Best spotting scope?

[Elite]

Hello so I have finally decided to buy a premium spotting scope. (Cry once buy once). I am wondering if any one has experience with the new line from Kowa ? I am particularly looking at the tsn 773. I can not find a bad review on them even when they test against the top dogs. I will be using this scope for sheep hunting and open prairie hunting. So I am open this size of scope will work good for both?. Is they any other brands I should look at? And wondering about angle vs straight ?


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[kbaerg]

I would look into the Meopta line also, they have the meopro HD which is another good optic. Then for little more you can get the S2 82, I have the S2 with a wide angle eyepiece and absolutely love it.

 

[sneaky]

I have a 773 that I really enjoy. I've got the extender for it as well but have not used it as conditions have to be almost perfect to get the full effect. It's a no-brainer to go with the 11z wide angle eyepiece. Great scope that gives up nothing to any others.

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[Elite]

I have a 773 that I really enjoy. I've got the extender for it as well but have not used it as conditions have to be almost perfect to get the full effect. It's a no-brainer to go with the 11z wide angle eyepiece. Great scope that gives up nothing to any others.

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Have you used any other big name spotters to compare? I am worried if I ever need to sell it the re sale is not like Swarovski


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[realunlucky]

No question the kowa is well respected but I'd also guess a Swarovski is much better known across all optics and will be much easier to sell.
As for angled or straight you have to try a couple and see what you prefer. I like angled you can use a shorter tripod and much easier to use looking up. Down side is harder to find things with until you have some practice and using on a window mount limits it's use some

 

[TheCougar]

There is a SandSarchery review that tested the ATS, ATX, and 773 along side each other and another test from last summer that tested all the 65mm scopes. I seem to remember that Steve (SandS/Exo owner) chose the Kowa over the swaro and the 773 either beat or matched the other Alpha spotters. I’m in the same debate right now. It’s either between the ATS or 773, as I cannot afford the ATX. I haven’t seen anything that compares the Meopta with the Kowa or ATS. FWIW, there is a thread on Rokslide on how to use Cabelas savings to get huge discounts on gear. I bought 15 SLCs for about 37% off sticker; although it was kind of a pain. Knowing that, I’ll probably end up with an ATS using that method - or buy used in the classifieds.

 

[TheCougar]

Best of the Best 65mm Spotting Scope Review - S&S Archery Backcountry

Kowa 77mm Spotting Scope Comparison and Review - S&S Archery Backcountry

 

[sneaky]

Have you used any other big name spotters to compare? I am worried if I ever need to sell it the re sale is not like Swarovski


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Yes, about the only one I haven't spent time behind is a Leica, but i'm sure they are every bit as amazing as their binos. Only in the hunting world is the resale on a Kowa an issue. The rest of the world has known for decades how good their spotters are.

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[Elite]

Thanks for the info so far guys. How
Do I find that I for for cabelas ? I also live in Canada so not sure if it will work or not. I found a tsn 883 used for a good deal this morning. But i am worried that the size of it will be to big for sheep hunting and packing it around? What’s everyone’s thoughts on max size for back pack sheep hunting? I also own a vortex summit ssp tripod. Will this tri pod even handle these larger scopes?


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[sneaky]

Thanks for the info so far guys. How
Do I find that I for for cabelas ? I also live in Canada so not sure if it will work or not. I found a tsn 883 used for a good deal this morning. But i am worried that the size of it will be to big for sheep hunting and packing it around? What’s everyone’s thoughts on max size for back pack sheep hunting? I also own a vortex summit ssp tripod. Will this tri pod even handle these larger scopes?


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No on that tripod. It'll hold it, but not steady enough. The weight and size question only you can answer. The 883 is considered by many to be the best scope on the market. Hard to go wrong with that one for any style of hunting.

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[TheCougar]

https://www.rokslide.com/forums/gea...-cards-80-unlimited-supply.html?highlight=Svm

Synopsis: you buy 20% off Cabelas gift cards 3 per week from eBay. (Tried and true, but now they are only 15% off). Buying them on My credit card for me 2% cash back. So right there, sitting at 22% discount. Then you couple that with the monthly one-day Cabelas club member 10% off sale (valid when paying with gift card). There’s about another 10%. You buy through Active Junky, which gives between 7–12% cash back. So now you are around 40% off (there is some higher math involved). Even better if you can ship to a state without taxes. Like I said, it’s a pain, but I have bought rifles and binos doing it and saved a LOT of money. I think I got my 15 SLCs for maybe $1550 or something like that, once I got my AJ cash back. The ATS details for $100 less than that at Cabelas, so you should be able to get it brand new for around $1500, if you are willing to do the work. The eBay cards post once per week, and you can only buy 3. I have buddies buy them for me and I pay them back to speed up the process. Around Christmas is a great time to get even bigger discounts if the gear you want goes on sale. I’m looking at you, $400 meat grinder!!!

 

[gr8fuldoug]

It would be our pleasure to work with you on this. Kowa spotters really are the top quality everyone says they are

 

[Travis Bertrand]

With a title like best spotting scope, you should buy once cry once with the atx/stx

 

[Shrek]

Of everything I’ve used the ATX was by far the best and I own one. I’ve owned or used a pile of alpha and other spotters. The 883 I got to look through was a huge disappointment but I don’t know if it wasn’t a lemon. It didn’t perform near as well as the Meopta S2 with the 30-60 wide eyepiece i had that was right next to it. Veiling haze looking at deer towards a setting sun is a tough test and the big Kowa flunked it. I’ve owned the Meopta S2 and it was a great scope but it was a straight and I wanted an angled scope. I had the Cabelas euro in an angled that’s the same scope as the Meopta S2 but has a 20-70 eyepiece that can’t be removed. The 30-60 wide angle eyepiece helped make the S2 a great scope. Then I had a Swarovski ATS with a 20-60 eyepiece. It was also a great scope but I made the mistake of trying an ATX 85 and had to have one. I have had both the 85mm objective and now a 95mm objective. I debate with myself still if the 85mm wasn’t a better balance but I still have the 95 and I don’t think it’s going anywhere. It’s a lot bigger objective and it’s heavy and long. The great thing about an ATX is that you can have a couple of sizes of objectives and cover more uses. A 65 for your sheep hunt and a 95 for less challenging terrain. Resale on Swarovski is solid so if you want to sell you won’t take near the bath you will will with lesser brands. Leica makes some great glass but I have never liked their coating colors. Haven’t looked through one in four or five years now so I don’t know if things have changed. Also , Leica warranty service had a bad reputation for many years. I’ve seen some things that make me think they’re better now but Swarovski sets the standard to beat in my experience. So my bottom line is buy a Swarovski ATX.

 

[sneaky]

Of everything I’ve used the ATX was by far the best and I own one. I’ve owned or used a pile of alpha and other spotters. The 883 I got to look through was a huge disappointment but I don’t know if it wasn’t a lemon. It didn’t perform near as well as the Meopta S2 with the 30-60 wide eyepiece i had that was right next to it. Veiling haze looking at deer towards a setting sun is a tough test and the big Kowa flunked it. I’ve owned the Meopta S2 and it was a great scope but it was a straight and I wanted an angled scope. I had the Cabelas euro in an angled that’s the same scope as the Meopta S2 but has a 20-70 eyepiece that can’t be removed. The 30-60 wide angle eyepiece helped make the S2 a great scope. Then I had a Swarovski ATS with a 20-60 eyepiece. It was also a great scope but I made the mistake of trying an ATX 85 and had to have one. I have had both the 85mm objective and now a 95mm objective. I debate with myself still if the 85mm wasn’t a better balance but I still have the 95 and I don’t think it’s going anywhere. It’s a lot bigger objective and it’s heavy and long. The great thing about an ATX is that you can have a couple of sizes of objectives and cover more uses. A 65 for your sheep hunt and a 95 for less challenging terrain. Resale on Swarovski is solid so if you want to sell you won’t take near the bath you will will with lesser brands. Leica makes some great glass but I have never liked their coating colors. Haven’t looked through one in four or five years now so I don’t know if things have changed. Also , Leica warranty service had a bad reputation for many years. I’ve seen some things that make me think they’re better now but Swarovski sets the standard to beat in my experience. So my bottom line is buy a Swarovski ATX.

I think you looked through a bad copy of that Kowa. I'll put my 773 against any spotter, including the ATX, and pocket the $1500 difference, or buy another set of used SLCs off the classifieds. I like the fine focus ability of the Kowa, and I've got a good copy, the 883s I've looked through were amazing. Heck, for the price of the ATX/95 setup I could get the 883 body, 773 body, and the wide angle 11z eyepiece with the fluorite glass and still come out cheaper. I like my SLCs, but their spotters haven't convinced me to drop the coin on them. I mean, if guys are looking at resale value as a purchasing decision, they should just rent one for their hunts.

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[WRO]

I think you looked through a bad copy of that Kowa. I'll put my 773 against any spotter, including the ATX, and pocket the $1500 difference, or buy another set of used SLCs off the classifieds. I like the fine focus ability of the Kowa, and I've got a good copy, the 883s I've looked through were amazing. Heck, for the price of the ATX/95 setup I could get the 883 body, 773 body, and the wide angle 11z eyepiece with the fluorite glass and still come out cheaper. I like my SLCs, but their spotters haven't convinced me to drop the coin on them. I mean, if guys are looking at resale value as a purchasing decision, they should just rent one for their hunts.

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I've ran the 883 next to my 95, It's no x series imho. Great scope, but the colors weren't the imho and I'm not a fan of the body. I'd buy the s2 over the 883.

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[sneaky]

I think the OP would be far better off going somewhere, if possible, and letting his eyes tell him which one to buy. It's pretty apparent that we all have different results looking through the same scopes. It's a big ticket item, it's worth the trouble to find these and test them. It's like how I ended up with SLCs over ELs. I get headaches looking through ELs with the field flattening lenses. If I hadn't looked for myself, I would have been catch and release on those.

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[Shrek]

I've ran the 883 next to my 95, It's no x series imho. Great scope, but the colors weren't the imho and I'm not a fan of the body. I'd buy the s2 over the 883.

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I’d buy the S2 over both the Kowa and the ATS honestly. The sample I owned was a really capable scope and the wide angle eyepiece gave a great view. I think the glass was about equal in the ATS and the S2 but the wide angle 30-60 eyepiece made the S2 a better scope than the ATS with the 20-60. IMO the ATX is in another class and is a joy to use.

 

[Elite]

What makes the s2 better then the Kowa? There is a lot of reviews online that the Kowa always wins . Unless they are rigged and paid for by kowa.... Is the 30x to high of magnification ? Seem high to start at that level. I figured it might be hard to relocate game coming from binos to a 30x zoom right away ?


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[rickjames80]

I haven't looked through any of the Kowa scopes so keep that in mind. I have the Cabela's Euro which is the S2 with the 20-70 eyepiece and I honestly don't know how it can get any better. I sold my ATM 80HD because of the Euro. The only thing I miss about the ATM is the weight and the removable eyepiece. I would love to try the S2 with the wide angle 30-60.