i will try to make some time to do that. i still have to save up a little more money to buy anyways so it would definitely be help to loom through different binos
which spotting scope?
- Thread starter Hunterfisher
- Start date
I have the Santium angled spotter. For the money, they are pretty darn good. Not Leica/Swaro, but not far behind.
Fred,
I love my 10x42 Swaro's and there's no argument what's better, but Vortex are very good for someone that doesn't have an extra 3 grand laying around.........
Hunter...do you wanna look at stuff...or actually kill stuff? I mean ..you gotta see um to kill um.... But You gotta kill um after you see um..good start though....many a mammal have met there maker to the inexpensive Bushnell ... Weaver..tasco...barska.....as well as the high end ..Lieca .swaro..Zeiss..Kahles stuff .....use them properly ..and use them often...there you will find Shangri-la....and hopefully fill your freezer....often.
Snake Charmer
Happiness is a warm gut pile
S
Steve, Vortex is good for sure but....With respect my first sentence in my response was -" what is your budget ? " I'll leave it at that, I am trying to point out as in my second sentence "good glass is not cheap and cheap glass is not good". I also offered that there are is used high end glass available if you shop and that is where I found my 15x Swaro's . In the end it's just gear and its the user that makes the difference , But.. the better the user is paired with good gear the more successful they are.Fred,
I love my 10x42 Swaro's and there's no argument what's better, but Vortex are very good for someone that doesn't have an extra 3 grand laying around.........
View attachment 56863
To expound on that, do it in low light conditions. Separates the men from the boys.
Did a ton of research and ended up with Vortex Razor HD angled 22-48x65. The spotting scope is awesome. Had a different scope 60 power before but not needed and those are bigger/heavier and ended up getting rid of it. If you wanted to shave a few hundred bucks off, the Viper in the 15-45x65 is damn close to the Razor and an excellent value. My binos are fine much of the time but that extra high quality magnification of a spotting scope really comes in handy. When you leave D16 and start getting out to Wyoming and Idaho and similar areas you’ll likely want some quality magnification that a spotting scope offers. And yes, budget is a variable on my end and part of the selection process.
Good luck and keep us posted on your decision!
I used barska for years, $20 off Craigslist, and then moved to a pair of vortex. When I jumped brands I could see a big difference in quality, like getting a 4k tv, also in the light gathering with the barskas I was out of the game 30 minutes before the sun set. I have never looked through the really high end glass so can’t comment, but if they produce the same wow factor as my last jump may be worth it, but all of them only as good as the mount at high magnification IMO.
I like my Nikon spotting scope, it's a great scope. Neighbor gave it to me after I put a 220 volt service in his garage. His Uncle passed and he ended up with it. Now it's mine. Price can't be beat. Came with tripod.
Fred,
I love my 10x42 Swaro's and there's no argument what's better, but Vortex are very good for someone that doesn't have an extra 3 grand laying around.........
View attachment 56863
Yeah, this is what I was thinking. If his current 10x binos *almost* get the job done then he does not need to go full tilt with a huge spotter or $2K+ glass.
That said it's hard to argue against quality glass. Although, more of my money would go towards the binos if that were the case, not the spotter.
In my opinion the Kowa 553 / 554 is the best small spotter you can buy. Only 28 oz (less than my binos) and has glass that outperforms swaros new ATC.
I picked up mine used for $1200 last year.
I picked up mine used for $1200 last year.
I know a guy (Bert) who had an old pair of Bushnell binos with one broken side (and he had a cheesy spotter, cloudy as heck). This guy could spot game like knowbody else.
Good glass is ultra important, unless you are Bert!
Good glass is ultra important, unless you are Bert!
Oh man I would like to see a side x side comparison on this one. That new ATC looks awesome.
exo other company is an archery shop that also sells Kowa. But ya I would like to put them both to the test. I have heard great things about the Kowa
Yep, for anyone who is interested see link below. I really like my Kowa 883 and 553, I just wish they had the swaro armor.
thanks everyone for your suggestions. i’ve got a lot to think about. i think i like what sprig was saying though about just getting bigger binos even though i said i didn’t want them at first. i can always get a bigger spotter later if i need more power. i’ll let you guys know what i end up getting.
If you want, I have a Vortex bino doubler I'll sell you. It goes on one side of your binos and 2x the magnification. It won't be as good as a true spotter or 20x binoculars but it works well, enough to tell a buck from a doe. Let me know. I think it was $170ish so I'd sell for half of that.
Snake Charmer
Happiness is a warm gut pile
You forget to mention that when he used his binos he would hold the only good bino lense tunnel to one eye since that was the only one that worked and when he used the spotter he had no tripod so he would lean against the fender of the Ford ranger or Jeep he was driving and hold the spotter up freehand with no brace. ( sometimes he would lean over the hood and use his elbows with the spotter when the game was over a 1000 yards or further)