Was a Swaro Spotter worth it?

Joined
Nov 27, 2021
Messages
449
I sold my Razor spotter. I am saving up for a Swaro. All you Swarovski guys out there, was it worth it? Would you do it again?
 

JNDEER

WKR
Joined
May 2, 2012
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I have a gen1 razor 65 and and STM HD 65.

Unless you are looking at the last 5-10 minutes of light or the first 5-10 minutes of light OR you need to have the edge of the FOV as crisp as the middle (glassing with a spotter) I am comfortable saying the jump between my two spotters is NOT as significant as you may read on forums.

IF you want to count the inches on eye gaurd's or tine lengths then you need the BEST spotters money can buy, however if you want a good image of an animal the razor works just fine for me.
 
Joined
Jul 1, 2015
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Location
Colo Spgs
Yes it’s worth it but every situation is diff

Sometimes for long distance low light the swaro absolutely shines. Other times in clear daylight. Not too far off. You can get away with using many different brands of glass.

For me - swaro is my insurance policy when I’m not in ideally conditions - looking far off - and the stakes are high with giant elk or mule deer in the area


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Joined
Jan 28, 2017
Messages
971
I enjoy all my Swaro glass, ATX included. They all have remarkable contrast in low light which I think is why hunters gravitate towards Swarovski. The cost of ownership also seems quite low considering resale.
 
Joined
Oct 8, 2019
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2,956
Change it from "Swaro" to "alpha".

I am happy that I bought my STX 65/95 and it has served me very well. But I'm also happy that I bought my Kowa 554.

I'd look at all alpha spotters and see which one(s) work best for you. I could do all Kowa flourite spotters and be good to go.
 

CCooper

WKR
Joined
Sep 14, 2017
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Western OR
IMO this is the one category where the cost is worth it if you use your spotter a lot. For instance, most times my buddies Razor UHD bin's don't give up much to my EL's especially handheld. His Razor spotter on the other hand is a whole other story in comparison to my STX 85. There are very noticeable differences in resolution, color contrast, and low-light useability on game at distance. Sometimes the difference may be " I think it's a buck" versus "It's a 4x3".
In addition, I see many people buy a high-end spotter and throw it on a cheap tripod. I didn't know what I was missing until I hooked mine on a RRS 34L.
 

dapesche

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Dec 7, 2016
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BC, Canada
Joined
Feb 21, 2017
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Colorado
I went from a Vortex (middle of the road, not the Razor) to STX before my moose hunt. I had to judge 50" or 4 brow tines and wanted every advantage I could get. I would do it again ten times out of ten. Even on a rifle range at 100 yards in normal daylight the difference in the image is significant. I realize I am sort of comparing apples to poverty with these two scopes, but I'm learning as I age that I could have had really nice stuff earlier in life if I didn't try to incrementally improve my optics multiple times.
 
Joined
May 1, 2018
Messages
61
Location
North Dakota
I run a Kowa but not here to debate brands. To me it is well worth it to buy premium glass on the spotter. Yes, you may only gain 10-15 minutes during the beginning and 10-15 minutes during the end of the day but I'd say a high percentage of the animals I spot are during those crucial first and end of light moments when my hunting partner has already put his "good enough" glass away because he can no longer see.
 

6.5x284

WKR
Joined
May 7, 2015
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NW MT
Depends how much disposable income you have and how much you use it. I love watching animals but if I’m honest I think my Meopta Meostar S2 was every bit as good as my STX, APO, and 88S. Once you get to a quality spotter, you’re don’t even see the differences until the last minute or two of light. If I have the money alpha all day. If I’m just starting out in life or have a new family, etc I’m buying a used STS or new Meostar and killing shit. I would 1000000% spend the money for alpha binos and a quality tripod before an alpha spotter (or any spotter). But a pretty great spotter doesn’t leave much off the table.


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