Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Swarovski Collapsable Spotting Scopes--????

Has anyone here used one in the field and what were your thoughts about its handiness and your overall impression on the scope. I see they make a variable eyepiece and the fixed 30X - any thoughts which one is better of the two?

Dino

They are clear, not waterproof, when it is extended it creates a vacuum and will suck moisture into the body.

500_416Dino,

These are probably more popular in Europe and the UK..Particularly here in the UK, draw scopes are still very popular with the professional deer stalkers who guide and cull on the Red and Sika deer on the Scottish hills..

Very often they use older draw scopes more akin to what you might imagine an 18th century sea captain using...

They are generally about a 25x50mm and are invariably fixed power.

As noted, they are not waterproof, but are so simply built, they can be taken apart in the field and cleaned. If they get damaged, they are also relatively easy and cheap to repair.

Finally, compared to a spotting scope, they tend to be lighter in weight and are usually used *without* a tripod, making they far more portable and handy to use..

Below are a couple of net pics to give you a flavour of their use in Scotland:




Graysis the only company I know still making quality optics of this kind here in the UK, and their prices are right up with Zeiss and Leica spotting scopes.


So a lot of people (my self included) have started to look at the European draw scopes. Besides Swarovski, Meopta do a very nice one in the shape of the TGA75 (30 x75mm),


Optolyth are another company that produce this type of scope making acouple of different versions:



It seems these types of scope were popular with birdwatchers at one point but are now being sold off as the twitchers move over to spotting scopes. The fact they are no longer fashionalable, plus the name being not as well known as Swaro or Zeiss means these can sometimes be found at bargin prices on the used market.

It was in this manner I bought secondhand Optolynth, a 30x80mm, several years ago, fairly cheaply.

Firstly, I should stress that as already mentioned, draw scopes are not waterproof. The older style regularly fogged up and needed taking apart and cleaning. That said, I have never heard of a modern Swaro, Optolyth or Meopta draw scope fogging...I have used mine is some fairly aweful weather, and it has never fogged or leaked: don't ask me why that is, its just my expirence. But it is just as well, as these European scopes can not be taken apart very easily at home, so if they do fog/leak, it will mean a trip back to the factory for servicing, which is generally no covered under the warrenty here in the UK, but that be different in the US.

I should add that when these modern draw scopes are extended open and draw air into the body, it passes through a very fine "filter" to keep dust out...Again this seems to work, but my Optolyth is getting to the stage it needs cleaning internally...

Compared to the older traditional draw scopes which had 50mm objectives, these modern draw scopes are heavy, often nearly as heavy as a similar spotting scope. They are also unweildy as they typically have 75mm, 80mm or 85mm objectives..I know folks who use a 30x75mm Swaros scopes without a tripod, but is far easier with a 50mm draw scope. If you go with a high mag eyepiece, say over x30, you *will* need a tripod to get the best from it..

The optics on these modern draw scopes are usually excellent, being fully comarable to an equivilent spotting scope from the same company.

The other thing to watch is eye relief, especially if you wear glasses..My Optolyth has very poor eye relief in that respect, but I believe the Swaro is much better, but it does vary with the eyepiece used..

So, to sum up, would I buy another modern draw scope? The short answer is "No"...

They don't really offer the advantages of the older style draw scope, and are very expensive considering at least here in the uk, they are not guaranteed waterproof.

If push came to shove and I had to buy one, I would definately go with the Swaro as that does seem to the best of the currently easily available ones..

Hope this helps,

Regards,

Peter

Pete, pretty much summed up my opion of them as well.

I have an interesting story to tell about a once well known hunter/gunwriter ( now defrocked) who received one of the Swaro scopes to do a review on. He couldn't get it to focus so called a mutual friend, who once guided for me, and together they still could not figure it out - so it was sent back to Swaro. Only later did they find out that it had to be extended in order to use it ! !

I can imagine them cursing all things European and muttering on about the superiority of Leupold!

Very nice writeup Peter, very educational with the pics and all.
Keep up the good work! You are an excellent resource.

Jerry

Pete E, your post was truly excellent, one of the best I've read in a while. Thank you

Mr. Shoemakers story is too funny!................DJ

Dino,

Just one more thing...Swarovski currently produce two models of draw scope:

"CTC 30x75
The classic extendable telescope with its compact and lightweight construction shows off its strengths in impassable terrain and during long stalking exercises where weight plays a major role.
The fixed wide-angle eyepiece with 30x magnification provides a large field of view and makes light work of locating the target."

"CTS 85

With an extended length of 43.6 cm (17.2 in), ideal comfort in use and allows for quick identification.
The double extendable tube ensures additional stability. Combined with the 85 objective lenses,
target identification is still possible even at high magnification. This provides the opportunity for photography through the telescope and thus for wildlife documentation.
The CTS 85 is compatible with three different Swarovski Optik eyepieces giving a choice of magnification to suit your individual requirements."

So the choice is not just about the eyepiece, but the difference in bulk between the 75mm and 85mm...My 80mm Opolyth seems large and I just can't imagine an 85mm scope being practical other than for hunting out of a vehicle or for use at the range..

If you do get a draw scope the one golden rule is not to close them up while the barrels are wet, dusty or otherwise dirty as you are in effect trying to "force" that contamination inside the telescope...

Regards,

Peter

Farmboy, DJ,

Thanks for the kind comments. I am guessing this style of scope is not too common with American hunters, so I thought I throw in my thoughts based on my expirence..

I've tried to be objective and present both the pros and cons but recognise at the end of the day, personal preference plays a large part in our respective equipments choices, and thats only arises from a degree of trial and error, although this can be expensive with optics!!

Regards,

Peter

Thank you for all the information and the picture's Pete, and also the others that replied, I definitely am going to pick one up. The vintage spotting scope with the leather that was in one of the pictures is quite nice.

Thanks again

Dino