Spotting Scope or High Power Bino?

[JW@TRACT]

If you guys had to choose, would you rather have a spotting scope or a high power (15x) binocular on a western hunt? Or even for scouting? What are you gaining and giving up choosing one over the other? Just curious about the pros and cons.

 

[CHRISSTANLEY11]

15’s all day long, but it depends on the hunt. Only thing I use a spotter for is judging animals once I find them or taking a look at something way off that looks suspicious that I can’t figure out with my 15’s. My spotter doesn’t get used much and my 15’s get used all day long. I would just lose the ability to get that closer look that a spotter provides. However if you are packing in somewhere and keeping weight down, I might be more inclined to just bring some 10’s, a tripod, and small spotter. You’d have a more well rounded glass set up that way.

 

[WRM]

Agree largely with prior and do feel it is very hunt/condition specific.

 

[CHRISSTANLEY11]

As mentioned above, conditions definitely play a huge factor. Good example is out here in California chasing black tail in the summer as soon as it gets hot and a little breeze the mirage makes my spotter pretty much worthless. It messes with my 15’s a bit but not nearly as much. That’s when the 10’s go on the tripod.

 

[CougarBlue]

What I'm hunting makes all the difference in that decision.

That being said, I find that I'm out with my 12's and a spotting scope more often than any other combination.

It wasn't that way until I ponied up to go with a top end spotting scope. I was more frequently sticking with 8's and 15's. There's some great mid-tier stuff but unfortunately, you get what you pay for with glass.

 

[Fedster]

There are a number of tricks about lessening fatigue when looking through a spotter for a long time, but they *lessen* fatigue, not eliminate it -- if you can use both eyes it's much easier and better (also two eyes provide a much better image). I use my spotter for *birding* and binos plus a light drawtube spotter (Optolyth mini 25x70) for taking a quick closer look.

 

[Sako300]

Most guides I’ve hunted with in AZ and NM carry only 15’s. Guess they rely on their clients to further judge with a spotter and carry the extra weight and a gun! I had a couple different guides glass up small raghorns at 1200-1500yards that they swore were shooters with 15xs. I laugh sometimes at these guys that say they can do it all with 15xs. Unless they have them patterned and know those animals by name, 15xs alone are fine.

 

[Blue72]

I live on the coast and glass weekly. I use high powered binoculars by far

- you glass longer with no eye fatigue
- better field of view
- dual lenses increases the effective aperture by 1.2-1.4x
- brighter image
- more detail, especially since our brain functions on stereo not mono vision
- more comfortable exit pupil
- better lowlight performance

even my mounted 12x binoculars competes with my 20x spotting scope within 2 miles

try it out for yourself and be the judge

 

[Maverick1]

One thing that I find makes a big difference is to put on a pair of winged eyecups on the binoculars.

I don't read about these accessories mentioned here often, but I have found the winged eyecups be a significant improvement when using binoculars on a tripod.

Spotting scope < Bino's on tripod < Bino's on tripod with winged eyecups.

Seriously. For $15-$20, give it a try! Blocking out all the light 'noise' that creeps into the corners of your eyes isn't something you really notice until it is gone. The winged eyecups make the side noise pitch black, which allows you to really focus on what you are seeing through the binos.

 

[Willhoffman101]

For me, 10s on a tripod with a spotter for quickly judging or checking questionable things is tough to beat. That said, I love my 15s and if I’m hunting really big country I pack them instead of the 10s. In my opinion the 15s aren’t powerful enough to replace a good spotter for really sizing up critters.

 

[Sako300]

I guess the big question to ask is: what are your expectations for the hunt? Is it just to find a legal bull or legal buck to kill? Is it to find the best scoring bucks or bulls around? Do yo you like to digiscope, archery hunt, etcccccc. Lots of ways this could go either way on the particular hunt! But like I said, I’ve had guides that would only carry 15xs and try to get me to shoot bulls that weren’t my expectations. And they always wanted a peek at my spotter every time!

 

[eaglemountainman]

Again, all personal choice. I find 10.5X plenty for off the tripod, with 8X33s in a bino pack for free handing while on the move.
A spotter only comes out for final assessment before a stalk, but at 28 oz. I never leave camp without it in my pack. It weighs less than a pair of 15s.

 

[SuperDUECE22]

since I started using 15x56s the spotter doesn't leave the truck anymore. But i believe there are certain situations where a spotter is priceless.

 

[mntnguide]

All depends on where and what you are hunting and what matters to you.. are you looking for a giant, or anything with horns? I personally don't leave home without a spotter on my backcountry hunts. Elk and deer. I have the small kowa 553 for elk usually and my kowa 773 for deer or when i take my horses i always bring that one... there is no way if you are glassing up to a mile or more away you can truly tell the size of an animal through binos. Last weekend i found a buck about a mile away through my 11x binos, i could tell he had size, but no way could tell what exactly he was, now instead of having to hike over there, i kept drinking my coffee and switched to my spotter to realize i was looking at a potential 200" typical... so for me personally, i don't leave home without one, and my legs thank me

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[Sako300]

What he said

 

[Blue72]

All depends on where and what you are hunting and what matters to you.. are you looking for a giant, or anything with horns? I personally don't leave home without a spotter on my backcountry hunts. Elk and deer. I have the small kowa 553 for elk usually and my kowa 773 for deer or when i take my horses i always bring that one... there is no way if you are glassing up to a mile or more away you can truly tell the size of an animal through binos. Last weekend i found a buck about a mile away through my 11x binos, i could tell he had size, but no way could tell what exactly he was, now instead of having to hike over there, i kept drinking my coffee and switched to my spotter to realize i was looking at a potential 200" typical... so for me personally, i don't leave home without one, and my legs thank me

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if your a extreme trophy hunter, I can definitely see the importance of a spotter

but at a mile, 15x binoculars brings big game within almost a hundred yards through the optic. Which is close enough for many of us to judge whether we want that animal or not

 

[6.5x284]

Another vote for 15’s if I could only have 15’s or a spotter. Took a lot of years to figure that out though.


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[TheGDog]

Scanning/gridding-out an opposite ridge across the way over there is way easier and faster with a 15x Bino.

 

[Sako300]

I like phoneskoping with my spotter for scouting and for kill shots, especially if I’m hunting solo, so I can see my hits. Also easier to read wind and judge animals! Like I said, probably 80% of guides or outfitters, at least in NM and Az will have 15xs, but they know their terrain already and hopefully the animals! Some green guides I’ve had in the past just like to spot animals with 15xs and make a general assumptions of the size. It all depends on what your expectations are out west for your particular hunt and what your eyes can do with 15xs or even 12xs. I personally run the 30 oz 12 NL swaros with a light or medium 28-48 oz spotters for 95% of my hunts. I can spot just as many animals miles away with the 12NLs then the 15xs. I have tested them side by side the last month scouting deer. It can go either way!

 

[TheGDog]

Excited to look thru the Zeiss 15x56 Conquest HD's I just bought off a guy here! Supposed to come Monday. I'd already got the 10's and have really enjoyed them this last year. Very first thing they made me think was "Wow! Man... now I gotta wonder what looking thru 15's of these must look like?" (Because to me it looks so good in these 10's)