Best spotting scope?

Would a 80mm scope be to big for back pack sheep hunts? Where would a guy put such a large scope in a back pack?


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Elite said:
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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30x is fine for hunting use. The wide angle helps the field of view and while hunting we’re usually looking at animals far away. Birders are often looking at birds just a few yards away and need the lower powers to find the bird and put the whole bird in frame. I don’t know of any hunters using their spotter to see a sheep at ten yards.
As for why the Meopta S2 is rated better by me and some others who have used them in the field is how it handles poor conditions. The 883 I got to use was battling veiling haze right along with my S2. The Kowa really struggled with the veiling and didn’t make the animals “pop”. The color definition was flat. The S2 handled the veiling much better and the deer “popped” about as well as a Swarovski makes them “pop”. Much of the buzz about Kowa comes from the birding community. They use spotters somewhat differently so that may make some difference in what they like.
 
Elite said:
Would a 80mm scope be to big for back pack sheep hunts? Where would a guy put such a large scope in a back pack?


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That’s a personal decision. Stid2677 totes his ATX 95 and he’s a beat up veteran with a replacement knee. He values the big eye enough to struggle with it. On the other hand there’s plenty of young fit hunters who are gaga over the new little 55 Kowa. I’d pack an 80 in a heartbeat. If I have the legs for a sheep hunt I have the legs for an 80. I don’t have the legs for a sheep hunt so I don’t have that decision to make.
 
Shrek said:
That’s a personal decision. Stid2677 totes his ATX 95 and he’s a beat up veteran with a replacement knee. He values the big eye enough to struggle with it. On the other hand there’s plenty of young fit hunters who are gaga over the new little 55 Kowa. I’d pack an 80 in a heartbeat. If I have the legs for a sheep hunt I have the legs for an 80. I don’t have the legs for a sheep hunt so I don’t have that decision to make.
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Thanks for the replies.

So here is my problem...

I found a basically new kowa 883 that comes with the 20-60 eyepiece and a 1.6x extender and some camera adaptors. This all combined was $4900 new and the scope is only 5 months old. Not sure I’ll use the extender for hunting? Or the adaptors so might be able to sell those? He is asking $3000 for everything. I priced this package out at kowa and it is over $4900 worth of stuff. I then priced out a kowa 773 and the scope and eyepiece is about $2700. I figured the 773 would be a good compromise for size and weight for both style of hunting. Wondering if a 80mm+ scope is to big for a pack? I have no way of comparing the two scopes or seeing how big they are in person. What’s everyone’s thoughts on what I should do? I attached the spec sheets. I’m more worried about fitting it in a pack then the weight...

736022cf87158cf646c1001cdc795672.png



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Elite said:
Thanks for the replies.

So here is my problem...

I found a basically new kowa 883 that comes with the 20-60 eyepiece and a 1.6x extender and some camera adaptors. This all combined was $4900 new and the scope is only 5 months old. Not sure I’ll use the extender for hunting? Or the adaptors so might be able to sell those? He is asking $3000 for everything. I priced this package out at kowa and it is over $4900 worth of stuff. I then priced out a kowa 773 and the scope and eyepiece is about $2700. I figured the 773 would be a good compromise for size and weight for both style of hunting. Wondering if a 80mm+ scope is to big for a pack? I have no way of comparing the two scopes or seeing how big they are in person. What’s everyone’s thoughts on what I should do? I attached the spec sheets. I’m more worried about fitting it in a pack then the weight...

736022cf87158cf646c1001cdc795672.png



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Click to expand...





Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk[/QUOTE]You're obviously talking Canadian dollars. You said he has the 20-60x eyepiece? I have the TE-11z eyepiece which is their wide angle 25-60x piece with the Prominar glass in it. Awesome eyepiece. Not a fan of the 20-60x eyepiece. That's a crime to put that eyepiece on an 883. It's not much of a weight difference on the 773/883. I slide my 773 in the side pocket on my EXO, and it fits fine with the stay on case I have on it. I just looked at Kowa's page. He has to have the wide angle eyepiece, the 20-60 isn't even listed as being compatible with that scope.

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I know I paid less than $2500 for my 773, with eyepiece, extender, and case. Or, right around that mark.

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Sorry guys that was in Canadian currency forgot to mention that. And the dollar is terrible


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So $3000 Canadian = $2278 USA. Not a bad deal.


If you're not going for that deal, (after trying to negotiate a little bit more!!!!!!!)
I'd still call Doug @ Camera Land. Best info and Best prices.
 
As a fellow Canuck, do yourself a favour and call Omer from Precision Optics in BC. He will help you even if its just for information and opinions.
 
Does anyone pack this large of scope and have any issues fitting it in the pack?


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I have the 883 my brother has the 85mm ATX, we have spent hours comparing them and have a hard time seeing the difference. The biggest difference is the Kowa's fine focus knob, it is MUCH easier to use than the focusing system on the Swarovski.
 
frazierw said:
I have the 883 my brother has the 85mm ATX, we have spent hours comparing them and have a hard time seeing the difference. The biggest difference is the Kowa's fine focus knob, it is MUCH easier to use than the focusing system on the Swarovski.
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Do you guys use these on back pack hunts? How hard are they to fit in a pack?


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I have an exo 3500 and so does he, both fit in there, with their case on, no problem. Our dad has a goat tag this year, and we will be taking both in.
 
Jsunkler said:
If it doesnt say Swarovski on it, it isnt the best in my opinion
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I haven’t found a review anywhere online that says the Swarovski beats the kowa 883. It’s not all about the name sometimes .


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another vote for the meopta S2 with 30-60WA. Just spent the last 10 days glassing along side my buddy who had the kowa 883 with 25-60WA. his scope was a day old so no scratches or anything. We were hunting the breaks so glass was everything and every daywe spent 5+ hours behind the glass. I literally glassed until my eyes physically hurt. We compared them in every sort of light and came up with the same opinion. Both scopes clarity is very good and nearly identical all the way to max power. His scope seems to have more of a blueish neutral color to it whereas the meopta has a yellow tinge to it that kind makes the colors pop to my eye. (we noticed this same thing comparing his mavens to my swaro slc's). When looking at a great distance of anthing over about 6 miles on 60 power you could discern slightly more details through the kowa but the heat waves get so bad that it was a mute point as we were just comparing blurry moo cows. the eye piece of the maven is easier to get behind and it has a lot more hunter friendly rubberized coating on the spotting scope body. The Kowa has less distortion when panning, which is a fault of the WA eye piece the meopta uses. While you wont be disappointed in either scope I dont see the higher price justification to go kowa over meopta.
 
kupper said:
another vote for the meopta S2 with 30-60WA. Just spent the last 10 days glassing along side my buddy who had the kowa 883 with 25-60WA. his scope was a day old so no scratches or anything. We were hunting the breaks so glass was everything and every daywe spent 5+ hours behind the glass. I literally glassed until my eyes physically hurt. We compared them in every sort of light and came up with the same opinion. Both scopes clarity is very good and nearly identical all the way to max power. His scope seems to have more of a blueish neutral color to it whereas the meopta has a yellow tinge to it that kind makes the colors pop to my eye. (we noticed this same thing comparing his mavens to my swaro slc's). When looking at a great distance of anthing over about 6 miles on 60 power you could discern slightly more details through the kowa but the heat waves get so bad that it was a mute point as we were just comparing blurry moo cows. the eye piece of the maven is easier to get behind and it has a lot more hunter friendly rubberized coating on the spotting scope body. The Kowa has less distortion when panning, which is a fault of the WA eye piece the meopta uses. While you wont be disappointed in either scope I dont see the higher price justification to go kowa over meopta.
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Thanks for the comparison of the two I haven’t really looked into the S2 due to the eye piece starting at 30x? This seems very high to me. Any issues finding the target when starting this high of zoom? I will be using it around home also so don’t alway need to see for miles all the time


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