long distance spotting scope recomendations

[Hooyah DeepSea]

Looking to get back in the 1000 yard game and want to pick up a decent spotting scope. I've tried the budget route before and have always come back disappointed.
I won't say that money is no object, but I'm looking at doing this only one time. So, from those 1000 yard shooters who've 'been there, done that'; recomendations would be greatly appreciated.

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[Nosferatu]

You need to spend serious money if you want to see bullet holes @1000 yards. Leica, Swarovski, Zeiss kind of money.

Budget in spending a fortune on a tripod too.

 

[ORhutner]

Looking to get back in the 1000 yard game and want to pick up a decent spotting scope. I've tried the budget route before and have always come back disappointed.
I won't say that money is no object, but I'm looking at doing this only one time. So, from those 1000 yard shooters who've 'been there, done that'; recomendations would be greatly appreciated.

I thought a spotting scope was key for long range shooting and picked up a Swarovski ATX 95mm, buy once cry once. Well it is phenomenal but becomes worthless once the mirage comes out. It wasn't till I took an intro to long range class and got exposure to a wide assortment of spotting options that I found what worked best for me. My favorite spotting tool for long range is a high quality pair of 15x binoculars.

Seems counter intuitive using binoculars but they are a phenomenal tool, especially when mounted to a quality tripod. You are using both eyes which is the preference of the human body, better field of view, no eye strain/fatigue and a much lower price point of entry. Our long range group no longer even brings a spotting scope to the range anymore and we shoot out to 2,550 yards. We are using 12x Leupold bx2's on the low end to 15x Swarovski SLC's on the high end which is what I run. You get that wider field of view which makes it easier to pick up splash and trace, are able to cut through the mirage better, don't have movement transfer into the optic and the only problem you will have is kicking your buddies off the bino's when your not behind the gun and want to spot.

My Swaro spotter mainly sits in the closet collecting dust or on the front porch looking at wildlife on the property. Only time it sees the range is when shooting paper at over 200 yards when you have to locate tiny little holes in paper but even then usually the scope of binos work good enough. If you are set on a spotting scope I recommend going with a low power, wide angle eyepiece or the Swarovski BTX eyepiece.

Bino's to take a look at would be:

• Leupold BX5 15x
• Swarovski SLC 15x
• Leica 15x (even better with the built in range finder)

 

[Hooyah DeepSea]

I picked up a Celestron C90 a little while back, but it seems to be f'ed up, as it isn't worth a darn past 150 yards. I'm thinking about having it checked out, as maybe there is an issue with it. But I don't know. I definately need something for long range spotting.

 

[ron]

No spotting scope will allow you see holes at 1K or even 600 yards. In competition
shooting the spotting scope is used to read the mirage. Seeing the mirage is for
reading the wind. Majority of Highpower shooters use the TSN-82SV Kowa spotting scope.
It is not the magnification that allows you to see well at a distance it is the clarity
of the glass. Also a Scope stand, scope cover, front and rear clear lens protectors,
and the eye piece. Most use the 27X long eye relief eye piece. Picture of my
scope set up on the left side of this picture at a match.

KOWA SPOTTING SCOPES | A Brand cherished by outdoor enthusiasts around the world

sportingoptics.kowa-usa.com

 

[thorborg]

That's a long way to view a bullet hole, asking too much in my opine, unless maybe a 20mm or up..
I have a Leupold 20 -60 which easily sees .264 @ 200yds in most all light. Haven't tried it@ 300yds, but might be a stretch (for me) for 6.5mm unless the lighting was just right. Beyond that. I have seen a small forked horn rack on a buck @ about 1K-yds but not much smaller. (get a solid base, field of view is small, easy to knock out of wack.)
A scope where you can manipulate the angle of the objective end, is a must for me, a fixed angle or straight line viewing always seemed difficult to set up for comfort viewing.
If I was to need such a thing, I think I'd look into the remote camera devices set up near the target that transmit back to a tablet or phone. I've read of some worth the salt, but retained little info to pass on as to brand advice. Even with this, I'm sure it is no different than a spotting scope; you likely get what you pay for.
Additional thought; It also may be a difficult to impossible solution for ranges where down range access in front of target is not available to the public.

 

[Hooyah DeepSea]

I really do nor expect to see .30 caliber bullet holes in targets at 1000 yards . . . or even 600. But I do expect to see the mirage, the trace (if conditions are right), and the effect of an impact on target plates at a grand. Been there before, but it wasn't my spotting scope. That is why I'm asking what others have found to work adequately. I've knocked down silhouette rams at 500 yards with 110 grain, 308's, so I'm not totally unfamiliar with the process. I'd just like honest suggestions from those who've also done or are doing such things.

Thank you very much.

 

[Flopsweat]

No spotting scope will allow you see holes at 1K or even 600 yards. In competition
shooting the spotting scope is used to read the mirage. Seeing the mirage is for
reading the wind. Majority of Highpower shooters use the TSN-82SV Kowa spotting scope.
It is not the magnification that allows you to see well at a distance it is the clarity
of the glass. Also a Scope stand, scope cover, front and rear clear lens protectors,
and the eye piece. Most use the 27X long eye relief eye piece. Picture of my
scope set up on the left side of this picture at a match.
View attachment 1753695

KOWA SPOTTING SCOPES | A Brand cherished by outdoor enthusiasts around the world

sportingoptics.kowa-usa.com

Is that structure in the background for sound abatement?

 

[ORhutner]

I really do nor expect to see .30 caliber bullet holes in targets at 1000 yards . . . or even 600. But I do expect to see the mirage, the trace (if conditions are right), and the effect of an impact on target plates at a grand. Been there before, but it wasn't my spotting scope. That is why I'm asking what others have found to work adequately. I've knocked down silhouette rams at 500 yards with 110 grain, 308's, so I'm not totally unfamiliar with the process. I'd just like honest suggestions from those who've also done or are doing such things.

Thank you very much.

Nice, high powered bino's work awesome for exactly what you are describing. Easily spot impacts on white painted steel at 1000yards.

 

[ron]

I really do nor expect to see .30 caliber bullet holes in targets at 1000 yards . . . or even 600. But I do expect to see the mirage, the trace (if conditions are right), and the effect of an impact on target plates at a grand. Been there before, but it wasn't my spotting scope. That is why I'm asking what others have found to work adequately. I've knocked down silhouette rams at 500 yards with 110 grain, 308's, so I'm not totally unfamiliar with the process. I'd just like honest suggestions from those who've also done or are doing such things.

Thank you very much.

Kowa scopes are amazing. I have compared them side by side with a much more exspensive
Swarovski . The Kowa was much clearer. Buy once cry once. I have been told the reason why
the Kowas are so clear is because the Japanese have access to the cleanest sand? I don't know
if I buy that. The Fluorite lens Kowas are at another level.

Kowa TSN 883 Review | Monster Field Tested Spotting Scope Review - Backwoods Pursuit

We love optics here at Backwoods Pursuit, so naturally getting to do a Kowa TSN 883 review was an absolute privilege. When you are trying to decide what the

backwoodspursuit.com

 

[Hooyah DeepSea]

I have been told the reason why
the Kowas are so clear is because the Japanese have access to the cleanest sand?

Actually, That's probably partly true, as the Japanese have been filtering sand for centuries. They learned to separate and collect the fine iron sand and it was used to make Tamahagane steel, the main component for true katanas.

 

[AMT]

Here's something that should see holes in paper at 1000yds. 130 bucks!

 

[waltermitty]

I picked up a Celestron C90 a little while back, but it seems to be f'ed up, as it isn't worth a darn past 150 yards. I'm thinking about having it checked out, as maybe there is an issue with it. But I don't know. I definately need something for long range spotting.

With that design, you may want to web search collimate and see if you're comfortable doing that. I have a similar design, Nexstar 5 and found that tweak a worthwhile adjustment

 

[solv3nt]

I've got a Swaro ATX with 65x on it. It's pretty clear. These are from last year in Yellowstone. I put my phone up to the eye piece. Hawk was a solid 300 yards, and the grizzly was at somewhere in the 1,000 yards range.

 

[Bobbygun]

I've got a Swaro ATX with 65x on it. It's pretty clear. These are from last year in Yellowstone. I put my phone up to the eye piece. Hawk was a solid 300 yards, and the grizzly was at somewhere in the 1,000 yards range.

View attachment 1754298View attachment 1754299

That's pretty cool! That grizzly picture looks almost like a painting.

 

[solv3nt]

That's pretty cool! That grizzly picture looks almost like a painting.

I couldn't help but laugh. There was a guy that was there looking for the grizzly before us. I spotted her, and I was full zoom. The dude was getting mad that I couldn't give him a better explanation. "Ummm.... I can only see part of the tree, I don't have reference other than that way."

He wasn't pleased

 

[Hooyah DeepSea]

With that design, you may want to web search collimate and see if you're comfortable doing that. I have a similar design, Nexstar 5 and found that tweak a worthwhile adjustment

I'll have a look at that as it seems that something is off with this unit. I tried to look at Venus a week back and could'nt get a decent view despite the sky being clear, but that might have been that the scope was not at ambient temperature, which I've heard could also be an issue.
Simply put, I think I have a bit to learn on the operation and capabilities of this optic. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[Tony617]

I bought an Orion 6" reflective telescope back in the early 2000 and I got a great view of the planet mars. Later one I spotted Saturn with prominent rings and Jupiter and and the larger Jovian moons. I also bought a solar filter and manages to see some sun spots. Have not used for a few years now due to time constraints and needing to go into work early nowadays.

 

[JustSomeGuy]

This should do the trick...

 

[gmerkt]

Kowa spotting scope

I'll be darned. I just thought my old clunker spotting scope was an old clunker. 25x.



Permission granted to laugh at the hose clamp replacement mountings. I'm not a long range shooter but this one has worked for me a long time. The range where I'm a member used to have one day a year when we had a member swap meet. I think it came from there for a few dollars. I've absent mindedly left it behind at ranges a few times but it was always there when I'd go back later.

That's a long way to view a bullet hole

I have a hard enough time looking for or at .224 holes in the black at 100 yards. They are more easily seen on sunny days than gloomy ones.