Spotters Spotter with zoom-able reticle, sub $2k?

[sam4886]

I'm looking to upgrade my spotting scope to something with a mil reticle. What's out there in the below $2k market?

I've got a SIG Oscar 8 now and, in terms of glass, it seems good to me. Its the best one I've owned or spent much time behind, but I don't know what I'm missing with the real alpha stuff, not that the budget allows that anyway.

Leupold Mark 4
Athlon Cronus tactical
...anything else?

The consensus is that the mk 4 has a bit better glass than the cronus, right?

I know about the vortex and Bushnell with the reticled eye pieces at fixed powers, but I don't wanna be stuck at fixed power or be swapping eye pieces around to use the reticle.

Angled or straight body fine. I want a modern mil reticle, so the old mil dot is out, but the Horus stuff is too busy for my liking.

I know this has been discussed but I couldn't find any real recent discussion on sub $2k options.

 

[opeagle]

I do not have experience with the Cronus, but I have the MK4. IMO, Until you spend a lot more I think that’s about the best choice. I have the TMR and do not feel a tree type reticle give me anything for a spotter.

 

[CrabsandFootball]

Buy Tremor4 Reticle LMSS2 Elite® Tactical - Spotting Scope and More | Bushnell

Shopping for the Tremor4 Reticle LMSS2 Elite® Tactical - Spotting Scope - Learn more about the latest gwp and other hunting or shooting gear at Bushnell.

www.bushnell.com

I have the first version and love it. New ones had ED Prime Glass.

 

[sam4886]

Had, as in discontinued?

Those horus grids are busy as shit, but at least they're in the lower 1/3 ish. I could compromise on that.

 

[CrabsandFootball]

Yea the older version is now discontinued.

These scopes were designed for a SOCOM contract and a number were issued to units. They retailed for about $1500-2000 but the market was never great.

Adorama blew these out for $400 a piece last year and many of us bought them.

The New ones look like similar bodies but have have ED prime glass and better reticles.

Badger makes a rail kit but they are $600+. Bushnell No longer makes the rails for these and I spoke to them last week they have no plan to make more.

I will be machining rails for these in the next couple months, when my other secret project is finished up.

If you can get a military discount, the new LMSS is really hard to beat. These things are build like tanks and made in Japan.

 

[Hollywood 6mm]

I've got a pair of LMSS2s, and they're definitely my favorite spotting scope I have owned.

 

[sam4886]

Not that I've got much experience with other spotters to compare too, but where would you guys put the lmss2 image quality compared to something like a razor HD, mk 4, or that range-ish of spotters?

 

[CrabsandFootball]

Razors Spotters suck, they are made in china, MK4 is 20 year old tech.

LMSS smokes both.

 

[opeagle]

Fist off. It depends on which generation of Razor. They do not suck, at least of the ones I’ve used did not.

The MK4 has indeed been around for a while. For its size and weight, it’s still valid. Yes, additional rails require a solution and that adds expense.

Have you had all three at the same time to compare?

Given that you’ve admitted having a financial interest in the LMSS, I’d think you’d qualify your statement.

Razors Spotters suck, they are made in china, MK4 is 20 year old tech.

LMSS smokes both.

 

[CrabsandFootball]

I have run razor spotters and binos in the past. The very early ones were jap. Decent but still inferior to similar bravo glass.

Vortex theb offshores them to china kept tbe price the same and quaility went down.

Now they have the UHD which are significantly more expensive and i have not gor to run them yet.

I ran the mk4 spotter in the army. Yes its light and glass is decent but its so far behind modern spotters. Really old tech and not durrable like some competing designs.

I have no financial incentive for any of this. With bushnells .mil program the LMSS 2 looks really hard to beat, especially with the reticle choices.

 

[Pvt.Donut]

I have run razor spotters and binos in the past. The very early ones were jap. Decent but still inferior to similar bravo glass.

Vortex theb offshores them to china kept tbe price the same and quaility went down.

Now they have the UHD which are significantly more expensive and i have not gor to run them yet.

I ran the mk4 spotter in the army. Yes its light and glass is decent but its so far behind modern spotters. Really old tech and not durrable like some competing designs.

I have no financial incentive for any of this. With bushnells .mil program the LMSS 2 looks really hard to beat, especially with the reticle choices.

The Razors from generation to generation are the same. They are using the same components the only difference is the country they are assembled in. Quality is the same as the Japanese assembled early Gens.

 

[mahlv]

Minox might check most boxes for ya except retail price. Used/street would put you in the ballpark.

Minox MD 80 ZR w/ Reticle Spotting Scope 62231

Minox MD 80 ZR w/ Reticle Spotting Scope 62231 | Only at EuroOptic.com!

www.eurooptic.com

 

[sam4886]

Minox might check most boxes for ya

MINOX Spektive MD ZR | MD60ZR | 80405436

www.minox.com

Maybe if I found a super deal on a used one, which I'm not against at all, but the reason I hadn't mentioned them before is that they're more like $3500 new.

 

[mahlv]

I was editing while you replied there, but eurooptic.com lists the 80mm at $2950, and the 60mm @ $2335. I have the 80, picked it up in the px here for a good deal and it's definitely worth it.

 

[Baron23]

I don’t care if it’s “old tech”, my mk4 serves me well.

it’s light and compact, seems quite durable to me, and the glass seems well sufficient for anything I can usefully look at w a 20-60 mag scope.

and their mil discount program made it affordable for me.