Thread: Spotting Scope Advice

Hi guys,

I'm looking at getting my first spotting scope.
Price range $400 ~ $800.

Uses as below:
40% target shooting at 100m.
10% target shooting between 100 to 400m.
50% spotting deer in the Ruahine and Kaweka ranges.

Would I be better of with a 60mm or 80mm objective? And max 45x or 60x magnification?
Also is it better of to buy a tripod that comes with the scope? Or buy the scope only and get a tripod later.

What are your thoughts on the two scopes below:

https://www.opticsplanet.com/pentax-...-straight.html
https://www.opticsplanet.com/vanguar...ing-scope.html


Thank you in advance for any advice.

ive got a konus its a piece of shit should of been called anus

Originally Posted by Synthetic

Hi guys,

I'm looking at getting my first spotting scope.
Price range $400 ~ $800.

Uses as below:
40% target shooting at 100m.
10% target shooting between 100 to 400m.
50% spotting deer in the Ruahine and Kaweka ranges.

Would I be better of with a 60mm or 80mm objective? And max 45x or 60x magnification?
Also is it better of to buy a tripod that comes with the scope? Or buy the scope only and get a tripod later.

What are your thoughts on the two scopes below:

https://www.opticsplanet.com/pentax-...-straight.html
https://www.opticsplanet.com/vanguar...ing-scope.html


Thank you in advance for any advice.

I have no idea about the quality of either scope you linked, (although vanguard do have a good rep for nocs) but if you want to lug it round the hills go 65mm obj and as it is on the cheaper end of the glass spectrum go for the lower mag. Higher mag on some of the cheaper scopes the resolution suffers to much and the light transmission suffers.

Hey mate I'll offer ya some advice, for the $ you have in budget the spotter will be crap, have you considered a camera?
Handy for all the ranges you mentioned and you can record.
Sx60 is around $500? and is comparable to a 3k spotter.
You wont use a spotter for finding deer,only evaluating then after you've located them in binos.
The animals below are both at 1200 yards,
The stag with sx60 the Hinds with a 5k Swarovski spotter.
Hope that's some help

Agree what @northdude said - Konus are shit. Have played with a few other lower price spotters, they’re pretty much same. I have switched to compact high zoom digital camera SX60, much lighter and has huge zoom both optical and digital. Also have a Minox 16-30x50 spotter - optics are surprising good for low- mid range spotter. And it’s compact and does not weigh a ton, makes it a lot easier to take on the hill.

Have to agree with Brad's opinion.
I bought a konus for sighting in etc.
Thought not bad for the price but!!!.
Will probably go with the camera suggested.
Will give me a lightweight alternative to DSLR.
And next time changing scopes or whatever will just chuck big lens on the dslr.
Should have done my homework.


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Yeap.. you know how you notice the differences in glass quality between binos and scopes etc? Those effects are magnified 10 fold in something as large as a spotter. I recently looked at getting a spotter and even the swaro and leica offerings in the $5k range weren't going to do the job any better than a decent camera so I just forked out $800 for a P900 instead. Happy with my choice.

Originally Posted by Ryan_Songhurst

Yeap.. you know how you notice the differences in glass quality between binos and scopes etc? Those effects are magnified 10 fold in something as large as a spotter. I recently looked at getting a spotter and even the swaro and leica offerings in the $5k range weren't going to do the job any better than a decent camera so I just forked out $800 for a P900 instead. Happy with my choice.

Can you elaborate on that
You meaning a Camera for Zoom ?????????
@Ryan_Songhurst

Originally Posted by Sarvo

Can you elaborate on that
You meaning a Camera for Zoom ?????????
@Ryan_Songhurst

Say at 1000yds+ I just found that at say 60x zoom my camera vs a swaro or leica spotter at 60x zoom I got a lot more detail using the camera plus I could snap a photo and zoom in more and evaluate the animal without having to sit there straining my eyes behind a spotter. Weight saving also as gonna be taking a camera no matter what so why take a spotter too if you can just get a slightly heavier camera that can do both jobs

Originally Posted by Ryan_Songhurst

Say at 1000yds+ I just found that at say 60x zoom my camera vs a swaro or leica spotter at 60x zoom I got a lot more detail using the camera plus I could snap a photo and zoom in more and evaluate the animal without having to sit there straining my eyes behind a spotter. Weight saving also as gonna be taking a camera no matter what so why take a spotter too if you can just get a slightly heavier camera that can do both jobs

Not to mention the cost !!!!
Interesting - to say the least

This is a pic I took with my SX60 of a bull I think under 500 yrds. Could be wrong but not much further.

However it may be my poor skills operating a camera but if I was honest I couldn't make any assessment of this animal off the pic other than length.

Again, it could be my shitty skills with a camera but for now, I prefer a spotter.
If I can get clearer pics at say a km I would happily leave the spotter at home.
These stone sheep were around a km and in poor light. However you are only really interested in them being a full curl which can be easily assessed off the pics
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I should mention the Bull pic was taken remotely off a tripod and the sheep with camera by hand resting on a rock. Both in a bit of wind.

Mate has an sx60, I have a nikon B700 which has a little more reach and also a 20-60 swaro spotter. On a big screen (laptop, ipad , on here etc) the cameras look ok but not so much on the small camera screens or phones and they struggle a little more with light gathering. . The spotter wins for reach and resolution detail but only top end stuff so loose on price and weight. As said above, in your price bracket the high zoom bridge cameras will be far better than a $800 spotter.

Thank you very much for all your input guys.
Never thought about a camera would be an option.

Is a zoom camera any good for spotting bullet holes at the range?

I have a p900 camera and swarvo spotter

If i was to pick one it would be the camera.

Biggest difference is looking at a group animals the spotter is better for evaluating but generally dont see many mobs of tahr in the ruhaines.

Spotter sure is nice to have tho fucking heavy luging both around thats forsure.

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Originally Posted by Synthetic

Thank you very much for all your input guys.
Never thought about a camera would be an option.
Is a zoom camera any good for spotting bullet holes at the range?

Yep, great for spotting shots on paper at the range. Best part is you can snap a pic after each shot if you want to follow pattern or sequence. Can be handy if you’re having issues with the odd flier