pyroducksx3
Well-Known Member
Ok here's the dilemma. I am getting my first and hopefully only spotting scope. I do a lot of walking around/backpacking while hunting. In order to make my daypack/backpack comfortable or as light as possible I am trying to strike the right balance between weight and actual functionability in a spotter. I am pretty heavily decided on the nikon field scope ED50 with a weight of 17 oz. with a power of 13-30 optional eyepiece of 13-40. What Im wanting/expectation out of a scope is the ability to identify animals at long range (buck or doe) to decide if they are worth perusing and the the ability to at 800-1000 be able to count points (not score just determine if they are legal). I was also hoping to do some amateur digiscoping, nothing professional just taking cool pics to show people stuff I get to see being out hunting and in the high country. Im worried that maybe I have sacrificed actual scope functionality for weight. The scopes I'm interested in are #1 nikon fieldscope ED 50 13-30 at 17oz. The other options are a toss up between the nikon fieldscope III 20-60 at 38 oz. (is the ED version really worth x2 the cost) or the leupold gold ring 12-40 HD spotter at 37oz. So people with experience with these scope and also individuals that backpack and use scope please help. This is an expensive decision and I am trying to make an educated purchase. Thank you