Help with Spotting Scope

[MiddTennTaco]

I need some help finding a decent spotting scope. Ive tried all kinds of binoculars and cheap handheld monoculars with no luck. Most recently I found an old Tasco 20e 15-45x50mm spotting scope for fifteen bucks at a local pawn shop. Its the best one ive had yet and I thought surely it would do the trick but it still doesnt cut it. And no, I am not blind. I have perfect vision.

All I want to be able to do is see .223 holes at 200 yds at the woodbury range. I dont care for anything fancy. I dont care if it weighs 50 lbs and has a black and white picture. I just want to see where im hitting. At the same time, I don't want to break the bank. If any benefactors have anything used let me know. Im open to suggestions. Id like to spend around $60-70. Is this unreasonable?

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[Guest Lester Weevils]

Hi w0lfattack

At 45X, is the magnification insufficient? Or is it too "fuzzy" or "insfficient contrast" at 45X? Am guessing at 45X, a 50mm scope would tend to be a little dim except on real bright days.

Just trying to figure whether you need more magnification (which would want a bigger objective for sure), or whether in principle 45X ought to make the image big enough if it was a crisper, higher contrast image.

[herr.baer]

What do you use for targets? I would suggest shoot and see. .223 at 200 yards is going to be hard to see with a cheap scope.

[DaveTN]

I looked into spotting scopes and did research on the optics forum. A good spotting scope will be several hundred dollars (I was looking for 300-400 yards or more). I would think you could put that money into a high power quality rifle scope and see bullet holes at 200 yards.

It won’t be long until we have affordable wireless optics that we can set downrange and this won’t be an issue anymore.

[Jonnin]

I can see a 223 hole at 200 at 60 power.

I do not know if you can get it done for the price you listed. You may have to use a combination of an easy to see target + a cheap optic. Like, use indicator targets + a cheap scope? Also, bright colors show a black hole, so for example a target color of yellow, white, or orange is really easy to see the holes while a black target is nearly impossible.

If sunlight or something is behind the target, a black target is better as the light comes thru your holes in that case. But more often than not you want the light color targets.

[Guest nowheretobefound]

"Id like to spend around $60-70. Is this unreasonable?"

In today's world, yes.

A "cheap" spotting scope will start at $300.

[atlas3025]

I have never had luck with spotting scopes at that price.

As a "cheapie" I bought this one last week and it came yesterday. http://www.midwayusa.com/product/242404/konus-spotting-scope-20-60x-100mm-with-photo-adapter-and-soft-case-armored-green It was on sale for $290 in July.

I haven't gone to the range yet, but was looking through it at 400 yards yesterday, and was impressed with the clarity. I think it will work well. There is an 80mm version for about $200 that has good reviews.

[Guest Lester Weevils]

Another angle, but it is also getting up around $200 for starters for any semblance of quality-- If you are in a situation where you can baby the gear and take real good care of it, or alternately you can stand to buy something beautiful and shiny and see it get all scratched up and ugly--

For any given price point you can buy better optics in an astro telescope than a ruggedized spotting scope. You have to fork over astounding big bucks to get as good optical quality in a spotting scope as you can get for a few hundred bucks in an astro scope. And the astro scopes tend to be very pretty, just don't drop em in the gravel too often or they will quickly get either non-functional or real ugly-looking or both. If you pay for an astro scope the several thousand bucks of the finest spotting scopes, you can count the hairs on a gnat's leg with the astro scope. Just don't drop it. Of course even spotting scopes don't appreciate getting dropped.

DaveTN's comment about wireless cameras jogged a brain cell. MikeGideon had his posts about his 1000 yard wireless system, but he threw a good bit of money at it. Better bang for the buck than a big scope, but still a little money and time.

Anyway I don't keep up with cellphones and apps, but I bet you could use two smartphones to make a wireless video system, that would have "practically unlimited range" assuming the phones are in range of a cell tower. Most likely using inexpensive phones and off-the-shelf apps. The trick might be to find the app closest in features that could be adapted for remote target viewing. Maybe a baby-sitting nannycam app, or a video phone app.

You would need a smartphone with a "good enough" camera. Maybe most of em have good enough cameras but maybe some suck too much for this application. And you need some kind of app that when you call the remote phone it will answer and show you its live feed of the target. Like a baby-sitting nanny cam app most likely needs to do? Or maybe the "answer the phone" part wouldn't be necessary-- Just turn the remote phone on, run the app and let it idle with a cellphone internet connection that you can "get to" from the phone in the shooter's pocket.

Given the correct software, you wouldn't necessarily need to buy a second phone and a second wireless account. If you always go shooting with a friend who has the appropriate phone, you have two phones between you, that you would be paying for anyway. Or maybe you could sweet-talk the wife into letting you take her phone with you shooting.

Another similar idea that would have multiple uses-- I remember reading about trail cams that have wireless or cellphone internet connections, but can't recall any more about it. If you wanted a wireless trailcam for hunting or wildlife observation, you could probably talk it into being a wireless remote target cam?

[dlm37015]

yes if size and weight is not a problem use a cheap telescope i use a 40.00 from a pawn shop

[Guest nowheretobefound]

If you are still looking I just got a Bass Pro sale email showing a "Bear Creek" brand for $80, probably mediocre optics but it is cheap!