I need a spotter and need some help!

[cypriss32]

Im looking to a reasonable amount of money on a spotter (to me that's UNDER $2250.00). I am looking for good glass, a mil retical, and good quality.

Some choices I have come up with:

USO Spotter

The mark 4 spotters, 12-40 and 20-60x80 (it would be used @ 2k)

Vortex Razer HD 20-60 with extra eye piece

Is there any other options someone can recommend for me?

 

[hondo1312]

The USO is a field observation scope, not a spotting scope. I tried to use one as a spotting scope, and it was horrible. I would highly advise against this one as a dedicated spotting scope.

I've used the vortex with the mil-reticle eyepiece; the glass is excellent, but I found it hard to spot trace all the time with the fixed 30x eyepiece. Trace seems to be most visible (to me, anyway) at around 20x.

I currently use a Nikon ED 25-75x82 for spotting hits on paper out to 600 yards when I shoot solo, and just purchased a Mark 4 12-40 TMR for when I'm spotting by trace for other shooters.

 

[pinzmann]

Vortex Razor HD would be my choice. Although I wish the 20-60 eyepiece had the reticle. Although the 30x w/reticle is a fantastic wide angle eyepiece. Another plus is camera adapter for the 20-60 eyepiece. I use mine to capture trace.
The Kowa is a better scope but as far as I know, no reticle eyepiece.

 

[cypriss32]

Im considering buying the Vortex Razer HD 12-48 and the USO spotter for my field uses. Does the mark 4 justify the huge jump in price?

 

[Jon Lester]

If it has to have a ret. Bushnell all the way and 2x on Sunday! For price and value in a reticle FFP spotter the Bushnell Horus combo is untouchable.

 

[cypriss32]

I have a USO spotter I will sell you.

PM sent.......

If it has to have a ret. Bushnell all the way and 2x on Sunday! For price and value in a reticle FFP spotter the Bushnell Horus combo is untouchable.

Do you have the link?

 

[DT1]

Do you have the link?[/QUOTE]

Looks like Euro Optic has demo units on sale right now. Both new and used are within your stated budget. Bushnell Spotting Scopes

 

[Millionaire]

+1 Vortex Razor

 

[Jon Lester]

Link: Call Euro, you wont regret it.

Bushnell 780841H Elite 8-40x60 LMSS Spotting Scope for sale!

 

[Jon Lester]

Crappy cell pic through one with the 8 yr old rocking steel


She took the 300 win mag to 700yds for the first time when she was 7. Cell phone through the Bushnell.

 

[Six Feet Under]

The only thing that sucks about the razor is that it is not FFP.. I don't know why they wont make that in a FFP model with an EBR-2B recicle.. Everyone has their own opinion though. I bought a mk4 and love it so far.. I bet the bushnell tac is nice too.

 

[avidflyer]

I would not buy the Mark 4, got a new TMR last week, and it really sucks....In side of 300 yards we (several) shooters could not get the TMR RETICLE to focus clearly. The target was clear...I think it's because of a lack of diopter, even looking at a featureless wall or sky it's not clear. I called leupold last week about it and was number 28 in queue. Hope that doesn't mean anything. The engineer I spoke with said they never put a diopter in the eye piece because it has a fixed parallax of greater then 600, and the military has never had any issues. I'll do a full post with detail later today

 

[Six Feet Under]

Avid,
That sucks man.. I haven't had any problems with mine so far. I would be mad too. It's a lot of money to spend. I would be all over a razor if they were ffp

 

[anarchist]

I have a Leupold MK4 with TMR 12-40x60. No complaints. I like the FFP reticle. These are so prevalent that there are a number of aftermarket covers for them. Triad makes a nice one that has a replacement objective lens cover that will accommodate the ARD. I've got the Ashbury Precision Ordinance tripod kit with the hard case designed for the MK4. The only thing this spotter is lacking is lens covers.

 

[steves1911]

I'm in the same situation as Cypriss. I was thinking about the Razor 85 and adding a Leica 1600B? Really like the Kowa 883 or Nightforce, but I could get the Razor and Leica for the same price! Cant really tell about the quality of glass on the Bushnell spotter.

 

[sniper40]

I was a Captain in The Navy Seal Teams for 30 years as a sniper and spotter, where do you live? contact; [email protected] be I can hook you up...JD

 

[delixe]

Avid,
That sucks man.. I haven't had any problems with mine so far. I would be mad too. It's a lot of money to spend. I would be all over a razor if they were ffp

The Razor eyepiece with reticle is fixed magnification.
What does it matter which focal plane the reticle is on, since it subtends correctly at its fixed magnification?

 

[Six Feet Under]

It's a matter of opinion, but I don't want to be stuck at 30x to range or make calls. For me , I want the reticle to be On at whatever magnification I'm at. There is to much going on with weather/ time of day/ mirage etc... to be stuck at a certain magnification. ( in my opinion). For me- it's FFP or I don't want it. But that's my opinion and there are way, way, way more skilled shooters out there than me. I love vortex's products.. Just wish they made a spotter like the mk4 or bushnell tac. A vortex FFP razor spotter with EBR-2B reticle would be bad ass. In my opinion. But I'm nobody.

 

[delixe]

It's a matter of opinion, but I don't want to be stuck at 30x to range or make calls. For me , I want the reticle to be On at whatever magnification I'm at. There is to much going on with weather/ time of day/ mirage etc... to be stuck at a certain magnification. ( in my opinion). For me- it's FFP or I don't want it. But that's my opinion and there are way, way, way more skilled shooters out there than me. I love vortex's products.. Just wish they made a spotter like the mk4 or bushnell tac. A vortex FFP razor spotter with EBR-2B reticle would be bad ass. In my opinion. But I'm nobody.

I get it now, you want a variable mag with an FFP reticle.
Very few spotters like that out there.
My guess is that the first focal plane is inside the scope body, not the eyepiece... which is supported by the fact that all the variable mag spotters with FFP reticles do not have interchangeable eyepieces.
Conversely, all the reticled eyepieces for spotters that accommodate interchangeable eyepieces are fixed mag.

The Razor eyepieces (like any bayonet mount eyepieces) are easy enough to swap in the field.
The Razor 20-60x85 is pretty hard to fault being as it delivers at least 95% of the performance of the best spotters out there at half the price AND a mil reticle can be had for $200 shipped from Liberty Optics.

 

[delixe]

I'm in the same situation as Cypriss. I was thinking about the Razor 85 and adding a Leica 1600B? Really like the Kowa 883 or Nightforce, but I could get the Razor and Leica for the same price! Cant really tell about the quality of glass on the Bushnell spotter.

I've read a few reviews on the Bushnell spotter and the consensus is the glass is good but not great. My guess is it's the same glass and coatings as their ET scopes, which have good but not great glass (and I'm a fan of the ETs, I always own at least a couple of them).

I've used them side by side, and the Razor is in the same league as the Kowa. The Leica LRF is really nice, too. I'd have the exact same combo if a dealer had not found me a great deal on a Zeiss 85 spotter, so I sold the Razor (still have the 1600B). Before I shipped the Razor, I tesed them side by side and the Razor gave up nothing to the Zeiss with the tests I ran. As for a more practical test, I could clearly see 6.5mm holes at 400 yards on an overcast day with the Razor and could even see the staples on the targets (just like with the Zeiss and the Kowa).

 

[TahoeRider]

cypriss...have you considered one of our TargetCam systems? You'll be able to see shots on target at any range you set it at.

 

[NoLegs24]

I had MK4 Spotter with H-32. The glass is great on the Mk4. I sold it since I have a Hensoldt Spotter 45. You will not regret getting the Mk4 IMO. You can add a bunch of mounting accessories on it with either APO products or Cadex defense surveillance kits