Starting to look at Spotting Scopes. Will only buy one. Rank ordered priority of use:

1) Spotting 6.5mm to .30 caliber bullet strikes on targets from 100 to 200 yards.
2) Animal observation on the farm out to 600-700 yards.
3) Day pack backpack-able for elk in Colorado.

If this dead horse has already been beat to a pulp in a prior thread, my apologies. Please just point me to the thread. I could not quickly find one.

Thx...

Kowa TSN-553 or TSN-554

Agreed. The only optics that can match or beat the Kowa 553-554 are bulkier and heavier, usually by a lot.

Kowa fan here as well.

KOWA

Have a Swarovski 65mm with 20X60 eyepiece I would let go for $1100. No scratches on lens, etc., but it is old, which is why it is half the price of a new one.

If someone opens your thread and then responds "do a search" or some such BS then they are a complete and total A-hole.

On to your topic. I'm a fan of the Meopta Meostar spotters. As for day packable, they all really are; however, based on your criteria, I would recommend a 65MM objective spotter.

Leica 65mm APO Televid. The crying will stop when you use it in the field.

For your uses, it would be almost impossible to beat the Kowas suggested above. Great glass and they are light enough and compact enough to easily fit in a back pack. There may be better or equal glass, but not in a size that is easily packable...

Bob

Yes.

I have an older angled Zeiss Diascope 65 T* FL 15-45x65 and an angled Kowa TSN-553 15-45x55 Prominar Spotting Scope at the range the Zeiss is slightly better but really either works fine at the range. For throwing in my pack the Kowa gets the most use.

I feel that the “buy once cry once cliche” is a bit overused.
If not, why aren’t we all driving the most expensive vehicles, and going to the classiest places to eat?
There are certainly those who wouldn’t fish without using a G Loomis rod either, and that’s all fine,
BUT, fact is more fish are caught by more people who don’t. And the same is true with many other things including spotting scopes.
The OP has listed his needs as for a spotting scope, and they for sure don’t require a $1000 or more scope.
My advise for him would be to go to EBay, type in “used Bushnell spotting scopes”, and buy an older Spacemaster 60 mm for about $100.
If it doesn’t do everything you want and much more, contact me and ill buy it from you.
Realize that all long range hunting in PA where i hunt is done by glassing. Virtually all hunters there are using 2 spotting scopes in an adjustable bracket for glasses. Of those more than 50% at least, are using the older Bushnell Spacemaster scopes. And, until recent years that percentage was even higher. But some, myself included, have bought into the idea that better scopes will find more game.
I personally own 5 different sets of those type glasses with different scopes including a set with 77mm Kowas.
Are the Kowas better than the Spacemasters ?
Yes they are at least slightly, when compared side by side on the same day aimed at the same thing.
Have they made a big difference as to the amount of game I’ve found with them? No they really haven’t.
Fact is that most people advocating a certain scope don’t actually know how it compares with others because they’ve never done it.
For seeing bullet holes with any scope, its always best to use a white target.

I agree with your point in a good many instances. However, his #3 point is, "backpack-able for Elk in CO", and in my mind that warrants better glass than a simple range spotter.

Out west, my gear priorities are:

1) Glass - to see if it's worth using your boots
2) Boots - to get to what you want to shoot, and get back to camp/home
3) All else.

I spend accordingly. Just my $.02.




This also makes good sense in your situation. I have alpha 8x42's that will very seldom show me anything in SW Ohio, or Texas game ranches, that $200 binocs won't. However, in wide open spaces (i.e. - Colorado), it's a different ballgame. During an Alps hunt, I was able to see li'l goats 2 ridges away, that neither my hunting partner nor I could find with a $1,000 (retail) pair of 8x43's. But for the distances and terrain involved, the 2 sets of glass would work just about equivalently.

We can argue ad infinitum about the "best compromise" in a spotter for his uses, and for certain some offerings may well punch above their price point. But in this scenario, a buy-once-cry-once spotter is probably a good idea.



FC

If you see it with "lesser" optics, with sufficient resolution, then they are "good enough." If you don't see it, either it isn't there or the optics aren't good enough. You don't know which. If you can just barely see it with the finest optics. then you know you needed them. In no situation will you cry about anything but the price if you have the best. If you left it in the truck because it was too heavy for the anticipated type of hike, you might as well have saved the money. The little Kowa will let you see it if it can be seen with the best of today's optics, and it is light enough (28 oz) that it will be in your pack, not on the seat of the truck.

Gents,

Figure I've got 10-15 years of hunting and shooting left. And have already wasted money on a cheap spotter. Not in the mood to buy / sell / swap expensive glass to find the best. Hence the reason for asking here in open forum. Was not familiar with the Kowas before I asked. So, learned something new. And I appreciate all of the dialog, comments, and perspectives.

Thank you !

Guys, Just a heads up for you all. I am putting together an opportunity for as new, never tripod mounted display Meopta Meostar 20-70x82 Angled spotters for only $1,799.99. I'll make an official announcement when they arrive but you are in the know 1st.

I've got a Zeiss Diascope 15-45x65 that is 9 years old. Has a few scratches on the body before I bought the Zeiss padded body armor for it. In a few weeks I would be open to selling that if you were interested shoot me a pm. They are very nice scopes for sure.

If you're willing to pack this one, you would have to spend a lot more money to do better than this. These have as good (some say better than) of glass as Swarovski but just a tiny bit heavier. If I hadn't decided to go up to the Kowa 88, this is where I would have gone. Heck, if I knew I could recoup the funds I spent to get there, I might even still go there.

If not, I am selling my barely used Kowa 554 with neoprene fitted case and digiscoping adapting ring for $1500. Listed in the classifieds. Text me at nine zero seven two five zero four seven seven four.

There are some less expensive Kowa models that are still very good glass and still small enough to pack easily.

https://cameralandny.com/shop/categories/binoculars-and-scopes/42ee0f8f-1c54-4480-a5f7-fef5200d0883?filters=206902:%22Kowa%22%20AND%20206906:%22Spotting%20Scope%22

Kowa makes a great spotter but WAY over slobbered in this thread IMO.
I would take the BTX over anything I have used except for the fact it is angled, until they make a straight I’ll be happy with a Leica 😀

If there are any NRA matches going on in your area I'd check one out and see what those folks are using. I shot a match as a walk-on a while back and all the regulars had the same model and brand spotting scope. It was a high dollar one so I didn't write it down other than noting it was superb glass.

I can try to get the brand & model if you haven't found one you like yet. Lots of good suggestions thus far.

Damnit Doug,

I'm trying to buy camping gear so I can actually go out west, not just dream. Every time I see the Meopta sale I ponder getting one. I wish there was a place in Michigan that had high end glass to compare/loan. Anyone know of such a place?

As for spotting scopes. I have a leupold Kenai... Its definitely not a buy once cry once optic. Spotting inside 800 its not terrible. Its definitely not great either. If someone just wants to spend to get the "best" Look at the top 3: Kowa, Swaro, Zeiss.

The Meopta S2 can hang with any of those. I've seen it side by side multiple times. The only thing better that I've personally seen is the uber expensive Swaro BTX system, and even then it's not much unless you go with the 95mm $3700+ version.

Any chance you’ll have any straight at that price?

It is just angled we were able to get at this price. These should be coming in the end of the week.

Doug, what is the model number on this one? Thanks

It is the 541620 Meostar S2 Angled Spotter with the 541650 20-70x zoom eyepiece. This is normally $2,699.94 and we will have it for $1,799.99. I am feeling secure to say this is a spotting scope best buy