How much will I give up using a 65mm spotter for Sheep?

[AK4570]

As in the title, how much will i give up using a 65mm spotter for sheep, primarily Dall? (solo, backpack hunts)

Appreciate any input and thanks in advance,

John

 

[RosinBag]

Just a few minutes at first light and at last light is what I would think. I run my 65 for everything and have never felt under glassed.

 

[Blue72]

Depends what your downgrading from. I normally measure it by exit pupil. I never want to go below 2mm otherwise it’s to dark or uncomfortable to view.

With that said 2mm exit pupil in a 65mm scope is 32.5x magnification. If you were using a 80mm scope, a 2mm exit pupil is 40x. So you are giving up 7.5x in magnification in comparative scopes if the seeing conditions allow you to use higher magnification.


With that said many people say 30x is the most used magnification for a number of reasons. Mirages typically limit magnification, smaller exit pupil do not give any more details at higher magnification, higher magnification require heavier sturdier tripods to prevent shakes, etc...

 

[Pronghunter]

I spend lots of coin to own ultralight gear so I can afford to carry heavy optics. I always take the 95 scope, especially for Dall Sheep. To me, there’s a huge difference between the 65 and the 95.

 

[Blockcaver]

A 20-60 X 65mm angled Swaro HD works fine for sheep in BC...Stones and Bighorns as well as one trip for Dall in the NWT. Mine is going into its 9th season. I usually carry it in the pack for several weeks annually, without a cover on it, except for the lenses. I pair the spotter with a Phone Skope holding my iPhone to take pictures of rams for aging purposes. Same for caribou (and moose in some areas) hunting with antler point restrictions. Zoom the phone up when taking photos though the scope and further zoom in on the horn(s) in the photos and you are looking at them at over several hundred power magnification.

I do use the full range of magnification up to 60X as conditions allow. You have to have good light (often is full sunlight sheep hunting) and your tripod needs to be steady and atmospheric conditions decent to allow use of 60X but it is usable on the Swaro. Not so much on lesser scopes for my eyes.

As a note on using 65mm scopes for Dall sheep, at Canol Outfitters in the NWT in August 2017, all their guides, plus the outfitter (5 people) had 20-60x65mm Swaro spotting scopes. A free lance guide that was in camp in July used a Swaro 80mm scope but the rest were happy with the 65mm, which is a good endorsement IMO.

 

[AK4570]

Thanks, all... I appreciate the input!

John

 

[Twisted300WinMAG]

Fallowing

 

[justin davis]

I prefer a 65 mm for all of my hunts. When it comes to sheep weight is a concern in my pack so I opt for the lightest setup.