Thinking about a 65mm Spotter

[freediver111]

I'm seriously considering selling my Leupold GR 15-30x50mm spotter for a 60-65mm. Probably mostly winter boredom.
Do I need to? Not really, but there are times when I feel a little more magnification and larger FOV wouldn't hurt. I don't do a ton of deep hike-ins so weight is less of a concern, although I do hike a fair ways in so I definitely don't want to pack around an 80mm.
Issue is cost. I don't want to drop a ton, mostly because I don't use it enough to justify spending that much, not to mention two little daughters that cost more and are a higher priority to me.

Mostly for hunting deer. I'm not a trophy hunter, but at least want to get a sense of how big a buck is. Also use it to find them hiding in the shadows in the sage. I use my Leupold spotter a fair amount, but my 10x42 binos get used the most.
-Thinking about a Pentax PF-ED in 65mm, but it's a little more than I want to spend unless I find a good used deal. I've also read they aren't very rugged which is a concern.
-Vortex Viper HD in 65mm. Not to much reviews but most suggest going with the Razors which are a little out of my budget.
-Leupold 60mm Gold rings. I see used ones pop up for $500 or less for the older non-HD models. Seems like a decent price for decent optics.
Thoughts?
I've done a ton of searches but I'm still undecided.
I've been checking SWFA but there isn't much in the used category at the moment.

 

[roknHS]

I just picked up a used Vortex Razor 16-48 X 65........very nice but, still spendy. Sounds to me like the Vortex Viper would be a really good scope for you. Yeah, the Razor is super nice and I wouldn't give mine up now I've got it............from what you've said, your cost/benefit analysis should lead you toward the Viper. And it's hard to beat the "who ever owns it" lifetime warranty Vortex offers. Unless you are spending hours and hours behind a spotter, I don't think you could tell a huge difference between the Razor and the Viper. I looked closely at the Viper before buying the Razor. The Viper is a very nice spotter and I'm sure I could have been satisfied with it's quality and clarity. I just figured I'd get the best I could afford..........buy once, cry once.
I think you'll like the extra magnification. I use my Razor several times a week now and it stays dialed to 48X..........sometimes I wished I had more magnification.

 

[Jacob Chapman]

I had a chance to loom through the Vanguard Endeavor HD in 65mm. Great scope for the money

 

[AK Shane]

I've had the Pentax PF-65ED II for 6-7 years. A number of years ago one of my hunting buddies had a Leupold 60mm Gold Ring on a moose hunt. I spent plenty of time on the trip behind both spotters. Optically the Pentax had a very slight edge. When it came to other features, Pentax was a hands down winner. The Pentax was much smoother when adjusting power settings. It was also much smoother focusing and was quicker and easier to dial in the proper focus. The Leupold was much more finicky to focus. I felt myself continually working to find the proper eye relief with the Leupold. If you turned away and turned back to the scope the eye relief didn't just fall back into place, you had to consciously find it again. The Pentax was really just an all round better scope. Please note that the Leupold spotter we were using is probably 5-6 years old now so they could have made some improvements since them. Even so, I'd put my Pentax against one any day of the week.

Cameralandny usually has the Pentax on the Demo List. If not they are also running 10% off most items for their moving sale.

I haven't spent any time behind the Vortex to offer any input.

 

[Rizzy]

When I went from a Minox 50mm to a Viper 65mm It wasn't long before I consistently used the extra magnification. Now I want to upgrade again to either better quality glass or a bigger scope. The 80mm would be great for scouting, however when it comes to hunting the 50mm is all I ever need if that.

 

[boom]

i think the Vipers are damn good for the money. i got mine new for around $550ish. i think. you have to shop around.

i love the micro focus knob. it was a "must have" on any scope i chose. i only use it really once a year in January for Az. so i didnt want to drop any big money.

 

[Shrek]

Cameralandny.com is having a moving sale through the 24th and the 10% off applies to demo optics too. The angled Pentax would be @ $837 and the angled Vortex razor @ $900. Call call them and talk to Neil or Doug and see if they can help you.

Edit; the price for the pentax 65 edII would be @ $765 new not demo. The Ppentax above is the 80mm demo.

 

[freediver111]

Well, I bit the bullet and went with a very gently used Pentax ED II 65mm. Angled with a XW14 eyepiece. I was hesitant to get it with the XW14 since it's a fixed power eyepiece, but at 28X and 70 degree FOV, it should work well. I've heard really good things about the XW series of eyepieces. I can always pick up a zoom lens for $125 or buy a Barlow 2x for $33 if I need more zoom on occasion.
I paid $475 shipped, with all the original boxes, paperwork, case, etc.
I have always had a straight scope, so I'll have to get used to angled. Should be a nice upgrade.

As a side note, I have an older pair of Vortex Razor 10x42's that I got for free from a friend. The ones that sort of look like a Swaro clone with the bridge. I like them, but not blown away by the optics for something that sold for $1,300......although I'm sure they have upgraded the razor line with the HD glass. That being said, I've looked through the new Razor bios and was also not blown away. Nice enough though, but I didn't spend a lot of time behind them. The more I thought about it, the less I think Vortex is as cracked up as everyone says. They aren't bad, but I haven't been all that impressed with them to be honest.

 

[Shrek]

Congratulations on what sounds like a good deal and you're not alone in your opinion of Vortex. I've been less than impressed by the samples I've looked through.