How critical is a spotting scope?

There are so many variables that could come into play with this question. First off if you don't have the money available for a quality scope I would say don't sweat it and save up till you can get one that will last a lifetime. Also don't cut yourself short and buy a cheapo cause it will make your hunt more miserable than enjoyable.
I use my scope a ton but mostly because I know the area I hunt so well. If I end up in a place that is unfamiliar to me I tend to stick with my binos and move around more to try and get a better feel for the country.
It also depends on if I am backpacking, on horseback, hunting out of a large comfortable camp...
So I will leave you with this. If you plan on hunting the west often it will be a great investment. If not I would encourage you to save your money for something else...

Pete's right. Depending on your style of hunting, you will not need a spotting scope. They can be very productive and save alot of miles on the boots, but I use mine far more while scouting than actually deer hunting. Save your money and buy a decent one when you can. They do make the middle of the day more productive as you can set up and glass bedding areas. Binos are 100% more important in my opinion and you should get the best, most rugged pair you can afford. They will kill you the more deer than any other piece of equipment that you take into the field.---SS

OK, Let's say I could safely spend around $600 on a spotting scope without getting divorced. Would that be enough to get a decent one? What makes do you guys like? How do you feel about Nikon? A good friend of mine is on the Nikon Prostaff and can get me pretty good deals.

pete and shooter are spot on. binos are more imortant, but i use the crud out of my spotter. i wouldn't go without it.

your price range might put you just under the leapold 12-45X60mm gold ring. but you could probably find A used one for that price. it's what i use asnd love it! plus the warrenty is great.

if you can "comfortably" swing it, heck yea buy one! but you can have a good hunt without one olso.

I like the Leupold scopes that killer mentioned as well. Honestly I have used everything from low end Bushnell to mid class Leupolds, to Swarovski and Leica but have no first hand experience with nikon. I haven't heard much about any of their spotters except for the EDG and they are very expensive....
I have heard quite a bit of decent stuff about the Vortex line as well so I would take a look at them.
If you could round one up I'd really consider the Leupold Killer mentioned though.

if your hunting the high country i wouldnt dare go without. if not a good pair of binos works good too!

What about Burris? They seem to be extremely affordable. I have a Burris scope on one of my rifles and it is really nice. I noticed the Burris spotters are not water proof. Is that why they are so cheap?

if it's not waterproof, then it probably isn't going to be fog proof- the worst thing you could have happen--- the inside fogging up!

I have heard very good things about Vortex optics. They have an outstanding warranty and good glass. You could pick up a Vortex Nomad for a bit over $300 new. Look up Doug from Cameraland NY. He'll treat you right. That being said, I'm buying a Leupold gold ring which is running me a bit more than the $600 you're willing to spend.

they keep miles off the boots and allow you to tell more than a pair of 10x binocs can at extended ranges. (Plus you can take pics through them without spooking the game with your phone and send them to your buddies who are stuck at work....like I do)

To answer your question you need to determine how you hunt. If you spend a lot of time behind your glass and look for miles around you for animals then a good spotter will be invaluable to you. If you move around a lot, still hunt, etc. then you may find that a spotting scope just represents extra weight you have to pack around.

Also, do you hunt on foot or off of a horse or ATV? If you don't have to pack it personally it is nice to have around, but if you start adding 4+ pounds for a scope and tripod then packing it along with all your other gear may not seem like a necessity.

My personal opinion is if you are hunting high elevations with long views and are looking for a trophy animal then a spotter is an absolute necessity. You can find the deer with your binos, but if you need to know what your looking at before you take off after it you will definately want the extra magnification that a scope provides. If not, take it or leave it.

As far as brand...I have Vortex and have no complaints. The Nomad is a great entry scope that is light weight and compact. HD glass is great but it is also very heavy...I'll trade the incrimental improvements for less weight all day long. Keep in mind that your objective lense plays the biggest part in how much light you gather in early morning and late evening situations. My experience has also been that expensive glass does little for heat waves which generally become problematic at about 45 - 50x. Most scopes aren't real useful beyond there.

A good tripod is a necessity to. Needs to balance weight and sturdiness. A smooth swiveling head makes a big difference too.

If your interested in Vortex get a hold of Chris at VIP Optics...absolutely great guy and Vortex has a great warranty if you need it. I've had my scope and bino's for 2 years now with no issues.

I will second the recommendation on the Vortex Nomad. Let me say this....getting a scope will not find animals. I've noticed that people who are new to spotting scopes do not take the time to use it. They pack it all day but will not take the time to set it up and search. You must discipline yourself to sit down and look over an area for long oeriods sometimes. It really helps to go out with somebody who knows how to use one and can teach you. In my opinion a spotter, along with bino's, are the most important piece of equipment a Western hunter can have. fatrooster.

I bought a Vortex this year and really like it, bang for buck you can't go wrong with Vortex. I've always known that quality binos were a must but wasn't so sure I really needed a spotting scope now that I have one it makes me sick to think of what i've missed not having one. I looked at alot of scopes and agree with whats being posted about not going too cheap. Just like with binos save up until you can buy good glass, you'll regret it if you don't.

I just bought a Vortex Skyline 20-60-80 and absolutely love it (coming from a Leupold guy)
Camera Land has them onsale right now for $299 for the scope (straight scope only left) and $349 with tripod.

http://www.cameralandny.com/optics/vortex.pl?page=vortexskyline

I bought a Burris High Country 15X-45X before my 2008 hunt. It cost about 180.00 I did not think it was a bad scope for the money. It rode around under my seat from October 2008 till Sept 2010. During that time I used it periodically to glass whitetails and deer with a window mount. Last year on my mountain hunt it worked for the first 3 days then something happened causing it to fog up inside. I returned home a little ticked off. Should have saved and bought a good one. I did contact Burris/Steiner and sent it back. It was replaced in 2 weeks with a 20X-60X. I felt like they did as good a job as possible making it right but I was still stuck in the Antelope and Muley fields with a broken scope. Thank Goodness my Sgt. sold me some 10-42 SLC's at a good price before the hunt! :not-worthy

From a person that used the H#LL out of my spotting scopes, to many hours to list, When hunting season came, it did go up to camp with me and most (not always) of the time it stayed in camp. The only place that I planned to take it was when I took people to “Dinosaur Back” a ridge that we would sit on and do a glass and stock from. As for the Brand go out and test as many as you can (not in the store take them out side and look) find one that you can spend hours looking though, if you have to squint to see anything, keep looking. Good luck

V/R
M. Bird

I live in nevada where its wide open and a spotting scope for me is as important as my binoculars. On the other hand when I hunt the timber of Oregon for elk or deer I dont even pack a spotting scope. I would find out what the terrain is like in the area you are going to be hunting and decide from there whether you need a spotting scope. I use to use a leupold gold ring and it is a very easy scope to use and very forgiving on your eyes however now I have the swarvoski 65mm and the 80mm which are above and beyond anything I have ever looked through. Something to remember is you get what you pay for when you are purchasing optics. Hope this helps

vortex viper in your price range prob best bang for your buck

When it comes to equipment, don't cut corners. Every time I tried to save money on something, I ended up kicking myself. I have looked at the top spotting scopes including: Nikon ED, Swarovski, Leica, Zeiss, Vortex, etc. If you are looking for lightweight, go with the Swarovski, but you couldn't go wrong with any of the ones that I mentioned. I am currently using my Dad's old Bushnell Spacemaster II 60mm, but usually just use my nikon Monarch ATB 12x42 with a tripod mount. It really boils down to what type of hunting you will be doing, but a good scope can really help out.