Mid Tier Spotters - $1,000 - $1,500

[ropeup79]

The Pentax spotters get good reviews on the birding forums, but don’t get talked about much on the hunting side. Those birders are very serious about glass.

 

[SlimTim_MN]

Sounds too good to be true, but there's a noticeable difference between the STS and STX, should be able to tell easily by the pictures.

Agree. I just sent him a follow up message with a few more questions and asking for more pics, the year he bought it, etc. I'm in MN, and he's in IA. I would consider driving to meet him in person as well. Not terribly far.

 

[lundellhunting7]

I would wait until you can find a Ats or sts 65hd. I have see them on forums for killer deals quite a bit.

 

[HilltopHitman]

Vortex Optics Razor HD Angled Spotting Scope - 27-60x85 mm, Refurbished - Save 44%

Vortex Optics Razor HD Angled Spotting Scope - 27-60x85 mm, Refurbished in Green at Sierra. Celebrating 30 Years Of Exploring.

www.sierra.com

Best deal on the internet.

 

[SlimTim_MN]

I would wait until you can find a Ats or sts 65hd. I have see them on forums for killer deals quite a bit.

Appreciate the help brother!

 

[Kurts86]

Having owned a Razor gen 2 spotter I’d go used Kowa 553/554 all day. The razor glass is not good and the Kowa gives you more optical performance at half the weight.

 

[tracker12]

Used Kowa 553/554

Nice spotter but is nowhere close to the specs he wants. Used SWARO or Kowa is what I woiuld look for. And if you buy one of these brands and want to change later you can always get your money out of it. Vortex good luck.

 

[AZ_Hunter_2000]

Spend a bit more.

R

WTS Thread 'Kowa 773 body and eyepiece.'

Jun 11, 2025

Edit: only eyepiece left

Good condition Kowa 773, with 20-60 eyepiece. Keeping my 883 and selling the smaller scope
I also have an additional 20-60 zoom eyepiece that I can sell separately

$1900 TYD for scope and one eyepeice
Will do a partial trade for a kowa eyepiece extender

• robllachance
• Replies: 9
• Forum: Optics Classifieds

 

[SlimTim_MN]

Update: Ended up buying an STS 65 HD 20-60x off the classifieds. Great guy to deal with and he shipped it right away. Should receive it this weekend and I couldn't be more excited to get it! Thanks for all the help everyone.

 

[Grassymike]

Good choice. I took the long winding road to Swaro. Wish I had bought one long ago. O well playing with 7 other spotters was fun...

 

[Kidperfect]

Looking for Advice on Mid-Tier Spotting Scopes

Hey guys! First time poster here on Rokslide. I’m looking for some help deciding on a spotting scope and would really appreciate any insights you can share. I'm based in the Midwest, so I don’t get to hunt out West as often as I’d like—but I do have several trips planned over the next few years. I am wanting to buy spotting scope and I want something with a larger objective lens—around 85mm—and up to 60x magnification. Weight isn’t much of a concern since most of my usage will involve truck hunting and short, single-day hikes. I will also use it some around home for long distance scouting for Whitetails.

Right now, my budget is in the $1,000–$1,500 range, so I'm not quite ready to splurge on top-tier glass. I've narrowed it down to two options: the Athlon Cronus G2 and the Vortex Razor. I’d love to hear from anyone with hands-on experience with either of these, especially when it comes to optical performance, durability, and value for the price. I'm also open to other suggestions in that price range if there's something else you think I should consider.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Wait and go without it. Save and save and save until you get whatever top tier will cost you. Nothing wrong with buying used to save money either. I love this site, and facebook marketplace. Especially if a divorce has the wife selling hunting gear