Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics $250-$300 Spotting scope

They're sold out with no expectation of replenishment. I'm guessing a used one would be hard to find, but for the right price, we can talk.

I'd have you consider finding one of the older Leupold spotters. They made them in 20, 25 and 30. 30 wouldn't be my first choice but it'd be allright.

The 20 is the one I've toted all over and still totally luv it. I've had it a couple decades or more and it's still a rock star for me.

Bottom line, if you could find a 20 or 25 I'd be all over it!

Dober

I've never looked through a $200-$300 spotting scope that was worth packing hunting. I've had plenty of them, but they usually ended up in my range bag. If you are going to buy a spotter for hunting, I think you are better off to save up and get something you can actually see through. There are lots of good used ones around $1000 (Leica comes to mind). I run a 80mm Swaro HD and even though it's big, I tote it everywhere when muley hunting.

With one in the chamber of course.

As long as the safety is on everyone is good!

Problem solved!

Good, solid advice here IMO. Moreso with spotters than binos, riflescopes, etc....you really get what you pay for in spotters. Outstanding views come at a price.

If I'm going to spend stupid amounts of money its not going to be on a spotting scope.

How much is a stupid amount of money, to whom, and why?

Here is one of the posts by Mule Deer about switch power binoculars.

"Hate to drop another name, though, but I still haven't seen anything better than my 8+12 Leica Duovids for an all-around hunting binocular. Some might not like the weight, though at 32 ounces they aren't bad, and it helps keep them steady. But being able to go from 8x (wide field) to 12x (50% more power) in a few seconds is a great help, often bypassing the need to get out the spotting scope that is always along. The optics are still as good as they get, even though I got them the first year they were available. And yes, I have recent Swarovski and Zeiss binoculars as well.

Mule Deer on switch power binoculars

msummer88,



Tell us on what you would spend a stupid amount of money? By the way, what is a stupid amount of money?

I don't think anyone should spend more on a spotting scope than they would on a used truck. well not much more anyway,

I haven't seen them all, but my experience with cheap spotters, 200-300 bucks, is BAD. They are crap! The one's I have looked thru were horrible, and talk about eye strain. With that said, I have heard that the Minox MD50 is pretty decent, but I have never handled one. I am in the market for my first good spotter, I am going with a Nikon 13-30x50ED or a Swarovski 65MM non-HD. I'd stay away from the cheap one's, good glass costs big bucks, and worth every penny once past the sticker shock.

Brent

He's referring to the Leica Duovid which is the only zoom bino worth owning. This has nothing to do with the Leupold Switchpower, which is what you were referring to, which is a total POS.

JG Raider,

What is your specific experience with the Leupold Switch Power binoculars? Have you owned a pair?

Thanks



Golden Ring 7/12x32mm with Switch/Power Technology

I have already answered this question for you at least twice, but here goes. My neighbor had a pair of the 10/17x42's. I had a 10x42 GR HD at that time also along with a couple of others. At 10x, the HD's view is fantastic, bright, contrasty, and sharp. It is right there with the Swaro SLC neu. The colors just jump out at me. The SP's view through the 10x is very average at best. It does work, and would work for general big game hunting I'll concede that, but it wasn't nearly on par with the GR HD, not by a long shot It was not nearly as bright or sharp. At 17x they were useless, as you have to have a tripod or a very, very steady rest. It is impossible to hand hold a 17x bino steady for any length of time. The view was very dim to dark, poor resolution, and, as I said, useless. It doesn't take rocket science to figure out that the view through a 10x32, and 17x32 SP would be worse on all accounts. You can't cheat physics. The duovid is in a whole other league....top shelf.

Nice try! But, I'm broke enough that I have to ask the wife if free is too expensive. Hopefully, once I quit/slow down in buying tags and have enough $$ for a spotter the boat will have brought a new shipment of them, or their upgrade in...

Probably because you blew it on smokes, beer and a new transmission for your El Camino. If you want to spend chump change on a spotter, be my guest. You'll regret it.

Ouch. Agreed. But ouch.

I once owned a Simmons spotter, think I paid $150 for it, a long time ago. Biggest POS I have ever seen. A cardboard tube with no glass in it would have been far better. And talk about a headache after some time looking thru it, wow! Had I kept it, I am sure I would be blind in my right eye now. My thoughts used to be that if one is not a trophy hunter, one does not need a spotting scope. Well, I still believe there is some truth there, but I am moving towards the thought that a really good spotting scope would serve me well while scouting, and finding more game while hunting.

That's funny ....

One of the best pieces of advice I ever read here in 24HCF .... No one ever loooked through good binoculars and asked what all the fuss is about. .... perhaps not word for word but close ... Even nearly 10 years ago, Big Stick was quite the wordsmith.

I paid $180 for the minox MD50 from cameraland. Was shooting 300 yards today and could spot my 270 holes. Don't know if thats a good judge of a decent spotter (or just that it doesnt suck), but it works for me. And is awesome for packing with a light tripod, its sooooo small...