Inexpensive spotting scopes for <200 yards?

[Don Gwinn]

Just recently joined a club with a 200-yard range. Dad and I would like to pick up a spotting scope (tried his binoculars and couldn't see .308 holes at 50 yards) but are watching the budget. He's going to Texas for a week in February and my wife is finishing up her master's with her last semester's payment due at the end of this month.

We know so little about this kind of thing that dad actually told me today "I don't think it'd have to to work past 100 yards; most of those guns won't shoot worth nothin' at 200 yards anyway." This refers to a Colt SP1 AR-15, a Rem. 700 in .308, a K31 Schmidt Rubin and a Swedish 1896 Mauser. I know a little better than that, but not much.
Now, granted, neither of us can probably hit paper at 200 yards yet, but 200 yard proficiency is one of my goals over the next year. I'd like to find something that will allow me to call my shots at that distance. For right now, I plan on getting some balloons next time I go shooting so I'll at least know when I hit.

I did a search and got excited about the ProOptic, but then found posts saying it's no longer available. Dad found a BSA in Sportsman's Guide for $80, but I'm leery. I thought BSA was the other brand I was told to avoid when I asked about Tasco, not so?

Anyway, we don't need anything fancy, but we want decent resolution. It doesn't have to be hugely bright, and we don't mind going used at all. Would like to stay in the $50-$150 range all told, including tripod.

 

[CB900F]

Don;

I'd go to several different sites & check out the offerings. The sites are:
www.swfa.com, www.midwayusa.com, www.natchezss.com. Midway offers comments from prople who have purchased the product & used it.

I used a cheap scope for years. It's primary purpose was just as you are telling us yours is; use at the range only. The optical quality was good enough for the purpose however. I could & did use it out to 300 yards & generally had no trouble getting a usable image. I bought it several years ago & the price at that time was under $100.00.

All the above being said, the glass was very second rate. Flare was particularly noticable. Which, for range use, didn't matter at all. If I had been stupid enough to try to use it for all day glassing on the game fields, I'm sure I could have had my own migraine medicine named after me.

I don't know where you or your dad picked up the idea that it's particularly hard to hit at 200 yards, it isn't. There are, of course, some common sense things that need to be done, but nothing exotic. Ask at your range who's an NRA member. If they are serious enough about shooting to join the organization, they're pretty sure to be serious enough to give good advice.

By the way, the wind picked up the rug sample the scope was resting on & dumped it 30" onto the stoney ground. End of scope. Good thing I didn't have a young fortune into it anyway. I'm going to buy another spotting scope & I'm going to go inexpensive again.

900F

 

[Don Gwinn]

Thanks! I guess I'd better do that.

Re: 200 yard shooting, I realize it's not going to require magic incantations or anything, but I'm not sure you understand the situation. First of all, remember that this is Illinois, land of closely-packed farms. Until I joined the club, we'd never shot farther than 50 yards, and that was with shotguns.
Also, we have no experience with centerfire rifles. Here most hunting is done with shotguns. Only people who shoot squirrels with .22s or coyotes with small centerfires hunt with rifles. Believe me, I'd prefer to be in Montana, but I don't have the wife talked into it yet.

I am a life member of the NRA, myself, by the way. I intend to be pretty good at 200 yards a year from now, but I shot at 100 not too long ago and it was pretty dismal.

 

[capbuster]

Our club recently opened the range to the public to help non members sight in their rifles. A local deputy sheriff and myself were assigned to help a fellow sight in his 7mm magnum. Fortunatly I had brought along my Tasco spotting scope.I recieved as a gift several years ago and it serves me well since I rarely shoot past the 100 yd mark.After this fellow sighted in his rifle at 100 yds, we headed to the 200 yd range. The deputy brought out some see more type targets and we easily saw where the bullets were striking.

 

[Harry Tuttle]

Kowa makes some nice glass

www.Jarheadtop.com has good pricing

i have a Kowa 502 i picked up for 40 bucks

i should of bought a dozen and sold them on TFL
http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=Kowa+502&btnG=Search+Froogle&scoring=p

 

[Ala Dan]

Greeting's Folk's-

Your first search should start over on e-bay! Lots of
times you can find some real deals over there.

Update: I just checked e-bay for you, and found two
thats auctions are about to end; ones current bid is $44;
and the other is $50. But you had better hurry!

In case you miss these two, there are some more on
the block; but at a higher price.

Best Wishes,
Ala Dan, N.R.A. Life Member

 

[Joe Mamma]

I have the same question as the original poster. Also, what are the brands to get or stay away from? Specifically, what about Tasco, BSA, and Simmons?

Joe Mamma

 

[CB900F]

Joe;

My cheapie was a Tasco. It was good enough for what I wanted. I have not used either a BSA or Simmons spotting scope though. However, I have used Simmons & BSA rifle scopes. From that viewpoint, I'd consider the Simmons spotter & not bother with the BSA. I have never seen poorer glass than that BSA scope. To be fair, it was a bottom-end, scope. But wow, the bottom of a coke bottle would'a been an improvement!

900F

 

[Gary H]

I have a Seeadler-Optik 20x50. I believe that this scope has excellent German optics, but seeing .223 at 200 yards is a push without using special targets. This makes me think that a bit more magnification and 60mm objective would be useful. Of course, poor optics with magnification is worthless and money buys good optics.

 

[coastie76]

try a Winchester brand. 45x power, hardcase and a nicely adjustable 3 legged stand. I think it was $100.
Mike

 

[RH45]

If you are really looking for a cheapie, I have an old Tasco 15-45X, that is about 20 years old. I don't think I ever tried it past 100 yards. I never belonged to a club that had a range that far, back, when I used it.
I replaced it with a Burris Landmark 15-45X, that I bought, when they first came out, 4-5 years ago. I've used it several times at 200 yards, to spot .223 bullet holes. A freind of mine came out with me one day, and brought his Wind River along. We couldn't see the 200 yard bullet holes with his Wind River.
I was at Scheels Sports, last summer, and made the comment to my fiance that the Swarvoski they had was a really nice looking scope, and when my birthday came along, she had picked one up for me. Although it is the nicest spotting scope I've ever looked through, I think it is overpriced at about $1500. I tried to talk her in to returning it, because the Burris did everything I wanted it to do, but, she refused to return it.
Sorry to be so long-winded. Bottom line is that if you are interested in either the Tasco, or the Burris, make me an offer, they are just sitting in my cabinet taking up space.

 

[Tomac]

I'm in the same boat, looking for and inexpensive spotting scope for range work. My (*very*) old Bushnell 15x45 is "adequate" for spotting hits on the 500m gong but think I'd appreciate an inexpensive "step up" if you know what I mean. Has anyone had any experience or know of any reviews for the Yukon spotting scopes?: http://www.nightvisionweb.com/spotting_scopes.htm
Tomac