Spotting scope advice

[muleman69]

Looking to up grade my spotting scope , I will use it mostly for target shooting ,paper and steel. I narrowed it down to either Zeiss or Swarovski. Need input as to which of these to go with?

 

[rardoin]

I have a Swarovski ATS- 80 HD. It is a very good scope. Paid about $3200 a few years ago. They can be had at or under $3000 now. However, if I had to buy another one I would opt for a Kowa TSN-773 Prominar XD with a long eye relief eyepiece. Should come in around $2600-2800 and, IME be a better scope than the Swarovksi ATS and cheaper. If money is no object the Leica Televid APO 82 package at $3700 or, the 'mac daddy', a complete Swarovski ATX package at near $6K. Personally, for shooting/hunting, I would suggest the Kowa 77mm Prominar as it has outstanding glass, great mechanical, is robust and lighter than a larger objective scope yet will get the job done of reading targets at distance, reading mirage and not break the bank. The Prominar 88 is also an outstanding scope but I don't think we need the extra weight/bulk of that large of an objective. I have had the good fortune of being able to view through many different scopes on the line at different competition venues and my mother was an amateur ornithologist; I was raised around some very high end spotters as bird watchers will spend a fortune on their glass. My mother's 25+ year old Leica still impresses me even when compared to some of the best of the modern scopes.

 

[jepp2]

Need input as to which of these to go with?

My wife is really into birding. She is in Columbia currently. She never saw a quality spotting scope she didn't think she didn't need. She has Leupold, Vortex, Zeiss (Victory Harpia 95mm with 23-70 eyepiece), Swarovski (ATS - 80HD), and a few lower end ones. Until she got the Harpia, you know which one she took when spotting water fowl on the other side of a mile wide reservoir? The Vortex Razor RZR - A1 20-60 x 85mm. It is an excellent scope and costs 1/6 the Harpia.

Here is a great deal, but just more input. https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1018039421?pid=950213

 

[JEFFPPC]

Looking to up grade my spotting scope , I will use it mostly for target shooting ,paper and steel. I narrowed it down to either Zeiss or Swarovski. Need input as to which of these to go with?

I went to buy a Swarovski spotting scope about 15 years ago. The shop was located in the country and I was able to put up a shot target at 600 yds with bullet holes in the black and the white. I was able to put a Zeiss and a Lecia, plus a Kowa up side by side with the Swarovski on a dark rainy day and compare. Both myself and a friend who went along picked the Zeiss which I bought. I have had the opportunity to often look through various scopes at matches. On different days, different scopes seem to be a bit better than others. At a lower price point a friend has a Meatopa that for the money does a good job. All in all I am happy with my Zeiss Diascope, only wish I could afford 2 set up together.

 

[wkdickinson]

Looking to up grade my spotting scope , I will use it mostly for target shooting ,paper and steel. I narrowed it down to either Zeiss or Swarovski. Need input as to which of these to go with?

KOWA!

 

[rsmithsr50]

you have not listed calibers nor distance.

how much money to spend
day time only ?? early late eve ??
its like fast cars, its called cubic dollars.

Looking to up grade my spotting scope , I will use it mostly for target shooting ,paper and steel. I narrowed it down to either Zeiss or Swarovski. Need input as to which of these to go with?

 

[Shrek]

Swarovski ATX or for the best value imo the Meopta S2 82mm. I’ve needed to use Zeiss warranty way too much to ever buy another Zeiss anything. Zeiss eventually fixed the scopes but it was 8-12 weeks into a black hole. Swarovski on the other hand took incredibly good care of me when the issue was something I had done and they were under no obligation whatsoever to help. I’m a Swarovski customer for life.

 

[muleman69]

you have not listed calibers nor distance.

how much money to spend
day time only ?? early late eve ??
its like fast cars, its called cubic dollars.

Dollars not a problem, day and of course low light when hunting. Buy once cry once I always say

 

[muleman69]

Swarovski ATX or for the best value imo the Meopta S2 82mm. I’ve needed to use Zeiss warranty way too much to ever buy another Zeiss anything. Zeiss eventually fixed the scopes but it was 8-12 weeks into a black hole. Swarovski on the other hand took incredibly good care of me when the issue was something I had done and they were under no obligation whatsoever to help. I’m a Swarovski customer for life.

How much better is your Swarovski than the Meopta?

 

[Shrek]

How much better is your Swarovski than the Meopta?

Some but not a lot. I owned a Meopta S2 before I owned the ATX. If the Meopta had been an angled model I’d never bought another spotting scope and knowing what I know now I’d buy the Meopta S2 with the 30-60w eyepiece and be happy. I own an ATX 95 and it truly is incredible but it’s not more than double the money better imo. Both the Meopta and the Swarovski both handle veiling haze very well. I had the Meopta S2 next to a Kowa 88 Prominar and the Meopta blew the Kowa away looking for deer into a low sun. The Kowa was almost completely hazed out while I could still find deer bedded in the grass with the Meopta S2. I feel my Meopta S2 was better than my ATS 80 HD by a shade but that is as a hard call. None of the Vortex Razor 85’s I’ve looked through impressed me at all. I loaned my ATX 85 that I had before I bought the 95 to a friend with a Razor 85. He had them setup side by side glassing a mountain right at dark for elk. He was looking through his Vortex and there wasn’t an elk to be seen. He switched to my ATX 85 and realized the mountain was actually covered in elk. He had always thought the last ten minutes of light was overrated for spotting game until that moment. At high noon with the sun directly overhead all the scopes are good but point them towards a setting or raising sun or look for game at last light and it’s another story.

 

[Shrek]

BTW , Cameralandny.com was running a super deal on the Meopta S2. It was with the 20-70 eyepiece which I don’t like as much but might be better for spotting bullet holes in targets. The 30-60 wide angle eyepiece is better for finding game.
Be aware that no scope can resolve mirage.

 

[NZ_Fclass]

Kowa.

 

[rardoin]

If the Swaro ATX is in your budget I would go that route without hesitation. It is modular, very versatile, and you can sell it pretty easy on a birding site if you decide to part with it.

 

[muleman69]

BTW , Cameralandny.com was running a super deal on the Meopta S2. It was with the 20-70 eyepiece which I don’t like as much but might be better for spotting bullet holes in targets. The 30-60 wide angle eyepiece is better for finding game.
Be aware that no scope can resolve mirage.

I have the s2-82hd but it is to big to pack Easley. Also have an older Kowa with 25x and variable eye pieces ,I need to sell both or trade for something smaller for back packing. I really like the Swaro

 

[Shrek]

Which Swarovski ? The ATS 65 HD ?

 

[Shrek]

The ATX 65 is about the same weight as the ATS 80 HD. The ATX series is great but not light. Everything in life is a compromise unfortunately.

 

[muleman69]

The ATX 65 is about the same weight as the ATS 80 HD. The ATX series is great but not light. Everything in life is a compromise unfortunately.

80 would be nice

 

[Shrek]

If I remember correctly the Meopta S2 is five ounces heavier. ATS 59 verses Meopta 64. There’s not a lot of weight savings and and the ATS 80 isn’t much smaller either. If you are wanting to cut down weight and bulk for hiking then the ATS 65 is what you want. You will lose some performance.

 

[rardoin]

Yeah....if weight is a concern the ATX would not be a good pack scope.

 

[Scott Harris]

Looking to up grade my spotting scope , I will use it mostly for target shooting ,paper and steel. I narrowed it down to either Zeiss or Swarovski. Need input as to which of these to go with?

Lots of great input above. My thoughts are you do not need the best spotter for target shooting. We use a Swarovski 65 ATS HD with fixed 30W and it is great. But, the eye relief is little short. Kowa, with their LER eye pieces rule the roost. Get a 601, 663, 82SV, or 883 with the fixed LER eye piece: those are almost perfect for target shooting.