Best spotting scope for glasses and poor vision?

pryker · Joined: 02 May 2008 Posts: 1

I am looking to get a good spotting scope for target shooting. My problem is that I have poor eyesight and wear glasses. I have looked through some of the cheaper spotting scopes at the range and cannot see 22 holes through them at 50 yards, heck, even have trouble at 25 yards with 22.

I would like to be able to see at up to 100 yards. I also struggle with getting close enough to the eyepiece as I wear heavy glasses. What would you recommend?

Thanks

-PR

Jne_K · Site Admin Joined: 24 Sep 2003 Posts: 5173

Hi

Look for a scope with long eye relief - at least 15mm, though more is better. A good choice would be the Bushnell Legend 20-60x60 with 21mm
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Bob B · Joined: 19 Jun 2008 Posts: 1 Location: Tempe, AZ

I purchased (at Opticsplanet) a Bushnell Legend 20-60x60 Spotting Scope after talking with a Bushnell Rep who strongly suggested that it was the best Bushnell Spotting Scope for the money! I originally called to find out about the eyerelief as I wear eyeglasses. Bushnell's specs simply say "Eyerelief: 21mm". This suggests to me that the eyerelief remains at 21mm through all magnifications 20x thru 60x. The Bushnell Sales Rep confirmed my understanding.

The Bushnell Legend 20-60x60 spotting scope that I received and have used perhaps ten to twelve times, all at the Rio Salado Sportsman's Club Range (East of Phoenix) does not have constant eyerelief!

At 20x it has very good eyerelief, at 30x it has good eyerelief, at 40x it has acceptable (almost the entire image can be seen) eyerelief, at 45x a significant portion of the outer image is lost. Incredibly, eyerelief gets a bit better at 50x and even a bit better at 60x, although not as good as at 40x. Above 40x it is a chore (very taxing) to wear eyeglasses with this scope. My glasses are very typical (20/100) and not excessively thick.

As my spotting scope needs are 50 and 100 yards only, the loss of eyerelief at higher powers does not bother me. However, resolution is not as good as I hoped it would be. I have to go to 40x to reliably see the difference between 22lr single and double/triple impact holes at 100 yards. Above 40x resolution tapers off to a minimal usable level at 60x and of course focus is more difficult at 60x. No problems seeing .30 caliber at 100 yards, but it pushes this scope to its limits at 200 yards.

Bob B

Jne_K · Site Admin Joined: 24 Sep 2003 Posts: 5173

Hi

Sorry about the issues.

Eye relief is never constant on zoom eyepieces at this price and all such zooms lose eye releif as you zoom up. If you want a zoom with better eye relief at all magnifications, you will be looking at zoom eyepieces that, by themselves, cost as much as your Legend. Point is, the Legend is considerably better in this regard the vast majority of zooms at this price.

The Legends I have tested did much better on resolution. I would be confident on one out to about 200 yards, but only on a day of good atmospheric seeing conditions. If you only gave your Legend one try, you need to head back out on different days for a fair test. Yours might certainly be a bad one out of the box.I would never, however, recommend any spotting scope at this price beyond 200 yards. For that kind of performance, you are going to have to pay more.

The Bushnell rep was right, by the way. You are definitely not going to find a better scope for $300. The Legend is easily the best scope I have tested at that price. In spotting scopes, you get exactly what you pay for. To get significantly better than the Legend, you are going to be quickly in the $500-700 price range.
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