Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Pros/Cons of Straight or Angled Spotting Scope?

I read a few past threads and just wondering what your thoughts are on the true pros/cons of each type? Main use will be glassing for big game from both below and above.

It is easier to find the exact spot with a straight scope...

For really long glassing sessions it is easier to find a comfortable position with the angled...

I prefer to put up with struggling to get comfortable and use straight scopes. Most disagree with that position. I have seen many times where I was able to get the scope on critters far faster than any one else and that is the trade-off I prefer.

If you're up high looking down, and there's no cover to break up your outline (in other words skylined) your profile is higher with an angled scope.

Except if you turn it to the side, or even turn it down. I personally would never buy a straight scope. I feel you should adjust the scope to your position, not the position to a fixed scope. I think it is way easier to get beside a scope in prone or sitting than behind a straight scope.

What tripod are you using that allows you to turn the scope on its side, or down?

More likely the collar on the scope.

The collar on my Minox doesn't rotate.

Use both, no big deal. Just a tool and adapt!

Add up the pros and cons of each and the angled ends up the winner every time.

If your scope doesn't have a ring, you can make it happen with a ballhead type tripod head.

I switched from straight to angled. Prefer the angled.

Pro's with the angled;

- lower tripod height, helps in the wind, and profile.
- easier looking up the hill.
- you can pan a wide amount without moving yourself, or your tripod, just rotate the eyepiece.

+1

+2.

I thought that the straight might win out if I spot from the truck with a window mount and/or take up less space if I pack into a wilderness area?

I will try the straight one and maybe return it if it doesn't perform the way I like this season. Thinking about the Swarovski.

Make that +3

I like mine any ol way...here I'm laying on a rock side ways....using a ball head and a kick stand

The tripod makes a good spotter better

For long-term serious glassing sessions a high-quality pan head makes life much easier. I stepped up to a high-end Manfroto video head for moose hunting this year and believe I have "found it" at last.

With a huge Vortex tripod and big scope the stuff stays put and adjusts in any increment desired extremely smoothly at any speed.

I have seen too many completely lost trying to find something in an angled scope, only to find it instantly with the straight scope to believe that advantage is not real...

Another thing... the tripod can make or break the set-up. I am 6'4" and tripods do not come in my size. The angled is more comfortable to use standing up. Serious glassing does not usually involve standing up.

Hanging weight from the bottom of the tripod stem on the hook usually provided makes the whole thing a lot more stable.

The idiot idea of stabilizing the legs down low does not work anything like as well because it allows everything above the weight to vibrate in lightweight tripods. The hook puts the weight in the right place pulling in the right direction.

I don't glass with a spotting scope, I simply use a spotting scope to see how big animals are that have been spotted with my binos. In that situation I want to get on the animals quickly and easily. the angled is totally unnatural for me that way. at the range or in a situation where speed doesn't matter angled probably is better.

apparently angled is a better seller, doug says he sells angled 5 to 2 over straight. I would not buy an angled scope for me personally.

A couple of good posts by Sitka Deer. The tripod and head is a whole nuther conversation in and of itself.

I will say a Crown Royal bag full of rocks hung makes for a good tripod stabilizer. Sure you can use a small stuff sack from Wally World, but hey, have a little class!