Mid Priced Sheep Spotting Scope

[Rancheria]

Looking for recommendations on a mid priced spotter specifically for sheep. Don’t t quite have the finances at the moment for anything in the upper echelon ie kowa swaro leica.

Id prefer a 65mm based on size but with my budget constraints i am open to anything. Any help is appreciated.

 

[BillNye]

The new Zeiss Conquest Apia looks pretty damn good for a mid-priced scope. 20-50x65 at about 3 pounds for $1,500. Beats both the Kowa and the Swarovski on price by a good bit with pretty similar specs. Not sure on optical quality but I would imagine decent at a minimum

 

[MtnW]

Lots of sheep and Mtn hunters constantly upgrading their glass for the newest best.
If you have some time and patience you should be able to snag a used alpha spotter for 60-70% of what a brand new one would sell for. In my opinion you will be much happier waiting for one of the top tier used spotter’s. When I was actively sheep hunting I upgraded 3-4 times.

 

[Pilsner]

While I haven't sheep hunted with it, I have used my Maven 65mm spotter for a few years - mostly on our home range which points sadly due West. So, I get a ton of time looking directly into the setting sun and spotting shots and impacts. I have been very happy with that spotter especially for the price point. They offer a fair decent if you are a Veteran/LEO/Guide/1st responder to boot.

 

[Rancheria]

While I haven't sheep hunted with it, I have used my Maven 65mm spotter for a few years - mostly on our home range which points sadly due West. So, I get a ton of time looking directly into the setting sun and spotting shots and impacts. I have been very happy with that spotter especially for the price point. They offer a fair decent if you are a Veteran/LEO/Guide/1st responder to boot.

CS.1A?

 

[carsonkeys]

Man, good glass is so important on a sheep hunt for a multitude of reasons.

I’m not sure if they ship to Canada, but I was in the same boat a few years ago, (frankly I am again after having a baby) and rented a Kowa 88 from Rent Outdoor Gear and cannot recommend them enough. It would be a good opportunity to have the tools you need for your sheep hunt without shelling out several thousand dollars this summer. https://rentoutdoorgear.com/

Just as a disclaimer I have absolutely zero affiliation with this group. They were just awesome to work with - so awesome in fact that even if their website says no Canada it’d be worth it to call them.

 

[bthomas43]

Vortex Razor HD 22-48 x 65 has been good to me for the last few years. I know vortex doesn't get a lot of love on here, but I picked it up on a sale at sportsmans for right around a thousand. Normally $1300 if I remember right, good size, good glass, hard to beat for the price IMO.

 

[Steve O]

Sheep is not where you want to go with “mid”. Best thing to do IMO is pick up a 25 year old Zeiss Diascope; they run $10-1400 and they are head and shoulders above any mid scope out there today. Any Zeiss, Swaro, or Leica of similar vintage is NICE.

 

[Grassymike]

I used a Pentax PF 65 for the last three years. Very good glass that did not hold me back. helped me kill a very good but hard to judge legal Ram. I have replaced this scope with a Swarovski ATC, which is better optically but not by as much as you would think, mostly nearly one pound lighter and more compact. The PF 65 Pentax or Nikon field scopes are very good. They are some of the best Japanese made glass. Another one I have heard great things about is the Tract 65mm spotter. As others have said Alpha glass is probably where you will eventually end up . Budget is real and does not have to limit your ability to hunt sheep. Any scope once thought good for the job will still work for the job. The Pentax was a very popular choice about 15 or so years ago so was a Bausch&lomb 15x45 . guides used to use Bushnell Spacemaster 15-45. all the time.

 

[OrangeCurtain]

I like the Maven C series line for a mid-range glassing optic. Direct to consumer, bombproof warranty, and crisp and sharp. They have a smaller model for higher elevation hunting when you need to drop some weight.

 

[StopMakingSense]

Well what is your budget?

 

[Rancheria]

Well what is your budget?

I’d like to go max 2k CAD$.

 

[Grassymike]

What is the current Yukon difinition of a legal ram ? I remember "full curl" with at least one horn tip passing a line between the center of the nostril and the eye when viewed in profile. Do they now also have an age minimum where counting rings is neccesary on broomed Rams ? We do not have the "ring counting" option here in Alberta, our definitions are length based only. I guess what I am trying to say is if "ring counting" is not part of "legal or not " then slightly less than Alpha glass will work fine. I would however add my name to others above who have reccomended used Alpha glass . Used Alpha is the best deal in optics period. Your max budget puts you there. Watch the classifieds here, Ebay etc.

 

[JeffP_Or]

I too went the rental route [though on a special mule deer hunt] - went with Optics-4-Rent; good experience. Kept me from having to go the resale route or buying used or dropping big $$'s on the 'buy once, cry once' products.

Did a write up IN THIS THREAD. I thought it worked well and gave me an option to try some good glass; I think they have pared down their selection since I used them though.

I know this doesn't directly address your question but seems like a viable option and allows you to continue to build $$'s for the purchase you actually want later.

 

[BCDJR]

I’d look for a high quality used spotter. As spotters thru the years have become lighter and more compact a lot of folks moved away from the larger heavier models. I bet you can find some excellent used models. Unlike binos they usually reside in a pack and therefore don’t take the abuse ….meaning a used one is most likely going to be in very good condition.

 

[StopMakingSense]

I’d like to go max 2k CAD$.

Tough budget, my honest opinion is to find a used 773 (~2400 CAD) and either sell something, work a bit more or save longer to afford this. You honestly don’t need to upgrade after this.

If it keeps you from going hunting I’d look for a used older Vortex Razor 65mm.

This is what I’m talking about, however if you find a deal on the green one all the same - https://sandsarchery.com/blogs/backcountry-hunting/vortex-razor-hd-65mm-review

You can then sell it for what you bought it for when you can afford an ATS65 or Kowa 66a