Re: what spotting scope to see 30 cal holes at 500
I have a Celestron Ultima 100 Spotting Scope 100mm 45° Angle w/ 22-66x Zoom (~$325.00), and a Burris 20-60x80mm Landmark Spotting Scope (~$250.00 w tripod/case). The Celestron is HUGE, but the Burris has better clarity. I probably would have been better off spending the same total on a little bit higher end scope.
Having said that, I can see .223 holes on a Shoot-N-C target at 400 yds. But that's really pushing the limit for either of these scopes. I can't comment on whether a higher end scope is any better, or how far .30 holes are visible. But due to heat mirage and other issues, I'm guessing it would be difficult to spot .223 holes much further than 400 yd, without dropping a lot of $$$.
One of the best suggestions I've seen here on another recent thread (thread listed by ORD above) was the use of steel targets instead of paper. I'm looking into it now for myself.