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Best spotting scope for $1,000 or less
- Thread starter Stoweit
- Start date
Spotting at the range 100-1000 yards.
current spotting scope 20-60 Athlon, can't remember the name, maybe 400-500 range new. It's okay but not the highest quality image.
current spotting scope 20-60 Athlon, can't remember the name, maybe 400-500 range new. It's okay but not the highest quality image.
I have a Leupold Gold Ring 12-40x60 with the MOA reticle and l’m very happy with it. Glass is clear, it’s a fairly small package and the reticle is easy to read.
There are three reticles available in this scope, two mil and one MOA. They are a little out of your price range, however I would suggest saving more to purchase one. You can find them new for around $1400 or watch for a used one. Sometimes one will come up on here and also on EBay. I think you would be very happy with one.
I’ve learned that buy once, cry once lesson the expensive way.
If you want a mil reticle look at Leupold # 120373
www.leupold.com
There are three reticles available in this scope, two mil and one MOA. They are a little out of your price range, however I would suggest saving more to purchase one. You can find them new for around $1400 or watch for a used one. Sometimes one will come up on here and also on EBay. I think you would be very happy with one.
I’ve learned that buy once, cry once lesson the expensive way.
If you want a mil reticle look at Leupold # 120373
GR 12-40x60mm HD Impact
Proven performance, outstanding HD image quality, a wide field of view, and a compact 12-40x60mm size; our Gold Ring® HD spotting scopes have it all. High-definition performance provide sharper details at maximum magnification, while Leupold's unique Folded Light Path System uses lighter mirrors...
www.leupold.com
That’s a pretty good option
The Cronus spotter with a reticle is about 1000$ and is supposed to be pretty good.
For me the 500-1000$ range is kinda something I plan on skipping.
My legend T does quite well and if I was going to upgrade it would be a mark 4 or similar at the minimum.
Honestly, contact Doug at Camerland. You won't go wrong.
Around a $1000 the leupold golden ring hd would be tough to beat. You can find demos for close to a $1000, used for $7-800 & it has the crystal clear hd glass. You can also get a reticle installed. The optics are better than the mk4 or the razor hd. Also the razor hd used or a gen 1 depending on size or used would be good. The bushnell ffp spotter is a good one for the $$ for around $450, not the best but it’s surprisingly good for the money. The Pentax ED 20-60x80 would be really nice too. The Pentax ED is made in Japan with using Japanese ED glass & it can use telescope eyepieces. The golden ring hd spotter or the Pentax ED 20-60x80mm would be my choice for the $1000 range. For a little more you can get the nikon monarch ed 20-60x82 with sport optics discount code it’s close to $1400. I haven’t seen the leupold sx5 hd 27-55x80 but I think it uses the same glass in vx5/6HD & mk5hd. I’ve seen sx5 hd demos at eurooptic for $1400.
Theres also the APM ED 25-75x95mm. This would probably be the brightest & most powerful in the $1000 price range. It can also use Swarovski ats eyepieces. Also has an adapter for astronomical eyepieces that can get you a wide flat field or a higher power. The ability to use higher end eyepieces gives a big advantage, just ask anyone who upgraded from a 20-60x to a 25-60x prominar eyepiece in the kowa 88mm. It’s a Chinese made scope but there’s lots of good Chinese made scopes now like athlon & razor hd spotters. Knowing how Markus ludes is about quality he probably inspects every optic he sells with the APM name on it. APM is tough to beat for the $$ & I think these go for $975 with a 25-75x APM eyepiece or $1400 with a 20-60 or 25-50x wide field Swarovski eyepiece
Optics - SOLD Leupold Gold Ring HD Spotting Scope
Up for sale is my Gold Ring HD Spotting Scope. Mag range is 12-40X60mm Included are the original cover as well as a Triad Tactical cover with ARD and normal cover, ARD is included. Glass is clear and it spots well in a compact package. I’m moving to something else so it has to go. Also willing...
www.snipershide.com
I would buy a demo or used golden ring hd spotter if budget is around $1000 or a new for $1200-1300. Golden ring hd gas better optics than vortex razor or athlon Cronus. Gold ring hd is high quality Japanese ED glass vs vortex/athlon Chinese ED glass. You also have the option of having a reticle installed. Better construction, better glass, & great warranty/customer service.
Who installs reticle's in Leupolds besides leupold? I spoke to them the other day and they stopped doing this service.
Really I didn’t know that. The leupold custom shop still shows available reticle install. I would call the custom shop to confirm. Even without the reticle it’s a really nice spotter
I agree. Also the Pentax 80ED which is made in Japan. With high end eyepieces it gives a lot more versatility like going to 100x or wide flat field vision. Another overlooked spotter is the apm 95mm ED that also has an astronomical eyepiece adapter plus it can use Swarovski zoom eyepieces out of the box or ordered together.
I got a USO "Observation Scope" and it's 20-40x, built like a tank, front focal ring, good glass, FFP GAP reticle so it matches the reticle in two scopes I have, only drawback? Absolute piss for FOV. But what can you expect in what is essentially a stripped down scope in a fixed mount? It was built for a USMC contract some time back and the FOV wasn't an issue apparently. Anyway, $600 for the USO scope and along with my $400 10km LRF I picked up and a $126 Sirui 'pod I got from Doug at Cameraland, this $1126 (already had NV junk, mounts custom made by members, they aren't available) observation and spotting rig ain't too bad, it gets the job done for sure.
Some patience and ingenuity go a long way when a divorce gets in the way of your Hensoldt Spotter 60/PLRF25C dreams:
Some patience and ingenuity go a long way when a divorce gets in the way of your Hensoldt Spotter 60/PLRF25C dreams:
When I spoke to the custom shop on Monday they were not taking any more orders and they stated that they did not have any plans on doing any in the near future
A reticle eyepiece would have to match the focal length of the spotter it was built for so the mils would read true. I don’t know of any 1.25in eyepieces with a mil reticle & I have searched but not found any. The bushnell ffp is an affordable spotter with a reticle. You can buy a golden ring hd with an impact moa from factory. Hopefully leupold will eventually install mil reticles again. The razor has a mil eyepiece, Burris too, & Nikon monarch Ed. Athlon I think might have a ffp spotter. Then you have the swaro str & hiensoldt alpha level scopes. I was thinking about getting a monarch ed with a 30x mil eyepiece or a golden ring hd & doing an install but I guess that’s a no go now
There are three reticle options (1 MOA and 2 Mil) on the Leupold Gold Ring from the factory. You do not need to send it back for installation.
Caterpillardoc. I was just looking at the leupold website & I see some mil reticle options for mk4 & the golden ring hd can be ordered with an impact moa or no reticle. Do you have to call them & order that way. I checked a few other optics sites & don’t see any mil reticle golden ring hd options
I called the other day just to see the cost to put a reticle in a used 12-40x60mm golden ring. I would rather have one myself with a reticle in it already, but if I could pick up one without at a good price, I was going to get one swapped in. I think I am just going to wait a little longer and pick up one with it.
Yeah I called the custom shop today to see what’s going on with the reticle install situation. They won’t be doing any while they are restructuring their shop. I asked if eventually they would start doing them again after the restructuring & he said they are not sure if they will or won’t be installing reticles after the restructuring is done. If enough people call about it they probably will. I have a bushnell with a ffp & it’s ok but I would love to have the golden ring hd with a mil reticle but I would still probably get one without it. I’m also thinking about the Nikon monarch ED since you can get one with a fixed 30x eyepiece. One of my uncles has a kowa 88mm & its the best I’ve ever seen, the only other spotter I’ve seen close to it is the swaro atx 95. If kowa made a reticle eyepiece I would have to figure a way to get one. The smaller golden ring hd has great optics too probably close to the meopta s2 & not quite as good as the kowa or swaro 95mm & better than the razor. For the $$ the golden ring hd is tough to beat.
I think eurooptic has a demo golden ring hd for $1099 that’s pretty good. You might call Doug at cameralnd & see what he can do. Eurooptic also has a sx5hd 27-55x80 demo for $1399. I’ve been thinking about buying one too or a Nikon monarch ED with a 30x mil eyepiece. I want to check out sx5hd, I think sportsman’s warehouse has some & they will take you outside to look at them. I haven’t been able to get my hands on the Nikon yet, I’ve heard it’s really nice. The birdforum guys say it’s the best in its price range but it would have to be really good to beat the golden ring hd. It’s too bad leupold doesn’t make a 80-95mm golden ring hd with a mil reticle. I hope leupold reads this forum. We need a 15-20x56mm binocular with mil reticle & golden ring hd optics along with 80-95mm HD mil reticle spotting scope
I have a Gold Ring with the Impact MOA reticle. Leupold’s item number is 120373. I ordered it on line a couple years ago, don’t remember where. I paid around $1200 new in the box. I’m seeing these on line for $1400 now. I did buy mine during a Black Friday sale with a pretty good discount.
You are correct on available reticles in the GR, they have either no reticle or the Impact MOA reticle. My bad, I should have looked on Leupold’s website before posting that info. I apologize for causing confusion.
You can get the Mark 4 with a Mil reticle. Leupold’s item number 60040 for the TMR and 53756 Mil dot. You can find these on line if you search using Leupold and the item number. It looks like these are running around $1700.
I have a friend who has the Mark 4 and comparing the glass on it to my GR, I think the GR is slightly better with the HD glass.
Both these cost more than you wanted to spend, however I believe you would be more than happy with either. I’ve learned to buy once, cry once. It’s less expensive in the long term and I end up with equipment that I’m happy with.
I think the cost thing was what the op was looking for the best spotter around $1000. I’m willing to spend more. I’ve had some time behind the mk4 & the golden ring HD. Only difference is the ED glass but to me it’s worth getting the hd. The HD corrects ca much better, seems to focus easier too, brighter, & more clear at higher power. The razor hd, athlon, Nikon Monarch ED, sx5hd, or the golden ring hd would all be a good choice & not cost too much. I’m going to try to look at all of them & pick the one I think is best. The Nikon monarch ED I hear is really nice + it has a mil reticle eyepiece. So now I’m thinking the Nikon might be best for what I want, then the golden ring hd or maybe sx5hd. I have a mk5hd 56mm & it has good ED glass so if the sx5hd has the same glass it might make a really good choice. Any of those will be better than my bushnell ffp which is good for $$.
The only problem I see is I refuse to give the Chinese any of my money.
Sorry to shit on your post but nothing good comes out of China PERIOD.
I agree. I buy American when I can but you can’t buy all American. There’s too much stuff we don’t make that China does. We don’t make any cheap optics or a lot of car parts. You don’t how many times I wish we still made parts for my 72 c10. Ive gone through 2 or 3 shitty Chinese door latches but there aren’t any American made 72 c10 latches & my door still doesn’t shut right. I’m going to have to find an original. I said the leupold golden ring HD would be my 1st choice not the APM which is a German company that has some optics made in China like every optics company we all buy from even leupold has Chinese stuff. I said the APM is overlooked because it’s an astronomy company but it is a very good spotter. One of the astronomy club guys has one & I was impressed with it. Your right, I’ve always said Japanese Ed Glass over Chinese.
