Do I Need A Spotting Scope

[BWforUK]

A friend and I are planning our first western hunt for next fall. Either pronghorn in WY or archery mule deer/whitetail in NW South Dakota. The following year we are planning to do archery elk in CO. I will be graduating college in May so obviously funds will be limited. If I skip the spotting scope then I'm willing to pony up and purchase some quality binos. Either Zeiss Conquest or Vortex Razor. However, if I absolutely do need a spotting scope then I would only be able to afford something mid price range in both binos and scope. So which route should I take?

 

[durangobrad]

I think you need a spotting scope only if you are being very particular about animal selection. Although I have not pronghorn hunted and my experience is only here in western colorado for deer and elk. I can spot a heard of elk through my binos plenty far away to get me in trouble.... While I cant count the points on a bull elk from a mile away.... If your looking for quality binos at a better price check out the redfields. I looked side by side through the vortex and picked the reds.

 

[bbell]

You could always rent a spotter. I have seen swaros, zen ray, and vortex for rent from different dealers. That's what I plan on doing. Good way to get some first hand experience as well with different products.
Brandon

 

[5MilesBack]

I've been hunting big game for 35 years and I don't "need" a spotter. I like having one, and I use it more for scouting than anything, but I wouldn't say I "need" one. So do you "need" one? "Need" is such a strong word.

 

[Manosteel]

I have brought spotting scopes on elk hunts and never brought them out. The only time I feel I really need a spotter is when hunting sheep and mule deer in the mountains.

 

[bbrown]

Spend your money on the best binos you can afford - spotter is nice but not really needed

 

[Craig Van Arsdale]

Buy the best binos you can afford and a tripod to mount them on!

 

[BruinPoint]

Good 10x binos on a tripod will get a lot done. I don't think you'd regret starting with the best binos you can afford. Keep an eye out for an old used spotter on the cheap and upgrade as money and needs dictate.

 

[Steakngravy]

I went through this decision years back when me and my buddies decided to go west. Kind of depends on how you plan to hunt , we back pack hunt and the first few days I cleaned a heck of a lot of stuff from my pack , a spotter is a nice item to have especially if your in really open country but we elk hunt and I did more carrying of the spotter than looking through it ,a tripod mounted pair of excellent binos will get the job done , but if you will be hunting near the truck or in super open spots a light weight spotter like a vortex razor 11-33 or a leupold gr

 

[WRO]

A friend and I are planning our first western hunt for next fall. Either pronghorn in WY or archery mule deer/whitetail in NW South Dakota. The following year we are planning to do archery elk in CO. I will be graduating college in May so obviously funds will be limited. If I skip the spotting scope then I'm willing to pony up and purchase some quality binos. Either Zeiss Conquest or Vortex Razor. However, if I absolutely do need a spotting scope then I would only be able to afford something mid price range in both binos and scope. So which route should I take?

Buy a top end set of bino's and rent a spotting scope. Spotters are an aquired taste, I carried one for a year before I finally fell in love with it.

At your price range, I would look at the Meoptas, Used SLC, or Used Victory HT's. They are all superior to the 2 choices you have listed above.

 

[JP100]

get the best binos you can.
Spotters are not necessary, and weigh alot!
On a sheep or goat hunt or if you are after a really specific trophy a spotter is great, but good binos are more important. 10x42 or 10x50s are usually the best all round option.
I have the Vortex Razor 10x42s and am really pleased with them

 

[Whisky]

For mule deer hunting I require a spotter....in NW SD it would be beneficial to have one without a doubt. Rent one if need be.

 

[eagle#eyes]

I've never dealt with a spotter, so I'm curious, would a mid to used top level bino in the OP's range in 10x or 8x be more useful than a lower/mid level spotter anyways?

 

[huntMT]

For your CO elk hunt, I wouldn't get too worked up about having a spotting scope. For an Antelope hunt or a Mule Deer Hunt, I would want a spotting scope. As some others have suggested, Vortex makes good optics for a very reasonable price. I have a set of Vortex Diamondback 10x42's and love them. They are not as good as Sworo's or even the Vortex Razors, but they are good optics that I am happy with and run about $200-$250. I have a Redfield Rampage spotting scope as well. It's a low end scope but it does a decent job unless it's right at dusk or dawn.

Another option to consider is that Vortex makes a 2X doubler that you can attach to your binos. I've never used one so I don't know if the quality is there or not, but maybe someone else here can give you some input on it. The doubler would be cheaper than a spotting scope. No matter what though, get a good tripod.