I am completely new to the observation device world. I have some high end riflescopes, and am familiar with what you get for the money and where the point of diminishing returns tends to be with them. I also understand the "buy once, cry one" and "you get what you pay for" sentiments when it comes to gear in general. With that being said, I need some advice when it comes to entry level binos and spotters.
My wife and I are planning a trip to Yellowstone and the Tetons this summer, and I would like to do some glassing while there. Of course when we get back, I will continue to use whatever glass I get for spotting while shooting. I would like to have both a spotter and a pair of binos, but if I can't get both within my budget, I will settle for having one or the other.
Right now I'm thinking I may be better off just getting a better pair of binoculars for general use than getting a sub par combo of both devices. What would you consider to be a bare minimum quality/price spotting scope? Any spotter will get you a big image, but without good clarity and resolution, it kind of defeats the purpose. Any cheaper models good enough to see paint splatter, hits on painted steel to 1,200 yards?
If I could get both for $1,000 or less I would probably do it, but if I can't get a good enough spotter in that price range, I would probably spend $300-$500 on a set of binos and save for a spotter later. Sorry if these are dumb questions, but like I said, I am a complete noob when it comes to observation stuff. I usually shoot by myself, so getting this kind of gear hasn't been high on my priority list. I just use my rifle scopes as spotters right now, but it would be nice to have one going forward.
My wife and I are planning a trip to Yellowstone and the Tetons this summer, and I would like to do some glassing while there. Of course when we get back, I will continue to use whatever glass I get for spotting while shooting. I would like to have both a spotter and a pair of binos, but if I can't get both within my budget, I will settle for having one or the other.
Right now I'm thinking I may be better off just getting a better pair of binoculars for general use than getting a sub par combo of both devices. What would you consider to be a bare minimum quality/price spotting scope? Any spotter will get you a big image, but without good clarity and resolution, it kind of defeats the purpose. Any cheaper models good enough to see paint splatter, hits on painted steel to 1,200 yards?
If I could get both for $1,000 or less I would probably do it, but if I can't get a good enough spotter in that price range, I would probably spend $300-$500 on a set of binos and save for a spotter later. Sorry if these are dumb questions, but like I said, I am a complete noob when it comes to observation stuff. I usually shoot by myself, so getting this kind of gear hasn't been high on my priority list. I just use my rifle scopes as spotters right now, but it would be nice to have one going forward.
