Packing spotters which one to buy ?

TimberTop

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3
Hey guys I am new to MM. lurked for a long time... ;)
I don't have a spotting scope and need to get one. I have been looking at all the big names. I lean towards a Leopold GR. Partly because I can get a discount on them. What I am not sure about is how far away I will be able to pick out a mule deer with their 12-20x40 model. Also Seems like I've heard most people don't want to pack a full size 80 mm spotter but do really like the extra power. Would you guys agree disagree? I don't want to buy something that I wish was more powerful at the same time I don't want to spend more for power I don't really need.
Thanks Brian
 
With the 40 power you will not be able to see that far. You could buy a pair of binoculars that will see farther than that spotter. You need at least a 65 or 80 mm. A lot of guys just pack a big pair of binoculars,like 15x56 20x 56 20x70 that doesn't weigh that much.They put them on a tripod and the field of view is a lot better. You can look through them for a long time with out your eyes bothering you. But if you decided to go with a spotter go at least with a 65 mm you won't be sorry later.
 
LAST EDITED ON Feb-24-17 AT 00:42AM (MST)[p]Hi Brian

This subject comes up a lot and there are many posts regarding spotters, which brands, etc., that would be worth checking out.

FWIW, here's my take and advice:

I would buy a Swarovski 65 for my packing spotter if I were you. You won't regret the purchase, or find better glass. I wish I would have gone that route. I have a Swaro 80 spotter also, and have packed it around the mountain also. The clarity, and low-light abilities with that spotter are awesome. But it can get heavy. I find myself taking that one when hunting on horses, or to have in the vehicle and base camp. The Swaro 65 is great in the backpack. If you can afford it, that's your best option. In the long run, I would have been money ahead, had I just purchased the best glass from the beginning. Worse case scenario and you get in a financial pinch........Swarovski products hold their value well and someone is always willing to buy a used one. Many may disagree with my post, but that's my experience and advice. Good luck!

PS-I'm in the market for a rifle scope, does your Leupold discount extend to MM acquaintances??

Happy Hunting!
 
Buy the most expensive spotting scope you can afford . But being this is your first purchase . I am doubting your wanting to spend the money on a Swarovski. They are hands down the best. You really wont regret it. But a Vortex if your stating out is a good place to start. Great warranty and you may need it.
As far as size. Low light is the key. It always seems those big deer or elk always come out at last light. So a 80 mm will help you there it doesn't matter what brand it is . A 65 mm is smaller and easier to pack. But how much do you want to give up in a low light situation? You can get both a 65 mm and a 80 to 95 mm scope . But most can't afford one of each . So thats up for you to decide ! I say bigger the better .
 
Sell whatever you have lying around on Facebook. Get a 65mm Swarovski hd with the 25-50 wide angle eyepiece.

They get a outdoorsmans tripod with a pan head and don't look back.

Thank me later.


"That's a special feeling, Lloyd"
 
>LAST EDITED ON Feb-24-17
>AT 00:42?AM (MST)

>
>Hi Brian
>
>This subject comes up a lot
>and there are many posts
>regarding spotters, which brands, etc.,
>that would be worth checking
>out.
>
>FWIW, here's my take and advice:
>
>
>I would buy a Swarovski 65
>for my packing spotter if
>I were you. You
>won't regret the purchase, or
>find better glass. I
>wish I would have gone
>that route. I
>have a Swaro 80 spotter
>also, and have packed it
>around the mountain also.
> The clarity, and low-light
>abilities with that spotter are
>awesome. But it
>can get heavy. I
>find myself taking that one
>when hunting on horses, or
>to have in the vehicle
>and base camp. The
>Swaro 65 is great in
>the backpack. If you
>can afford it, that's your
>best option. In
>the long run, I would
>have been money ahead, had
>I just purchased the best
>glass from the beginning.
>Worse case scenario and you
>get in a financial pinch........Swarovski
>products hold their value well
>and someone is always willing
>to buy a used one.
> Many may disagree
>with my post, but that's
>my experience and advice.
>Good luck!
>
>PS-I'm in the market for a
>rifle scope, does your Leupold
>discount extend to MM acquaintances??
>
>
>Happy Hunting!

Good Advise.^^^
 
LAST EDITED ON Mar-11-17 AT 04:00PM (MST)[p]Timbertop, the Leupold scope you mentioned up above only has a power of 12 to 20 power. Meaning it starts at 12x being the lowest power and it zooms to 20x. The 40x only stands for the size of the objective lense. Most spotters have the zoom magnification adjustment located in the eyepiece and the bigger spotters start out at 20x zoom power and go to 50x or 60x zoom power. So you can see that 20x zoom is not a very good or adequate power for most Western hunting. So a Swarovski spotter that is a 20x60x65 spotter has the same power as a 20x60x80 spotter. The objective lens difference is 65mm vs 80mm. The 80mm will let more light in than the 65mm.
All of the advice listed above is great advice. Personally I started out with the 20x60x80 nonHD swarovski spotter back around 2004. My style of hunting is backpack hunting and so I sold the 80mm spotter and went with the 20x50x65 swarovski HD spotter and never missed the extra light gathering ability that the 80mm had. I did however miss the extra 10x power that i lost from going from a 20x60 to a 20x50 wide angle lens eyepiece. But thats just personal preference. Sometime later I sold this setup and went with the new Swarovski ATX and got the eyepiece and a 65mm objective lense for backpacking and the 95 objective lense for truck hunting. In the ATX system the magnification power is not in the eyepiece but in the objective lense body itself. Hope this is helpful. Goodluck, fatrooster.
 
I differ from most when It comes to back pack hunting. I traded my 65 for the 95 just for the high country. When do you need the most power? at 1000 yards in the sage or 3 miles peak to peak? If I were to leave any thing behind on a back pack hunt it would be the 10's....The 15's and the 95 are going every time above tree line.

For my 95 I took a sleeve off a big heavy 1970's down coat.
Sewed the cuff solid hemmed the top /shoulder and sewed a shoe lace there to tie things closed... My tripod for the 95 is a tank...suggestions' for a lighter tripod that can handle the95?
 
Tomichi, I have an Outdoorsmans tripod and the 95mm objective. I always use the 95mm on a Manfrotto tripod and I only use this combo from my truck, atv, or horse. I will try the 95mm on the Outdoorsmans and get back with you. Fatrooster.
 

Tomichi, this is the 95mm atx on the smallest Outdoorsmans tripod. I do all of my backpack glassing while sitting down. That's why I use the small tripod. I move it around in all directions and it handled the weight with no issues. Fatrooster
 
Thanks...if any of my crew draws sheep I'm up grading my trip pod....PS I have spoiled rotten house cats also....
 
>Ha ha, not my cat. It
>belongs to Mrs, Fatrooster. If
>I had my way he'd
>be outside. Fatrooster.


Ok Fatrooster I take back what I was thinking about you. ??
 
Same as most above: Swaro 65HD with 20-50 eye piece. Period. Did it, wish I'd done it years ago. It's a bit heavy, not near as portable as a 50mm objective and worth every single ounce.
 
Just to add a little here...

When and if you are trying to decide between a larger or smaller objective there is more to go into that thought process then just weight and light gathering. If you are a back pack hunter just the amount of room the 2 take up in a pack also needs to be considered.

I am sure of this, there have been more than pack out when packing a deer and also my camp that I was sure glad I had the Swaro with a smaller objective!
 

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