Building an optics set up for western hunting

[Slatham88]

Hey Everyone!
Long time lurker here, finally decided to post. I am a longtime whitetail/turkey hunter here in Kentucky (I also hunt Tennessee most years.) I am very new to western hunting and just started elk hunting last year. I have never been a big optics user, but after hunting elk last year and realizing the vastness of the country they are in, I figured that glassing/optics are a must. Up until now, my only non rifle scope optic was a pair of vortex diamondback 10x42 binos(I do plan on replacing these a high end pair.) I did, however, just recently score a set of vortex razor UHD 18x56 binos (very lightly used) for about 1100 on ebay. I have been researching and looking for several weeks to get a good spotter. I went on a backpack style hunt last year and may do that style hunt in the future. I also have my truck set up with a camper top for truck camping too, so many hunts in the future will be this style. I mostly archery hunt, but do plan to rifle hunt out west in the future.

I understand that purchasing best optics you can afford is of utmost importance. Money is not really an issue for me concerning this purchase, but I really do not like to spend money unnecessarily and am always on the lookout for a good deal. I do not want to buy something only to have to upgrade a few years later though. I would like to purchase something I can be happy with for many years. Considering my preferred style of hunting, I have gone back and forth on getting a 65mm or an 85mm spotting scope. All of these things considered, my search has led me to the Kowa TSN-773. I feel like it is the best compromise between 65 and 85, and offers top level glass for a reasonable price (roughly 2400.)

What do you guys think? I am open to any and all suggestions.

I just want a good set of optics that I can use to glass for elk out west, and also use glassing whitetails and turkeys back home.

 

[Kurts86]

I would prioritize getting high end 8 or 10x binoculars and a really good tripod before a spotting scope when you already have 18x’s.

For archery elk seasons the value of a spotting scope is quite marginal most places and I often forgo my 15x binoculars for just 10x binoculars in September to be light and mobile. If anything I would carry a Kowa 55 for elk to stay light with 10x binoculars and a sub 2lb tripod. I have spotted elk at up to 3 miles away with 10x binoculars so I don’t feel like I’m loosing much.

Spotting scopes are more useful for deer than elk especially during the archery seasons.

Neither big binoculars or spotting scopes are particularly useful for eastern hunts. I have never found an Eastern hunting use for big binoculars or spotting scopes besides spotting long range shooting. I know some guys use them to phone scope velvet deer but whitetails aren’t my thing.

 

[willfrye027]

The kowa would be excellent for your uses. Hard to go wrong there.

I would echo the need for a good pair of chest glass. Either 10s or 8s depending on if you hunt more timber or open country. The difference between the $500 and $1000 glass is noticable but not critical for a successful hunt. The $1000 to $2000 jump is less noticable and also not going to make or break a hunt.

Get yourself a decent tripod and the Sirui VA5 head and you’re set for just about everything.

 

[Trogon]

Lots of good bino options in the $1k category. I like 10x with a tripod.

Something like the Nikon HG and a promaster tripod and ball head will do just about everything you need. I like to travel as light as possible for elk hunting, so spotter is low on my list of things to pack.

 

[Overdrive]

I think for backpacking style hunts your 18x binos would be sufficient, a spotter might be helpful if your trophy hunting and really want to evaluate an animal.

If your going to do more truck camping then maybe consider a spotter, you wouldn't have to pack it on your back and can glass from roads or find close high points to a road to glass from.

I've switched to 12x and 15x binos for daily carry and never feel under or over powered, even in thick timber and open country. I will carry my spotter in my pack on some days depending on the terrain I'll be in, but it's a nice and compact 12-40x60 Leupold GR and fits in my side pocket of my pack.

 

[IrkedCitizen]

I hunt BIG wide open country in Colorado. I am a hunter who likes to glass them and then make a play. So I hike in the dark to a vantage point and for the sun to come up. I'll glass for hours without moving more than 100 yards sometimes. I will tell you that it doesn't matter how high end your optic is if your tripod is not stable and induces vibration. The optic needs to be as close to the apex of the tripod as possible. So I don't use a tripod that has a center column because they add instability and distance to the apex.

I glass using my binoculars until I find animals then swap ro my spotter for a better look. I use a straight spotter so the tripod doesn't need to be adjusted or require me to move my body. If I determine an animal is worth going after I make a game plan and then go.

This is my optic/glassing/shooting setup.
- Zeiss Victory 10x56 RF binos with RRS Cinch Elite in an AGC chest harness.
- Swarovski STS 20-60x65mm spotter with RRS arca plate
- Really Right Stuff Ultralight TFC-34L MK2 tripod
- Really Right Stuff BH-55 with SC-LR clamp

I am 6'7" and my tripod gets tall enough I can glass standing with leg length only. I can also attach my rifle and shoot from it. Swap from binos to spotter to rifle in seconds.



So my suggestion is to buy once cry once. Buy a Really Right Stuff tripod with a fixed apex that gets tall enough for you to stand behind. As for a tripod head you need to determine if you want a ball head or a pan head. If you get a BH get one with a panning feature makes it much better.

 

[Tomilg]

Agree with the “buy once, cry once” mantra. You’ll likely have the Alpha glass for years to come. I would focus on a great set of 10x’s and worry about the spotter at a later point. You’ll be much happier in the end.

 

[WRM]

Don't overlook the Kowa 500 series spotters. There's a detailed review on here by one of the men behind the curtain. It's really about all the spotter most normal people need. I'm really glad I got one. Still primarily use the Meopta 15 x 56 and 8 x 42 binos tho.

 

[Slatham88]

Thanks to everyone that has responded, very useful information here. I am absolutely going to get a nice pair of chest binos also. Several of you seem to have the opinion that the spotter is not needed, especially for archery. I am a complete newbie to glassing long distances. What do you guys usually use your spotter for? Is it just something to check the trophy class of the animal? Do you ever use it to focus into a possible bedding area to look for small movement like an ear flick to give away the animals position?
Thanks again for all the responses

 

[IrkedCitizen]

You can catch movement easier with two eyes so thats why i use my binos. Plus using a spotter for excess time creates eye strain regardless how high end because you are only using one eye.

I like to kill the best representative I can get so I pass a lot of animals. Spotting scope saves a lot of hiking.

 

[Heavy_Hiker]

For mule deer I like 12x binos on tripod and then use a 80x spotter after they are spotted. For archery elk I usually leave the spotter and tripod at home. I have the highest end vortex models but the Leica binos are the best I have looked through for me.

 

[willfrye027]

Thanks to everyone that has responded, very useful information here. I am absolutely going to get a nice pair of chest binos also. Several of you seem to have the opinion that the spotter is not needed, especially for archery. I am a complete newbie to glassing long distances. What do you guys usually use your spotter for? Is it just something to check the trophy class of the animal? Do you ever use it to focus into a possible bedding area to look for small movement like an ear flick to give away the animals position?
Thanks again for all the responses

I use my spotter for trophy judging but also to spot game beyond a mile or two. The two larger bucks I killed this year were initially spotted from 1.5 and 2.5 miles away. Big bucks will often live in a spot where you cannot glass them up except from very far away, or right on top of them. 10x and a spotter is pretty dang versatile. But depending on the type of country I do love 15s for spotting game.

 

[Whip]

A lot depends on where you are hunting, but for me the vast majority of my elk hunting is in places where a spotter is of little to no value. In fact I normally don't even bring it on an elk hunt anymore. I'm not in to trophy inches so don't need to worry about scoring it on the hoof. It's either big enough or is not, and a quality pair of 8-10x binos will tell me that at the ranges I can typically see.
Mule deer hunting in open country is a different story.

 

[Kurts86]

Spotting scopes are a lot more common deer hunting than elk hunting because 1) deer are smaller 2) deer blend in better than elk of the same size 3) there are a lot more guys who are picky about deer antler size than elk 4) glassing for deer is about looking really hard slowly whereas elk glassing is a lot of frequent passes over the visible landscape.

Less common but more critical uses for a spotting scope is determining legality on Sheep or Moose in Alaska. I also get the impression on Tundra caribou hunts big spotters are useful glassing out a few miles.

Spotting scopes and overall optical magnification requirements are going to be more critical in the southwestern states like Arizona because of big expanses and lower animal density. It’s just completely different compared a lot of the Northern Rockies in it’s glassing demands. Weight savings are less critical and finding animals is more difficult.

Using a spotting scope really ups the rigidity demands on a tripod. That means more tripod weight usually than you could get away with big binoculars. I’m addition to the spotting scope weight you often pick up another 1 lb of tripod/head to make it usable.

In general if you don’t KNOW YOU NEED a spotting scope it’s likely in the nice to have category. It’s the kind of thing you dump in your partners pack to carry up the hill while bring the big binoculars. It also is an expensive nice to have a piece of gear where you can’t afford to cut corners on glass or tripods.

I think a Kowa 773 is a great spotting scope option. It’s more that if you archery hunt elk primarily it like adds little value. For mule deer it has more value and for later rifle elk seasons a spotter has more value than during September archery.

 

[Slatham88]

Thanks everyone for your responses. I really appreciate all the information, it has been very helpful to me.

Just wanted to update you guys though.

Found an outstanding deal today (or at least what I think is an outstanding deal) on a Kowa prominar TSN-883. Got it brand new for ~$2400. I figured that was a no brainer since the best price new i could find the 773 for was ~2100.

Now for a good set of 8 or 10x42 chest binos. Been seeing some decent deals on the zeiss conquest today. What do you guys think about that bino?

 

[willfrye027]

Thanks everyone for your responses. I really appreciate all the information, it has been very helpful to me.

Just wanted to update you guys though.

Found an outstanding deal today (or at least what I think is an outstanding deal) on a Kowa prominar TSN-883. Got it brand new for ~$2400. I figured that was a no brainer since the best price new i could find the 773 for was ~2100.

Now for a good set of 8 or 10x42 chest binos. Been seeing some decent deals on the zeiss conquest today. What do you guys think about that bino?

They are a great choice in that price range, I sold a used set for about 575 a few years ago so you can get a good deal if you’re patient

 

[eaglemountainman]

I prefer a quality pair of 10X on a tripod, though a lot of guys prefer 12s, 15s and even 18s. But that's a personal choice you'll need to work out. I also keep a set of 8X33s on my chest for quick offhand use, especially when stillhunting, or I'm on the move to another glassing location or for the final stalk. I really appreciate the larger FOV. BTW, if I could only have either 8X or 10X, I'd go 8X.

I only use my spotter to assess trophy quality before I make a decision to invest time and boot leather in a lengthy stalk. The TSN-773 is a fantastic spotter and I almost went that route myself. But instead, I went for the lighter, more compact, TSN-554 at 28oz. It's a killer little spotter, though if you prefer a little more magnification and objective, then you can't go wrong with the 773/774.

Give Doug a call at Cameraland.

 

[Kurts86]

I’d say if your budget allows for $2k on a spotting scope you should plan to spend that much or more on 8x/10x binoculars. It’s the highest use optic you will own and spend accordingly.

For me that would either be the Swarovski 8.5x42 EL’s or the 8x42 NL Pures. If you want an optic you can really take advantage of in Kentucky as well as out west get the 8x42 NL pures to get that huge 477’ FOV. Really even the 8x32 NL Pures or EL 8x32’s would be a good choice as well as they have respectively large FOV.

 

[WRM]

But instead, I went for the lighter, more compact, TSN-554 at 28oz. It's a killer little spotter, though if you prefer a little more magnification and objective

It's near impossible to go "wrong" with those 500 series spotters.

But, OP you seem to have gotten something you are satisfied with.

Find a good bino that better fits what you are planning to do and you're set. With what you have, 8x seems to make the most sense but 10x would certainly work.

 

[eaglemountainman]

Thanks everyone for your responses. I really appreciate all the information, it has been very helpful to me.

Just wanted to update you guys though.

Found an outstanding deal today (or at least what I think is an outstanding deal) on a Kowa prominar TSN-883. Got it brand new for ~$2400. I figured that was a no brainer since the best price new i could find the 773 for was ~2100.

Now for a good set of 8 or 10x42 chest binos. Been seeing some decent deals on the zeiss conquest today. What do you guys think about that bino?

For a chest bino, I have 8X33 Kowa Genesis. I'd take them over the Conquest any day. Now the Zeiss Victory SF 8X42 might be a different story....