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Binos or Spotting Scope on tripod - PRS shooting.

depending on quality 10x is plenty to spot targets and usually enough to spot misses. If i were to bring 1 thing to a match I would chose my 10x42 leica binos over my Swaro spotter. Spotter is great but the binos are faster, better field of view, and unless you are 1000+ you can usually spot misses as well with them.

I could be talked into 12x50 or maybe 15x50 but again I would want quality glass first over magnification.
Does a spotter (typical 12-45 mag range) really perform that much more past a 1000 over binos? I only ask because I was recently swayed to use a camera system instead of spotter due to mirage making the magnification range useless to spot hits/holes. I guess steel is another animal, perhaps?
 
I wouldn't go in with anything less than 15x personally. no reason not to go 15-18x with your budget.

meostars, and the new razor UHDs can both be had for your budget through Hide vendors.


haven't seen it mentioned but a big reason a lot of guys use binos is because they are 10x more comfortable to look through all day. Squinting one eye through a spotter for hours on end will certainly give one a big headache - it sucks.
 
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I’ve looked through the swaros the vortex and the meopta meostar HD side by side...all 15x...i bought the meoptas...call Doug at camera land he will get you taken care of and in your budget.
Doug is a solid guy.
 
I just bought the Cronus 15*56 binos and looking forward to getting to try them out. They have gotten good reviews for their price range, but if you have the money.. swaro 15x are awesome
 
I picked up a Meopta Meostar HD 10x42 from Doug at Cameraland it has become one of my favorite pieces of gear. The very first outing my brother and I did 90% of the spotting/calling for our squad. Ultra clear and calling out to 1200 was no problem.
 
I picked up a Meopta Meostar HD 10x42 from Doug at Cameraland it has become one of my favorite pieces of gear. The very first outing my brother and I did 90% of the spotting/calling for our squad. Ultra clear and calling out to 1200 was no problem.
May give those a try, about to join a place that goes to 1,250. I'm also looking at target cameras since I tend to shoot by myself.
 
I would go no less than 15x and you better have a solid tripod to use or they are pretty well worthless in the wind no matter what you get
 
I used to haul a spotter around and switched to the Bushnell Forge 15x. They are perfect for matches IMHO. For the $ you cannot beat them. I have seen high dollar glass tip over on tripods due to the wind or people tripping on tripod legs to bring swaros or equivalent to a match.
 
With all of the suggestions on this thread, I was surprised not to see the Vortex Kaibab 18x56. I recently got the opportunity to look through a set at a match and it completely sold me on binocs for a spotter. Admittedly, I don’t have the experience looking through glass that many on here do.
 
Love my Leicas. 10x has been plenty for target ID and observation out to 1400ish. Not to mention occasionally verifying the range to target.

I've been playing with other folks stuff at matches, have yet to see glass or an RF I'd rather have but I suspect the RF technology will eventually force an upgrade.
 
With all of the suggestions on this thread, I was surprised not to see the Vortex Kaibab 18x56. I recently got the opportunity to look through a set at a match and it completely sold me on binocs for a spotter. Admittedly, I don’t have the experience looking through glass that many on here do.


I've been thinking about the Kaibab as an option.

I think it's between the Vortex Kaibab 18-56 and the Steiner HX 15-56. I can get them for around $550 to $650.
 
I picked up a Meopta Meostar HD 10x42 from Doug at Cameraland it has become one of my favorite pieces of gear. The very first outing my brother and I did 90% of the spotting/calling for our squad. Ultra clear and calling out to 1200 was no problem.
Is this the same Camera Land you are referring to....https://cameralandny.com/
 
I absolutely love my Meopta Meostar 15x56 bins. Having fondled every spotting scope and bino set I could find at the last match, I have come to the conclusion that for PRS type matches, binos are by far the best way to spot for wind/target ID. Solely having an optic on a target to identify hits, I can see a spotting scope, but ideally if you’re competing, you should be looking at a lot more than just impacts.

Just my $0.02
 
any thoughts on the Steiner 15x56 HX binos?
i had the steiners...10 power with the reticle...do yourself a favor and get the meoptas...the only place the swaros are better is in real low light.


There's a pretty significant difference between the Steiner T1042r which is a 10x42, versus the Steiner HX 15x56. The Tactical series is good glass in an extremely durable design. A very rugged optic for mil/leo usage. The HX series is a step up optically. An excellent representation of a quality German made optic.
 
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There's a pretty significant difference between the Steiner T1042r which is a 10x42, versus the Steiner HX 15x56. The Tactical series is good glass in an extremely durable design. A very rugged optic for mil/leo usage. The HX series is a step up optically. An excellent representation of a quality German made optic.

id love to look through my meoptas and the steiners side by side.
 
Besides the Steiner, any others with reticle? While I don't want to go nuts on price, I'd pay up for good one. I was already resigned to the idea of paying several thousand on a spotter, so it's relatively cheap on comparison.

The most experience I have was on a Leupold, a Mark IV I believe. It was 12-45 and had the mil grid in lower lens. Never turned it above 20x and that was at 1250, mostly stayed below 15x. If I could match that experience without juggling which eye I was using (how I got around the headache part), I'd do it.