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1000yd spotting scope for around $500???

Venomgland

Banhammer
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Minuteman
Mar 7, 2019
108
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Don't want to break the bank on one. I'm looking at the Bushnell Legend Ultra HD 20-60x80 (45 degree angle) on amazon for around $460. Anyone have any experience with this one? Will it work or can someone recommend something better for around $500?
 
If you buy used you will apply a factor of 2x-3x to your dollar power. Most optics are in near new condition. You will find a 500.00 scope for 125-250 or a 1500.00 scope for 5-600.
I don't mind buying used. I just need to know what I need that will get the job done.
 
I guess holes in paper, metal plate hits, and misses where they went.

Short of someone pulling targets in the pits and putting up large, off-color pasters, you're not seeing holes in paper with a spotter. You're not going to be fast enough to get off your rifle and on a spotter to see impacts and misses in real time with a spotting scope, either. The only way a spotter is helping you is with either someone else's eyeballs behind it, or using a phoneskope to record the spotter view and play it back.
 
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Once you reach mid level improvements are incremental.
One of the biggest limiting factors in spotting bullet holes is the air you are looking through. Mirage can be tough.
 
Short of someone pulling targets in the pits and putting up large, off-color pasters, you're not seeing holes in paper with a spotter. You're not going to be fast enough to get off your rifle and on a spotter to see impacts and misses in real time with a spotting scope, either. The only way a spotter is helping you is with either someone else's eyeballs behind it, or using a phoneskope to record the spotter view and play it back.
There will be 2 of us. One shooting and the other looking down range.
 
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Once you reach mid level improvements are incremental.
One of the biggest limiting factors in spotting bullet holes is the air you are looking through. Mirage can be tough.
It's going to be a challenge no doubt. The metal targets down the range are only 1'x1'.. We can bring are own targets, but I think they have to be metal. We need to figure out how to make one of those a little bit bigger then the ones provided.
 
There will be 2 of us. One shooting and the other looking down range.

Ok, that's a little different. I've been using a Bushnell Legend T for a while, and it's a great spotter for the money. If you can live without the reticle, the 10x and 15x Bushnell Forge binos also work great for spotting on steel, reading mirage, etc. They also give less eye fatigue if you spend all day on glass. The only time I ever use my spotter now is for filming video, and my 15x Forge binos get used for all spotting duties.
 
Start by self-spotting and having your none-shooting partner use their scopes until you get a bit more experience and know what you are looking for.

The main advantage over a 5-25x scope:

The major benefit that Binos have is FOV, flexibility and use in non-firing periods and especially helpful off range or in a situation that your tying to quickly identify targets.

The advantage of a good spotter *if* it is better quality than your scope, is a bit better mirage detail (wind reading), trace and seeing detail a bit better.. but NOT to the bullet hole level on paper, much past what your 25x scope can see.

For what you are describing I would invest first in my scope - If you are already set, then shoot a few times and try to get behind someones binos and spotter at the range. If you tell someone their spotting gear looks assume and ask if you can take a peak almost every one will be more than eager to help.
 
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How does the T series compare with a Vortex Razor? Just curious. My Razor 11-33 is quite good and was only $450 used, but maybe new prices and higher mag really don't keep these in the same price bracket?
 
How does the T series compare with a Vortex Razor? Just curious. My Razor 11-33 is quite good and was only $450 used, but maybe new prices and higher mag really don't keep these in the same price bracket?
I have had both, good for the money, but really kind target to two different user bases. The razor smaller, lighter best for that light weight hunter, the T better for calling corrections.
 
I have had both, good for the money, but really kind target to two different user bases. The razor smaller, lighter best for that light weight hunter, the T better for calling corrections.
So the T is at least somewhat better optically?

I'm not a hunter - I just got the Vortex Razor because I knew the Razors had good optical quality and the price was reasonable-ish. But if I could basically trade even for the Bushnell and get more mag and better glass, I'll do it.
 
The bushnell has ED glass. Im not going to sit here and tell you that its better glass than the razor, but its good glass for PRS matches and spotting hits/misses for sure, has a reticle, fairly light weight, and is affordable.
 
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I am a vortex sponsored shooter. Whenever my bank account recoups from all the shit ive bought lately, im buying a razor straight 22-48x56 and then buying the reticle eye piece. Until then, im doing just fine with my T series. It just feels weird having vortex on my jersey and im looking through a bushy spotter. In due time, i'll have the razor with the reticle eye piece.
 
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I am a vortex sponsored shooter. Whenever my bank account recoups from all the shit ive bought lately, im buying a razor straight 22-48x56 and then buying the reticle eye piece. Until then, im doing just fine with my T series. It just feels weird having vortex on my jersey and im looking through a bushy spotter. In due time, i'll have the razor with the reticle eye piece.

We had some of the new Bushnell guys going through the same thing - shooting for Bushnell but still had old Vortex gear. Bushnell took care of that problem, though.
 
^They probably have a wee bit higher level of sponsorship status with Bushnell than i do with Vortex. My whole shooting team is sponsored by Vortex. We get a huge discount on any of the products they sell. The spotter i mentioned wont be too expenisve when the time comes, but you dont understand how much money ive spent in the past 2 months. lol. Once my financial feelings aren't hurt anymore, im picking the vortex spotter up.
 
Minox md62 is solid. You can find them for used for 350. Indirectly compared it to the bushnell lmss 8-40 with the h32 and I had multiple people who didn’t know the price difference tell which was better. Everyone except one person picked the minox.
 
^They probably have a wee bit higher level of sponsorship status with Bushnell than i do with Vortex. My whole shooting team is sponsored by Vortex. We get a huge discount on any of the products they sell. The spotter i mentioned wont be too expenisve when the time comes, but you dont understand how much money ive spent in the past 2 months. lol. Once my financial feelings aren't hurt anymore, im picking the vortex spotter up.

Yeah, there's a big difference in shooting for Team A that's sponsored by a specific brand, and shooting for that company's official team. Both of the guys I mentioned are shooting directly for Bushnell, so they got taken care of.
 
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^yea, that aint my situation. LoL. I dont deserve that kind of sponsorship. Im primarily sponsored b/c im a fun guy to shoot with and try to be a good ambassador for the companies, not b/c im on any podium on sundays.. thats for damn sure.
 
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^yea, that aint my situation. LoL. I dont deserve that kind of sponsorship. Im primarily sponsored b/c im a fun guy to shoot with and try to be a good ambassador for the companies, not b/c im on any podium on sundays.. thats for damn sure.

Everyone on Team Bushnell is on the team for the highlighted reasons. Match performance barely registers in terms of importance when we look at people to add when there are spots available. I know a few other sponsors and teams that do it that way, and *ALL* of my personal sponsors handle it that way.

Edit: Sorry for the thread derail. Back to your regularly scheduled programming. OP - if you have any questions on the Bushnell offerings, lemme know.
 
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I have no problem seeing bullet splashes out to 1k with my Bushnell Legend T. Are there better yep but for the price and what I use it for, its ideal. If I was counting points and legal game, nope. At last years boomer shoot 375 out to 880 yards and side to side with buds Vortex, he was disappointed. Even another shooter group came over to check it out. one said he was going to pick one up.

 
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Another vote for Bushy Legend T. Punches way over their price. It is what I use. Edges kinda suffer, but the center is nice and clear. Reticle is nice.
 
spotter-60-masterrace.jpg
 
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Look for used Kowas on the high power shooting forums.
I run old Kowa 612 with a 27x LER eyepiece I bought here on the ‘hide years and years ago for under $400. Did great for match spotting (anybody that shot the old AZ TPRC’s will remember me on it) and is still in service hunting Coues deer.
 
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Look very hard at the Athlon Chronus 15x binos. I got to use Jim Gilliland’s Swaros at a match and was blown away. There was every kind of spotter on earth there but I kept going back to the binos. I could follow the trace all the way to the target, which helped confirm the direction of misses. I bought the Athlons to try and they are an EXTREME value. They’re not Swarovski, but they’re sure as heck not $2600 worse.