Looking to purchase a spotting scope for 600/1000 yd. BR

[tooter]

Folks,

I'm seeking first hand advice to help make a decision to purchase a top performance spotting scope suitable for long range BR shooting that I'll be starting in the Spring. I've read much on this and other forums and the more I read, the more I get confused.

I can't justify the $$$s for a Leica, so I've whittled it down to either a Zeiss 85FL Diascope or the new Kowa TSN 883 Prominar. My question is which has better "practical" image resolution/chromic abberation performance at 1000 yds.? Or, should I be considering something different?

Any first hand owner feedback or otherwise "on the line" experience will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for your time and consideration,

Tooter

 

[farmerjohn]

Hello, I know what your getting into, we've been there. I lucky enough to have a 0 to 1000 yd range here on my farm. We can shoot any class as we have benches as well as a berm to lay on and shoot off the ground. I have steel gongs at 600 and 1000 as well as target frames and a lot of my friends bring scopes of all kinds out here when they come to shoot and I have looked through a lot of them. What I've found is 65 year old eyes cannot see 6mm holes in the black at all and some in the white are hard to see at 600 with all the scopes you named. We have not seen the big "MAGNUM" that is advertised at around $2500. The Kiowa's seem to be very good. My son Jim has very good eyes and says he can see 6mm holes at 1000 if the sun is just right but I can't, nor can anyof the older shooters. We are putting a "TV" set up together so we can see and stop driving back and forth to the targets. As far as spotting scopes go we have found that if you learn to use the focus ring at known yardages it is very helpful in reading miriage{i hope i spelled that right}. As far as buying a spotting scope, ask them point blank if you can see a .243 hole at 1000 yds.. ask them if you can return the scope if you cannot see the hole. I think you will find that they are very careful dancing around actually guaranteeing that you can see the hole. Our experience anyway, good luck shooting....JF

 

[normmatzen]

Right on Farmer John!

I have begun shooting 600 yd and 1000 yd at our local range, The Sacramento Shooting Center.

No one uses a spotting scope for these ranges. We are lucky that we have someone in the "Butts" marking hits for us. We just look thru our rifle scopes to see the patches.

I also use our 300 yd range a lot too. I have a 243 WIN for the long distance and a K31 with diopter sights and I can only see 300 yd holes when the sun is just right with my spotting scope. That is 6mm as well as 7.62 mm holes. Granted, my spotting scope is not one of the big bucks ones, just a simple Celestron 80 mm 20-60 power. But, my eyes are 70 years old! And, I learned to use a GOOD stable tripod for the scope!

 

[tooter]

John and Norm,

Thanks for your perspectives. I'm looking thru 66 yr. old yes myself (trifoculs as well) and was hoping quality optics could get me there.

I'll be shooting a 6mm Dasher built by Mike Bryant last year but just haven't yet garnered any practical experience. I'm fortunate that next year my local club will have the first 1000 yd. range in the entire state of NH. John, I sincerely envy you! When I grow up, I want to be just like you!!!

I think I'll wait to see what my 8-42 NXS will reveal.

I sincerely appreciate your inputs,

Norm W (aka Tooter)

 

[coues52]

Hi Tooter, I was at the Salt lake city gun show this weekend,anyway they had a "Wireless video spotting scope set up".set up the remote camera about 25 yards from target and monitor at your loc,neat set-up ,on my list!,lol.1200-2500-5000 yard models..ask fok SLC gun show price 399.95-529.95 (2500 yd) also can feed off of up tp 4 camera,s..WWW.TARGETTECK.COM cell 775-291-9190 PS I have a zeiss spotting scope and I can,t see small bullet holes at 600 yds~Danny

 

[tooter]

coues52 - the wireless setup sounds too good to be true. I guess with the electronics survalence technology today this is just another application. Could I pick up the images on my wireless PC laptop?
The price is right! I can avoid laying out $2500 to $3000 only to discover I still can't see little holes at 1000 yds.

Thanks for your response!

 

[Klong]

The best optics in the world will not eliminate mirage, which is a major factor in being able to see bullet holes at long range. The TV set up will though.

 

[fdshuster]

As Klong said, mirage is the limiting factor to any optics, no matter what their cost. I went to my financial limit last Summer with an excellent Nikon Fieldscope 111, ED glass, 82mm objective, 25-75x eyepiece, and it is limited to spotting 6mm holes, at 500 yd, under good light conditions, no mirage. Throw in the typical Summer heat mirage, and it all goes out the window. The remote, wireless camera set-up is an excellent alternative and I think we'll be seeing more of them.

 

[Gman]

The best optics in the world will not eliminate mirage, which is a major factor in being able to see bullet holes at long range. The TV set up will though.


This is the absolute TRUTH !

 

[tenring]

Hummm. . . .wonder how many clubs will allow a wireless remote camera to be set up for registered matches???

 

[jo191145]

March just debuted thier new 8 X 80 X 56mm LR scope.
No sense buying a spotting scope when you can bolt it right on top of the rifle

 

[tooter]

jo191145,

Any idea of what the New March scope will cost?

Tooter

 

[CJ6]

jo191145,

Any idea of what the New March scope will cost?

Tooter

Guessing 12x42 NF + Kowa = March 8x80

 

[jo191145]

jo191145,

Any idea of what the New March scope will cost?

Tooter

Actually I have no clue at all. Just a WAG, probaly a smidge under $3000.
I'm not endorsing it. At the same time I doubt March would build it and sell it if it did'nt have some real world use. They're reputation is the top of the line right now. No sense in messing that up.
Its not like buying one of those no name 60X Chinese tactical scopes for $100