Spotting Scope/Tripod

[GSPBirdDog]

I am wanting to start shooting out further tha 300 yards with my family. Are there any affordable clear spotting scopes on the market any of you would suggest? I am probably looking in the $400-$500 range. can i buy anything good for that amount?

Thanks in advance!
GSPBirdDog

 

[d.kaufman]

When i get the chance to shoot past 200 yards at my co workers house, max of 500 yards, i use my cheap Simmons 20-60 power. Think i paid $50 at Cabelas for it. Came with hard case, tripod, and spotting scope. No complaints on how it works. Probably would want something better if i had somewhere to shoot any further distances though

 

[42769vette]

These would definitely be worth a look. You can get a much more expensive unit into your price range that would normally be outside your grasp.

Spotting Scopes

 

[natdscott]

Bird Dog,


In known-distance shooting, most of our scope use is for observing mirage, not for seeing exactly where on the target our shots are impacting, and particularly beyond 200 yards, it becomes challenging for most bullet holes to be seen unless they are lit from behind, or splattered on steel.


Most elite Highpower shooters are using spotting scopes with magnification at 18x-25x, and don't worry with any more. Less, and it can become hard to determine location of holes at long range. More, and mirage becomes so dense that you can't see holes, and your FOV is so small that you don't get a good sense of wind on the WHOLE range...just the little tunnel you're lookin' at right then.


Anyway...


You want and NEED a 45-degree angled scope body.


I recommend the Celestron Regal M2 F-ED scopes. They offer good durability and waterproofing, ED glass, fine adjust focus, rotating mount band, et cetera...but the biggest thing they offer is their American standard 1.25" eyepiece mounting sockets.


This is huge, because it allows you to purchase any standard 1.25" astronomical eyepiece, either fixed, or zoom, and plug it right in for a completely different scope performance from the one you had in before. Eyepiece do not receive as much credit as they ought to, because they can make or break the image faster than just about anything else.


Scopes like the Kowa, Zeiss, Leica ("The Big Three") use PROPRIETARY bayonet mounts for their scopes, so that only their eyepieces will fit. This way, they sell more shtuff, see?


Lower end scopes have fixed eyepieces that cannot be changed for anything else, and are generally not high quality anyhow. That's not me saying that a fixed EP means a scope can't be good...but the cheaper ones...yeah, maybe...


There are literally hundreds of eyepieces available. MOST are not waterproof, and this is a feature you really need to have if you intend to shoot in any rain...obviously.


The Pentax XW series 1.25" eyepieces and are recognized around the world as some of the absolute best available. Just trundle over to any birding or astronomy forum and see. They are a far better EP than most of the proprietary ones available for The Big Three's scopes. Among other good features, keys are: waterproof, offer 70-degree field of view (excellent), and fixed 20mm eye relief (excellent) for easy use with glasses.


Put one of these suckers in a Celestron M2 scope, and prepare to be amazed. For competitive shooting, I use a Celestron Regal M2 65mm paired with the Pentax XW 20 eyepiece.


To determine end magnification of your scope with an eyepiece of your choosing:


Focal length of scope / Focal length of eyepiece = Magnification in powers.


My example: Celestron Regal ED 65 = 386mm Focal Length
Pentax XW 20 = 20mm Focal Length


386mm/20mm = 19.3x Magnification


You can use anything you want, for any magnification you want, OR just use the variable that comes with the Celestron. There's not really a bad option between those two choices, and the best part is that you can change your mind at any time, and more-or-less reformulate the scope's FOV and Magnification to suit a different task.


-Nate

 

[natdscott]

And a little story about Celestron's feelings about their Warranty and how Customer Service is meant to be:

I received a used/open box Celestron Regal 65mm---the predecessor to the M2 now in discussion---as my first "nice" scope.


Either in shipping, or in Demo use, the main prism in the erector was cracked, but it was held in place, so I just kept to myself, and kept using it. Sooner or later, I earned a Badge, and started after High Master, and blah blah blah...anyway, I found myself in a position with Nationals coming in about 2 weeks, and a scope that needed replaced, but no real budget to buy.


I thought on a whim, "Hey, I wonder if Celestron would help me out and trade out the scope body with some cash on my end?" so, I called.


Don't even remember whom I spoke with, but I found out immediately that my scope had been discontinued: "Oh %&$." was my first thought. On explaining what had happened, I offered to send back everything inclusive of their eyepiece, and cash difference if needed.




Nope.




They gave me an RMA # immediately, and explained how/where to ship it.


But what FLOORED me, was that they shipped me a BRAND NEW Regal M2 65mm--which has some significant upgrades in glass--without even receiving their old scope. They did this without #&%$ing, and I took it to Nationals on time, which would not have been the case with normal factory inspection/damage confirmation. It cost me one way shipping for my scope.


Find that somewhere else.

 

[GSPBirdDog]

Bird Dog,


In known-distance shooting, most of our scope use is for observing mirage, not for seeing exactly where on the target our shots are impacting, and particularly beyond 200 yards, it becomes challenging for most bullet holes to be seen unless they are lit from behind, or splattered on steel.


Most elite Highpower shooters are using spotting scopes with magnification at 18x-25x, and don't worry with any more. Less, and it can become hard to determine location of holes at long range. More, and mirage becomes so dense that you can't see holes, and your FOV is so small that you don't get a good sense of wind on the WHOLE range...just the little tunnel you're lookin' at right then.


Anyway...


You want and NEED a 45-degree angled scope body.


I recommend the Celestron Regal M2 F-ED scopes. They offer good durability and waterproofing, ED glass, fine adjust focus, rotating mount band, et cetera...but the biggest thing they offer is their American standard 1.25" eyepiece mounting sockets.


This is huge, because it allows you to purchase any standard 1.25" astronomical eyepiece, either fixed, or zoom, and plug it right in for a completely different scope performance from the one you had in before. Eyepiece do not receive as much credit as they ought to, because they can make or break the image faster than just about anything else.


Scopes like the Kowa, Zeiss, Leica ("The Big Three") use PROPRIETARY bayonet mounts for their scopes, so that only their eyepieces will fit. This way, they sell more shtuff, see?


Lower end scopes have fixed eyepieces that cannot be changed for anything else, and are generally not high quality anyhow. That's not me saying that a fixed EP means a scope can't be good...but the cheaper ones...yeah, maybe...


There are literally hundreds of eyepieces available. MOST are not waterproof, and this is a feature you really need to have if you intend to shoot in any rain...obviously.


The Pentax XW series 1.25" eyepieces and are recognized around the world as some of the absolute best available. Just trundle over to any birding or astronomy forum and see. They are a far better EP than most of the proprietary ones available for The Big Three's scopes. Among other good features, keys are: waterproof, offer 70-degree field of view (excellent), and fixed 20mm eye relief (excellent) for easy use with glasses.


Put one of these suckers in a Celestron M2 scope, and prepare to be amazed. For competitive shooting, I use a Celestron Regal M2 65mm paired with the Pentax XW 20 eyepiece.


To determine end magnification of your scope with an eyepiece of your choosing:


Focal length of scope / Focal length of eyepiece = Magnification in powers.


My example: Celestron Regal ED 65 = 386mm Focal Length
Pentax XW 20 = 20mm Focal Length


386mm/20mm = 19.3x Magnification


You can use anything you want, for any magnification you want, OR just use the variable that comes with the Celestron. There's not really a bad option between those two choices, and the best part is that you can change your mind at any time, and more-or-less reformulate the scope's FOV and Magnification to suit a different task.


-Nate

Nate.....You name to my rescue yet again! Greatly appreciated for your time writing this up for me!

 

[kaveman]

Did you read the sticky at the top of the page? It's pretty good,.....I read through it twice before I started shopping.