Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Please recommend spotting scope kit under $150

Looking for a spotting scope kit for under $150 that will have a scope, tripod and case.

The application is target shooting at 100 yards.

One question is whether I want straight or angled.

Thank you in advance.

Timely question as I am in the same position. I will take mine out west when I vacation. Mainly for piddling. Doug has this one for what seems like a good price. Maybe he'll ring in with some info about it.

https://cameralandny.com/shop/athlo...9119&query=athlon%20spotting%20scope

We have literally sold hundreds of the Athlon Talos 20-60x80 Spotting scope. Is it the greatest scope out there? No. Is is a good quality spotter and something as good as anything twice our $124.99 selling price? Yes, absolutely.

Silver Coated K9 Prism K9 glass prisms with silver coating reflect great mount of lights to your eyes which will give you bright image.
Fully Multi-Coated Lenses Fully Multi-Coated lenses gives you great light transmission and bring bright images to your eyes.
Nitrogen Purged Nitrogen Purging uses the inertia gas to purge moisture out of the tube giving you better waterproofing and thermal stability .
Waterproof Waterproof to protects the binocular in the harshest weather conditions or if accidently submerged underwater
Rotating Ring Rotating Ring allows you to rotate the scope around tripod supporting ring into the most comfortable and convenient angle for observation

Magnification 20-60
Objective Lens Diameter 80 mm
Prism Glass K9
Prism Coating Silver Coating
Lense Coating Fully Multi-Coated
Field of View 82.9-48 ft
Exit Pupil 3.3-1.22 mm
Eye Relief 0.7-0.6"
Close Focus 19.7′
Dimension (LxW) 16.5"X3.75"
Weight 38.5 oz

When I saw the title of the post I was going to come on here and tell you not to waste your money because I had gone down the same road and been disappointed with the performance of budget spotting scopes. However, I ended up with an Athlon from Doug (although one of their higher end scopes) and if Doug says the Talos is good, I doubt you will be disappointed.

Soon to have an incoming order.

EDIT: They need someone to help them with the Chinglish.

Silver Coated K9 Prism
K9 glass prisms with silver coating reflect great mount of lights to your eyes which will give you bright image.

Personally I would double your budget and end up with four times the optic

I would go used.Plenty of really good spotters out there.I just picked up a excellent Bushnell Spacemaster.If the scope was made today.It would be a 5-600 scope.Another thing the tripods you get are flimsy.Save up a little more.

If 100 yard holes in paper is what you want to see, you don't need to even spend close to that. Find something like a Simmons, Tasco etc that comes with a tripod for a bench top. Can probably get one for as little as 50 bucks.

If you have binoculars, that might do for now.

You could have added which optic you recommend and contrasted your experience with that optic with your experience with an optic in his price range.

I have a Minox md 50 and it’s a fine little optic for 200$
But when I called doug and got the Athlon for Around 400. It was Night and day difference

Here's a USA made product in your price range.

Gosky 20-60x60 HD Spotting Scope with Tripod, Carrying Bag and Scope Phone Adapter - BAK4 45 Degree Angled Eyepiece Telescope for Target Shooting Hunting Bird Watching Wildlife Scenery.

Lots of reviews. Available from amazon. It will do what you ask.

Last weekend I took my brother to the range - he had a brand new Burris compact spotter, I had my Leupold compact in my range bag.
Thus I had the opportunity to compare side by side,
With the Burris, we couldn't (Neither one of us) see 22 cal holes at 100 and barely make out the 30 cal holes, With the Leupold (Compact so not the very best I'll admit) we were able to see the holes in the paper at 100.
Also, I used to coach Air Rifle Team and we used cheap $20 spotters but only 10 meters, Maybe one day I'll borrow a couple of those and run then to 100 meters just to see.


Someone recommended by used and get 4X the scope for 2X the $$$$, Probably good advice.

Interesting because I have a real piece of crap Simmons that I bought for under 50 bucks a few years back and I can easily see .25 caliber holes in paper at 100 yards. It came in a really nice hard case with a tripod. I can see steel swinging at 550 yards too.

I would love to have something nicer but I don't hunt with it.

With apologies to MtnBoomer, Wal-Mart and all of my fellow countrymen, I offer this comment. I ordered the Athlon late yesterday afternoon from Doug. It's due to arrive here Thursday. For a few coins more than the Wal-Mart special and supporting a site sponsor, it's worth it to me.

I got it in today. Doug's assessment was on the money. It will do the job the OP wants it to for sure.

So the Athlon is a good range scope? What about poor light? Happy Trails

Back when I was a poor carpenter I bought a $69 Barska 20-60 x 80 from Big 5 Sporting Goods. It came in a case with a tripod. I had no trouble seeing .22 caliber holes at 100 yards with it, and that wasn't even at full power. It was hard to get a decent focus at 60x.
That one Doug is suggesting will probably get you by.

It starts getting grainy on 60X.

Notwithstanding all of we (notice I include myself) pseudo-optics-snobs, it truly is amazing how much there is that is out there, even new, that will satisfy the needs of the OP. There are plenty of people in his same boat who do not need to spend more to accomplish exactly what he is trying to accomplish.