spotting scopes

T

tahunua001

New member
ok guys. I got a piece of great news today. my LGS has both of my top 2 handguns under my budget so now I'm thinking that a nice spotting scope is probably a good thing to invest in. now I like leupold and I like nikon prostaff both lines have spotting scopes in their inventories. now I know very little about spotting scopes so if anyone has had either a
Nikon prostaff 15-48x60
or
Leupold wind river 15-45x60
I would very much appreciate reviews.

how is picture clarity, zoom, eye relief? overall quality?
 
I purchased the Bushnell 20-60x65mm spotting scope a couple of months ago. I could easily see .17 holes at 100 yards, & .30 holes at 200 yards. It was too windy that day to bother with the .17hmr at 200 yards, so I still don't know if it will be capable of seeing these, but I guess it would still be ok. A guy near me at the range had a Redfield 20-60 x 65mm & it seemed clearer than the Bushnell & costed about the same. I mainly purchased the Bushnell for range work out to 200 yards, for which it is suitable. If I was after a spotting scope for spotting game I'd probably recommend a better quality brand.
 
Save up and go higher quality. I bought a Leupold 20-60X80 green ring last year. It is good but now I wish I would have saved for a little longer and bought a Nikon EDG or an equivalent....
 
A spotting scope for handguns...what distance are you shooting with them bad boys? lol

Okay, all kidding aside. I would pick Nikon. I've only compared them in the stores and I liked the Nikon more.
 
Because this was moved from handgun, I am going to guess that you want to use it for bullseye shooting with a 22. An inexpensive 20-60 will do the job without any problems at 25 yards, which is the longest you will shoot. The same spotting scope can be used out to 100 yards without any problems.

However, if you are shooting beyond 100 yards, you may want to look at a more expensive spotting scope.

Buy one that matches what you will be using it for.
Jim
 
I have a Bushnell 20X50 that I picked up cause it was cheap and I figured it would be fine till I could afford something better. I was quite surprised to see that I could easily spot .22 holes in a paper target at 100yds. I don't know if eye relief is a concern, it works much like binoculars, you put your eye right up to the eye cup. It is crystal clear, has adjustable focus that seems to works fine. I am not saying that the Bushnell is anything special, just saying you don't have to spend several hundred to get a really nice spotting scope. Also, if you are using it for pistol or even 100yd target, 20X is all you need.
 
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now this sure turned into a hot mess...completely my fault.

the handguns and the spotting scope are completely unrelated, i was just happy that I had some surplus toy money so I figured that would get a spotting scope before I went and got something stupid like a pistol-to-carbine kit or a 5.7mm Ar15 upper(no offense to anyone that owns one).

the spotting scope is going to be for rifles. the farthest I usually shoot handguns is 25 yards and even with my terrible eyesight I dont have a lot of trouble seeing 9mm and 45 holes on paper. I have a 223 and 243 that I would like to zero at 200 yards, a 7.62x39 that I would like to zero at 100 yards and a 300 weatherby mag that I want to zero at 300(if I can ever break my flinch with it).

I thought I had originally posted in the hunting forums, if I posted in handguns then I apologies to the mods.
 
Nikon prostaff 15-48x60 should do everything you want and then some. Of course I am a Nikon fan so I am probably prejudiced.
 
This is something I've been thinking about a long time. One of these years I won't be able to play golf anymore and that will put me on the shooting bench (if I can still see).... I'll be following this thread closely. How much are we talking for all these different suggestions?
 
Konus fan here, compared it side by side with a Leica that cost 5 times as much a month or so back, could not tell any difference in seeing the.223 and .30 caliber holes bullet holes at 200. Leica had a bit of a edge in looking for bullet trace when spotting for another shooter.
 
I don't think there would be too much difference between the Leupold & the Nikon spotting scopes that you are considering. As earlier stated, I own a Bushnell Trophy 20-60x65mm.
Reading this thread motivated me to set up the Bushnell, & set on 60x I can clearly see the nail heads on a white painted shed 300 yards away.
Prior to purchasing the Bushnell I spoke to the owner of the local rifle range regarding spotting scopes. He said 20-40x were the most common magnifications used out to 200 yards for competition, & explained that going for higher magnification can lead to mirage distortion on hot days.
Since I mainly hunt & probably sit down at a bench & shoot only a few times a year, it didn't make sense for me to spend a lot of money on a spotting scope.
The other brands of scope/binos that I own include Swarovski, Zeiss, Kahles & Leupold, so I am familiar with the clarity offered by first class manufacturers.
This Bushnell spotting scope does not offer the clarity of my other top shelf optics, but as long as I can see bullet holes at 300 yards, thats all that matters to me. All my other expensive optics I rely on in the field to work under adverse weather & light,& to hold zero, but not so a spotting scope.
For under $200 the Bushnell would suit your needs, although you would probably get a slightly crisper image with a Nikon/Leupold.
 
I have an armored Bushnell Spacemaster 15-45x X 60mm. The Spacemaster is an ancient name in range spotting scopes. And while not a budget scope, it does show you don't have to spend a fortune for stellar build and optics.

All lenses are fully multicoated. That means every lens in the scope is multicoated, not just the exteriors of the outer lenses. The scope is water and fog proof. It has a very precise, if somewhat slow, focus. It's heavy, but built like a tank. It came with a decent tripod and carry case.

The optics are exceptionally clear. There is no distortion whatsoever around the edges of the field of view like you will find on cheaper lenses. Zoom is a bit stiff but very precise. It's got a good eye relief. The scope is bright and clear. I even use it for star gazing. On clear nights, at 45X, I can see the major cloud bands on Jupiter.

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There are a number of good value scopes. The posts so far have covered several.Get the biggest objective lens that you can afford. Konus, Kowa and Champions Choice offer good quality. Beyond that be aware that the best views will be at lower power. At 60X the scope will have limited light transmission. dark and grainy. 25X will provide contrast and enough light to see most bullet sizes. If possible cut a hole in the backer to allow light to come through the bullet holes. Of course there will be days when conditions won't let you see anything regardless of what scope you have.
 
Funny but I usually just use the free Burris 20X spotting scope that came with my Fulfield II for 200 yards or less. I do make sure I use a nice clear target or something like a dirty bird target if I want to see the .223 hits at 200 yards.
 
I could see using a big dollar spotting scope if you have a place to shoot farther then 200 yards but shooting maybe five times a year at a max distance of 200 yards on "dirty bird" type targets? I'm going cheap! :D

I hear the same argument on rifle scopes but I'm really pleased with my Nikon Prostaff 3-9 X 40 and Mueller 4-16 X 50 scopes...
 
I bought my only spotting scope about 2 years ago after reading a David Petzal review in Field & Stream. Now I love Dave, but he tends to only review things that are very expensive. Well, this review was in response to reader critics about his choice of "high dollar" items.

My scope is an Alpen 15x45 and cost somewhere around $50. It has held up very well and given me excellent service. It even comes with a small tri-pod which works very well off the shooting bench. Do a google search for Alpen and take a look at their products.
 
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