AR at the 200 yard line

I have a Barska that works at 200 but on a hot day it's hard to see. It's worthless beyond that. It's also better if I use a white target. I have used a more expensive Simmons and Nikon and could tell that there is a big improvement. I suggest buying a top grade optic and don't waste any money on the cheap stuff.

I've got a fixed power 20x that will see them easily at 100y, but I wouldn't expect it to see them at 200. What power magnification are you using?

I've got a fixed power 20x that will see them easily at 100y, but I wouldn't expect it to see them at 200. What power magnification are you using?

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The quality/clarity of the optic is more important than its magnification. Magnification is a crutch for poor clarity.

YaNi - true but only to an extent. If your eyes can't see below a certain size... then you need more magnification as no amount of clarity will make that tiny hole large enough for you to see. We all have different eyes, and none of them are perfect.

Can't help much on the choice of a spotting scope, but try this cheap idea;

I use 3" squares of brightly colored label stock placed on the bulleye. Mine are "chrome"yellow colored and have a bright contrast to the white paper backround, making bullet hits easier to see.

Labels come in all sorts of colors and shapes, the florescent reds and oranges would be a good choice.

Shoot N See targets.

I shoot High Power and have a Kowa 821 with a long eye relief 27X eye piece. These spotting scope packages run in the $800 to $1k+ range and are prety much the standard for High Power. At 200 yards I can always see a 30 cal hole. At 200 yards sometimes I can see a 22 cal hole but it depends on the light conditions. A shooting buddy with a really expensive German made spotting scope ($2k maybe a little less) with a variable power eye piece can't see the 22 cal holes at 200 any better than I can. I do not know of any spotting scope which will do as you ask all of the time.

Where the more expensive spotting scope really shines is at 600 yards reading the Mirage.

I use one of these:

http://www.celestron.com/c3/product.php?CatID=87&ProdID=203

Then I bought a wide angle eye piece to lower the overall power a bit. Haven't compared directly to a Kowa, but I'm quite pleased with the quality and clarity - especially at that price. Not that it is a Maksutov-Cassegrain design, which is lighter and (I think) cheaper than a standard style scope for the price.

On warmer days mirage will be your limiting factor. Even the Hubble can't help you if the mirage is really bad.

birchwood casey make some black targets with orange circles, when you shoot them(hit them) it flakes and you can see orange all around the bullet hole, if i was you i would try those first, and they come with some sticky black circles so you can cover the hole and use them again if you want. i got mine at wal-mart

or you could probaly get a low powered telescope...lol..jk but it might work??

Brimic said:

Shoot N See targets.

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yeah thats what i was talking about shoot and see targets
http://img369.imageshack.us/i/glock30sf72008032fg3.jpg/

If you get a chance, look through a Konus 20-60X80. I have one. You can see
pretty well at 200. Make sure you turn it down to 20. They run about $235.
Steve

+1 on Rskent except $235 is way too much $150-$175 I love mine and shoot high power out to 600 yds. No it isn't a KOWA but it isn't a GRAND either. Happy Shooting...

Shoot N See targets.

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+1

...cheaper too.

+1 on shoot-n-see targets. Cheaper than a new spotting scope, and you get the same-ish results.