Long range spotting scopes, how much did you spend?

[Wylie1]

Im interested in knowing how much you longer and extreme long range shooters spend on your spotting scopes?

1. How far away from the target can you see your bullet holes?
2. How much did you spend?

I don't care what brand, I'm not spending that kind of money myself as I don't target shoot all that often. I'm just working on an idea and am trying to see if it can be retailed for less than most spend on these high end spotting scopes.

 

[Jim Watson]

I would say 300 yards is about tops to spot a .30 bullet hole in paper. In the white, that is, picking a hole out of the black is harder.

A friend and I were shooting at 500 metres (=547 yds) last week and we could just occasionally see a hole to know we were on paper but not find all of them, even my .40s.
We were using his 82mm Kowa which is kind of the industry standard and costs right at $1000. The new scopes with ED glass are said to be better but are more expensive.

A bullet splash on steel is easier to see. We had no problem spotting shots on a 600 yard gong... so long as it was recently painted.

Understand that the competitive target shooter is not looking for bullet holes.
There is a target operator in the pits who is putting a contrasting color marker in each hole, easily seen through about any spotting scope or the rifle scope if in a scope class.

A scope or other device to locate bullet holes is for the casual shooter or maybe for solitary pracice by a competitor.


There has been work done on video spotters but the two commercial efforts I know of did not last. There was one guy assembling packages with commodity surveilance gear but I have not heard of him in some time, either. There has been some DIY. I have looked at the catalogs and think it would be fairly straightforward... if I knew more about the specs and selection of equipment.

 

[taliv]

leupold mk4 spotter runs about $1500ish
can be had for less though

 

[Hoser]

I use a Kowa 82mm scope with a long eye relief eyepiece. I think it spent right around a grand or so.

I can see holes in paper out to 400-500 depending on sun conditions, mirage, caliber, background, ect.

 

[Wylie1]

Thank you for your replies!
It sounds as though a similar idea has already had a run. Picture quality and the transmission of the picture over distances mentioned and further are questionable too being a compact power source would be preferred.

I may have a couple different twists being the rate of technology and all but I'd guess being someone else has made a run at this it could already be patented.