mmb617
Member
About 18 months ago I started a couple threads looking for advice on rifle scopes which led into a discussion about spotting scopes as well. I was just getting started on some longer range shots with my AR and had never shot with a scope before. A recurring theme in the advice I got was that you definitely get what you pay for in scopes. The more you spend the better you'll see.
I have a rather limited budget so I do a lot of research before I spend my money in hopes of getting the most value in the price range I can afford.
The longest range at the club I shoot at is 300 yds, and the $100 scope I originally had was useless at that distance. I then bought a Bushnell Nitro 6-24x50 riflescope for $400 and that allowed me to set the crosshairs on the bull at 300 yds but I couldn't see the hits even using a glow spot target. I figure the scope is adequate for what I want to do if I could just see the hits so I know what adjustments to make. Which led me to research spotting scopes.
So I bought a Huicocy 20-60x60 spotting scope for $60, but I still couldn't see the hits at 300 yds. Some of the guys on here said that good glass starts at 4 figures and that isn't happening for me so I decided that I'd have to be happy shooting the 200 yd range which I can see well with my riflescope.
Last week my son gave me an early birthday/fathers day present. It was a Gosky EagleView 20-60x85 spotting scope, which I know was around $700. I now see what is meant by getting what you pay for as I can see the hits at 300 yds. The clarity is amazing. Here's a picture I took looking through it at 300 yds. Don't make fun of my lack of accuracy please. I sat down with no idea where I was and adjusted after every 3 shots. I started off way low and right. By the end the groups were getting much closer to the center. I figure next trip I'll have a better starting point and should have better groups.
Pretty easy to see the hits now. Notice how that tree is partially obscuring the target? It's way downrange only a few feet in front of the target. Standing beside the bench and looking downrange to see where I wanted to place my target it wasn't in the way. It was only after I hung the target and sat at the bench that I saw it was in the line of sight from that angle. I wasn't walking all the way to rehang the target so I just tried to ignore it. I'll be going to the range today and I'll take my loppers and trim that branch back.
I have a rather limited budget so I do a lot of research before I spend my money in hopes of getting the most value in the price range I can afford.
The longest range at the club I shoot at is 300 yds, and the $100 scope I originally had was useless at that distance. I then bought a Bushnell Nitro 6-24x50 riflescope for $400 and that allowed me to set the crosshairs on the bull at 300 yds but I couldn't see the hits even using a glow spot target. I figure the scope is adequate for what I want to do if I could just see the hits so I know what adjustments to make. Which led me to research spotting scopes.
So I bought a Huicocy 20-60x60 spotting scope for $60, but I still couldn't see the hits at 300 yds. Some of the guys on here said that good glass starts at 4 figures and that isn't happening for me so I decided that I'd have to be happy shooting the 200 yd range which I can see well with my riflescope.
Last week my son gave me an early birthday/fathers day present. It was a Gosky EagleView 20-60x85 spotting scope, which I know was around $700. I now see what is meant by getting what you pay for as I can see the hits at 300 yds. The clarity is amazing. Here's a picture I took looking through it at 300 yds. Don't make fun of my lack of accuracy please. I sat down with no idea where I was and adjusted after every 3 shots. I started off way low and right. By the end the groups were getting much closer to the center. I figure next trip I'll have a better starting point and should have better groups.
Pretty easy to see the hits now. Notice how that tree is partially obscuring the target? It's way downrange only a few feet in front of the target. Standing beside the bench and looking downrange to see where I wanted to place my target it wasn't in the way. It was only after I hung the target and sat at the bench that I saw it was in the line of sight from that angle. I wasn't walking all the way to rehang the target so I just tried to ignore it. I'll be going to the range today and I'll take my loppers and trim that branch back.
