Best spotting scope

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Joe338ST
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Re: Best spotting scope

Post by Joe338ST »

9.3x64 wrote: Sat May 12, 2018 4:14 pm I have recently switched to one of these.
They are the only spotting scope worth useing IMHO.
You can clearly see 500 Jeffery holes at 50 metres.

http://www.cruxis.com/scope/img1070/107 ... e_full.jpg
You trying to spot bullet impact craters on the moon?
Joe

I hunt, I shoot, I camp, I fish. They are the great reset buttons in my life.

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deerhunter338mag
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Re: Best spotting scope

Post by deerhunter338mag »

9.3x64 wrote: Sat May 12, 2018 4:14 pm I have recently switched to one of these.
They are the only spotting scope worth useing IMHO.
You can clearly see 500 Jeffery holes at 50 metres.

http://www.cruxis.com/scope/img1070/107 ... e_full.jpg
Who’s the lucky guy carrying that in. :lol: :lol:
Measure it, when it’s on the deck

jrl62
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Re: Best spotting scope

Post by jrl62 »

I am a fan of the Pentax ED II line of spotting scopes. Decent glass and reasonable size in the 65mm version, at a moderate price. They use a standard 1.25" diameter telescope eyepiece, so if you buy just the body (and skip the cheaper "kit" zoom eyepiece) it opens up all sorts of high quality eyepiece options. You are not limited to proprietary eyepieces. However, Pentax is known for making good quality telescope eyepieces.

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stokesrj
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Re: Best spotting scope

Post by stokesrj »

As always, best is depending upon application. I use a Kowa Prominar 66MM with a 25X long eye relief eye piece for reading wind. It is the best not because of optical clarity, although it is very good, but because I can set it up on my scope stand in such a way that I can watch the mirage with my left eye while on the sights of my rifle with my right eye. That way I miss fewer wind changes in the time it takes to switch from spotting scope to sights. I also have an 82mm Kowa but it is too big for transport and handling in my opinion. For hunting I have a Swarovski collapsing spotting scope. I use it for judging trophy quality before committing to a stalk. Many times this and other scopes like it have saved me a 4-5 mile round trip hike across difficult terrain by letting my optics do the walking.

Last week in Arizona, I had the opportunity to use the new Swarovski BRX binocular eye pieces with the 65, 85 and 90mm objective modules. My choice for pack in hunts would be the 65mm. I could tell very little difference between the different objective diameters but he larger ones were slightly better for looking into deep shadows. I did not see enough gain in the larger ones to justify the extra weight. I'm seriously considering consolidating some of my optics to converge on the BRX/65mm. For spotting game at long range 1-5 miles, this is my current best.
Robert J Stokes

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Gun Barrel Ecologist
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Re: Best spotting scope

Post by Gun Barrel Ecologist »

There is something traditional and appealing about the collapsing spotters and a stalking stick but I’m unsure of the practicality in harsh weather - do they suck the moisture in when extending/ compressing?

My current spotter is a pair of 12x50 ultravids :D so far so good for the country I’m hunting. Next time I’m hunting the South Island of NZ I might have to think of borrowing a Swarovski spotter, but it means I might have to hunt with it’s owner, yet find room in my pack for it :lol:

secondtry
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Re: Best spotting scope

Post by secondtry »

I have always found the best spotter to be the one that someone else is carrying. :lol:

The Nikon ED 60/65, if still available, always impressed me as being excellent quality at a very reasonable price.

I almost swooned when I first became aware of the BTX eyepiece on the Swaros. Great idea BUT BUT minimum mag of 30x is going make mirage a problem in many environments. Also reduced FOV at 30x is going to make finding the animal far harder.

So for me the BTX is potentially great, but I think it needs the Mark 2 before I would give it a tick.

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