Another spotting scope thread

[rsess32]

Hi guys/gals. I'm in the beginning stages of buying a good spotting scope. I've read through a few of the threads on here and I've had a few questions answered, (vortex vs. Leopold). But I still have some questions. I hunt mostly deer and elk out here in Utah and have done a little bit of hunting up in the great state of Wyoming too. I do quite a bit of backpacking in my hunting and weight is a concern. I prefer to stay as light as I can. That being said, I do care about glass quality and being able to see far off in the distance as well as being able to see clearly in low light. So if I have to give up a little weight for a great lens so be it. I was leaning towards the Leopold gold rings because I've loved their scopes. But it seems like most people prefer the vortex more so but I own a pair of their binocs and I am not impressed with them so I am a little Leary on dropping more money into their spotters. What other brands and powers are you guys that hunt similar stuff to me using? My budget is up around $1000. I hunt both northern and eastern Utah for elk and the majority of my deer hunting in down in the open desserts of southern Utah with the thick oak brush and juniper patches. Thanks guys!

 

[6mm Remington]

I like the 15-30x50mm Leupold Gold Ring spotting scope. It is compact, light, and I feel the optics are pretty darn good. Lots of folks might prefer something else, but Leupold has a great warranty and I like their products.
David

 

[sneakypete]

I have a vortex razor 10/33/50 angled spotter. I like how light it is and how clear the optics and there is no better warranty. That said it cost $699, I have a vortex high country tripod with ball head around $100. Go checkout. Different brands to see what you like!

 

[marcusvdk]

I think your best bet is to go hit a local store that carries a few of the types your looking for and try them out to see what fits your needs and wants. Ive heard good things about the gold rings and as you have seen a lot of people on here like vortex. But in the end its what suits you that matters most.

 

[Extrapale]

There is a lot of good used glass out there now. You should be able to pick up a 65mm swaro near your price.

 

[Musket Man]

I like the 15-30x50mm Leupold Gold Ring spotting scope. It is compact, light, and I feel the optics are pretty darn good. Lots of folks might prefer something else, but Leupold has a great warranty and I like their products.
David

I bought this spotter and I didnt like it at all. I returned it to Cableas.

 

[tttoadman]

There is a 65 Vortex spotter on Rokslide right now. I am not so concerned about the apex glass because I am not a tine counter. I have vortex viper binocs and i mount them on a $35 mini tripod. If you have never glassed through binocs on a tripod, you owe it to yourself before you spend money on a scope. I can see for miles with this setup, and I have no reason to explore a scope at this time.

 

[lostriverproductions]

Sounds like you just need to buy my 20-60x80 bushnel elite for $500 so you can the other $500 on game bags and ammo because you kill so many more animals!

 

[Horsenhike]

There is a 65 Vortex spotter on Rokslide right now. I am not so concerned about the apex glass because I am not a tine counter. I have vortex viper binocs and i mount them on a $35 mini tripod. If you have never glassed through binocs on a tripod, you owe it to yourself before you spend money on a scope. I can see for miles with this setup, and I have no reason to explore a scope at this time.

What size and model of binocular are you using?

 

[tttoadman]

What size and model of binocular are you using?

Vortex Viper 10x42

Sony VCT-R100 40" Photo/Video Tripod with 3-Way Pan & Tilt Head and Case

Field Optics Research Rapid-Release Binocular Tripod Adapter

 

[rcfireninja]

Vortex Viper 10x42

Sony VCT-R100 40" Photo/Video Tripod with 3-Way Pan & Tilt Head and Case

Field Optics Research Rapid-Release Binocular Tripod Adapter

I have the same exact binoculars, I also use the vortex viper hd 20-60x85 and love it also. I have roughly $1000 into the two of them combined buying off sites likes this and archerytalk.com. With the lifetime warranty buying used is not an issue.

 

[ljmelea]

bog pod bino attachment

I have the same exact binoculars, I also use the vortex viper hd 20-60x85 and love it also. I have roughly $1000 into the two of them combined buying off sites likes this and archerytalk.com. With the lifetime warranty buying used is not an issue.

I have the bogpod bin adapter works on any bino light good price

 

[Shooter09]

I have used both the Leupold Gold Ring and Vortex Razor HD and prefer the Vortex Razor. That being said, I prefer a spotting scope that starts at a higher magnification than both of those spotters because of the distortion you get at their max magnification. My advice would be to save your money and look at the Swarovski ATS or STS. You won't be dissapointed. If you're set on staying around $1000 then the Razor is your best bet.

 

[rsess32]

Thanks guys. Obviously I have to go and look through the scores myself. I was just trying to figure out what other people preferred when they actually get them in the hills and get behind them for an extended period of time. Thanks for all the advice and preferences. Best of luck to you all this season!

 

[Underwood]

Im new to the forum here, but I have used a lot of scopes so I will chime in with what has worked for me and what I have and haven't liked. For the longest time, the gold ring was my favorite spotter. The vortex scopes are pretty good in my opinion, but out of a razor 80mm, your going to get performance similar to that out of a high end 65mm piece of other companies glass. That may or may not matter to you, I am unsure. It does factor in if you are a gram counter though as you will get more performance out of a lighter package. So back to the leupold, it was my favorite over vortex, nikon, and other a couple other cheaper models i had tried out on hunts, until I took a zeiss 65mm out in the field last year on a backcountry trip. Hands down not even close. The zeiss blew every single piece of glass i'd ever used out of the water on sharpness and clarity, which for me, is all that I really care about performance wise.

One side note about binoculars on a tripod.... DO IT. You will never ever ever hunt without a tripod again. It does make that much difference. I'm also using a vortex razor 10x42 off of a slim mini sprint pro II tripod. Its a cheap and lightweight tripod for carrying in a pack, but if you want one for standing height you'll need something else. Lastly, vortex binos are much closer in quality to the high end zeiss, leica, and swarovski. If you wanted to put some money into some vortex glass, I would suggest binoculars over spotters.

 

[rsess32]

Thank you underwood. That was what I'm looking for in some info along with many other people's advice on here. Yes clarity is my biggest concern and so I am willing to spend a bit more on getting the most clear spotter I can. The one bit of info I would differ on, and that's just me, is that you said you think vortex binos are close to the quality of Zeiss, Leica, and Swarovski. That's the one part I don't agree on. I own a pair of the vortex 10x42 binos and I think they're garbage. I can't ever seem to get both eye pieces to focus correctly and the thin eye piece gives me a headache after sitting behind them for a while. My hunting buddy bought a pair of the Nikon monarch 7 this past season and they were light years ahead of these vortex. Such a clear view, easy to get them to focus correctly, and the little bit thicker eyepiece made it a lot more comfortable to sit behind them for an extended time without getting a headache. He even mentioned he would rate them just about as good as his old pair of Swarovski he owned a while back before losing them. Yes he misplaced his swarovskis and never found them. And because of my history and opinions about the vortex glass I'm hesitant to pull the trigger on buying more of their stuff. But I've never used their spotters in the field for any time. The gold rings I have and I really liked them. But I am open to other companies too. I know the European companies have amazing glass. So thanks for the input!

 

[Tim McCoy]

Sounds like your Vortex bino's may be out of collimation, or have some other mechanical issue. Have you tried contacting Vortex? I don't use their bino's so can't comment on the quality of their various offerings vs the big 3 makers. I have a couple sets of Minox bino's and am very happy.

 

[stevevan]

Keep your eyes out on the auction sites for a great quality used bino. I found an older Ziess 10 x 40 in prime shape. Got a little over $600 in them. They are awesome!!!! I've had Vortex 10x42 Razor Hd's and even a pair of Swarovski 10 x 42 EL and these older Ziess are without a doubt better than either. So good in fact I picked up another Ziess Bino. Same model as 10x40 except these are 8x30's. Love them as they're super compact (fit in a pocket) and light. These I purchased on ebay for $450. Excellent glass. 3D image is outstanding and I can see well past legal shooting time. If you watch the auction sights you can really stretch your $ and get some excellent glass.

 

[Horsenhike]

I have the same exact binoculars, I also use the vortex viper hd 20-60x85 and love it also. I have roughly $1000 into the two of them combined buying off sites likes this and archerytalk.com. With the lifetime warranty buying used is not an issue.

So I ended up with Leupold Mojave 10X42 on a Velbon tripod my wife had, and a Leupold Gold Ring 25X50 on a Vanguard lightweight tripod. $500 for the pair by shopping around.


So far beyond the Nikon binoculars and Bausch and Lomb spotting scope I had.

Good thread, good advice.