Your Favorite Spotting Scope and Why

[dotman]

I currently run a Meopta Meostar S2 angled spotter (wide angle eye piece) and am quite happy with it, other than weight. I run a Vortex 10x50 Viper HD as my main bino always in my KUIU bino harness. I have traditionally ran this 10x and 82mm spotter combo for hunting in MT. The spotter allows me to identify bulls at 6 miles (first photo is 5.63 miles away with sun rising into the glass, and smoke in the valley without a phoneskope adapter of any kind). Through the lens, it's much better than the photo. So, I'm happy with the spotter other than weight. It's about 68oz. I also started glassing with my 10x binos off the tripod this year, and saw an immediate difference. My current plan is to pickup the 15x56 SLC's and run the 10x and 15x combo, and leave the scope at home. I found with my 10x on a tripod, I own 1000 yards and in for identifying bull/buck quality. Not counting inches like a trophy guy, but enough to gauge mature buck/bull worth going after for me, or not. I basically have two types of hunts. Backpack into a bowl system, where everything is within 2000 yards. Packing the spotter for this sucks. I think the 15's will fill the 2000 and in role perfect, and allow me to shed 20 oz of weight in the process. Those trips where I'm biking or hiking to a vantage point to glass across valleys, rivers, several drainages (like the elk in the photo), I will bring the 10x and 82mm spotter. After considering how/where I hunt, I think with adding 15's to my kit, it'll be about 70% of the time 10x and 15x combo, and 30% of the time 10x and 82mm spotter combo. I thought about upgrading my 10x to the 10x42 SLCs, and getting a cheaper 15x56 like the Zeiss Conquest HDs, but I beat up my 10x binos so much, I would feel bad doing those things to a pair of Swaro's. To answer the OPs questions...my favorite spotter for the money is the Meostar S2, but will probably trade it some day towards a ATS 65mm for weight. I don't think the S2 gives up anything to Swaro ATS glass wise, but Meopta doesn't make a S2 in 65mm. What do I use it for? I use the spotter for LONG distance glassing primarily. Deciding which drainage or GMU to hike into the next day, etc..., usually 2 miles minimum glassing ridges or cuts for tracks or critters at first/last light. What compliments my spotter? Currently a cheaper 10x Viper HD. What would I upgrade to? Well (maybe a lateral??) to Swaro ATS 65mm for weight, not glass.

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You may want to consider the Kowa 550 series over 15’s, the 29oz in weight and small size is perfect for packing and the optics are amazing. I’ve had 15’s and I much prefer this lil guy over them. Also you owe it to yourself to upgrade you 10x binos, I get the fear of beating up Swaro but it’s what they were made for, they were not made to be handled with care and fear of damaging them, they can take a beating and keep working.

 

[lpart]

I guess I don't fit the mold. Age and many surgeries have made weight the most important thing for me. It also seemed that I seldom got much use of the higher power setting due to mirage etc. I chucked my Zeiss and went to the Vortex 13-33. Saved a lot of weight and more compact. The 33x top end seems to be working for me.

 

[wymtnpounder]

Meopta Meostar S2 20-70 eye piece. Great scope beat out my big sts hd. I use it for everything from searching for game/antlers to scoring sheep. Great scope for the money.