Re: Spotting scope for 1+ mile shooting/observation.
I have:
85mm Zeis diascope w/ zoom eyepiece to 60X,
US Optics field scope w/ built in PCMOA reticle that zooms to 45X, and
run a US Optics SN3 5-25X w/ Custom reticle on my tactical 7 WSM.
I shoot armor plate steel (painted bright white) to 1,800 yards frequently in the Nevada desert (with 7WSM, .284 Shehane, and 338LM), and can see bullet strikes on steel with all of the observation devices including the rifle scope. Granted I shoot early in the day with fairly limited mirage, but the grey mark is readily visible without needing the magnification of a spotter. At that distance I can and do spot my own shots, as it takes the bullet a long time to cover the distance.
I also have a remote wireless camera set up that my brother and I developed to see exactly where the near misses are hitting as it can be tough at distance to see that you are hitting just short versus just long on a target that is 1.0 MOA wide and 1.5 MOA tall at 1,800 yards.
Jeffvn