What magnification for match spotting

[Dthomas3523]

I’m sure this has been discussed, but what round about magnification do you prefer for spotting at matches?

10x, 15x, higher?

Thanks

 

[47guy]

ive owned a vortex 15-45 HD mark4 20-60 and i couple of others over the years and after using the 15x56 meoptas ill never own a spotter again.

 

[Sheldon N]

15x56 binos. The spotter never comes to matches.

 

[Hollywood 6mm]

15x binos for sure. I don't get eye fatigue and migraines like I do after spending all day behind a spotter (and, no, the quality of the spotter doesn't matter. The worst migraine I ever got as an RO was when I was using a Swaro spotter), I can see trace and impacts more clearly with both eyes, and 15x is plenty out to 1200 yards. If you're spotting past 1200 yards without hit indicators, then a good spotter is worthwhile, but that's about the only time I want one any more as an RO or watching stages at a match.

 

[Dthomas3523]

Thanks for replies.

Looking at some 10x42 el range. Two birds one stone on the bino/ranger.

Think I’ll be wishing I had 15x binos and a separate rangefinder?

 

[demolitionman]

Are we talking about spotting hits and misses, or spotting to make correction calls? Maybe i just don’t shoot as much as you all, but the one thing to me that would be an absolute *must would be the presence of a mil reticle. I need to make a list of binoculars with built in reticles. Swfa and Steiner being the first two that come to mind, then out of that list I’d pick the proper magnification that works for me. Likely 12 to 15 for binoculars.

 

[47guy]

Thanks for replies.

Looking at some 10x42 el range. Two birds one stone on the bino/ranger.

Think I’ll be wishing I had 15x binos and a separate rangefinder?

i had 10s and they were very nice but just not enough power for really spotting...if you use your range finder a lot then it would be nice to have both in one unit but personally id rather carry/use both if i had to choose between 10x and 15x...you already know this but the leicas are only about the size of a pack of cigarettes.

 

[b6graham]

15x56

someone needs to make a mil reticle, LRF, 15x56 pair of binos

 

[generalzip]

That’s my setup. I switch between 10 and 15x meostars and always have the 20-60 sharp HD spotter. The Bono’s get used the most. But once you get to 850+ the spotting scope is king. I can see exactly where on the plate people are hitting. Much harder to do so even with Swarovski 15x Binos. I will say this setup in not super light however

 

[flyer]

15x binos for sure. I don't get eye fatigue and migraines like I do after spending all day behind a spotter (and, no, the quality of the spotter doesn't matter. The worst migraine I ever got as an RO was when I was using a Swaro spotter), I can see trace and impacts more clearly with both eyes, and 15x is plenty out to 1200 yards. If you're spotting past 1200 yards without hit indicators, then a good spotter is worthwhile, but that's about the only time I want one any more as an RO or watching stages at a match.

A spotter with a binoviewer will eliminate the eye fatigue, just sayin'.

 

[Dthomas3523]

Are we talking about spotting hits and misses, or spotting to make correction calls? Maybe i just don’t shoot as much as you all, but the one thing to me that would be an absolute *must would be the presence of a mil reticle. I need to make a list of binoculars with built in reticles. Swfa and Steiner being the first two that come to mind, then out of that list I’d pick the proper magnification that works for me. Likely 12 to 15 for binoculars.

I’m 50/50 on this. I like having a reticle, but find that I rarely use it. But I’m shooting 1200 and in for matches.

Guys should be seeing their own hits and misses most of the time and if not, they need to work on something.

I find even with a reticle, by the time I measure it and call it out, they have already measured in their optic and reengaged. Takes longer for me to call it out, than for them to process it and shoot it themselves.

Longer distance elr or instruction courses, I could see how the reticle is beneficial.

 

[Rugster]

15x56. Had a buddy just dump his 10x EL Ranges for 15x56.

 

[Dthomas3523]

15x56. Had a buddy just dump his 10x EL Ranges for 15x56.

Just found a pair in PX. Seems to be a pretty common all around pair of binos.

 

[sobrbiker883]

I’ve spotted thousands of rounds in matches through my old Kowa 600 straight body series. I use the Kowa 27X long eye relief eyepiece and a Manfrotto pistol grip. Love it, and never had issues spotting for 3 day, 75+ shooter matches.

 

[Hollywood 6mm]

A spotter with a binoviewer will eliminate the eye fatigue, just sayin'.

Not a ton of options on those, not to mention cost. Plus both eyes just get the same image, so you're lacking the depth perception that helps with reading mirage and spotting.

 

[Sheldon N]

Not a ton of options on those, not to mention cost. Plus both eyes just get the same image, so you're lacking the depth perception that helps with reading mirage and spotting.

Well, there is one option that could fix that....

 

[sobrbiker883]

Never had a problem reading mirage or spotting through one lens...I guess I don’t spend enough time online anymore.

 

[flyer]

A binoviewer let's your brain do the image processing like it always does and despite the light transmission loss due to splitting the light going through two prisms, the image still appears brighter just because your brain is using both eyes. At the distance that you are seeing trace, stereo vision is basically zero, it's not a big deal to use one lens.

I've got a $200 binoviewer on an $80 Orion Maksutov Cassegrain scope with a $140 erecting prism diagonal. It doesn't have to be Swarovski.

I'm not sure if it is good for a match but spotting .50 holes at 1,000 yards it's nice.

 

[Hollywood 6mm]

Never had a problem reading mirage or spotting through one lens...I guess I don’t spend enough time online anymore.

I don't have problems with it, either - but two eyes makes it a LOT easier for me.