing are needed for some types of shooting. I have a 6" high-quality reflecting telescope that is primarily used as a very long telephoto for wildlife photography. I've compared it to my Kowa TSN-661 and under most conditions it reveals as much detail as the telescope, with much less weight and complexity.

 

[CJ6]

Too big for me.

 

[RCE1]

Target shooters tend to favor spotting scopes for observing targets. 27x eyepiece is a good balance between magnification and field of view.

 

[Fred Bohl]

Viewing quality is usually limited by mirage and other atmospheric effects rather than the quality of the optical system.

Very true! My preference is for the Maksutov-Cassegrain catadioptric telescope design. The versatility with objective size and eyepiece selection in a reasonably compact form has won me over.

Telescopes are fine when the shooting is under cover or limited to fair weather, but portability and weatherproofing are needed for some types of shooting.

Also very true, but me and all of my gear also need protection from bad weather.

 

[ronsatspokane]

I have. Depends on the scope. I've run a Williams Optical 70 mm ED OTA with a Vixen variable lens in the past. This scope has superb optics and works well as a spotting scope. Also run a dedicated Vortex HD scope and use it the most. Mainly because it is sealed and I would need to cover the Williams in the rain.