Spotting Scope for Long Distance Target Viewing

BillK · Guest

I am looking for a spotting scope that can be used for viewing gun targets at long distances (750 yds, 1000 yds, 1 mile) and will clearly focus at the higher magnifications of say 40x to 60x. I recently tried to use a Celestron Ultima 100ED with a 20x - 60x eyepiece. It was very clear at the lower magnifications of say 20x to 30x, but was fuzzy at the 40x to 60x power. I also had the opportunity to view the targfets ushing a Pentax 80ED and a Leica Televid 77 which were both very clear at all magnifications. I am looking for recommendations on spotting scopes that may be best for my use. Also, between a straight and angled scope, is one better than the other style.

opticsplanet.com · Posted: Thu May 19, 2005 4:40 pm Post subject:

Hi

Yes, for anything beyond 500 yds, you will have to bite the bullet (sorry for the pun) and go with a premium grade spotting scope with an 80mm class objective, preferrably with ED glass.

Also, there is the ever-present atmosphere at those ditances. At one mile, this will be a huge factor, even for the finest spotting scope. Atmospheric turbulence can reduce the finest optic to mush, especially at those distances.

Assuming reasonably good conditions, you should definitley consider the Leica APO, Swarovski HD, Zeiss, Kowa fluorite, Nikon Fieldscope or the Pentax. All of these battle it out for first place in every optics test I have done as well as every published spotting scope shoot-out I have seen. I will be up front and say that the Kowa and Nikon 82ED Fieldscope (awesome brightness) edged out the competition by the tiniest margin in my most recent resolution test, but the margin could just as easily have been due to individual variation of the scopes I pulled of the shelf. From my experience - and I have used them all in the field - any of these will please the fussiest optics nut.

As to angled versus straight, either will do any job asked of it. The choice is partly preference and partly practical.

A straight scope is usually easier to line up on target, at least at first. With experience, an angled scope will become just as easy to use. A straight scope is also easier to manage when you attach a heavy SLR.

An angled scope is definitely easier to use for objects that are elevated (on the side of a mountain or up in a tree) and also can be adjusted easier for people of varying heights (all of the above allow the scope body to be rotated). Angled versions do not require the scope to be as high on the tripod - this leads to better stability, especially in a breeze.
I also prefer the angled for digiscoping with a small digital camera.
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Guest · Posted: Wed Jun 01, 2005 9:23 pm Post subject:

hi bill,
i have a kowa TSN-824 with zoom eyepiece for sale, in great condition. if you are interested, let me know.
Thanks,
Jared
swamp_rattler@yahoo.com