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Best spotting scope for around a $1000???

alpha6164

Full Member
Full Member
Minuteman
Oct 3, 2008
973
30
Jacksonville, FL
I am looking for a spotter for spotting 30cal holes at 600+ yards on Shoot N See targets to make it easier. With my NF 22x i can resolve 30caliber holes at 300 yards easily a little farther with ShootN See target but not much farther than that. I have been looking at the Pentax PF80 with the XW10 eye piece which will give a 50x magnification and the Pentax along with the XW line of eye pieces have gotten great reviews. I was wondering if there are any scopes in the $1000 range that can resolve 30 caliber holes lets say at 800 yards on Shoot N See targets?
 
Re: Best spotting scope for around a $1000???

in my opinion you are asking for a lot for that price range. If it is a good day with little mirage you can see the holes in the shoot and see at 600 but on a heavy mirage day that gets really difficult. At certain ranges that is why I like shooting steel so I can hear the hits. Heavy magnification can be your worst enemy on hot days and lots of magnification. What you are looking at doing can be done for 600 yards but for 800 I think that is too much to ask. That is why there are pits for matches so someone can show you on a target where you hit. You can see that easily but actual holes are really difficult. I have a Vortex Razor HD Spotter and even on heavy mirage days seeing the 350 yards can be difficult but doable.
 
Re: Best spotting scope for around a $1000???

This topic has been surfacing more and more lately. Consistently being able to resolve .30cal holes at 600yds on any target (shoot and see type targets or otherwise) isn't easy and actually can be difficult even with the high-end spotters. It isn't necessarily the scopes themselves that are the problem in terms of the quality of the glass, but instead it comes down to atmospheric conditions, lighting conditions, the stabiity of the tripod or stand the scope is mounted on, etc.

Here are a couple good links re: this same topic in the 500yd range and some similar spotter discussions. Have a read:

http://www.6mmbr.com/spotterreview.html (author trying to resolve 6mm bullet holes in paper...carefully read his results with the given spotters)

http://www.snipershide.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=2039420

http://www.snipershide.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=2041479

FWIW, I have the Pentax PF80EDA along with the zoom (20-60x) eyepiece as well as a fixed, wide angle 37x eyepiece. It does an excellent job of spotting bullet holes on SnS targets out to around 600yds on a really good day, but I would say that it only does it maybe half of the time or so. An excellent spotter by all standards, but you have to be careful how much you are asking out of your gear.

If you really want a quality image of your targets at extended ranges, think hard and long about a wireless/wi-fi type spotting system.

Good luck!!
 
Re: Best spotting scope for around a $1000???

I think it will more have to do with what the conditions are you are shooting/observing in. On a overcast day, I can see bullet holes with my cheap spotting scope. On a hot as hell day with a no clouds and a lot of mirage, there isn't much of anything that is going to help you, unless you higher off the ground.
 
Re: Best spotting scope for around a $1000???

I was in the same boat as you, but only looking to go out 200 - 300 yds. After much reading, asking questions, etc., I opted for the Vortex Razor HD also. For the price, it's hard to beat unless you want to spend double the money or more.
 
Re: Best spotting scope for around a $1000???

Being that you're in Florida, your chances of a cool day are slim. These fellas are correct about resolution with mirage.
I have the 10mm XW fixed eyepiece on the angled version of the Pentax PF-80ED (52x). I can, on a perfect day acquire a good reading at the 550yd range with 6.5mm bullets. Anything smaller and any condition worse it's a tough read.
The outfit is, subjectively of course, a great pick in my opinion. But take the words above as gospel. You can't and won't beat the weather conditions with any glass. You are at the mercy of your environment.
 
Re: Best spotting scope for around a $1000???

I would probably opt for the XW14, which would give you 36x magnification. It'll be brighter, provide a wider FOV, and you won't be battling mirage like you would the XW10.

Another consideration would be the XW20. Gotta love that wide FOV and bright image.
 
Re: Best spotting scope for around a $1000???

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Black Majik</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I would probably opt for the XW14, which would give you 36x magnification. It'll be brighter, provide a wider FOV, and you won't be battling mirage like you would the XW10.</div></div>

This is the exact eyepiece I went with for my fixed lens as I stated above for the same reasons Black Majik gave you. While the zoom eyepieces give you some additional flexibility and obviously more magnification, they don't have the optical advantages of the fixed, wide-angle lenses...particularly when the weather/environment isn't cooperating. With the XW 14, you actually get 36x magnification with the 80mm straight spotters and 37x with the angled spotters, but most importantly, you get a clearer, brighter optic compared with the zoom and high-powered fixed lenses and one that will be a little more "resistant" to less than ideal conditions on the range or in the field.
 
You wouldn't find one new at $1,000, but the Meopta line used would be about that much. Meopta makes Nightforce's spotting scopes (and only their spotting scopes, to my knowledge). No reticle, of course, but the glass was good. I had one and sold it for just over $1,000 and it was essentially perfect. Hope that helps.
 
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  • Dual Focus: Dual focus has dual speed focus knobs that offer both faster and finer focus adjustment
  • Rotating Ring: Rotating Ring allows you to rotate the scope around tripod supporting ring into the most comfortable and convenient angle for observation