Which size spotter for range use?

[sierracharlie338]

I need to add a spotting scope to my kit for range use and spotting hits on paper at 300 and steel to 600. These are the primary uses it will see but I shoot to 1000 on several occasions per year and am stacking points for a western hunt in the next few years so would like it to be useful in those situations as well.

15-45x65 or 20-60x85?

I’m not hung up on brand at this point or price really but more so magnification range. That being said I’m not spending 2k on something that I won’t use that often.

What say those with a lot of time behind a spotter?

 

[ChrisAU]

Purely for range use, the biggest one you can get.

Prospect of taking it hunting, the 65 is a nice medium.

 

[waspocrew]

Personally, I’d go with the 20-60x. You’ll never regret having more magnification, but you will regret not having enough. Generally, I do feel you get what you pay for as well - not all spotters are equal and some may have issues resolving bullet holes in paper at 300 yards.

 

[sierracharlie338]

Personally, I’d go with the 20-60x. You’ll never regret having more magnification, but you will regret not having enough. Generally, I do feel you get what you pay for as well - not all spotters are equal and some may have issues resolving bullet holes in paper at 300 yards.

I don’t disagree but after using a guys spotter that couldn’t have been more than (200$) I feel like any of the ones I’d consider should be slightly better

 

[Dust Rider]

65 objective with a 20-60 zoom. Good for the range and in the pack hunting.

 

[sierracharlie338]

65 objective with a 20-60 zoom. Good for the range and in the pack hunting.

Models I’m looking at don’t have a 20-60 with 65mm so far. Thoughts then?

 

[Ohiohuntr]

Are you looking for something with a reticle eyepiece ? If so that narrows it down somewhat

 

[sierracharlie338]

Are you looking for something with a reticle eyepiece ? If so that narrows it down somewhat

Not really. Besides checking hits I’d like to dabble in videoing hits as well so the reticle would just obscure the view I think.

 

[Ohiohuntr]

I’d keep an eye on the classifieds and pick up a used arsenal/sts or lows equivalent, I have a razor now and wish I would have just saved my benjamins

 

[sierracharlie338]

I’d keep an eye on the classifieds and pick up a used arsenal/sts or lows equivalent, I have a razor now and wish I would have just saved my benjamins

What don’t you like about the razor?

 

[Ohiohuntr]

The edge clarity, it seems to get “fuzzy” and I can’t see hits on paper with my 6mm at 300. It does help I have alpha binos and then switch to the razor. It’s not the end of the world but with the money I spent I could have saved an extra couple hundred bucks and got something I was truly happy with, all and all I use it mostly at the range and use my binos primarily for glassing

 

[sierracharlie338]

The edge clarity, it seems to get “fuzzy” and I can’t see hits on paper with my 6mm at 300. It does help I have alpha binos and then switch to the razor. It’s not the end of the world but with the money I spent I could have saved an extra couple hundred bucks and got something I was truly happy with, all and all I use it mostly at the range and use my binos primarily for glassing

Good info thanks

 

[gr8fuldoug]

The Best Choice in a Mid Sized Affordable Spotting Scope​

 

[sierracharlie338]

Any additional insight?

 

[mountainmystic1]

The edge clarity, it seems to get “fuzzy” and I can’t see hits on paper with my 6mm at 300. It does help I have alpha binos and then switch to the razor. It’s not the end of the world but with the money I spent I could have saved an extra couple hundred bucks and got something I was truly happy with, all and all I use it mostly at the range and use my binos primarily for glassing

I can say the same about my Vortex scope. Its pretty decent at lowest magnification 20x on a solid tripod, but anything above 30x-35x the clarity really starts to drop off.