Spotting scope suggestions

[savageshooter86]

Thought there was a thread on this but can't find it....

What would be the best value spotting scope for using at 600-1000 yards Fclass to help read mirage? Really needing the least expensive, but will be the best quality for the $(hopefuly under $1000)
What brand/brands should I be looking at?

This will be for local club matches and I am very new to this, so please keep this in mind with suggestions. Not looking at $$$$$$$$$$ scopes

 

[Jdne5b]

Here is a recent thread with some good info on stands as well:

http://forum.accurateshooter.com/index.php?topic=3824291.0


This seems to be the consensus for about $1000:
Kowa TSN-82SV Angled + TE-17HD 25x Long Eye Relief eye piece.

Liberty optics has the package for $975, but email Scott@libertyoptics.com and see if they offer any discounts. He saved me a bunch of money over list price on another spotter I picked up.

 

[itchyTF]

Consider the Sightron SIIBL 20-60X85 HD-A.

 

[gaboon]

Look at the Konus 80mm or the 100mm scopes around $350-400. Good glass for the money.

 

[tenring]

This is an old thread but good info for you:
http://6mmbr.websitetoolbox.com/post?id=1936814

 

[savageshooter86]

so read some more info in the links and found a couple others.

If I go with a Konus to get me started would I be better off with the 80mm or the 65mm?

 

[KT]

If I could give you some advice!

Just buy what you want the first time. I didn't do this, so I ended up buying two spotting scopes.

I would go with the 80mm

kt

 

[savageshooter86]

note too I will get a good quality Fclass style scope stand for it too

 

[gaboon]

80 or the 100mm I have the 100mm and i have seen more 100mm than 80mm.
I can see mirage better in my scope than my dad's kowa.

 

[PRECISIONWELDING01]

If you look down the firing line kowa 821 or the newer 82SV is the scope
Both great scopes

 

[diego-ted]

I have been using a Vortex Razor spotting scope. It has very good glass and I really like the features. I typically bring and use another far less expensive spotter mounted on a tripod when I'm scoring for another shooter. Interestingly, at the CA State LR Championship this past weekend, I noticed that I could actually see the mirage much better in the less expensive scope. In fact, the difference between the two was almost night and day. Possibly some part of that may have been the difference between lying flat on the ground while shooting and sitting up a few feet while scoring, but not all of the difference could have been because of that. I'm thinking now of switching to the less expensive scope while shooting. It certainly falls within your budget, so if you're interested, here is the info for it:


http://www.midwayusa.com/product/569798?cm_mmc=Froogle-_-Optics%20-%20Spotting%20Scopes-_-PriceCompListing-_-569798&gclid=CPacpLLcy7oCFW1yQgod4T8A5w

I could not agree with Greg more, if you are looking for a scope to see mirage out to 1K this is the one. Now if you are looking to see holes in the target this is not the best out there. However, that being said I could see mirage twice as easy with the Bushnell then with my more expensive scope! I am going to pick up one for using on the line. Another plus is the small size is easier to locate while shooting.

Diego

 

[aj300mag]

I'd go with the Kowa...

The only reason I'd use a Bushnell is the same reason I liked getting my wisdom teeth pulled. Both gave me a splitting headache by the end of the day.

And friends don't let friends use a Barska, for the same reason! ;D

 

[BigDMT]

I've noticed that Higher quality HD glass cuts down on mirage as well.

I've put my Vortex Razor 16-48x65mm spotter head to head with a Swarovski 20-60x80mm HD spotter and could not tell the difference in daylight. Actually, my 16-48 Razor had a much larger field of view on like powers. It wasn't until you put the 20-50WW eyepiece on the Swarovski that field of view was comparable to the smaller Razor on same power levels.

The 16-48x65mm Razor also has a MUCH WIDER field of view than it's larger 20-60x85mm brother on all identical powers.

Whatever you choose, ONE VERY IMPORTANT THING TO REMEMBER: Cheap spotters have HORRIBLE eye relief, especially on high power levels, and the cheap Chinese glass WILL cause excessive eye strain from extended periods of use. Guaranteed. Trust me, I've been there, done that with the cheap spotters. You may not be able to see mirage quite as well with alpha glass, but it will make up for it in comfort of viewing when spending all day at the range.

That being said, I think any of the Kowa Prominar, Swarovski HD, Leica Televid, or Vortex Razor scopes would serve you well

 

[wolley]

The Konus 80mm can be had for around $200. It is 95% the scope that the Kowa is for 20% of the money.
The 80 also has slightly better optics than the 100mm version.
I wear glasses and with the rubber cup rolled down it has better eye relief than the Kowa even when the Kowa has the long eye relief eyepiece.
I quite often forget my spotting scope and end up borrowing someone else's and am always disappointed in the Kowa's.
I will say that the Konus has 20-60X zoom but only the 20-40X is usable. Past that the optics degrade to the point of horrid.

 

[aj300mag]

The Konus 80mm can be had for around $200. It is 95% the scope that the Kowa is for 20% of the money.
The 80 also has slightly better optics than the 100mm version.
I wear glasses and with the rubber cup rolled down it has better eye relief than the Kowa even when the Kowa has the long eye relief eyepiece.
I quite often forget my spotting scope and end up borrowing someone else's and am always disappointed in the Kowa's.
I will say that the Konus has 20-60X zoom but only the 20-40X is usable. Past that the optics degrade to the point of horrid.

You brag about how your konus is 95% as good as a kowa yet you're disappointed every time you are "forced" to use a Kowa. That makes a hell of a lot of sense...

Thing is I allow a lot of people to look through my kowa, first words out of their mouth is "d@mn that scope is clear"!

Next time you are forced to suffer through using a kowa with a LER eyepiece installed pop the rubber eye guard off.

 

[BigDMT]

I also enjoyed how he openly admitted that 33% the Konus magnification range was "HORRID", yet it is equal to 95% of the Kowa quality. pretty sure Kowa has got it figured out all the way to the top of their magnification range, not just the first 40x of 60x.

 

[Erik Cortina]

I have a Konus I'll sell you. I'm saving funds to buy a Kowa.

My teammate Steven Blair has a Nikon scope that also works great. The problem is that all the great scopes I have looked through have a price tag above $1,000.00

 

[ShootDots]

Earlier this year, a fellow came to the range with a Nikon Victory spotting scope. The optics on this was "off the scale" clear! Nikon has scopes with some of the best glass on the market. This spotting scope was W-A-Y beyond anything in their regular scope lines. I have peered thru Kowa, Zeiss, Swarovsky and Leupold>>> NOTHING beat this scope for clarity>>>the Kowa (80 or 88mm version?) was in the same league but not better! However, having said that, I believe the Nikon is edging close to $3,000.. I stated this for one reason, if you need the "best" you will pay OVER $2000.00 for quality of that magnitude...

 

[wolley]

I've never seen a Kowa with the zoom eye piece. Must be a reason no one buys them.
Yes I do remove the rubber cup on the Kowa. It still doesn't have the eye relief that the Konus does. I hate looking through a tiny dot in the middle of the eye piece and what's left behind scratches my glasses as I bump the scope trying to see through it. That is my only source of disappointment.
The glass is not 400% better than the Konus so there is no justification for spending that much on a scope. 5% doesn't equal $800.
The $800 bucks I save allowed me a LOT of practice rounds!
When shooting reduced matches at 200, if I can't see 22 caliber holes in the target neither can the Kowa.
The spotting scope, once you get past the $60 no name ones, has absolutely no affect on my shooting so why waste money on it?
But there's always one in the crowd who is convinced that the $5K March rifle scope will cure all that ails his scores.

 

[aj300mag]

The $800 bucks I save allowed me a LOT of practice rounds!

Maybe you should have considered spending some of the money on a better pair of shooting classes.... or a seeing eye dog. ;D