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Spotter for my situation |
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outdoorAg
Optics GrassHopper Joined: February/16/2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 65 |
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Posted: February/28/2007 at 18:04 |
I will be hunting whitetail with a 4.5-14x44 Conquest on a .270wsm. A lot of my afternoon hunting takes place laying prone in tall grass on the edge of a wheat field. I decided not to go with a 6.5-20 var power scope because I didn't want to be so limted on my FOV and a deer at 25 yards looks terrible at 6.5 power! So for looking out into those longer distances in the field, I need something compact and light weight that I can carry with me. Something I can put in my pack with a small tripod (6in or so since I will be laying down), and set up next to me as I look out across the field and into the tree line surrounding it. I don't need this for any other reason. I'm not a bird watcher or a sky gazer and I won't be needing to see the holes I punch in paper at long distances. This is a pure hunting spotter.
Now I like the price and specs on the Leo Gold Ring 15-30X50mm. Light and Compact (11') and water/weather resistant. Any others I should look at? Price wise, I would love to keep this purchase around the $400 mark. Thanks for the help OT members. |
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anweis
Optics Master Joined: January/29/2006 Status: Offline Points: 1148 |
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You are right on the mark, go for it. I would have bought that small scope myself, but i needed something on top of a stick (monopod) so i got an angled scope. The GR miniscopes are very good. At $700 you can get a Nikon Fieldscope 50mm with 13-30 eyepiece - this thing is good enough to take on the hunt of your life to find mountain sheep or such. It is better than the Leupold.
If you want to see more/better with the 50mm spotting scope than with your rifle scope, you will need to give that baby some good support. A backack, or better yet, a compact Manfrotto tripod (they cost about $200 and are about 5 lbs.). But, the smallest tripods are too small for you to use when standing (unless you are 4 ft. tall). Another option would be a $70 monopod - some of them extend 6 ft. If you handhold that spotter at 15x you will not see much more than through the riflescope. At 30x you will see just shaky glimpses of hoofed critters.
Now, i would think that for judging deer up to a few hundred yards you need a good pair of binoculars rather than a spotting scope. Edited by anweis |
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outdoorAg
Optics GrassHopper Joined: February/16/2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 65 |
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I should have clarified... I will be laying down - prone position, in these fields. Thats why I mentioned a short tripod. Gun will be sitting on a bipod.
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silver
Optics Master Joined: November/04/2005 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 2291 |
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You can get some very solid and nice stuff for around 700 dollars. I say that because I don't want you to through throwing good money after bad. Bushnell and Nikon as some ok stuff in your price range. These are the only two that I would look at in that price range. The other stuff just is not clear enough. |
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lucznik
Optics Master Joined: November/27/2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 1436 |
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I don't agree. While Nikon and Bushnell both have offerings at the quoted price limit that are very nice, (NIkon's Sky & Earth, Prostaff, and Spotter XL and the Bushnell Elite and/or Legend being the top contenders,) they are by no means the only decent/acceptable glass. For example:
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What if the hokey pokey really is what it's all about?
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outdoorAg
Optics GrassHopper Joined: February/16/2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 65 |
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Thanks for the input guys. Like I mentioned above, this is a spotter that I need to carry in my pack, sit on the ground next to me on a small tripod of some kind - like 6 inches or so - because I will be laying on the ground with my rifle on a bipod. This way I can use the spotter to glass the deer on the field. Minimal movement by using the spotter plus not having to throw a huge scope on the rifle are the main reasons I want this. I'm leaning towards the 15-30x50 Leo Gold Ring. I need to go hold that one, and its smaller counterpart in my hand. Don't think i will go with the 10-20, as my scope is going to be 4.5-14.
Lucznik - thanks for the recommendations. I will take a look at those as well. Just need something compact and small to carry with me, sit in the rain if I'm in the rain, get beat up in my pack, ect. |
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anweis
Optics Master Joined: January/29/2006 Status: Offline Points: 1148 |
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That is the one that fits your intended use perfectly. It will be a bit tricky to find the right tripod, i guess the ones called "table top" may work, but the height of your eyes when prone and the height of the tripod should match more or less. Don't forget about the height of the grass, you don't want to spend $500 only to end up looking at the bluestem 2 feet in front of you. Edited by anweis |
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outdoorAg
Optics GrassHopper Joined: February/16/2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 65 |
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Anweis - I think it is perfect as well. Compact, light weight, plenty of power. No need for more that will sacrifice on the size of the spotter. Good point about the grass. I ran into this with a scoped rifle as well. I usually just mat down some of the grass in front of me, leaving the grass on my sides and behind me. Still provides plenty of cover from my movements.
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