Re: Spotting Scope - which one? High end!
If you are using a spotter for shooting a reticle should be a major consideration in the choice. It tells you so much, even when you are not shooting and is a key to learning how to dope the wind.
Unfortunately with Zeiss no longer offering their eye piece for their sport optics <span style="font-style: italic">(which is 75% the fault of the shooting community)</span> and putting the focus on the Spotter 60 the cost is beyond most people's ability to purchase.
Leica is an outstanding optic, but does not have a reticle, and Swarvoski has a reticle but won't offer it to anyone if they even still make it. <span style="font-style: italic">(I have seen and used it)</span> so again, another outstanding sport optic that can do double duty but not as well because of the lack of reticle. Same with the Kowa, although I will say I recommended to a company to abandon doing their own spotter for doing just eye pieces with reticles for Kowas, though I never heard back. But still all great optics only separated by cost and personal preference.
Now, Vortex brought down their new Razor spotter with mil reticle to RO recently and we really liked it. Very sport optic like, great quality, it was every bit my Zeiss sport optic along with a nice mil based reticle.
Now, if your needs are for something like F Class or High Power shooting and not for any type of field shooting, you can basically flip a coin and pick any of the above spotters. The Swarovski, Zeiss and Leica are probably the top 3 with Kowa balanced in the middle at a different price point. However, I can tell you from experience sport optics and field use do not mix very well, having to used Zeiss Customer Service twice for breaking my 65* Ts. I also have a Leica 62 and they are armored so they work a bit better, and are small. As are the Swarovskis.
But, back to field work. Consider the Vortex Recons, as we have and I think they absolutely rock for field use. I have one here with their rail mount, and will try to get the video up, as well as the pictures of us using it at night with NV. These things for the money are awesome. Less than $500 for the 15X and they have a nice reticle in them. You can carry them or tripod mount them and they will do the job.
As I said I will get a video review up, but seriously the Vortex line of spotters are nice for both the manicured range crowd and field use. Its a functional piece of kit of sure.
I have the Spotter 60, use it every day and wouldn't trade it for the world, I also own the Leica as I said, and 2 Zeiss 65s as well as the 85 <span style="font-style: italic">(Because I bought reticles when they offered them)</span> and fell the Vortex is even bit of the Sport Optic brands.