Best Spotting Scope

[cavtrooper94]

What do you guys use for spotting hits at long range? Also might want to tell the difference between a 3/4 and a full curl ram from a ways off so I don't have to walk all the way over there to see. Will want something that I can look through for along time without hurting my eyes too. Also what is the standard price?

Thanks Much

 

[Trickymissfit]

What do you guys use for spotting hits at long range? Also might want to tell the difference between a 3/4 and a full curl ram from a ways off so I don't have to walk all the way over there to see. Will want something that I can look through for along time without hurting my eyes too. Also what is the standard price?

Thanks Much

the best spotting scope is from Swarovski, but they're also over $2K apiece! The next best one I've seen is the Lieca at a big dollar price tag. I use a standard Kowa 82mm scope with the 27mm eyepiece. It's plenty good enough for seeing pop rivits at 350 to 400 yards on a very sunny day. I may buy a 45mm eyepiece for it this summer (I have about $750 in the scope, eyepiece, and protective cover).I get no mirage looking over blocktop parking lots on very hot days (the Lieca and the Swarovski are even better). If you opt for the Flourite coated lenses you right in there with the other two at slightly more than half the price tag. Nikon make a very good one as well, but they cost more money than the Kowa, and only slightly better than the standard lenses in the Kowa. (the Flourite lense in the Kowa kills the Nikon)

Lots of folks buy really nice scopes and cheap mounts. Then the say the scope is bad. I use a heavy duty camera tripod and a claw mount adapter for the scope. It all locks in place rock solid. The mount attaches directly to the scope, and never comes off. It simply snaps in place
gary

 

[cavtrooper94]

The Kowa line looks nice. Especially the 88mm model. Has anyone used the Vortex HD line? They also look decent.

 

[Trickymissfit]

The Kowa line looks nice. Especially the 88mm model. Has anyone used the Vortex HD line? They also look decent.

the 88mm lense body must be all new! Wonder if they are still using the eye pieces that fit the 77mm and 82mm bodies? By the way a used 77mm scope from Kowa will do everything a shooter could ever want it to do. Bird watchers buy a lot of Kowa scopes, and most of the time buy the flourite lenses to use with a camera. You can find them used often (about everytime they come out with a bigger lense)
gary

 

[partisan1911]

I have a Swarovski and a Leupold gold ring. On a perfect day the Swarovski is better but I have yet to be able to use it to its full potential when up in the mountains. The slightest wind or heat waves really makes it difficult to use unless I back the power way down.

Considering size, weight, price etc I would go with the leupold. If you are buddies with any of the scouts in your organization they should have one you can borrow and check out. I have tried some of the cheaper leupolds but they will just dissapoint you and possibly ruin your hunt.

 

[Ernie]

I used one for hunting this year and a tactical match.
Really good glass for the price.
My favorite eyepiece is the 30x wide angle.

The Kowa line looks nice. Especially the 88mm model. Has anyone used the Vortex HD line? They also look decent.

 

[Trickymissfit]

I have a Swarovski and a Leupold gold ring. On a perfect day the Swarovski is better but I have yet to be able to use it to its full potential when up in the mountains. The slightest wind or heat waves really makes it difficult to use unless I back the power way down.

Considering size, weight, price etc I would go with the leupold. If you are buddies with any of the scouts in your organization they should have one you can borrow and check out. I have tried some of the cheaper leupolds but they will just dissapoint you and possibly ruin your hunt.

I did a test with a bunch of scopes on a short tripod looking over a large blacktop parking lot on a 90 degree day. I got zero mirage with the Lieca and the Swarovski (about 12" off the ground at noon). I thought the Lieca gathered in more light than the Swarovski, creating a washed out effect. The next best one I tried was a Nikon that cost over a grand. It and the 82mm Kowa with the Flourite lense were about the same with a slight mirage at 60X. The Standard Kowa is next at about half the cost of the others. I saw little difference between the Tasco and the rest of the pack. One I did get to try a year later was from Celestron, and this scope was a bargin! Think it was about $400, and extremely sharp with only a slight amount of mirage. The downside with itwas that it wasn't water proof or shock resistent. Whatever scope you buy, try to avoid the zoom eyepieces. They are nothing but a comprimise all the way thru. One scope I did want to try was a Pentax, but never knew anybody that had one.
gary

 

[Trickymissfit]

What do you guys use for spotting hits at long range? Also might want to tell the difference between a 3/4 and a full curl ram from a ways off so I don't have to walk all the way over there to see. Will want something that I can look through for along time without hurting my eyes too. Also what is the standard price?

Thanks Much

If your in my area, I'd be glad to loan you mine for a weekend
gary