Spotting Scope (Straight or Angled)

What is your choice for hunting purposes.

Straight... Angled is fine for target and match shooting, but for the field, they will drive you crazy - I have the tee shirt.

I was going to upgrade to an $1,100 scope for field use, and was advised to get angled.
I bought an angled scope for $1,100, and took it to the field, and it was a lead weight - I was lucky to find a serious match shooter that had the same scope, but straight, and we traded even.

I was ready to sell it at a loss to get a straight version for the field.

Most of the better straight scopes have some kinda open sight on the barrel like a pistol sight, to get you lined up fast - on an angled scope, you have to search (and search and search and...) through the eye piece to find what you want to look at.

I'm sure you will now get 5 recommendations for angled ;) ;) ;)


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I like angled, because I hunt from low to high, so the scope is below me and I can scope above (did that make sense?)

It is a learning experience in finding what you want the first few times you use an angled scope. If I used a straight scope, I would need a much taller tripod and that means added weight.

Just my experience.

Catshooter, there is 1 ;-)

AJ
 
I use my Leica APO 77 for both the 1K matches and in the field --- it is straight and the angled will drive you nuts in the field...
 
I completely agree with catshooter on this, an angled spotting scope is of little value if any out in the field unless you are bird watching or looking at the stars.
AJ's comments dont make any sense to me at all, but if it works for you keep doing it.
IMO there is not even a debate for long range hunting spotting scope straight.
UB
 
I'm waiting for USO to come out with the LRF version... A long tough wait it will be.

Straight all the way for field use.
 
AJ's comments dont make any sense to me at all, but if it works for you keep doing it.

UB


I'll try to explain. An angled scope lets me sit in a more comfortable position when scoping 'up', I don't have to continually have my head tilted up. The scope I use has a rotating tripod ring, so I can look from above the scope, below it or from the side to get a comfortable position. With a straight scope, you don't have any options, you point it at your target and look through it. You have to be 'behind' the scope regardless of the terrain etc. An angled scope also allows the use of a shorter tripod when I look 'down' into the scope.

The straight scopes are definitely 'easier' to point at a target until you get used to the angled scope.

AJ
 
Catshooter, there is 1 ;-)

AJ

I knew you would be the first... Why did I know you would be the first;)

Lemme 'splain.

"My experence"... when I'm in the field, and I see something with my bins, lets say near a white rock out far, and I want a better view, with my STRAIGHT scope, a Pentax 20x60-80mm, it has a built in open gun sight on it, and I aim that sight at the white rock, and look in the little glass window - and there it is in the scope - just focus, and adjust power.

I could NEVER do that when I had the angled version - I was constantly sweeping the area to find the subject.

Even at 100 yds at the range, it was a task to find the targets I was shooting at with the angled scope.

Now, ol' AJ, he's a unique case - cus he's lookin' "up" instead of straight ahead... so he sets his scope so he looks down, to see up - probably shooting squirrels out of trees ;)


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I knew you would be the first... Why did I know you would be the first;)


Now, ol' AJ, he's a unique case - cus he's lookin' "up" instead of straight ahead... so he sets his scope so he looks down, to see up - probably shooting squirrels out of trees ;)


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Hey, CS. I'm near Boston for a couple days. I'd buy you a drink so we could discuss in person if you were in the area.

AJ
 
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