Spotting scope advice
yemtig
4/17/11 10:28am
Hi all.. I am fairly new to this site and have read the many assorted threads on spotting scopes but wanted some personal opinions from those that hunt the mtns year in and year out.
I am wanting a mid-priced unit that would be good for packing and wilderness hunting that I would experience here in NM...
I have nice binos (which I think are the most important of the two), but would like to get something to see a bit further that's nice a clear and doesn't weight too much...
I have been looking at the following:
Nikon Prostaff series
Alpen
Vortex-both the Nomad and Skyline
What's the best combo of price, clarity, and weight for these and am I missing out on some other brands that would be a good choice in my price range (~500)
I am wanting a mid-priced unit that would be good for packing and wilderness hunting that I would experience here in NM...
I have nice binos (which I think are the most important of the two), but would like to get something to see a bit further that's nice a clear and doesn't weight too much...
I have been looking at the following:
Nikon Prostaff series
Alpen
Vortex-both the Nomad and Skyline
What's the best combo of price, clarity, and weight for these and am I missing out on some other brands that would be a good choice in my price range (~500)
5,778
bo130
4/20/11 2:11pm
I picked up a Redfield Renegade this past fall and I like it but it does get a little dark right at dusk. My brother has a Burris Landmark and that I really like. Both are right around $200. The Burris is a 15-45x zoom and the Redfield is a 20-60x which contributes to it being darker. I would definitely take a look through those two scopes before you buy any.
16
jayb22
4/28/11 10:09am
I bought myself the vortex skyline 20-60x80ED scope and it does seem a little large for packing around the mountains. I bought it for spot and stalk hunts and wish it was a fair bit smaller. The picture quality is very good though. I have seen the Nikon prostaff scopes go in sale at camofire.com and they are a very well priced scope and seem to be a very good size for packing around. I would stick with Vortex just based on warranty but if warraty isn't a concern of yours that Nikon should be a great scope.
16
COLO3D
5/9/11 10:44am
I have owned both the Skyline and Nomad. They are both excellent values, but if you plan on packing it around, I would recommend the Nomad. I think it is the best value in spotting scopes.
16
LAAngels
5/9/11 5:01pm
I agree with jayb22, I have the skyline ed and like it but most of my use will be with the window mount as I don't pack a scope when I hunt, only binos.
16
TheGreatwhitehunter
5/9/11 10:31pm
Nikon and Vortex are hard to beat for the money.
16
yemtig
6/11/11 8:01pm
Update, ended up getting a Vortex Nomad for packability for 250.00 brand new.. Got a great deal from an employee at an outdoor store where I work that got these for free by using a point system to buy gear they like through their employer... Not the best in optics but for packability and the warranty you can't beat the Nomad imo...
16