Reccomendations for a versatile and lightweight spotting scope

ssimo

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Ok guys, i hunt in the hillside of northern Italy since some years. My preys are roe deer, boars, fellow deer and red deer. I don't use a spotting scope at the moment and i never had problems taking down animals up to 350 yards. That is selective hunting so sometimes a spotting scope is useful to evaluate the gender and the age of the animal before shooting. Since the spotting scope is not gonna be used for scanning the enviroment and considering that me and stalking we walk a lot, i don't want a big and heavy one and i will never probably use a tripod for it. I was thinking about a foldable model or anyway a very compact one. Budget is not a problem so i am looking at zeiss dialyt 18-45 and swarowski ctc 30×75. The swaro is fixed magnification (30×), this way its field of view at 30x is greater than the one of the zeiss at 20x. Weight is comparabile. One thing i am not sure about the swarowski ctc is that being foldable it's not totally sealed against water and moisture apparently. If you have any other suggestion i will be happy to hear about it.

Thanks guys
 
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ssimo

ssimo

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12-15x binos mo betta
Mh.. i don't think that's the right tool for me because i need the spotting scope mostly for giving a better look to an already spotted animal, not for scanning the enviroment
 
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Mh.. i don't think that's the right tool for me because i need the spotting scope mostly for giving a better look to an already spotted animal, not for scanning the enviroment

What are you currently spotting them with and what distances? You only mention 350 yards. You can do that with 4-6x.
 

Turkeygetpwnd38

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How light are you wanting to go? In the smallest configuration you have the Kowa 553 and Swaro ATC.
I like the Kowa because it’s a little lighter, goes to 45x and has fine focus wheel. Swaro eye piece is supposed to be nice for scanning/glassing but that doesn’t seem to be your criteria.
 
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ssimo

ssimo

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What are you currently spotting them with and what distances? You only mention 350 yards. You can do that with 4-6x.
For spotting i use a leica 8x42 binocular and, most of the times, my eyes. But sometimes i spot animals even 1 mile away and for selective hunting we have to evaluate the age and the gender before shooting and it would be better to do it from far away, before losing maybe hours to get closer and then find out it's not the right animal and i can't shoot
 
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ssimo

ssimo

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How light are you wanting to go? In the smallest configuration you have the Kowa 553 and Swaro ATC.
I like the Kowa because it’s a little lighter, goes to 45x and has fine focus wheel. Swaro eye piece is supposed to be nice for scanning/glassing but that doesn’t seem to be your criteria.
Yeah it will be a useful but not critically necessary tool so i want to stay below 3 lbs. I have heard the swaro ctc 30 has a better glass and build quality than the 553 and, being foldable, it's much less bulky. What do you think about it?

Keep in mind that i often have to walk up to 8 hours in a hunt in the mountains and I have to put an animal in the backpack or on my shoulders if I am alone so also the bulk is a factoring

Thanks!
 

Turkeygetpwnd38

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I do the same thing with the Kowa 5 months out of a year, hike in with camp for a week, cover alot of ground each day, come out with camp and the animal…. Zero issues or concerns. Kowa is variable zoom with a higher top end and lower bottom, comes in 12 oz lighter as well. In my mind it’s not even a question.
Glass quality is equal, one person might favor one vs the other, but it’s personal preference.
Yeah it will be a useful but not critically necessary tool so i want to stay below 3 lbs. I have heard the swaro ctc 30 has a better glass and build quality than the 553 and, being foldable, it's much less bulky. What do you think about it?

Keep in mind that i often have to walk up to 8 hours in a hunt in the mountains and I have to put an animal in the backpack or on my shoulders if I am alone so also the bulk is a factoring

Thanks!
 
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ssimo

ssimo

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I do the same thing with the Kowa 5 months out of a year, hike in with camp for a week, cover alot of ground each day, come out with camp and the animal…. Zero issues or concerns. Kowa is variable zoom with a higher top end and lower bottom, comes in 12 oz lighter as well. In my mind it’s not even a question.
Glass quality is equal, one person might favor one vs the other, but it’s personal preference.
I trust german/austrian optics, i have always used them and i have always been very satisfied. That's why i am more oriented toward swarowski. Customer service is also much faster because swarowsky is a few hours from here. They say some good things and other not so good things about this little Kowa spotting scope, i don't know.. and the foldability of the ctc looks so comfortable..

sorry man, this damn europeans, right? Ahahahah

Jokes aside, thanks for the reply. I like the idea of a fixed powed spotting scope (better glass quality and wider field of view for the same price and magnification and with less weight and bulk). I also think a straight spotting scope would be more
suitable for me but again i am a newbie on this subject. That's why i will take note and i'll look after this kowa better and i will try to put my hands on one to try it.
 
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Turkeygetpwnd38

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I trust german/austrian optics, i have always used them and i have always been very satisfied. That's why i am more oriented toward swarowski. Customer service is also much faster because swarowsky is a few hours from here. They say some good things and other not so good things about this little Kowa spotting scope, i don't know.. and the foldability of the ctc looks so comfortable..

sorry man, this damn europeans, right? Ahahahah

Jokes aside, thanks for the reply. I like the idea of a fixed powed spotting scope (better glass quality and wider field of view for the same price and magnification and with less weight and bulk). I also think a straight spotting scope would be more
suitable for me but again i am a newbie on this subject. That's why i will take note and i'll look after this kowa better and i will try to put my hands on one to try it.
Haha sounds like you have your mind made up! Nothing against European optics here, I have 2 sets of Swaro binos and a spotter. Can’t go wrong with either.
 
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ssimo

ssimo

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Haha sounds like you have your mind made up! Nothing against European optics here, I have 2 sets of Swaro binos and a spotter. Can’t go wrong with either.
Man my mind is not made up yet.. it's just that the swaro ctc looks handier for my applications. I mean, i won't use a tripod, i will lean it on the backpack. It will be just like a "ok, it's a shooter" or "nome, lets find another one" kind of deal. So that little telescopic spotting scope looks less bulky and pratical. 30 x is enough and at the same time not to much considering the greater field of view due to the fixed magnification. So i am trying to understand if someone of you knows a reason why i should buy another spotting scope.. maybe there are some disadvantages i am not considering or some design flaws
 

kota

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I would rethink the tripod, or at least test it realistically before you take the spotter in the field without one. A wiggly image is still going to be blurry at high magnification, even with great optics. A tripod will also help with your binos and can function as a shooting rest, so there is some added value.

Can’t help with which spotter, but do know that’s some cool country over there! Good luck!
 
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ssimo

ssimo

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Are you planning to handhold this scope or use a tripod ?
I am planning to rest it on my backpack or on my havoc shooting tripod but I won't have a dedicate tripod for the spotting scope
 
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I think the two scopes you originally listed ,the sliding Swarovski or the Zeiss Dialyt would do what you are looking for well. I have never compared the two side to side but have a friend who owns that Swaro. The not waterproof/dust proof is an issue. The Dialyt is a very solid feeling straight scope that is sealed. Good luck in your decision.
 
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ssimo

ssimo

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I think the two scopes you originally listed ,the sliding Swarovski or the Zeiss Dialyt would do what you are looking for well. I have never compared the two side to side but have a friend who owns that Swaro. The not waterproof/dust proof is an issue. The Dialyt is a very solid feeling straight scope that is sealed. Good luck in your decision.
Did your friend have problems with dust/water and his swaro?
 
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I feel anything not sealed is going to have a problem eventually. I have not been in contact with him since I moved so am not sure what his experiences with the swaro have been. Bushnell makes a 15-45 Elite straight scope that would also be a consideration for handheld use. I own one and have used it a lot ,except on a tripod. It is small and light enough that I carry it bowhunting in my daypack. I wish I had first hand experience with that swaro to offer more info for you. At the end of the day you will have to decide what is the best solution for you. With where you live they are the local option. For me here in Alberta Leupold is that option because we have the Leupold repair facility for all of Canada in our province.
 
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ssimo

ssimo

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I feel anything not sealed is going to have a problem eventually. I have not been in contact with him since I moved so am not sure what his experiences with the swaro have been. Bushnell makes a 15-45 Elite straight scope that would also be a consideration for handheld use. I own one and have used it a lot ,except on a tripod. It is small and light enough that I carry it bowhunting in my daypack. I wish I had first hand experience with that swaro to offer more info for you. At the end of the day you will have to decide what is the best solution for you. With where you live they are the local option. For me here in Alberta Leupold is that option because we have the Leupold repair facility for all of Canada in our province.
I see, i'll look into this Bushnell. In italy we use the ctc a lot, especially for mountain hunting, and i never heard some complaints. I talked to one of the employee at one of the biggest optics shops in europe and they say that in many years they have never had a ctc returned for any issue. I will do some additional research and then i will decide!
 
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