Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting Compact Lightweight spotting scope setups ??? Talk to me.

After two years of hunting with my buddy carrying his Leupold HD spotting scope with him, I'm finally convinced that I may need to get something.

I use 10X42 EL's and have a doubler, but I couldn't count horns on a deer very well this year and my buddy whipped out his spotter and nailed it. I typically set my binos over my stoney point "V" and adjust it to the height I need to hold it steady. Couldn't quite get steady enough with the doubler on.....my buddy's spotter was nice and clear and still. The deer was at about 650 yrds

I really didn't want to back pack it around the whole time, but we've been using his spotter more and more and I'm starting to get convinced. He actually sits and glasses for deer thru the spotter .... where I typically would find the deer in the binos then switch to the spotter when needed. I also tend to move a little more than he does, so taking it out and in would slow things a bit.

So I'll spend the money for good glass, but want to keep it on the light/compact side of things. Leupold has some compact scopes, but I'd really prefer some Swaro, Zeiss, or Leica glass. Maybe I don't need all that though, as I've done fairly well in the past without a spot. maybe the compact Leupolds would suffice?

I am eye balling the Gitzo Series 00 Carbon 6X Tripod - 3 Section G-Lock and then the Swarovski ATS 65 HD.

Any comments, experiences, recommendations etc... are much appreciated.

Also, where are you carrying something like this in your Kifaru LongHunters? Just in the big main pouch? Or attach to outside or ?

Thanks.

Nikon 50mm ED (angled). Slik Sprint Mini tripod.

+1, except that I have found I prefer the straight to the angled after going back and forth for quit a while now.

Ed,
how does that scope hold up in the wind? Do you have any problems with holding it steady while on a tripod or when your using a pack to rest it on? What about lowlight capabilities, with the 50mm objective i'm a bit worried about using it near dark or on cloudy days. I need to upgrade from my XL II.

Ditto on the Nikon Fieldscope 50 mm ED 13-30x50. Very compact and easily packable. I borrow a buddies all the time and it is a big hit with our wives on vacation because of how easy it is to use. Check out the details at Nikonhunting.com, click fieldscopes.
Here's a pic of my buddies from the last vacation.

http://i1216.photobucket.com/albums/dd363/bman940/NikonED50Fieldscope.jpg

Used that exact scope and tripod in WY on a goat hunt a few weeks ago. Did just fine in the big winds. Helped me spot the goat I eventually shot. Came highly reccomended here, and I jumped on the boat. Best gear choice I made all year.

Thanks Outdoor. I honestly think a sheep hunt is about the best gear test to date. Nothing easy about any of it. From weather to terrain, a sheep hunt tests everything and a trophy big or small deserves accolades. I'd love to see a pic of your sheep.

I think you meant "goat".

Correct, I was picturing goat and wrote sheep. I'd love to hunt both!
Thanks for correction.

Goat is next on my list too!!

I use a counter weight on my tripod:


Shown with a Leupy 85mm

That keeps the tripod steady in the wind.

As far as low light I think the Nikin 50ED is as good or better in low light than the new Zeiss Fieldscope. It is a really amazing optic, especilly for the size and weight.

This looks like a good setup. Do you use the ballhead that comes with the Slik Sprint Mini or something else?

Eric

I have a bad neck, can't stay on a bicycle over an hour. I also figured it would be more stable set up lower. I've gotta try that rock bag trick of yours. That is too cool.

Stock for me so far but that is definetely the weak link in the set up. I'm open for a LW suggestion.

I use much the same setup. A 50mm Nikon ED with the stock head on the Silk tripod. I've got a fancier head, but I leave it home while hunting. The scope is a straight model and it weighs 16 ozs. on my postal scale in the bag. The tripod goes 24 ozs. in the bag.
I've been glassing elk with mine for the past week. At over 1.5 miles, closer to 2 miles, I can tell spikes from rag horns and recognize the subtle differences between the 4, 6 pt. bulls I've seen. I've even been able to tell the basic 4 pt. raghorns from the small 5 pt. bulls if the angle is right.
This is with the sun rising behind me at over 8000 ft.
The only fault I've found is that if you like to watch these things for a while at 25-27X, the eye relief and eye box is pretty short, so it's hard on the eyes. The larger, heavier Leupold 60mm has a much more foregiving ER and EB. E

What, where, and how you are hunting I have found dictate more the spotting scope I bring. My truck spotter is a 80mm vortex skyline ED as weight isn't a consideration.

Caribou and bear hunting where legal requirements aren't as crucial or summer scouting when I just need to get a general feel for what is in the area my 50mm Minox is perfect with the 13-30X

Moose and sheep hunting when horn/antler requirements dictate if the animal many miles away is worth a closer look then the Swaro 65mm HD comes out. 20-60X is nice when the conditions allow for the 60X. I'd feel pretty handicapped if my spotter for sheep hunting in the mountains limited me to 30X....well it'd mean I'd do a LOT more walking. The extra 2 lbs of spotter weight is more than worth just hauling a 50mm 30X spotter along when you save that much time and energy chasing critters you can tell from much further away either are or aren't worth the hike.

But I do dig the 50mm size and weight when I am carrying it. I also dig the 80mm for light gathering. But I'd say over 60% of the time if I am hunting I am carrying the swaro cause its the best of both worlds. If I was to have just one spotter it would be a 65mm spotter in one of the big three hands down.

The Leupold 12-40x60mm GR your buddy carries is just about perfect, IMO.

Only if its the HD version.

I can put in another vote for the Nikon Fieldscope 50 ED. It does have only 30x and it does have low light issues to some degree, but damn it is small and light!

If that's not enough, the next size up, the Nikon 20-60x 60mm ED Fieldscope III is still pretty darn small and light. But a lot more expensive.

I agree with Alaska Lanche. I had the Leupold and sold it and still have a fixed Leupold 30x fixed for Range use and have been using the Leica APO 16-48. I think it is the best of both world and worth the weight. I made the mistake the other day of just checking out a drainage I had been into again to see if any Sheep had moved in with the recent snow and wanted to go in light. About ready to hike out and took one last look to the top and there stood 3 rams. I couldn't not hike up there but had I had my spotter would have saved me a lot of vertical and time to go to another spot.