Spotting scope on a budget

[Gone4Days]

another vote for the Athlon Ares G2. I picked one up on Expert Voice with LE discount. $487. for that price I really don’t see how you can do better for the money

 

[Hawkeyes]

I have the Bushnell versions of these Japanese spotters which simply can't be beat at todays prices.
I paid way more money for both my Bushnell Elite spotters. I also owned a Swarovski ST80 20-60x that was no doubt a fantastic spotter for 4x the price but sold it due to its sheer size and weight and was surprisingly content with both of the Japanese Bushnell Elites. Gone through many other spotters over the years in the upper end price range way above the $500 budget. Can't imagine a Chinese made Athlon having superior glass compared to a Japan made spotter. I do own Athlon Argos Ares and Cronus rifle scopes and the Japanese Cronus is hands down the clearest compared to the Argos which has pretty terrible glass and Ares BTR decent glass but way over priced IMHO compared to cheaper Chinese scope brands such as Burris Signature HD for example both lower priced Athlons are made in China.

B&H Photo lists the last version of this 15-45x60 Elite spotter selling for $475.

Bausch and Lomb Elite Zoom Spotting Scope 15 – 45 x 60 | eBay

Excellent pre-owned condition.

www.ebay.com

This 20-60x80 has better ED glass than the one listed above.

Bushnell Elite Spotting Scope 20-60x80mm Waterproof ED Prime Glass 780008 | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Bushnell Elite Spotting Scope 20-60x80mm Waterproof ED Prime Glass 780008 at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

Price reference from current dealers selling this 20-60x80 Elite spotter right now.

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Bushnell Elite 20-60x80 Straight Spotting Scope, Waterproof $949.99, Bushnell 780008,Land, Sea and Nature Spotting Scopes, Web Store

Bushnell Elite 20-60x80 Straight Spotting Scope, Waterproof $949.99, Bushnell 780008,Land, Sea and Nature Spotting Scopes, Web Store, Bushnell Elite 20-60x80 Straight Spotting Scope, Waterproof $949.99, Bushnell 780008,Land, Sea and Nature Spotting Scopes

www.scopecity.com

Bear in mind that Bushnell had originally retailed this Elite spotter at almost $1500 then discontinued it and Vortex started selling it under their own brand label. You absolutely won't find it for cheaper than the EBay seller for under $500.

Think of it as buying a $1500 Japan made spotter with ED glass for under $500 which the seller already took the brunt of the depreciation for. Your loss should be minimal to none later on when it's your turn to sell it.

 

[Hawkeyes]

I stand corrected. The Vortex Razor spotters are made in CHINA even though some sellers list them as being made in the USA so they obviously did NOT take them over from Bushnell's manufacturer in Japan.

 

[sndmn11]

Opticron MM4 are made in Japan with ED glass and have lifetime warranties.

 

[Xlr8n]

I stand corrected. The Vortex Razor spotters are made in CHINA even though some sellers list them as being made in the USA so they obviously did NOT take them over from Bushnell's manufacturer in Japan.

The Gen I Razors were made in China. The Gen II Razors are assembled in the US from Japanese components.

 

[dirtshooter]

where can a guy find more eye pieces for the nikon ed50 scope?

 

[GunsAreFun]

where can a guy find more eye pieces for the nikon ed50 scope?

eBay. The 13-40 will be hard to find though or very expensive. I got the 27x fixed.

 

[Graybush]

Whichever scope you choose, fixed eyepieces are the way to go. They are brighter and usually lighter.

 

[RedTimber]

Hey guys!
I am looking for some updated info in 2022 on budget friendly spotters. I have a few in mind and am trying to pick them apart to see what makes sense.

I just bought a pair of Maven b1.2 8x42s and am now looking to add an inexpensive 50 or 65 mm spotter to the mix.

I spent most of my budget for this years new hunting gear on the binos after trying a couple of other options, so now I am in a goofy place. I want a spotter, but I also don't need an amazing piece of optical magic. (No I probably wont save for another 2 years to buy an alpha spotter)

I went with nicer binos because I carry them every single outing of Turkey, bear, elk, whitetail and predator season. Heck I use them scouting, checking out the squirrels in the back yard, everything.

Now- Here is what I think I need in a spotter...
I want something inexpensive (500$ or less, used is fine) because it will likely see far more time in the truck and at home than it will in the field.

I want something that I could theoretically pack for archery elk (not every day, but if I was in the open country or just to scout a new spot) as well as rifle elk in wyoming next year with my wife and dad. I want to be able to use it for antelope, and for open country whitetails. But don't need to be able to pick apart inches. Basically, confirm what the binos told me. And make sure that there isn't a sneaky critter ready to blow my stalk.

I also would like to use a spotter from the truck for scouting ducks and geese, turkeys and potentially antelope and deer. I already have a window mount to use when I find a spotter.

I would also use the spotter for sighting in rifles.

So here is the short list of spotters I have come across as well as the current prices. I am trying to find a good value, not just a cheap or expensive scope.

So right now my current top contenders under 500$ are

Vanguard endeavor hd 15-45 x65 on sale for 287$

Leupold sx2- on sale for $309

Hawke endurance ed 15-45x60. On sale for $445

Athlon ares- 15-45x65 for $578

Athlon argos- 20-60x85 for $309
Of those listed, what do you guys think?
I feel like I am leaning towards than vanguard for sub 300... Is that a decent deal for a scope that will see a little use or?

I really appreciate it guys.

Yes I know... Save up and buy alpha... Lol

You can get a Bushnell Forge for 750 if you have onX elite.

 

[Blue72]

Opticron MM4 are made in Japan with ED glass and have lifetime warranties.

Isn’t opticron anti hunting?

 

[sndmn11]

Isn’t opticron anti hunting?

Not that I am aware of.

 

[Hawkeyes]

Bushnell Forge is made in China same as the Athlon Ares and if given a choice and was forced to go Chinese I'd go with the Athlon Ares due to better product support specifically for warranty reasons. Wouldn't worry too much if they were coming from Japan instead.

Bushnell had been flip flopping between China and Korea for their optics but optics made in Japan are still better than any of those.

 

[Blue72]

Not that I am aware of.

I believe they are one of two optic companies that don’t support it


too the original poster…..while I believe my Nikon ed50 is an amazing piece of optic and can go against the big dogs. Keep in mind the best magnification is around 16-20x range…although many still like 27x…..with that said you might want to consider high powered bino’s for their extra benefits of two eyed viewing

 

[Xlr8n]

Optics brands speak out about hunting | Ethical Consumer

Opticron and Viking Optical lead the way

www.ethicalconsumer.org

Opticron caved in to the mis-informed tree huggers a few years back.

 

[sndmn11]

I can very plainly say that Michaela Burgess, Opticron's North American Sales Director, and I had many conversations about the MM4 spotter I have with her knowing full well I worked within the hunting industry and would be using it for such. The conversation progressed enough that the MM4 I purchased was direct from Opticron, it was her personal sales demo, for the purpose of evaluating durability in rougher use by a hunter and providing feedback for market exploration. Her well used sales demo was chosen so that if there was a hard use longevity issue, it would be further down that road than a new one would be. That conversation began late 2018 and I received the spotter February 2019.

Maybe things changed since, maybe they were different before, I can't speak to how things sit now. I do know I submitted my report and had subsequent conversations with Michaela in 2020 and nothing seemed anti-hunter.

 

[Xlr8n]

I can very plainly say that Michaela Burgess, Opticron's North American Sales Director, and I had many conversations about the MM4 spotter I have with her knowing full well I worked within the hunting industry and would be using it for such. The conversation progressed enough that the MM4 I purchased was direct from Opticron, it was her personal sales demo, for the purpose of evaluating durability inI rougher use by a hunter and providing feedback for market exploration. Her well used sales demo was chosen so that if there was a hard use longevity issue, it would be further down that road than a new one would be. That conversation began late 2018 and I received the spotter February 2019.

Maybe things changed since, maybe they were different before, I can't speak to how things sit now. I do know I submitted my report and had subsequent conversations with Michaela in 2020 and nothing seemed anti-hunter.

That's all fine and dandy, but Opticron the company have publicly acknowledged that they will no longer advertise their products for use in hunting and have removed all mention of hunting from their websites. Their words, not mine.

 

[sndmn11]

That's all fine and dandy, but Opticron the company have publicly acknowledged that they will no longer advertise their products for use in hunting and have removed all mention of hunting from their websites. Their words, not mine. I choose to spend my money with companies that proudly support and invest in hunting.

That is fine and dandy as well. I was sharing my expereince. What is your experience with the company and their employees?

 

[Xlr8n]

That is fine and dandy as well. I was sharing my expereince. What is your experience with the company and their employees?

My experience is I understand they no longer wish to support hunters and hunting.

 

[sndmn11]

My experience is I understand they no longer wish to support hunters and hunting.

Can you find "hunter' or "hunting" on Kowa's website? Would your experience in searching for that supportive language lead you to the same conclusion?

 

[tdhanses]

Can you find "hunter' or "hunting" on Kowa's website? Would your experience in searching for that supportive language lead you to the same conclusion?

That’s fair, how many hunting specific retailers does Kowa have vs Opticron, serious question as I don’t know but I do know Kowa uses S&S Archery as a retailer which is hunting specific.

Pretty sure Kowa is also represented at hunting expo type shows aren’t they, is Opticron?

I don’t think Kowa has publicly taken a stance against hunting.