Opinions on a $400 Spotting Scope?

[CB11WYO]

Hard to find info here that's up to date... seems most is 5-10 yrs old.

Been searching around on Amazon (I'll be buying from there... gift card). I'm seeing Leupold, Barska, Konus, Bushnell, Vortex, Vanguard, Kowa, Celestron...

Any hands on experience out there on any of these brands in this price range?

Wanting something 15-45x or thereabouts. Not needing to see bullet holes in paper at 1000, just long range gongs and some big game animals to 1000 or so.

I've handled the Leupold SX-1 Ventana, not bad for an entry level I guess. What else?

 

[scrmblr1982cj8]

I've seen and held several Barska optics, both rifle and spotting scopes. I would not recommend this brand.

 

[Engineering101]

I recently bought an Alpen spotting scope. Love the scope. It has been very handy. Before buying I did a side by side comparison with some high dollar scopes out in the parking lot of the local Sportsman's. The clerk was kind enough to haul them all out there for me. Most of the high end scopes including a Swarovski looked slightly better (like 3% better) than the Alpen but I didn't see that as being worth an additional $4000. I did a quick check on Amazon and saw several Alpens for sale in your price range. Good luck.

 

[FearNoWind]

For the money, I am very satisfied with my Alpen 20-60x with angled eye piece. Only issue I had with it is the tripod that comes in the set isn't at all serviceable - but I use mine of a study 1 inch tubular aluminum adjustable camera tripod.

 

[CB11WYO]

Thanks guys... never handled an Alpen.

 

[FearNoWind]

p { margin-bottom: 0.1in; line-height: 120%; } http://www.longrangehunting.com/forums/f40/spotting-scope-sale-164913/

 

[acloco]

Konus Konuspot 20-60x80mm Spotting Scope w/ Tripod 7120 7120 ON SALE!

 

[COBrad]

I have a Minox MD50. It's a small scope that I bought for a back pack mtn. goat hunt. It gets good reviews, and currently B&H has them at $250.
I never new just how good the scope was until I put it on an Outdoorsman's tripod. I was at our monthly long range shoot and a guy next to me had a Nikon that I had heard good things about, but he kept using my scope and commenting what a great little scope it was. His was certainly the better scope, but he didn't have it on a solid tripod.
Get a good tripod too!

 

[Bbear]

A friend has the Konus and we use it on his home range out to 500. Easy to see the splatter on the 8" gong out there.
I had the Minox MD50 like what CoBrad has. I say 'had' as some sorry *** disappeared with it one day on a public range while I was changing targets. That was one of the brightest scopes I ever had.
Need to get me another one.

 

[Rifleman513]

I've got a Vortex Diamondback 20-60x80 listed in the classifieds for 400. Decided to start cutting weight and started looking for a 50mm Vortex Razor.

 

[CB11WYO]

I've got a Vortex Diamondback 20-60x80 listed in the classifieds for 400. Decided to start cutting weight and started looking for a 50mm Vortex Razor.

Thanks for the heads up. Already made my purchase though.
Good luck.

 

[COBrad]

So... whajaget?

 

[Rich Coyle]

Hard to find info here that's up to date... seems most is 5-10 yrs old.

Been searching around on Amazon (I'll be buying from there... gift card). I'm seeing Leupold, Barska, Konus, Bushnell, Vortex, Vanguard, Kowa, Celestron...

Any hands on experience out there on any of these brands in this price range?

Wanting something 15-45x or thereabouts. Not needing to see bullet holes in paper at 1000, just long range gongs and some big game animals to 1000 or so.

I've handled the Leupold SX-1 Ventana, not bad for an entry level I guess. What else?

I have lots of stuff to play with. Here's something from my notes several months ago.

This morning I took the Kowa 20-60X77 and a Bushnell Spacemaster 12-36X 60 to compare with a Sightron 6-24X42 AO, a Bushnell 6500 4 1/2-30X50 SF and a Swarovski z5 5-25X52 SF to the shooting range. There was a target at 200 yards with a few .22 caliber bullet holes so I decided to use it. After looking through the Kowa on its lowest setting of 20X I found a bullet hole at 12 o'clock about 2" from the "X" in the red part of the target and decided that would be the "target" detail.

When looking through the Sightron on 24X I just could not get it to resolve the bullet hole no matter how much I adjusted the scope. I could see holes in the white O.K. Then I got out the 6500 and found the hole with it set on 24X. I could not go down even 1X and still see the hole. After fooling with the z5 for a while trying to see in on a lower setting, I finally turned it up to 25X and could see the hole in the red. Thinking I was wasting time, but already had it with me, I took out the Spacemaster. I set it on 20X and could easily see the hole at 12 o'clock so I turned it down to 12X. I could still see the hole!

I asked a fellow shooter if he didn't mind would he look through all the optics to see what he saw. He obliged; and even brought a Zeiss 3-15X42. He ended up on the same settings I did. Also he mentioned he just could not resolve the hole with the Sightron. When we looked though his Zeiss we could not see the hole. While I was looking though his scope something changed and I could see light coming though the hole as though someone put a flashlight behind the target. I still could not see the hole, just light coming through it.

Conclusion: Mediocre potting scopes are definitely better than good rifle scopes for resolving detail.

 

[Wachsmann]

I had a cheap Bushnell and was very disappointed. From here I have only looked through some of the higher end scopes except for one little guy from Leupold which is a GR 15x30x50. It was clear to the highest mag setting and its small and light weight. The only down fall is it is only a 30 power. Would like a little more. Really I think for the 400 dollars it had to beat a Nikon or Votex. I don't know about the alpen, or Konous, or the other one that was mentioned. But most time you get what you pay for and the bushnell was a huge wasted 250 dollars. Bottom line make sure you can look through the scope at a long range object before you buy.