Would love your thougths on two questions......

[aggieland]

1. I currently have what I belive to be two Vortex Diamondback 20-60x80mm spotting scopes. My Dad and I bought these several years ago before Vortex really took off through Eagleoptics.com i believe. I really enjoy using this spotter but past 40x the image begins to get quite blurry, I'm wondering if I were to buy the newer Razor HD 50mm if it would be a better scope for my needs. I am a traditional archer and typically only make it out West to hunt a few weeks a year, so glassing animals miles away is not a big factor. I do enjoy packing into the backcountry to getting a lighter scope would be nice. Anyway, Just wondering how much difference their is between these two scopes. Thanks for your advice!

2. While hunting in S.W Utah one season I was lucky enough to run into two local/native bow hunters these guys were glassing down a ravine with a set of Big Swarovski Binos on a tripod "I'm guessing they were the 15x56" they were watching their friend make a stalk on a feeding buck. They noticed I had my spotter out and offerd to let me check out the view from their glass. I was simply amazed at the view, They offered the advice that I drop the spotter and pick up a set of these Swaro's. So, I'm sitting here running this trough my mind I already have the Swarovski 8x30 range finder for my shorter type viewing, would I be better off forgetting the spotter all together and getting a set of the SLC 15x56 binos? Thanks again for any advice!

 

[Jtelarkin08]

Im kinda in your situation as i only head out west once a year if im lucky.. As for the 15x binos.. I think i will go with a 50MM spotter bc 600$ is alot better than 1200+ for something i wont use all that often

 

[tipsntails7]

Personally I would not get a 50mm spotter. Minimum I would step up to a 65. I use spotters to take a closer look something I've already spotted probably 8 out of 10 times and also to take photos. I've never looked through a set of 15's but the way I hunt I'm not carrying 2 pair of binos. I know a lot of guys use them hunting cous. They spend HOURS behind them. For that in sure they are great. To me they are a pretty specialized item.

 

[stephen b]

Good answers here.

If you have your bino's already ( small ones) and you want something for a longer look- a spotter is probably the way to go. The 15x bino's are nice and for hours of glassing they can be super. A friend of mine uses big eye (16x) bino's and a spotter on 2 tripods when he is not packing in and just glassing and scouting. Sits behind the big bino's and then turns to the spotter for closer look. But that is not what most would do.

So, for a spotter, I would get a 65 mm size for one do all spotter- especially if I was going to pack with it. For a fella that wants or can afford 2 spotters, a bigger 80-85 mm one and a 50 mm size for packing in with can be a super combo. But a 65 is a great all around size for most anything.

What I would do if I wanted a 65 for right now would be to buy the 65 Vortex Razor that is in the classifieds- it is a great price.
And BTW- it's view IMO will definitely be better than the older Vortex that you now own.

Good luck and have fun on your hunts.

 

[littlebuf]

I've still yet to get the point of 50mm spotters?

 

[_Nick_]

I've still yet to get the point of 50mm spotters?

Heh, we've found a use for one... the girlfriend has a very small interpupillary distance (child-sized) and so there aren't any decent full size binos that fit her. She also doesn't want to carry the weight of a full size spotter, so she runs a pair of small binos (6x30) and a 50mm Vortex Razor spotter. The 65mm would be nicer, but she really likes the ease of carrying the 50mm. So, there's a very particular reason why someone might want a 50mm ;-)

That said, I wouldn't recommend it for someone's only spotter. It works fine for us though.

I ran 15x56 Vortex Kaibabs last season. They were really great binos for the sort of open country glassing that I do. But they are very heavy. I decided that I didn't really need a 15x zoom and so switched over to the 12x50 Vortex Razors. The eye relief is a bit short for me with glasses (just barely OK), but the weight savings is awesome and I like the added field of view. If you hunt big open places and don't mind hauling weight, then the 15x56 are a great option. I think the 12x50 give more flexibility (as I can manage to respectably free hand 12x but can't free hand 15x at all, for stalking and still hunting situations) with almost the same quality of glassing. I always use a tripod when actually glassing long-term.

Good luck in your decision... but I second that if you've already got a good set of 8x or 10x binos, a 65mm spotting scope would probably be the best option.

 

[Shrek]

I've still yet to get the point of 50mm spotters?

After having one I have to agree. My old 50mm is now used to look at birds on the back porch at maybe 30' . It does that ok.

 

[69ChrisCraft]

I dropped from a 65 mm viper hd to a 50 mm razor.... No doubt the glass is better but I have to admit I miss the 65 at times.