Spotting scope help

[JJT]

Looking to buy a spotting scope for Deer hunting in Arizona. After doing some research I've decided on the Athlon Ares spotting scope based on reviews I've read and my budget. I cant decide if I should get the 15-45X65 or the 20-60X85. I figured the smaller one would be a lot easier to pack around so I was leaning towards that one, but was wondering if anyone had any suggestions

I already own a pair of binoculars 8X42 vortex diamondbacks which I bought when I lived in NY and am not planning on buying a second pair of binos with higher power. I also plan on taking the spotting scope to the range when I go shooting

 

[canyonhunter47]

OP, what kind of AZ deer hunt? No need to mention units, but a few details would help like species, terrain, and season.

Unless you already know you can glass with a spotter from experience, I wouldn’t rule out 15/18’s so fast.

 

[cmahoney]

65’s are tough in low light. I can see way more with my 15’s in low light then with my 65 spotter. If you are only going to get one I’d start with the bigger one and don’t worry about the weight.


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[JJT]

Would be a rifle or bow depending if I get drawn mule deer hunt in a desert unit. Maybe coues in the future.


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[Geewhiz]

All the cool kids have 85's

 

[canyonhunter47]

Would be a rifle or bow depending if I get drawn mule deer hunt in a desert unit. Maybe coues in the future.


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Take the spotting scope money, buy 15’s and gas for scouting instead

 

[Antares]

I know you said you weren’t upgrading your binos… but, I would upgrade your binos. I would much rather have nice binos and no spotter than budget binos and a budget spotter.

Sell those diamondbacks, take that money and your spotter money and buy used Meopta Meostars or used Swaro ELs if you can swing it. Put them on a tripod. Save up for a nice spotter in the future.

High end small glass is more useful than budget big glass.

 

[Happy Antelope]

We have some Ares in stock, PM me I will see if we can help out.

www.happyantelope.com

 

[dtrkyman]

8 power Bino's ain't going to cut it for anything in the west, except maybe stalking in timber.

I would absolutely want a better Bino before a spotter, you will find more deer with bino's than the spotter, spotter is nice for judging or searching really specific spots deer dissapeared into while watching them with bino's.

Spotter wise I would choose the larger.

 

[OKHunter84]

I agree with a lot of the other posters. I have hunted desert mule deer and binos are what you need. I have had a few different kinds of binos and spotters and I wish I would've bought Swarovski binos sooner. My 10x swaro's do better in low light then a 65mm razor I had. My current setup is the 10x binos and a Leupold gold ring 60mm spotter. Super lightweight and I like it better then the 50mm or 65mm razors I had.

 

[AZ_Hunter_2000]

Leave your 8x at home unless hunting in the timber in AZ.

Stretch your budget if needed and buy a quality pair of 15-18x binoculars, a mid-tier tripod (ex: Slik or Manfrotto), and a head of your choice. Then go learn to how to properly glass.

Few individuals, percentage wise, can actually glass effectively with a spotting scope. My SLC 15s get the nod for glassing despite have a STX 65/95 (used only for confirmations and/or clarifications). Worry about a quality spotter much much later in life.

Glassing for game in the desert is typically about day-long hours spent in the glass slowly and methodically dissecting everything. Low(er) quality glass tends to give head aches, eye strain, etc which means less time in the glass. Plus the lower clarity means you'll miss a lot more game. This is why quality optics matters.

 

[JJT]

Thank you for all the replies. Sounds like I’m better off looking for a new pair of binos even though it kills me to buy a second pair. My 8x42 were great in NY but are not the best for here even though I really like them


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[cmahoney]

Nope, I use my 15’s 90% of the time for glassing. I can’t glass with one eye, just use the scope for closer looks. Cheaper glass is harder to stay behind too.


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[hunterjmj]

I quit using a spotter years ago and now use 15's. Way easier on the eyes and much more enjoyable. I run 10's on my chest and 15's in my pack with Sirui tripod and va5 head.
I'd keep your 8's for your chest and buy some good 15's. I do kind of wish I had 8's as well. They are big so they stay in my pack but what you can see is really incredible.

 

[Bossmann14]

I have the kowa 663 66mm and a 20x60 zoom, it’s super lightweight, I recommend it. It’s not high end glass but it looks good when I look through it.

 

[jimh406]

It depends on what ranges you are trying to spot game and are you trying to score or simply see if it is a buck or not. Better quality glass is better than simply more power.

Vortex Diamond Binos give a lot of room for you to upgrade. I'd upgrade binos to a much higher quality 10x42 first. Binos compared to spotting scopes are much more usable while moving etc. More clarity and better glass is equal to more power especially under low light conditions. Amazon and others will allow you to try them and return if they don't seem good enough. I would try Tract Topic 10x42 UHDs which will be a giant upgrade and not be that expensive at $694. If you don't like them, return them.

One thing to consider is that you'll need a good quality tripod with a nice rotating head to use a spotting scope the best. It's going to add quite a lot of weight or a lot of money or both not to mention the spotting scope.

Most spotting scopes do ok at the range in good light on low settings of 15-20. Unless you are buying a very good spotting scope, the top range of the scope will not be very usable in low light from models I've seen.

 

[CorbLand]

A lot of people in the west use 8s. Just have to back them up with something bigger. I have 8s, 10s, 15s and a 65mm spotter. In the last two years, the 8s are on my chest and 15s in the pack. I rarely use my spotter anymore.

 

[Kurts86]

The first time I hunted Arizona I had Nikon Monarch 10x36 binoculars and a Leupold Ventana spotting scope. At the end of the first day my eyes were watering like I was crying at a funeral from 6 hours in that glass. I’m convinced I blew that entire hunt based on the optics I showed up with.

The next year I sold a bunch of guns and gear and bought Swarovski SLC 15x56’s based on my experience in Arizona. I’ve hunted DIY in a dozen states and nowhere is more demanding on optics than Arizona. It’s big country with low densities of animals that demands glassing at a high level.

I’d honestly spend more money on better big binoculars, get a tripod and learn to use the system. Spotting scopes are somewhere between nice to have and rarely required but good quality binoculars are nearly always required.

 

[Indian Summer]

List your priorities. I’d say they are: Performance and packability. When you are sitting there looking for a little grey thing on a hillside made of big and little grey things which one of those will you care about most?

Rule of thumb: Don’t sacrifice performance for convenience. Get the best tool for the job and consider it a necessity. It’s truly a tool that can make or break a hunt. I carry a Swaro 20-60x80. Bought it used. I don’t think twice about carrying it to my vantage points. Sometimes I leave it over night and glass the same area in the morning. Then you sit there and smile thinking I get to use my badass spotter today and I didn’t even have to carry it!!!

 

[Schoolhousegrizz]

For deer I always have a spotter. I have to see exactly what's going on with the head gear. I'd get the bigger one.