Spotting Scopes

Bang em in the Gold · 23-06-09, 12:59 PM

I need some expertise advise.
I am looking to purchase a new spotting scope but I am not sure what Spec to buy. I have been using a cheaper scope but do not get Good Clarity at 80 & 100yds. Can anybody recommend a reasonable scope to look at. I did not want to spend Hundreds of pounds on this, so anything reasonable would be great.
Thanks
Bang em in the Gold

The Meggy · 23-06-09, 01:11 PM

I have got a Bresser 15-45 zoom one from Bowsports for 70-something quid-ish which I think they are still selling. The optics are certainly very good for the money, plus it is waterproof (a must for archery use IMO) so it doesn't fog up if it is raining. They also do a 20-60 zoom one with a larger objective lens. However, I don't think the extra power would be of much use as I never have mine on maximum zoom (or even close to that) anyway, even at 100 yards. Other people will have their own recommendations, but I have found this to be a very good choice for me, so would reccomend it.

Beware of just going for the cheapest decent looking one you can find on the web - I made this mistake a few years ago but the scope just wasn't up to the job, and eventually broke. They all look good when pictured but the reality is sometimes a different thing.

simon m · 23-06-09, 01:52 PM

+1 for bresser scopes from me, mines been wicked since I got it 18 months ago.

Free tripod was frankley sh*te got a decent metal tripod of evil-bay for £9(old model covered in dust from someones loft) never looked back.

60mm lense version wicked even in diminishing light of evenings(thought it was an 80 but I was wrong!)

http://www.scopesnskies.com/cat/spot...ng-scopes.html

bough from this online shop very good service

simon m · 23-06-09, 02:03 PM

god i'm so crap it is an 80mm apeture...had to go & look!

buzz lite beer · 23-06-09, 08:11 PM

Got one of these
Ultima 80 - 45 Spotting Scope (item #52250) / Celestron.com - Telescope | Computerized Telescopes | Microscopes | Binoculars | SkyScout

from here:- Celestron Spotting Scopes Sherwoods can supply scopes on sale at many archery retailers for sensible prices.
The Scope is very good, nice and sharp image and very bright comparable with stuff costing 3x the price.

jet186 · 23-06-09, 08:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by buzz lite beer

Got one of these
Ultima 80 - 45 Spotting Scope (item #52250) / Celestron.com - Telescope | Computerized Telescopes | Microscopes | Binoculars | SkyScout

from here:- Celestron Spotting Scopes Sherwoods can supply scopes on sale at many archery retailers for sensible prices.
The Scope is very good, nice and sharp image and very bright comparable with stuff costing 3x the price.

Yeah I got mine from here
Telescopes, Binoculars, Spotter Scopes, Microscopes and Astronomy Accessories

18 x 55 zoom

excellent price and next day celivery was included in price.

Hope this helps

John

wymkof · 29-06-09, 11:25 AM

Aldi have some scopes in at £25 and a full size tripod at £11.99 you cant go wrong at that price.
Scope not bad have tested at 70m not had a chance to use it 100yds/90m.

Nic Rhodes · 29-06-09, 02:50 PM

Two things to consider. First the light gathering capability, 80mm is more than 60 is more than 50mm. However you will probably find that even a 50mm has enough light for long distance unless you are shooting at dusk.

Then there is the 'quality' of the optics. Whether they are 'plan' (same across the whole view, and all the chromatic (colour) aberations. High quality optics will focus all colours at the same place, cheap optics (like the Aldi scope I have) won't. You will see this as colour fringes and soft images. High quality optics may well be labeled ED and use 'special' glasses (like Fluorite) or even APO but these will show contrasty sharp images (great for archery). I therefore use a mode 50mm scope but with ED optics and a zoom eyepiece. Nikon ED50 but really is down to your budget and how you want to use it (spectacle wearers?). Not the cheapest but very effective for Archery (and other subjects like birds) up until dusk.

Nightimer · 29-06-09, 06:51 PM

Buy cheap,buy twice!!

The Meggy · 29-06-09, 07:09 PM

Some people at my club have got the Aldi scope. Given the price I am tempted to agree that you can't go wrong. But my opinion is that the image quality is nothing like as good as my Bresser and of course they are not waterproof. If you just want to use it on a non-rainy day it would be OK but it could still be difficult to pick out your arrows at the longer distances if someone else has similar colours. Personally I would go in at a bit higher price level than the Aldi model.

Whitehart · 29-06-09, 08:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Meggy

Some people at my club have got the Aldi scope. Given the price I am tempted to agree that you can't go wrong. But my opinion is that the image quality is nothing like as good as my Bresser and of course they are not waterproof. If you just want to use it on a non-rainy day it would be OK but it could still be difficult to pick out your arrows at the longer distances if someone else has similar colours. Personally I would go in at a bit higher price level than the Aldi model.

I agree I have an Aldi Scope and at 90m the colour definition is not good, (below that fine) this year I decided to use white vanes, nocks

and wraps, it struggles to pick these colours out. I tried orange nocks

and the colour from the nocks

bled on to the white vanes naking them look orange. Tried the Visionary 70mm big difference and Dereks very expensive one no contest.

worthipa · 30-06-09, 12:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Meggy

Some people at my club have got the Aldi scope. Given the price I am tempted to agree that you can't go wrong. But my opinion is that the image quality is nothing like as good as my Bresser and of course they are not waterproof. If you just want to use it on a non-rainy day it would be OK but it could still be difficult to pick out your arrows at the longer distances if someone else has similar colours.

Bearing in mind you're just looking at the back end of arrows at a set distance the ALDI scope is fine. You can have the problems mentioned above with any scope, I have difficulty picking my nocks

out at 100 yds with my Nikons. At £26 the ALDI scope is an ideal starter and, if you get the opportunity to improve later, you can always bang it on ebay and get your money back.

PS, the ALDI tripod is rubbish for mounting a scope on (see previous posts on this subject), get something solid off ebay, or a charity shop or car boot sale ...

Flying Whale · 30-06-09, 08:44 AM

Major problem with thge Aldi is the lack of robustness. Someone in our club got one. Gust of wind blew it over, and something shifted internally. Now when looking down the eye piece the target appears to be leaning over at 60 degrees. Very hard to work out which way to move the sight!

So after less than a year he has had to buy another.

Nightimer · 30-06-09, 09:20 AM

People will spend hundreds on a Black Eagle scope (one little lense-God knows why its so expensive).
Hundreds on a set of arrows.
Hundreds on a bow
Hundreds on a sight.
Then spend sod all on a spotting scope.
Never really understood that one.
As I said before"Buy cheap,buy twice"

Gore · 30-06-09, 09:25 AM

For those who have a Costco membership, you can pick up a Meade spotting scope (to get more details about it, go to the online shop on their website - its the only spotting scope listed) for £30. I picked one up and have yet to use it properly but hopefully i'll shoot on wednesday and put it to proper use then. Costco has a very generous returns policy so if its a bit poo you can just take it back!

23-06-09, 12:59 PM	#1 (permalink)
Bang em in the Gold In the Green Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Dunstable, Beds UK Posts: 5 Tournaments Joined: 0 Tournaments Won: 0 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Spotting Scopes I need some expertise advise. I am looking to purchase a new spotting scope but I am not sure what Spec to buy. I have been using a cheaper scope but do not get Good Clarity at 80 & 100yds. Can anybody recommend a reasonable scope to look at. I did not want to spend Hundreds of pounds on this, so anything reasonable would be great. Thanks Bang em in the Gold Sponsored Links 20 x 60cm Economy Target Faces: £5.00 36 x Plastifletch Arrow Fletchings £3.00

23-06-09, 01:52 PM	#3 (permalink)
simon m It's an X Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Aylesbury Posts: 1,548 Tournaments Joined: 0 Tournaments Won: 0 Downloads: 15 Uploads: 0	+1 for bresser scopes from me, mines been wicked since I got it 18 months ago. Free tripod was frankley sh*te got a decent metal tripod of evil-bay for £9(old model covered in dust from someones loft) never looked back. 60mm lense version wicked even in diminishing light of evenings(thought it was an 80 but I was wrong!) http://www.scopesnskies.com/cat/spot...ng-scopes.html bough from this online shop very good service __________________ Hunting Custard........

23-06-09, 02:03 PM	#4 (permalink)
simon m It's an X Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Aylesbury Posts: 1,548 Tournaments Joined: 0 Tournaments Won: 0 Downloads: 15 Uploads: 0	god i'm so crap it is an 80mm apeture...had to go & look! __________________ Hunting Custard........

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23-06-09, 01:11 PM	#2 (permalink)
The Meggy In the Gold Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Grimsby Posts: 1,037 Tournaments Joined: 0 Tournaments Won: 0 Downloads: 13 Uploads: 0	I have got a Bresser 15-45 zoom one from Bowsports for 70-something quid-ish which I think they are still selling. The optics are certainly very good for the money, plus it is waterproof (a must for archery use IMO) so it doesn't fog up if it is raining. They also do a 20-60 zoom one with a larger objective lens. However, I don't think the extra power would be of much use as I never have mine on maximum zoom (or even close to that) anyway, even at 100 yards. Other people will have their own recommendations, but I have found this to be a very good choice for me, so would reccomend it. Beware of just going for the cheapest decent looking one you can find on the web - I made this mistake a few years ago but the scope just wasn't up to the job, and eventually broke. They all look good when pictured but the reality is sometimes a different thing.

23-06-09, 08:11 PM	#5 (permalink)
buzz lite beer It's an X Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: North East England Posts: 3,325 Tournaments Joined: 0 Tournaments Won: 0 Downloads: 64 Uploads: 0	Got one of these Ultima 80 - 45 Spotting Scope (item #52250) / Celestron.com - Telescope \| Computerized Telescopes \| Microscopes \| Binoculars \| SkyScout from here:- Celestron Spotting Scopes Sherwoods can supply scopes on sale at many archery retailers for sensible prices. The Scope is very good, nice and sharp image and very bright comparable with stuff costing 3x the price.

29-06-09, 11:25 AM	#7 (permalink)
wymkof In the Blue Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Greater Manchester Posts: 140 Tournaments Joined: 0 Tournaments Won: 0 Downloads: 45 Uploads: 0	Aldi have some scopes in at £25 and a full size tripod at £11.99 you cant go wrong at that price. Scope not bad have tested at 70m not had a chance to use it 100yds/90m.

29-06-09, 02:50 PM	#8 (permalink)
Nic Rhodes In the Black Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: St Bees, Cumbria Posts: 93 Tournaments Joined: 0 Tournaments Won: 0 Downloads: 31 Uploads: 0	Two things to consider. First the light gathering capability, 80mm is more than 60 is more than 50mm. However you will probably find that even a 50mm has enough light for long distance unless you are shooting at dusk. Then there is the 'quality' of the optics. Whether they are 'plan' (same across the whole view, and all the chromatic (colour) aberations. High quality optics will focus all colours at the same place, cheap optics (like the Aldi scope I have) won't. You will see this as colour fringes and soft images. High quality optics may well be labeled ED and use 'special' glasses (like Fluorite) or even APO but these will show contrasty sharp images (great for archery). I therefore use a mode 50mm scope but with ED optics and a zoom eyepiece. Nikon ED50 but really is down to your budget and how you want to use it (spectacle wearers?). Not the cheapest but very effective for Archery (and other subjects like birds) up until dusk.

29-06-09, 06:51 PM	#9 (permalink)
Nightimer In the Gold Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Hertfordshire UK Posts: 769 Tournaments Joined: 0 Tournaments Won: 0 Downloads: 3 Uploads: 0	Buy cheap,buy twice!!

29-06-09, 07:09 PM	#10 (permalink)
The Meggy In the Gold Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Grimsby Posts: 1,037 Tournaments Joined: 0 Tournaments Won: 0 Downloads: 13 Uploads: 0	Some people at my club have got the Aldi scope. Given the price I am tempted to agree that you can't go wrong. But my opinion is that the image quality is nothing like as good as my Bresser and of course they are not waterproof. If you just want to use it on a non-rainy day it would be OK but it could still be difficult to pick out your arrows at the longer distances if someone else has similar colours. Personally I would go in at a bit higher price level than the Aldi model.

30-06-09, 08:44 AM	#13 (permalink)
Flying Whale It's an X Join Date: May 2006 Location: Malvern, Worcs Posts: 2,238 Tournaments Joined: 2 Tournaments Won: 0 Downloads: 83 Uploads: 3	Major problem with thge Aldi is the lack of robustness. Someone in our club got one. Gust of wind blew it over, and something shifted internally. Now when looking down the eye piece the target appears to be leaning over at 60 degrees. Very hard to work out which way to move the sight! So after less than a year he has had to buy another.

30-06-09, 09:20 AM	#14 (permalink)
Nightimer In the Gold Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Hertfordshire UK Posts: 769 Tournaments Joined: 0 Tournaments Won: 0 Downloads: 3 Uploads: 0	People will spend hundreds on a Black Eagle scope (one little lense-God knows why its so expensive). Hundreds on a set of arrows. Hundreds on a bow Hundreds on a sight. Then spend sod all on a spotting scope. Never really understood that one. As I said before"Buy cheap,buy twice"

30-06-09, 09:25 AM	#15 (permalink)
Gore In the White Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Essex Posts: 42 Tournaments Joined: 1 Tournaments Won: 0 Downloads: 6 Uploads: 0 Recurve FS Seed #34	For those who have a Costco membership, you can pick up a Meade spotting scope (to get more details about it, go to the online shop on their website - its the only spotting scope listed) for £30. I picked one up and have yet to use it properly but hopefully i'll shoot on wednesday and put it to proper use then. Costco has a very generous returns policy so if its a bit poo you can just take it back!