When to Upgrade
- Thread starter Zachappa
- Start date
RE: New rifle:
What type of terrain will you be finding yourself in when hunting? Nice and Open? Or thick and Brushy?
What type of game do you plan to include in your pursuits?
How much optic do you really need for the terrain type and type of game you're going to pursue?
For myself, if I had it to do over again I'd probably go with a .243 Win instead of the .308 Win. I got.
I can do everything I'd do with one, that I can do with the other. And with substantially less recoil, and better selection of rounds I can use later for shooting coyotes.
The .308 Win with Barnes VOR-TX 168gr Barnes TTSX's is quite impressive... but causes quite a bit of bloodshot meat.
I'd most definitely suggest trying the AccuTrigger for yourself though. Man I love that AccuTrigger!
What type of terrain will you be finding yourself in when hunting? Nice and Open? Or thick and Brushy?
What type of game do you plan to include in your pursuits?
How much optic do you really need for the terrain type and type of game you're going to pursue?
For myself, if I had it to do over again I'd probably go with a .243 Win instead of the .308 Win. I got.
I can do everything I'd do with one, that I can do with the other. And with substantially less recoil, and better selection of rounds I can use later for shooting coyotes.
The .308 Win with Barnes VOR-TX 168gr Barnes TTSX's is quite impressive... but causes quite a bit of bloodshot meat.
I'd most definitely suggest trying the AccuTrigger for yourself though. Man I love that AccuTrigger!
You are talking about 2 different tools...
15s are for scanning and glassing animals. A spotter can do this as well, but many people prefer 15s.
A spotter is used by many to judge an animal. You can glass a deer at a mile away with 15s, but you cannot determine if that buck is a 160 or a 185 buck like you can through a spotting scope. The spotter confirms that it is an animal worth chasing.
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So... for guys who bring 15's... don't they pretty much REQUIRE a Tripod to use them properly?
Are they bringing these 15's in addition to a smaller set of Binos? Or do they just commit to using only the 15's for everything?
How does that work?
I'm asking because like I'll carry either 8x or 10x Binos. Using them by hand. 10x if more OpenCountry terrain.
Then if I think I might also want to/need to, I'll bring a Tripod, and possibly my lil 11-33x50mm spotting scope as well.
Are they bringing these 15's in addition to a smaller set of Binos? Or do they just commit to using only the 15's for everything?
How does that work?
I'm asking because like I'll carry either 8x or 10x Binos. Using them by hand. 10x if more OpenCountry terrain.
Then if I think I might also want to/need to, I'll bring a Tripod, and possibly my lil 11-33x50mm spotting scope as well.
I run all my glass off a tripod. I carry 10’s and 15’s all the time in the west. Sometimes a spotter, sometime no. I won’t speak for everyone but I suspect pretty much everyone who is running 15’s is also carrying 10’s . FOV is too small with 15’s for glassing close.
10s and 15s only and I go further than most sane men will.
It really depends on what type of hunting it s.
Tree stand,
Ground blind
Still Hunting
Spot and Stalk.
And the terrain,
Like big pines, chaparral, open country.
Tree stand,
Ground blind
Still Hunting
Spot and Stalk.
And the terrain,
Like big pines, chaparral, open country.
Yeah so far most of my hunting has been Ambush hunting in Chaparral in the CNF from the ground in a carefully selected sit spot. In there I only bring 8's because you have nowhere to use anything stronger. Too thick. Vast sea of Chaparral, and you're just hanging out in spots where it opens up a bit due to Oaks.
Whoo lawdy I feel you on the "further than most sane men will". That's me when trying for Bear in D11.
I usually leave the spotter at home if I’m hunting by myself. But it depends. There are places where I’m glassing from up high on a mtn down into an area maybe a mile away. In this scenario if I find an animal I want to kill I could stash the spotter somewhere and go on my stalk without it, then pick it up on the way back to the truck. If I’m hunting with a partner it’s no big deal to bring the spotter.
And no, I’m not hunting near my vehicle.
I like to switch it up. Close up bow hunt. Short to medium range.
Gets tougher as one gets older.
Gets tougher as one gets older.
Problem with D16 and probably other areas more tags selling out, more Hunting pressure. That's why these fellas be like going in deep. And makes sense. They score.
Spotter would be great but with 15s you pretty much can tell if it’s a big animal or not. I might not be able to count points but I can get an idea of what I am looking at. I am not quite at the counting points trophy level of my hunting carreer. When I use a spotter it is after I find an animal I don’t enjoy glassing with a spotting scope.
This is pretty much my perspective as well. You can get an idea of what the frame looks like on a buck from way out with 15’s, and in SoCal that’s all I really care about. It can be fun to use the spotter to take photos and video or more quickly evaluate something but I mostly use it for scouting or when hunting in pairs just because we can afford the extra weight with two guys. Vast majority of my time hunting solo it stays at home.
Hmmph. One thing I really like about my spotter is that it has a Regular focus wheel, and a fine focus wheel. That fine focus wheel makes a big difference. Plus it's the lil Vortex Razor one so it's only 25oz. And angled eyepiece goes a long way at preventing neck strain. The picture it gives you is like drugs for your brain! Especially now that I have to wear glasses all the time... the image it presents you with is the kind of vivid your brain hasn't experienced for like 20+ years of life so like you kinda just naturally dig on looking thru it. It's that sharp. Realistically though... in my opinion... the usable magnification range on that thing is 11-24. The last bit from 24 to 33 is probably more just for counting tips or something because clarity (and some brightness) really start to drop off, and eye relief starts to diminish quite a bit toward the end.
But I will say I'd have to imagine the larger FOV from some 15's (or bigger) has got to be real nice at distance.
I will say though, I've often thought that if somebody bought the straight eye-piece version of this spotter... I'd have to imagine that'd be the only optic they'd ever really need. On it's lowest setting, it's an incredibly bright and razor sharp 11x Monocular that's not very big and bulky at all. That you could manage by hand. Then... when you need to... onto a tripod and stretching it out!
Ugh... this is dangerous... now you guys have me thinking about 15's!