Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Spotters- straight or angled?

My only spotter is an inexpensive little Minox 15-30 that I bought to fit in my range bag. It struggles when viewing small bullet holes at 200 except on the blooming targets, so I’m thinking of upgrading a bit. I know that on the bench straight is the way to go after using a borrowed angled model yesterday and having to pop up like a P-dog every time I wanted to look, but what about in the field? I see YouTube hunters using angled scopes, but it seems to force them to expose themselves quite a bit. Are they using angled scopes because they’re easier or more comfortable or are they just adapting to the equipment?

Although angled is far more popular, I've been using my straight swaro 65mm for years out west and don't plan on changing.

Angled

I think it is personal preference. I have had both, and prefer the straight.

Ditto. When critters are on the move, I get the spotter on them quicker with a straight.

Same here, on both responses. Depends on your application and preference. FWIW, I'm retired from hunting, just shoot on the range. Straight works best for me.

Also, don't ignore eye relief. Doesn't get the attention it should.

I prefer straight. I've owned and used both. My primary uses are @ the range on a tripod or from the pickup on a window mount. I find it much faster to both find what I'm looking for in the spotter quickly, as well as reference back to my viewing subject without the spotter using a straight body.

If you're constantly looking "up" with a spotter, say from a valley floor up onto a mountain, I can see the allure to an angled body for some folks depending on the terrain they hunt. The whole unit sits lower which should make it steadier on a tripod. Looking down into your spotter is probably more comfortable than crunching to get "under" it trying to look up.

I haven't employed a spotting scope in the field in ages but rely on one at the range. I preferred a straight for decades but after scoliosis bent my head down a bit I found the angled eyepiece more suitable. Speaks to personal preference effected by physical needs. (At the bench I set it on a stand that puts it down low beside me so all I need to do is lean over a little and look down into it.)

Overall I prefer angled. Only exception is a window mount in a vehicle where straight is the only way to go.

I’ve used had and used both, and am hardover for angled. Far easier in the field, once you are accustomed and figured out how to get the scope where you want. I’ve been using a Leica APO 65 for years, couldn’t be happier.

Totally agree angled is much more user friendly for hours of use.

Straight for me. A lot easier switching between binoculars and spotting scope with a straight. Angled definitely has a few advantages though.

I've only used an angled spotter at the range once and once on the target, it worked okay. When I bought my own spotter, I bought the straight because I thought it was more intuitive and faster sighting over the top to get on target at the 15x setting and then dialing up for better detail. I shot more in my younger days and while that scope still goes to the range, we use it more on a tripod at the cottage for watching other things than targets. Many times I'll have people unfamiliar with good optics looking through it and they adapt better to a straight through optic.

I have angled (Athlon from Doug) and prefer it at the range but in the field it is harder to get on target than a straight so if you are glassing with a binocular on a tripod and then want to check something out with the spotter it is much easier IME to find what you are looking for with the straight.
I don't scan with a spotter though because I find it too tiring to look with one eye for hours at a time.

Straight for me

My preferences are:

Straight for window mount. Straight for shooting, as spotter seated or standing, especially varying target distances.

Angled for spotting from prone (assuming that you can rotate the scope body to allow the shooter to simply switch from riflescope to spotter). Angled for use by different people of various builds and stature, especially standing but the scope body needs to rotate. Angled for long periods of glassing.

I recently sold my last straight scope and went out of my way to buy an angled scope (three actually).

+1

Have always used straight, just got my first angled. To me, there is a learning curve between the 2.

I don't find a straight to ever be better than an angled. Not switching back and forth from binoculars or in a truck with a window mount

Straight. I’ve used an angled eyepiece in competition years ago and it worked ok but overall I prefer a straight eyepiece.