Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Angled or straight ocular for spotters?

Just tested an angled scope and hard to get on target for me. Any tricks to acquiring the target? I can see the advantages of the angled scope but just too used to a strait ocular, should I learn to live with it or return it for a straight ocular?

I believe the angled ocular is superior for use at a shooting bench, where you can set it up in a way that you don't have to leave your seat after a shot, just lean over to look through the scope.

I prefer a straight scope in the field - it's just easier to find a tiny object at long distance that you originally spotted with your binos when you can point the scope directly at it.

I had the same pro lem when I first acquired my angled spotter. I learned to look down the side of the spotter to get on target quickly. il over mine and would never go back to a straight in the field or at the bench.

Having used both styles a fair bit, I'm a big fan of straight oculars over angled for the reason you stated. It's much more intuitive and quick for me to get on target with a straight spotter.

I think it depends on what you do with the spotter. if you glass with it, angled is probably the most comfortable. if you just want to identify straight is better. I have a straight spotter, but the next spotter I get I am going to try and angled 50 mm vorted razor. doug say the ratio of straight to angled is 2:5 with angled being more common

I find angled better for everything except glassing from a truck. In that instance straight is better.

I have both kinds, many use a spotter out of a pickup window on a mount, then straight is easily best, a 50 or 60. The angled is harder to get on a target when mounted on a
tripod, that is where a straight scope shines.
So, if you were looking for just one scope I would get a straight scope, they are quicker to get on target. .

My thoughts exactly

Had to read that twice...I saw "in the field or at the bench" as "at the beach." No less valid a point, either way.

+1

I have learned to live with finding my subject with an angled spotter. In the field it works much better on a short tripod that is not affected by the wind and much more comfortable to look down into the eye piece for long periods.
also works great at the bench : )

those looking from a truck, which I've never been in the need to do, so I don't really know, but IF you are clamping to window, couldn't you just roll the window up more and use the angle from the bottom.


I've done a LOT of scoring/coaching/watching at matches on my back, with a towel blocking the damn sun, looking up into the angle of the scope.

Regardless like a lot of things its a PITA at first but I'd never purposely buy a straight spotting scope again. Have a Zeiss straight, wished it was angled but it was a good trade for an old Kowa to get a shooter to a proper spotting scope for the game.

Angled is kind of like 2 stage AR triggers. There isn't a single stage thats great that I've ever tried, but I"ve not tried em all. 2 stage can break crisp clean and light.

Those say they can't get used to them. BULLSHIT. You ain't trying. If you can't get used to a 2 stage you may as well just quit the game. I can go from an 8 ounce single stage to 8 ounce 2 stage to a 5 pound 2 stage to a 3 pound single stage in all kinds of guns. I can go from a Glock trigger to a 1911 trigger.... you just have to apply yourself.

Same will go for spotting scopes.

Mark me up for the angled spotter. I look for key geographic features and aim the scope in a rough way before I look through it. Much easier to use and look for longer periods of time.

From the bench an angled spotter, in the field a straight has worked best for me. It really depends on the type of tripod/mount one has. Either can be a pain depending.

I have straight, and angled. The angled had more utility because the scope is adjusted to the shooter, and with a strait scope the shooter goes to the scope.
For position shooting like prone, sitting and standing, angled is way better.

That makes 3 of us.

I sure used to be of that train of thought too. FWIW. if I"m going to stand behind a spotter on a tall tripod all day I could see it. Every angled one we have has an aiming bar etc.. and they are easy to point. FWIW.

But if its working for ya, not many real reasons to change.

I prefer a straight ocular with a proper tripod. I make all the adjustments with the tripod and just have to point my spotting scope at the target. Most spotting scopes require a tripod anyways due to the higher magnification.

I thought I was a straight spotter fan. When I bought one, it showed up as a mis-shipped angled model. After using it for awhile I would never do a straight spotter again. There are a several reasons for this, all mostly stated above. When sitting and looking over larger chunks of territory for long periods, the angled is far easier than straight. Doing that now with a straight, it feels like a torture on my neck. Much easier looking downward. Next, the spotter is lower to the ground, making the tripod support more solid than several inches higher up in the air. Works well off the bench too. Never tried it much from the window mount.

The thing is if you are well used to one, why change what works? Both styles work. Using angled is kind of like getting used to operating a bolt rifle from the shoulder. Once you learn how, it's second nature.

The following link helped me adapt to the angled, a method to make a sight using cable ties. Illustrations are at the last two phages of the pdf linked at the bottom of the first post in the bird forum link.

https://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=166747&highlight=sight+for+angled+spotting+scope