I would like to buy an inexpensive spotting scope for target shooting 100-200 yards. Anybody have experience/advice they would like to share?

Thanks in advance...

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Barry, youngest son of Claud

Save up and buy a Leupold or maybe a Nikon.

I've had simmons and used tasco's in the past. They have all been **** and a waste of money.

Just my .02.

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Mike
USMCR 84-87, USAF 87-07

Check this one:


http://www.bing.com/shopping/search?...erce&FORM=HBRE

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Regards, Ron
USASA 1965/69

I have a LNIB Simmons with tripod. It's a 1200 Zoom......15-45 X 50

Only been used a couple times. I'll take $75.00 Shipped.

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Regards,
Windjammer

Celestron.

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John

Burris 20X scope or the variable 15x-45x (?) or the Luepold spotting scopes are good to 200 yards. I have an old Redfield variable and two Burris 20x scopes.

The Simmons, BSA, and Tasco spotting scopes were junk and kept less than 1 year. One day at the range a shooter set up a "star gazing" telescope, don't remember the magnafication, but the torn paper fibers were visble at 135 yards -- cool view but over-powered.

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S&WHF 366

have a $200-300 Leupold and its been great

Yep, great bang for the buck.

I bought a $70 Simmons Spotting scope and after I used it a few times I threw it (rather hard) into my kids toy box. I then bought a $ 240 Leupold Sequoyia spotting scope and I'm still not overly thrilled with it. Maybe I just expected too much, but I still have to strain a bit to see .25 caliber holes at 100 yards, and I can now understand why some people spend 500 bucks or more on a good spotter.

I got rid of my Leupold Sequoia because sharpness and contrast were sub par. I recently bought the Celestron and it's far better than the Leupold.
Unless you have a very sturdy tripod I'd go with the 65mm Celestron over the 80mm.

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Regards, Ron
USASA 1965/69

I bought the Celestron Ultima 65 w/ 45 degree eye piece for $109 shipped.

Thanks everybody!

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Barry, youngest son of Claud

My rifles that I use for 100 yard work on only paper, I dont do rifle hunting just Bird hunting, are scoped with Lyman 25 lwbr, 36 power El Paso t-36 with tk lee dot, 2 Leupold 36 powers and 1 bsa 36 power. When I shoot for a group I just use white typing pager and put a 1/2 black dot and the rifles shoot an inch or so off, I found a long time ago if you are dead on the target, the spot will soon get to big and it will open you groups. I can see .22 holes at 100 yards easily as they will be in the white. I dont use spotting scopes. Jeff

My local range rents some kind of cheap 20x scope with tripod, which is adequate to spot .223 holes in the white at 100 yards. These scopes are not adequate to spot .223 holes in dark bullseyes, etc. I'd advise trying one before buying one. At the NRA exhibits and so forth, I've seen optics vendors tape a $bill at some distance from their exhibit, such as to a ceiling beam, and invite you to read the serial number on the bill. You may not get this kind of examination, but in a big-box sporting goods store, you can probably get far enough from an aiming point to determine if a scope's resolution is up to your needs...

I bought a Tasco (or whatever) telescope at a yard sale a few years ago, paid all of $10
for it.

Stay away from the really cheap ones and save up for a little better scope than you think you can afford. The better scope can give you good service for a long time, but you will soon see that they cheapest scopes don't really do the job. For example, if you buy a cheap scope just to shot bullet holes at 100 yards you will probably find that it does not have the definition needed at longer ranges. Cheap is rarely good when it comes to optics.

I have a Konus spotting scope. It has served me very well. It is very clear. The table top tripod that comes with it is pretty cheezy however. You can see the scope that I have here: http://www.championshooters.com/stor...cat=340&page=1

Same one I have - good choice.

My $300 Bushnell has served me well for 10 years or so. It is the same basic scope that has been made since the 60's. It still has Japanese optics. For .22 holes it is great out to 200 yds, but that's about it. Even the very expensive newer Nikon spotting scopes are made in China. ----- China is giving Japan a bad name.

Mike, If you could please give me the eye relief specs from this scope? I wear glasses and my old spotter does not offer good relief.My advise to the gentleman that started this thread is to save up and purchase a good scope, cheap will fail you in the long run