Spotting Scopes

G

Gary H

New member
I love the Kowa angled scope, with it's large objective lens and quality optics, but my wallet will not allow. All of the less expensive scopes that I have looked through were optically deficient. Any suggestions as to a good (angled preferred, but not essential) multi-coated spotting scope? I think that I could live with 60 mm objective and 45x, but specs alone do not make for good viewing.

Thanks,
Gary
 
We primarily use the Leupold 12-40x 60mm. The optics are some of the clearest at the extended distances I have seen. Our dealer cost on this is about $600. Another we can be found with is the Nikon line but cost here is close to $1000. On the Nikon scopes, they now have a screw in adapter with LED screen. Theoretically you can set the screen next to you and watch your target. We have found that it is a good idea but needs more work. On any of these spotting scopes, you won't be able to see a bullet hole at 800 - 1000 yards. You can see hits on steel and you can see dust from a miss, but we have yet to find much of anything that will let you see bullet holes. ---Thomas
 
Gary,

A few years back I searched the world over (so to speak) for an affordable spotting scope because price was definitely a factor and I was determined to get value. I ended up with a Bausch & Lomb Discoverer 20x60. I have been very pleased with it. A recent Midway catalog shows it sells for $229. I paid $199 about five-six years ago.

I have used it to spot .223 holes at 200 meters and it is good enough for that on a clear, bright day. The focus ring and range ring are barrel mounted and it's easy to grab the wrong one with your eye in the scope, but that is my only complaint.
 
First... I am an eyeglasses wearer. That alone pretty much limited me to what I could actually *really* use when it came to a spotting scope. I tried all the `usually suspects' when it comes to `inexpensive?' (Read: `Cheap') spotting scopes. On most of them I found my glasses banging off of the eyepiece even at the lowest settings. On the ones that that didn't happen I'd end up banging my glasses whenever I went up in `power'. Gave me both fits and a bit of indigestion from frustration.


Then I found a dealer who had some of the more expensive ones. Even a lot of those also had problems. But! Waa Hoo! He pulled out a Leupold! Nirvana! That 12 - 40x 60mm variable was great! Not only was I not banging my glasses against the eyepiece but it was also crystal clear. The focus and `zoom' rings are nicely placed *and* have a different `feel' when you go to give one a twist and their movements are silky smooth. Sure it *did* cost a bit more than those `inexpensive?' ones but I won't be banging my glasses on the eyepiece *and* I have a scope that'll easily outlast at least 2 or 3 of the others. (A friend of mine bought one of the `inexpensive' ones about the same time I bought mine, about a year ago, and he is now on his *third* one! The first one literally just quit focusing on him one day. He sent it back and they told him that he'd `obviously?' mistreated it and it wasn't covered under warranty but they `would' replace it for `half price'. He then went out and bought one of another brand with about the same specs. A month or so later he went to take it out of his trunk and when we opened the case the objective lens fell out. He'd only used it once before and had just left it in his trunk figuring that he'd have it if he ever needed it and hadn't done anything else with it until then. He went out and bought another one by yet another maker to use while the second was being repaired. Still hasn't seen the second one even after writing 3 letters about it. The third one he *baby's* and even with all the TLC he's giving it it is still starting to become a PITA. The knobs are starting to grind, it's looking like it is fogging up, and the clarity leaves *a lot* to be desired. He's now, *finally* coming around to getting a Leupold!)


Bottom line... At least from what *I* have seen it's worth it to get something of quality *once* rather than something `inexpensive' many times. If you *have to* save your nickles and dimes and get the Leupold. It'll be well worth it in the long run.



------------------
Doleo ergo sum,
-HALFPINT-
 
Eye relief is important. I wear glasses and have found the eye relief to be a problem on the inexpensive scopes that I have tried. I guess my basic problem has been one of having looked through a few good scopes and was hoping to find a scope for under $400 that provided the same optics, but gave up some light collecting ability. The large objective lenses are expensive to make. I don't do much dusk shooting. I was hoping that the 60mm objective scopes would prove to be bright enough, especially if multi-coated for glare. Unfortunately, the scopes that I have looked through were not clear, or had eye relief problems. I haven't used the Leupold.
Gary
 
I bought a Winchester "WT-631" at a gun show a couple of months ago. It's a 15-45 zoom with a (I think) a 60mm objective. I looked through a lot of the inexpensive spotting scopes (the vendor probably had a dozen models), and it seemed to be the sharpest. It certainly felt well-constructed and designed. And it came with a much nicer tripod than the other cheap scopes, and with a padded nylon case that fits into a padded hard case with built-in locks. I think I paid $180 or so for it. I'm pleased with its performance so far. I don't know who really makes it (it looks similar to a Bushnell or B&L I saw). It is made in China, which made me very suspect of the quality, but it seems fine. I suspect Winchester had a bunch of these made with their names on them, they didn't sell, so they sold them cheap. I'd guess it was originally designed to sell for around $350.

Doug
 
Thanks for the tip regarding the Seeadler. I'm not familiar with this unit, but it is multi-coated and it is German. I shoot .223 out to 200 yards with good light. I don't know for sure, but I suspect that the 20x would barely make spotting possible at 200 yards with this caliber.

Anyone have personal experience with the Seeadler 20 x 50?????
 
Seeadler also has the same model with 14-36x Zoom eyepiece instead of a fixed 20x. But strangly their US homepage didn't list it. May be you can ask them at. http://www.sportopticsintl.com/
The KOWA TSS50 has a non-interchangable eyepiece, so you have to decide which power you want first. May all yours goes into one hole.sbs
 
Thanks for the help. Ordered the Seeadler 20x50. I should receive it next week. Sounds just like the ticket for short range rifle and pistol. Now I need to get into reloading so that I can afford to shoot.
 
The TS-50 will not do it. I would doubt if you can find a scope that has enough resolution that can pick up .300" holes at 1000 yards. It would very much depends on meteorological (sic) conditions eg. dust, mirages, humidity etc. If there is, the choice will be pretty limited and dictates a very high $$$$ factor. sorry, not much experience in this area. have a good day, sbs
 
Ordered the Seeadler 20x50 on Monday and have it in hand. Very nice small scope with reasonable eye relief for my glasses and seems to have nice multi-coated optics. Should be just the ticket for my needs. Better optics than other inexpensive scopes that I have seen. Haven't looked through the Kowa 500 series.
 
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