Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Long Range Hunting Bino/Spot scope recommendations

Gents,

I just returned from my neighbor’s Aoudad hunt in Texas. I went along as an “observer.”

The 4 day hunt was more entertaining than I thought it would be…. Saw many sheep, put stalks on a few….buddy turned down many smaller ones, holding out for a “big one”…….missed one at 390 yards.

Very skittish and difficult to get close to. Sneaking on mule deer or elk is far easier.

Anyway, we would walk ridges or drive around looking anywhere from 600 to 2000 yards to find where the sheep were….. then put a stalk on…. I had a 10 power Nikon that was totally inadequate at these very long distances

One guide had a 10x Leica and a Swarovski 35 spotting scope. The other guide used a 12x bino and a new Vortex spot scope. They both liked the new vortex better.

One guide used his 12x binos and located a herd of sheep at 1675 yards. My Nikon could only pick them out when the guide took a bit of time to direct my gaze to where the herd was….. just brown shapes to me…. Not much different fro:the bushes…. Had not the herd been moving I could not have made them out.

So, without breaking the bank…..what bino/spot scope recommendations might y’all have?


Thanks,

TF

To begin to respond to this question, we need to know your budget for each or your total budget.

Not really. He’s asking for a recommendation


Swarovski or Leica rangefinding Binos in 15x

Swarovski BTX with the 110mm objective

Read the OP again......

We guided aoudad hunters for 16 years, probably saw a couple hundred killed. I've killed about 100 myself, culling the vermin from friend's ranches back in the day who hated them and wanted them gone. We had success with spotters from Nikon 82ED's, to Meostar S2's, Kowa 883's, and Swaro 85's. Never had a RF/bino back then but after using a Vortex Fury AB this past year is runs circles around any Leica I've owned (3 Geovids) in the RF department, and has more than adequate glass. They run about $1200 instead of $2800+. IMO, spotters are one piece of equipment that, in describing what you're looking for in your OP, it's very hard to skimp on $$$$ for high perfoming, high quality optics.

I was curious as to what dollar amount the OP thought is "So, without breaking the bank…..what bino/spot scope recommendations might y’all have?"

I really like my Meopta MEO-Star spotting scope.
I currently have 10x GEOVID's, and I am satisfied with the glass and ranging quality and capability.
I don't have to have a LRF for hunting that is the best out there. I would rather have better glass.

I have the Tract Spotter with both the 27-55 and fixed 22x eyepiece, and am extremely pleased with both. Highly recommend it.

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbt...55x80-angled-spotting-scope#Post16565620

John

You’ll get a bunch of different recommendations. If I was going with only 2 optics, it would be 10X binoculars, spotter and a good head and tripod.

Don’t think you could go wrong with Meopta 10X B1 Plus with an Outdoorsman stud and mount. I like the Sirui VA-5 head, but there are cheaper options. I use the Slik 934 and 734 tripods and like them both, but prefer the 934 with a spotting scope.

I would agree with JG’ that spotters get tricky trying to go “cheaper”. Obviously the bigger 80’ish + spotters have a lot of benefits, but I know quit a few guys that have them that end up not packing them much due to weight and bulk. For a spotter, I’d look at the used market for one of the “alphas”. If on a budget, I’d spend all I could on getting the best binoculars you can now and pick up the spotter later.

For me, the best “glassing” combo is 8X’s on my chest and 15’s. ( can’t go wrong with Meopta here either)

I'd second the top tier bino purchase first. And follow up with a spotter when/if you feel you still need one. You would be amazed how far you can spot game with 12x or 15x binos and it takes a very high quality spotter to top them in my experience. Evaluating rams is where the spotters are worth their weight in my experience.

The Outdoorsman mount and stud is my preference as well.

That’s exactly what I do.

For a packing spotter, I use a Leuopld HD Gold Ring.





As long as there is something reflective, the Geovids work well. For antelope on the flats, forget it.

I carry a Vectronix for better accuracy

If there is any doubt about the ability to range at longer distances, I use my Terrapin

I've killed around 20-25 aoudad in the Big Bend country and have witnessed at least three times that many killed in that same country.

Another vote here for a high quality 8x or 10x bin around the neck and 15x56's on a tripod.

I have a spotter too but its only typically used to evaluate already spotted animals at looong distances, and honestly it rarely leaves the vehicle in that country. I started using 12's and 15's on a tripod for mule deer in that country well over 20 yrs ago, before I found this site and found out they had the cool nickname "Big Eyes".

I find my spotter very useful and important, but if I had to choose between it and my 15's for that country, the spotter would stay at the house and the 15's would come with me.


Bill

Tract binocs and tract spotter.

12.5x50 tract binos and kowa 664 spotter here.

Used for aoudad, elk, deer, antelope. Works good so far. Really considering a kowa 77mm though.

Well Ernie, maybe you could tell us where we might buy a terrapin now days? lol

They are making them again...

https://www.eurooptic.com/Vectronix-Terrapin-X-Rangefinder-914734.aspx

https://www.milehighshooting.com/Safran-Vectronix-Terrapin-X-8x28mm-Laser-Rangefinder/

https://www.brownells.com/optics-mounting/rangefinders/terrapin-x-rangefinder-prod123601.aspx

As for binoculars for finding game at very long distances, power mounted onto a tripod is essential.
But power also means larger objectives are required as well for best performance.
There are quite a few 15x56 binoculars on the market today.
By and large they all perform well.
Certainly there are individual favorites, but not everybody will agree that the favorites of some are worth the large price difference over others.
So its always best to look thru all of them under the conditions they will be used if at all possible.
But that said, PA. is a place where long range hunting has been being done for a very long time.
And there are quite a few people there who are very serious about doing it.
Mind you now that in PA. all long range hunting is done from a fixed location, there is no walking about looking for something to shoot at at a long distance.
And the choice of the type of optics used there for the glassing is by far 2 spotting scopes mounted in fully adjustable aluminum brackets.
At one time the most popular choice of spotting scope was the 60 mm Bushnell Spacemaster with 20 power wide angle eyepieces.
It is still today very popular, but others like Kowa, Swarovski, and others with larger objective lenses have become very popular as well.
I personally know 10 different people who are using the 80 mm Swaro spotters in brackets.
And i know even more people who are using Kowas, myself included.
Fifty years ago and even longer, the Bausch & Lomb 60 mm spotter was a very popular choice among shooters.
What most dont realize is that Bausch & Lomb offered that scope as a catalog item in a twin scope application in an adjustable bracket, with or without a 3 eyepiece turret which allows for a choice of 3 different power eyepieces.
There simply isnt a better choice than using twin spotters for long range glassing.
If your expensive 15 power binoculars take a hit and get knocked out of alignment, your hunt is over, at least as for using those glasses, untill they go back to the factory.
But if they were twin Swaros in a bracket, or any other brand as well, you would simply reallign them right on the spot with an allen wrench.
And if you needed more than 15 power, you would simply install a different eyepiece having more power. Again, right on the spot.
Yes they will need to be transported in a backpack.
But as for weight, there wont be much difference between those and a large pair of hand glasses along with a single spotter.

I started using a tripod with my 10X Zeiss Victory a few years ago, and the tripod makes a significant improvement. More Xs on a bino is fine on a tripod, and if I could spare the extra gear/weight I might also use a 15X bino, but I can't carry everything and the 10X on a tripod is altogether excellent.

I am predominantly a brown bear hunter and I currently use a Leupold Gold Ring spotter and it has proven to be anvil durable. For bears the optics are all I need. For antlers/horns its optics are serviceable, but lack definition at ranges over 1000ish yards unless the light is impeccable.

A tripod makes good binoculars great.

Great point, I started using 10x50s on a tripod in the 80s and tend to assume tripods are a given in any of these discussions. I liked my big 15x60 Zeiss B/GA T*s a lot, but love my 12x 50 EL Swarovskis. My 65mm Swaro spotter spends most of its time next to my shooting mat at the range these days.

Whoa...someone else speaks "Big Eyes"!!! What does the Williamsport crowd do when it's deer season? They hunt deer at long range spotting them with Big Eyes!!!

yobuck, I hung out with some folk that were using Big Eyes. Started out using Battleship binocs...they were rare and hard to get. The Spacemasters in bracket mounts were the next best thing..but boy you could go cross-eyed trying to collimate them. I'd heard of the well heeled crowd slapping Leica or Kowa's together. I was actually lusting after a Kowa Highlander (until my wife found out!). They're not only great for reducing eye fatigue at long range, but they're also amazing for reading mirage at mid and long range. I think it's something about stereoscopic vision allowing you to see the layers of mirage.