Glassing setups

[duckpopper]

8x32 NL Pure for chest glass and off the tripod (first scan of the terrain)

12x42 NL Pure off tripod for tearing apart the terrain for detail

17-40x Swaro STC for confirmation on the animal

This setup worked great this year in the backcountry and will be my go to for quite some time. 8 power binos seem to be the sweet spot for quick looks while hiking, light weight, still work fantastic on the tripod. And as Ryan said, the ATC/STC scope really does some fantastic things for how light it is. It replaced my STS 65 25-50x due to how easy the eyepiece is to get behind and shaved about a pound on carry weight. Packs away easy due to size as well. And then the 12 NLs are just magic on a tripod. Had the 15x15 HD Swaros for years and the field of view on the 12 NL is just incredible.

The only game changer I’m waiting on at this point is Adams Adapter twin STCs. This might replace the NL 12s for me and the single spotter. 17-40x binos would be amazing.

 

[Pabst]

Always:
Meostar 8x42
Meostar 15x56
Tripod

Sometimes:
Spotter

Recent changes:
Up until this year I've been using a Sirui T-024SK but have found it to be a bit fiddly. The smallest way to fold it up is to extend the center column all the way up, the fold the legs up to match. Then setup involves swinging the legs down to the desired angle and lowering the center column. It's hard to do this without a lot of motion. Also I kind of hate the narrow leg angles. I've gotten a Slik 624 and 634, will probably keep the 634 as it's more versatile, but like the leg angles and simpler setup much more.

I've also owned a Kowa TSN-554 for quite a while and have never really loved the narrow field of view. It's fine for checking closer at something you found with binocs but you probably don't want to glass for long periods of time. I can resolve a bit more detail with it than I can with my 15x56s, but not a ton more. I've gotten the new 66s and will probably carry that anytime I'm carrying a spotter. The 554 has its place but the new 66 is quite a bit more capable.

 

[6.5x284]

Elk:

NL 12x42 Bino
STC Spotter
Asiak Tripod
Wiser Nighthawk Head
Ollin Adapter

Mule Deer/Sheep:

NL 12x42 Bino
Kowa 88s Spotter
Asiak Tripod
Wiser Nighthawk Head
Ollin Adapter


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[rcook10]

Sig 6k binos for in hand and ranging
Maven b5 18x binos for tripod mounted
Kowa 774 for digiscoping ( often doesnt come with due to weight/size)

Slik 632 with a small rig selection fluid head fir backpack tripoding as I pretty much always sit to glass and it only weighs 2# with the head.

 

[TaperPin]

Tiny little Leupold spotter and tiny little Leupold 10x Gold ring binocs. I can appreciate hunting areas where a guy just sits in one place, gun attached to a tripod, and does nothing but glass. However, my hunting style is much more mobile and shots are mixed between close up and long range - if a guy doesn’t hunt the pockets they miss out on half the deer, and if long shots are asking too much, then many bedded deer are pretty safe.

 

[DavePwns]

12x50 ELs
77 kowa
Slik 624
Outdoorsmans pan head

I couldn't be happier with this set up

I may end up getting a 10x42 EL for a lighter pair for elk, I prefer ELs over the NLs, less fish eye view for me at the edges despite the smaller field of view.

Only time I don't bring the kowa is if my buddy has his BTX

 

[Cswedeen]

12x50 Meopta Meostar B1 HD in the chest rig/Sig Kilo 6k 10x32 RF when needed chest rig side pocket

15x56 Meopta Meostar B1 HD off tripod for sit down glassing

Athlon Ares G2 angled 15-45x65 for long range glassing and animal confirmation

Athlon Midas AL28 Tripod

My experience so far is limited to Oryx/Mule deer hunting in southern NM's Mcgregor Range with weight being a non-factor (Jeep being no more than a mile away at a time). Weight notwithstanding, Meostars are awesome. Haven't had a chance to look through NLs but I prefer the image through my Meostars to that of Els I have looked through, and I vastly prefer the 15x56 HDs to the 15x56 SLCs I had last year. (Could have had a bad pair).

As far as the Sig Kilo 6ks go, I really like them for what they are. When compared to the Meoptas they obviously leave a lot to be desired optically, but very useable and the ranging performance (what I really care about with these) is awesome.

For spotting scopes I have used the Athlon Ares G2 15-45 that I picked up for a crazy deal, and while not amazing it holds it's own. Great size and weight, might not want to use it all day but to confirm animals/determine sizes it works quite well. That being said it is the one item I may look to upgrade next season, as the Meostar 30-60 WA looks very tempting.

Tripod used is the Athlon AL28. Not the lightest, but not crazy heavy either and works great from around 18" to over 70" (I'm 6'1" and can glass at eye level with bino arca adapter installed. Doubles as a workable shooting platform with my hunting rifle's arca plate which is a huge plus hunting in the desert. Cost under $200, which gave me more money to put into optics- good tradeoff in my opinion.

 

[Nickels]

Glass:
NL 12s with outdoorsmans stud
ATX 65

Head:
Weiser p170

Tripod:
Modified Slik 633 with a short center post and lower legs sections removed from two legs. Loved everything about the 632 but wanted at least one long leg section to send downhill when on steep hillsides. Comes out to about 29oz with the pan head.

 

[Nolan_]

I see a lot of people are using the STC/ATC... I haven't looked through one yet. I can imagine it being perfect for ELK. Do people with experience think it is enough for something like high country mule deer? I love running 8x and 15x binos together. Will the ATC/STC be worth adding or is a larger objective spotter still needed for Deer?

 

[MallardSX2]

 

[bpurtz]

I see a lot of people are using the STC/ATC... I haven't looked through one yet. I can imagine it being perfect for ELK. Do people with experience think it is enough for something like high country mule deer? I love running 8x and 15x binos together. Will the ATC/STC be worth adding or is a larger objective spotter still needed for Deer?

I've been packing a ATX65 for several years on backcountry deer hunts - this past year I noticed that unless it was a super bright and clear day, I rarely would use the spotter above 40x. I just picked up an ATC, so I don't have any field experience, but from the reviews and weight savings, I'm pretty sure my ATX65 will be staying home...

 

[outdoor_matt]

My optics setup as of this winter:
Leica 8x42 Ultravid HD plus
Kowa 664 with 30x WA eyepiece
Tripod: Gitzo 1541t with Jim White 2.0 head

Just picked up a pristine set of Meopta 15x56 HD binos for next year-looking forward to using these for mule deer and bighorn sheep scouting.

At some point I might look for a spotter with bigger objective and more reach but I really love the image and FOV of my Kowa.


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[WRO]

Elk:

NL 12x42 Bino
STC Spotter
Asiak Tripod
Wiser Nighthawk Head
Ollin Adapter

Mule Deer/Sheep:

NL 12x42 Bino
Kowa 88s Spotter
Asiak Tripod
Wiser Nighthawk Head
Ollin Adapter


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I love that tripod set up/head set up.

Substitute the 95 ATX for the Kowa and that's what I run.

I thought I lost my stc spotter because I forgot it was in my pack lol..

 

[ID_Matt]

Swaro EL 12x50 (wouldn't mind NL 12x42 or the new revic RF binos)
Swaro ATS 20-60x80 (would like to swap for STC some day)
Two vets ruck tripod
Tricer LP Panhead

If someone could make a head that was as good to shoot off of as the Anvil 30 but has the glassing ability of a pan head without being insanely heavy, i'd pay some money. Before I leave the truck, it is always a serious debate between a primarily shooting set up (anvil 30) or a primarily light glassing head (tricer). 2 of the 3 animals I shot this year were done clipped in to a tripod.

 

[Buddha]

ID_Matt, until the shooting panhead you want is developed, consider attaching a small arca plate to the bottom of the Tricer LP panhead and then attach it to your ballhead. I inserted a 3/8 to 1/4 adapter into the bottom of the Tricer so I could screw the acra plate onto it. This setup actually helps in leveling the panhead.
I suggested to Tricer that they make the bottom of their panhead an integral acra plate, but I don't think the suggestion sunk in.
You have a damn nice setup.

 

[Fatcamp]

Meostar 10X42
Kowa 664 30x
Vortex High Country Gen 1
Vanguard no name head

This is a tough and optically solid setup. I really like it and think it's a good balance.

 

[Shraggs]

ZEISS 8x42 RF on chest
Meopta 15x56 or Nikon ed50 fixed 20x
Granite peak or slick mini sprint 2
Simple or pro master heads

Archery
Swaro CL gen 2 8x30 on chest
Swaro 12x50 el
Granite peak w/ball head
Leupold TBR 1200 range finder

 

[OrangeMan73]

Just got a pair of geovid pros 10x32s and they're game changers. That off of the revic backpacker tripod, I'm set unless I really feel like lugging the Televid 82 along.

 

[ID_Matt]

ID_Matt, until the shooting panhead you want is developed, consider attaching a small arca plate to the bottom of the Tricer LP panhead and then attach it to your ballhead. I inserted a 3/8 to 1/4 adapter into the bottom of the Tricer so I could screw the acra plate onto it. This setup actually helps in leveling the panhead.
I suggested to Tricer that they make the bottom of their panhead an integral acra plate, but I don't think the suggestion sunk in.
You have a damn nice setup.

Thank you! I actually did do this exact thing for 1 hunt this year, but it still felt odd carrying 2 heads! You are right on it helping to level the pan head. If they made the bottom an arca - like the RRS version that came out recently, that'd be awesome. I actually had the tricer tripod for a while but ended up returning it. The center post stuck up way too high which wasn't ideal for shooting and made it so when i had the pan head on the anvil, it was crazy high. That's one of the main reasons i like the ruck, is the center post base is nearly flush to the apex. Close to how yours is

 

[6.5Express]

Swaro 10x42 el
Maven B.5 15x56 w/aziak adapter
Kowa angled 88
Tricer AD tripod
Va5 head
Revic rangefinder

Substitutes depending on conditions:
Swaro sts 65 hd
Slik 634 w/ sirui ballhead

I got the tricer tripod part way thru this last season and really like it with the va5 head. Broke two 634s the past few seasons.