spotting scopes

[scouse]

I'm new to competitive shooting and would like to buy a spotting scope good for target reading at, say, up to 500 yards. I'm doing research on them now but find that good quality appears to be running well over $1k and more like $2k. Will someone please advise on what I should look for and if I can find anything far less than this price? Thanks for any help you can give.

 

[stu929]

Shooting 223 or 30 cal?

 

[Furious George]

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/46...pod-photo-adapter-and-soft-case-armored-green

 

[dogbone]

As an amateur photographer, I am of the opinion that money spent on good glass is never wasted. There is also the adage that when you suffer the pain of buying the best you only cry once, rather than many times as you go through a long stream of buying gradual improvements in quality.

With that said, as a fellow recent entrant in competitive shooting my own wallet was screaming with all the new toys needed. I gave this a try and while I may eventually take the plunge on better glass, it has worked well enough to let me get out and play:

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/76...ith-tripod-and-hard-case-rubber-armored-black

 

[Threeband]

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/46...pod-photo-adapter-and-soft-case-armored-green

The Konus is the best for the money. You can spend a lot more for only a slight improvement.

Don't expect to distinguish bullet holes at 500 yards, though. Even at 200 yards there's enough uncertainty to be frustrating much of the time. Light conditions make a big difference. Surprisingly, there's little difference between .30 and .22 holes. Use a Shoot-n-See type center and you'll be good at 200.

 

[Nanook]

Jarheadtop(dot) com . I have several of the Konus scopes and they work really well for their price point. 'Top' Owens is a great guy who has a hell of a good deal.

From his site:

"You put down a $100.00 deposit, then pay $145.00 for the scope and $15.00 shipping for a total of $260.00. At any later date you decide to up-grade to a Kowa or just plain decide to quite shooting and you no longer want or need the scope, I will refund your $100.00 deposit (The optics must be in good condition.) I will then donate it to a Junior Team.

You can keep it for as long as you like and I will buy it back for $100.00 and donate it to a Junior Team. That is like you have rented it for $145.00 for the time you have had it. If you can find a better deal, I would be interested in knowing.

There is one catch; this offer expires when I do."

 

[Speed3]

Jarheadtop(dot) com . I have several of the Konus scopes and they work really well for their price point. 'Top' Owens is a great guy who has a hell of a good deal.

From his site:

"You put down a $100.00 deposit, then pay $145.00 for the scope and $15.00 shipping for a total of $260.00. At any later date you decide to up-grade to a Kowa or just plain decide to quite shooting and you no longer want or need the scope, I will refund your $100.00 deposit (The optics must be in good condition.) I will then donate it to a Junior Team.

You can keep it for as long as you like and I will buy it back for $100.00 and donate it to a Junior Team. That is like you have rented it for $145.00 for the time you have had it. If you can find a better deal, I would be interested in knowing.

There is one catch; this offer expires when I do."

Sweet deal, I might look into this.

 

[jamesb]

I have one of Tops Konus scopes and it has worked very well for me in CMP and high power. I also have his stand.
Jim

 

[fa18hooker]

Advice for most shooters looking to buy equipment: go out on the line and see what the winners are using. In 99% of the cases at a highpower match (NRA or CMP), the winners will be using a Kowa...either a 821 or some variant, and usually with a 27X LER (long eye relief) eyepiece. A pretty penny, but when you're between magazines during rapid fire with no sighters, it's nice to glance over and see those first two shots centered up (or be able to make sight corrections if they're not)...almost 100% of the time at 200, and maybe half the time at 300, depending on lighting. As mentioned above, you won't be seeing bullet holes beyond 300, regardless of the optics or the lighting. If you've got money to burn, Nightforce just came out with a spotting scope at the NRA meeting...

 

[clandestine]

Will someone be spotting for you or are you just using it to observe after taking a shot?

Reason I ask is having a reticle in the Spotting Scope is a good feature to have which makes for more precise corrections. A second observer can tell you based on POI/POI how many Mils correction dialing it or compensating with Mils in the Scope.

I like Horus Reticles.

Don't buy cheap Glass if you can afford good Glass.

 

[molonlabe]

I purchased a chlestron model 52229 60 mm 20 ~ 60x spotting scope on a tip from an amateur astronomer. I like the clarity and it works well at 200 yards for both 30 cal and .223. It is by no means a 1000 yard scope that will cost you anywhere from 750 to 1500 dollars. I realize you are looking at 500 yards this is for anyone else that ma be looking. Clarity is more important at your ranges than magnification.
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_n...arch-alias=aps&field-keywords=Chlestron+52229

Sent from my iPad using Forum Runner

 

[101combatvet]

Will someone be spotting for you or are you just using it to observe after taking a shot?

Reason I ask is having a reticle in the Spotting Scope is a good feature to have which makes for more precise corrections. A second observer can tell you based on POI/POI how many Mils correction dialing it or compensating with Mils in the Scope.

I like Horus Reticles.

Don't buy cheap Glass if you can afford good Glass.

Just use the rings of the target and make sight adjustments.

 

[101combatvet]

I'm new to competitive shooting and would like to buy a spotting scope good for target reading at, say, up to 500 yards. I'm doing research on them now but find that good quality appears to be running well over $1k and more like $2k. Will someone please advise on what I should look for and if I can find anything far less than this price? Thanks for any help you can give.

You mean 600 yards for Hi-Power rifle. You might be able to find an M144 for a few hundred dollars, good issued scope.

 

[clandestine]

Just use the rings of the target and make sight adjustments.

Agreed but not all targets have grids. Targets that shoot back, Game, and long range applications well past what most people take shots at.

 

[101combatvet]

Agreed but not all targets have grids. Targets that shoot back, Game, and long range applications well past what most people take shots at.

I believe he's trying to shoot High-Power matches using iron sights. The targets don't have grids they have rings, MR-1.

 

[photoracer]

I'm new to competitive shooting and would like to buy a spotting scope good for target reading at, say, up to 500 yards. I'm doing research on them now but find that good quality appears to be running well over $1k and more like $2k. Will someone please advise on what I should look for and if I can find anything far less than this price? Thanks for any help you can give.

When I was working for a telescope dealer we had a bunch of 1000y BR shooters come by to look over what we had. They bought one we recommended, that was not what they expected and later some came back and bought the 4 remaining one we had in inventory. And they cost only $250/each back around 2006. the current website shows the price as $450.
It was a Russian built Maksutov telescope built by the largest optical company in the world, LOMO (Dimitri Maksutov actually worked there), called the LOMO 95. They said that 30 cal holes stood out as plain as day at 1000y when the proper amount of power was used, which they could not say that any 20-60x spotting scope could do regardless of price. The 95mm front objective put it above even the best 80mm spotting scopes when it came to light gathering power. The LOMO 95 used conventional 1.25" astro eyepieces not expensive proprietary and inferior spotting scope ones (only the Pentax 80ED spotting scope uses those type of eyepieces). the advantage is you can use astro eyepieces from $20 to over $200 in price and you don't have a limited supply you have to buy from the maker alone. Their website shows them still available but you have to check on that as I don't know when the last time their website was updated.

 

[scouse]

Thank you everyone; I am overwelmed by your input, advice and support, I never expected such great feedback.

I do not have a competition piece at the moment but do have an, as yet unfired, Lee Enfield 303 (a Fakakerly No 4 MK II - made less than 10 miles from where I was born and raised) which I hope to shoot (iron sights of course) in the military class. I have also an 5.56 AR15 and a sweet little Ruger 10/22, both with optic sights.

I used 500 yards as an arbitrary max distance but don't think that I will be shooting that far any time soon. However, I do want to be able to read bullet holes myself - I will not have a spotter - on a shot by shot basis (I think? - I have a lot to learn) and the further I can read them the better (again, I think?).

I now need to read everyone's input again and look at the recommendations to see which one suites me. And, yes, I like to buy good quality once rather than lesser quality several times.

Again, thank you everyone for your feedback, it is much appreciated.

 

[101combatvet]

Thank you everyone; I am overwelmed by your input, advice and support, I never expected such great feedback.

I do not have a competition piece at the moment but do have an, as yet unfired, Lee Enfield 303 (a Fakakerly No 4 MK II - made less than 10 miles from where I was born and raised) which I hope to shoot (iron sights of course) in the military class. I have also an 5.56 AR15 and a sweet little Ruger 10/22, both with optic sights.

I used 500 yards as an arbitrary max distance but don't think that I will be shooting that far any time soon. However, I do want to be able to read bullet holes myself - I will not have a spotter - on a shot by shot basis (I think? - I have a lot to learn) and the further I can read them the better (again, I think?).

I now need to read everyone's input again and look at the recommendations to see which one suites me. And, yes, I like to buy good quality once rather than lesser quality several times.

Again, thank you everyone for your feedback, it is much appriciated.

At the sanctioned matches your slow fire shots will be marked with a target disc spotter. Rapid fire marked with golf Tees. You don't need a scope to see bullets holes at 600 yards. I would suggest going to one of these matches.... pull some targets for me in the pits and see what this is all about.

 

[rayrevolver]

I looked at Konus and Barska. I ended up with a Celestron similar to the one below (80mm objective vs the Konus/Barska 60mm):

http://www.amazon.com/Celestron-Ult...d=1367868777&sr=1-6&keywords=Celestron+ultima

I have not used it beyond 100yards. I am not planning to shoot beyond 200 yards so I figured a cheap optic would ok.

500 yards = big money. A guy had a Kowa at the range and it is very very nice.

 

[scouse]

Thanks for that info. At present, it is difficult for me to make weekend meets (soon to be rectified!) so you correctly summised that I have not yet attended a match. I might just take you up on your offer to work your targets in the pits (bin there, done that but I can do it again). I have taken membership at Bridgeville R & P so I will have opportunity to observe there also. I am also in process of membership at AAFG, if you are a member at either of those clubs, perhaps we will meet. So, based on the info from you, I think that I will get more use out of a scope at practice. Thanks again.