Spotting scopes for the range?

[uplander01]

There is a 30x60 zeiss rubber armored short fat tube spotter for sale on ebay right now that would be the best $550 you ever spent. I have one of its cousins a rubber armored18-40 that I bought 15 years ago and I've never felt like I've needed anything else. I had one of these 30x ones a long time ago, I kinda wished I would have kept it,.....but so goes the obsession

 

[Beck]

I have a cheap Leupold that I use at the range. I'll a better one when I book a hunt that requires one, probably one of the compact models. The cheap Leupold works fine for the range.

 

[SCHUNTER73]

I picked up a like new Athlon Ares compact spotter that works great. It was maybe $500 and did everything I needed it to on an antelope hunt and also at the range.

 

[skydiver386]

Hawke Optics are very good quality glass for the price. This one is on sale at Optics Planet. It's a compact, so not the one to take on a Bighorn Sheep hunt, but would easily fit in your range bag, and not break the bank at $329

Before we continue

 

[Axle2010]

Hawke Optics are very good quality glass for the price. This one is on sale at Optics Planet. It's a compact, so not the one to take on a Bighorn Sheep hunt, but would easily fit in your range bag, and not break the bank at $329

Before we continue

I was comparing the Hawke endurance to the vortex viper and the Maven compact 15x45. You have experience with it?

 

[skydiver386]

I was comparing the Hawke endurance to the vortex viper and the Maven compact 15x45. You have experience with it?

The Maven I have no experience with in that size.

I have mostly Leupold scopes, including spotters, but several friends have Kowa, Hawke and Vortex. In general quality and optical clarity at less than $1,000, I'd rate Vortex, Hawke, Leupold, then Kowa as best. Bigger is always going to be better when it comes to spotters, but the small ones with really good glass are great for finding bullet holes in paper. For 200 yards and less, 30X is fine, but you'll really want 45 or 60X for 300 yards or more.

My current short range spotter is a Leupold Golden Ring Compact 15-30X50, but they are no longer in production. When new they were around $700, but used ones can be found for half that.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/2782198253...912f16bde8ffeeb4a3edd||&loc_physical_ms=94450

If your budget is $900 or under, the Hawke and Vortex are about neck and neck. Above that price I like the Kowa and Leica, and then there's the Swaro.

 

[C.W. Richter]

'got all my spotting scopes used (as I bang them up!) I'd recommend a compact Burris, Leupold or even Cabela's HD (Meopta-CZ). I keep one (in its case) inside a larger range bag 30x will be fine for your needs but the larger ones are typically 15-30-60x. Compacts are also made to go along on a hunt, so most are rubber coated or eq. and can take some weather and punishment. During the Fall (esp. pre-rut and rut), I keep one on a tripod in my living room (and 15x binos in my office) and continually take inventory of the largest bucks out to 400 yds when not hunting (the farthest reaches of the 1st field I can see from the house.) You can also take great photos through the spotting scope (or 15x binos) mounted to the tripod. GL! SWFA used to sell used from their trade-in program, but EuroOptic sells gently used demo models from shows.

 

[Miletic]

Ok so in SE Ga I'll never have an excuse to use a spotter on a hunt and much as I hope I'll get to go after a speedgoat or Mule deer I'm sure the outfitter will have one so I pretty much only need one for the range. Now here at home I can only stretch out to 220 yards but I do like to play around with the 22lr at that range so I do need more then my 10x binocs. My local range is 600 so I'll likely never shoot to 1000 yards so I don't need a high end high dollar scope but I don't really think I'd be happy with a $150 Barska either. I've looked at Leupold sx2 and 4 and Athlon Ares and (yuck) read decent reviews of the Vortex diamond back and viper. No i don't have a good place around here that I can go out hands and eyes on any but Swaro and that's not even an option. So to keep me from wasting money that can be put towards another unneeded rifle what do you boys suggest for good enough glass between $150 and $900? Sorry for the long post but I'm so tired of watching YouTube video that all point to the Swaro anyway lol

Ok so in SE Ga I'll never have an excuse to use a spotter on a hunt and much as I hope I'll get to go after a speedgoat or Mule deer I'm sure the outfitter will have one so I pretty much only need one for the range. Now here at home I can only stretch out to 220 yards but I do like to play around with the 22lr at that range so I do need more then my 10x binocs. My local range is 600 so I'll likely never shoot to 1000 yards so I don't need a high end high dollar scope but I don't really think I'd be happy with a $150 Barska either. I've looked at Leupold sx2 and 4 and Athlon Ares and (yuck) read decent reviews of the Vortex diamond back and viper. No i don't have a good place around here that I can go out hands and eyes on any but Swaro and that's not even an option. So to keep me from wasting money that can be put towards another unneeded rifle what do you boys suggest for good enough glass between $150 and $900? Sorry for the long post but I'm so tired of watching YouTube video that all point to the Swaro anyway lol

Hi Axle,
for the others you mentioned and the price you mention, I think the best choice is the Zeiss V4 3-12x56. I also think the S&B Classic 3-12x50 is excellent. These are high quality sights with which you will be satisfied for many years. I have adjusted a lot of this optics on the shooting range and they work perfectly

 

[Rimbaud]

For the range, rather than hunting, check out spotters that have reticles built into the glass which are great for calling corrections. I know Leupold makes some that are reasonable, and that are used by military sniper teams, and Nightforce has a nifty spotter that is less reasonable. I have a Swaro 85x that I use for PRS matches, checking targets at 400+ yards, that also pull double duty watching birds, game, etc. The Swaro is in a different price range. As you know, you'll need/want a tripod. I got talked into a carbon tripod from Really Right Stuff, and it's great, but every time I look at that tripod, and spotter, I can't help but them that they both cost a multiple of my first car.