Spotters Spotting scope recommendations for ~$1500?

[awcmon]

Looking for a spotting scope and honestly, not sure what I should be considering. I've just been using my bud's Leupold 12-40x60mm until now and he's insisting I should get my own.

My budget is probably around $1500, would prefer closer to $1000. Would like a mil reticle. Was looking at the Razor spotting scopes.

 

[LR1845]

Looking for a spotting scope and honestly, not sure what I should be considering. I've just been using my bud's Leupold 12-40x60mm until now and he's insisting I should get my own.

My budget is probably around $1500, would prefer closer to $1000. Would like a mil reticle. Was looking at the Razor spotting scopes.

What are you going to using it for?

 

[TheSunPope]

Looking for a spotting scope and honestly, not sure what I should be considering. I've just been using my bud's Leupold 12-40x60mm until now and he's insisting I should get my own.

My budget is probably around $1500, would prefer closer to $1000. Would like a mil reticle. Was looking at the Razor spotting scopes.

With that budget I'd be looking for a used Leupold Mark 4 12-40x60 personally. You can find them right around $1,000 fairly often if you're patient.

 

[Rob01]

Bushnell has an option to look at also.

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

Shopping for the LMSS2 Elite® Tactical - Spotting Scope - Learn more about the latest Shop All Spotting Scopes and other hunting or shooting gear at Bushnell.

www.bushnell.com

 

[awcmon]

What are you going to using it for?

Spotting shots for my bud or whoever else mostly, so I would like to give corrections in mils. Would also like to see bullet holes at 200 yds just to make zeroing my AR's and whatnot easier, but that's pretty secondary.

With that budget I'd be looking for a used Leupold Mark 4 12-40x60 personally. You can find them right around $1,000 fairly often if you're patient.

Gotcha, I did more reading after posting this and the Mark 4 looks like exactly what I want, including budget. Apparently the Razor turns to fixed magnification if you put the reticle eye piece on it.

Bushnell has an option to look at also.

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

Shopping for the LMSS2 Elite® Tactical - Spotting Scope - Learn more about the latest Shop All Spotting Scopes and other hunting or shooting gear at Bushnell.

www.bushnell.com

Thanks for the pointer. I looked at the PX and when used, it comes into my price range. Any opinions on how it stacks to the Leupold 12-40? My first impression is that the lower minimum magnification looks better for scanning and night vision, but I'm a bit curious how the glass clarity compares.

 

[Rob01]

Thanks for the pointer. I looked at the PX and when used, it comes into my price range. Any opinions on how it stacks to the Leupold 12-40? My first impression is that the lower minimum magnification looks better for scanning and night vision, but I'm a bit curious how the glass clarity compares.

No sorry. I thought they were below your price range. Must have gone up a little. Another one to look at is the Legend Tactical. I see some at matches and have looked through them and they seem pretty nice for the money. I think I saw one for $400 in the PX recently.

Buy Legend Tactical - T-Series Spotting Scope 15-45x60 and More | Bushnell

Shopping for the Legend Tactical - T-Series Spotting Scope 15-45x60 - Learn more about the latest View All Spotting Scopes and other hunting or shooting gear at Bushnell.

www.bushnell.com

 

[LR1845]

No sorry. I thought they were below your price range. Must have gone up a little. Another one to look at is the Legend Tactical. I see some at matches and have looked through them and they seem pretty nice for the money.

Buy Legend Tactical - T-Series Spotting Scope 15-45x60 and More | Bushnell

Shopping for the Legend Tactical - T-Series Spotting Scope 15-45x60 - Learn more about the latest View All Spotting Scopes and other hunting or shooting gear at Bushnell.

www.bushnell.com

These are fantastic scopes for the money several guys running them at our local matches....I had one until I went binos.

 

[kthomas]

Have you thought about binos?

You lose the reticle option, but you gain better glass quality (especially in that price range) and less eye fatigue.

You can easily get used Meopta Meostar 15x56 binos in that price range, which compares in optical quality to the Swarovski SLC's.

 

[awcmon]

Have you thought about binos?

You lose the reticle option, but you gain better glass quality (especially in that price range) and less eye fatigue.

You can easily get used Meopta Meostar 15x56 binos in that price range, which compares in optical quality to the Swarovski SLC's.

Yeah, although I was thinking of getting rangefinding binos. For a spotting scope, I mostly want something to be able to give corrections.

 

[Max_trax]

I've been down this path over the past few years. Currently your options are essentially used or new/old stock Athlon Cronus Tactical, Bushy LMSS2, Leupold Mk4, Razor with the fixed reticle eyepiece, or Hensoldt (lol). I had a Gen 1 Razor and eventually gave up getting the reticle eyepiece for that gen - they were completely discontinued/out of stock everywhere by the time I wanted one and the few that came up used were asking like double original MSRP and were snapped up before I could say boo. I eventually sold my Razor and settled on (for) the LMSS2 as it was a few oz lighter than the Cronus Tactical and a few hundred cheaper than the Leupold at the time. It works but I do miss the Razor glass. If I were to do it again I would probably look for a second hand or factory refurb Gen 2 Razor and get the fixed reticle eyepiece for that instead.

All that said, I really wish someone made a LRF bino with a little 5x5 or 10x10 mil L shaped grid in the bottom left or right corner. Then I could range, observe, and spot/call corrections all with one optic. If it was Razor or better quality glass and could range to 2k-ish I would sell my Leica 3200.com's in a heartbeat and pay double for the all-in-one feature set.

 

[LR1845]

There's these.....

BX-T HD 10x42mm MIl-L

The BX®-T HD Tactical binocular is purpose-built to give you the tactical advantage needed to succeed in any situation. Its ultra low-light performance combined with its extreme climate tested body and MIL-L reticle make it ideal for field applications. “Government issue only. Minimum order...

www.leupold.com

And these....

T1042r | Steiner High-Quality Optics

www.steiner-optics.com

I had the Steiner's and they were pretty nice but honestly I never really used the reticle much even in matches. I've owned several spotters and binos and I'll take a good set of binos over a spotter all day long. You can find good deals on both of these new if you look around.

 

[Hondo64d]

Looking for a spotting scope and honestly, not sure what I should be considering. I've just been using my bud's Leupold 12-40x60mm until now and he's insisting I should get my own.

My budget is probably around $1500, would prefer closer to $1000. Would like a mil reticle. Was looking at the Razor spotting scopes.

I’m using the Tract Toric spotter and it is simply fantastic. I also have the fixed 22x eyepiece with the mil reticle and the view through that thing is breathtaking. Nice Military/LE discount too.

TORIC Spotting Scopes TORIC UHD 27-55X80 Angled Spotting

The TORIC UHD 27-55X80 Angled Spotting Scopes features our highly prized SCHOTT HT glass and a fully multicoated apochromatic optical system

tractoptics.com

John

 

[redneckbmxer24]

Spend $200 more and get some clean used SLC 15x56 HD’s instead. No reticle but amazing to sit and spot with.

 

[CMP70306]

The Vortex Razor spotting scope through Scott at Liberty Optics is what you seek.

Picked mine up with the MOA reticle and its currently within your budget on sale but only until tomorrow.

 

[b6graham]

i'm in the bino camp. hard to argue with Swaro NL Pure

but if i wanted a spotter i'd really think hard about trying one of these

OMNIS Spotting Scope - Accufire

This spotting scope is like nothing you have ever seen before. Introducing the Omnis: a digital day/night spotting scope with 30-120x magnification, video and audio recording, and a 2.95 inch OLED screen.

www.accufiretech.com

 

[ma smith]

I would think this suits something the Mk IV with reticle pretty well. As noted earlier, some bushnell spotters are pretty decent also, so consider those. Make sure you get one with a good FOV, not all the cheaper or compact spotters are apples to apples in FOV.

 

[mike278]

+1 for the Pentax. I have the PF-80 EDA. Super sharp glass. They take astronomical eyepieces (1.25"), so if you want really great glass with a wide FOV and long eye relief, check out the higher end Baader or TeleVue Delos eyepieces. You can get the body and a good eyepiece and stay under budget. Downside is no reticle eyepiece that I'm aware of.

 

[chiroz]

Burris makes an MRAD reticle eyepiece that works in a gen 1 Razor 80mm spotting scope. That’s what I use.

 

[RedTimber]

Bushnell has an option to look at also.

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

Shopping for the LMSS2 Elite® Tactical - Spotting Scope - Learn more about the latest Shop All Spotting Scopes and other hunting or shooting gear at Bushnell.

www.bushnell.com

This is a little more than 1300$ if you have OnX Elite

 

[ImRace]

Sorry

 

[Stoogey]

I would suggest the Leupold GR 12-60x60 HD. Its an awesome spotter and right at your $1500 price range.