First spotting scope purchase, budget vs top notch

[Koshinn]

Have been thinking about that being nice to have also, is there a way to have both? To still use as a camera set up.

The Vortex Razor HD spotting scope has both a mil and moa eyepiece as well as a camera adapter. But you need the biggest scope.

I was hoping they'd offer it in the Viper line but no such luck.

[Failure2Stop]

How needed is a mil reticle for a spotting scope?

Depends on what you are doing with the spotter.
If you're just using it to check your work from distance, not terribly.
If you're using it to spot another shooter with the need for immediate correction and re-engagement, pretty important.
There is a decent gap in needs when comparing a sniper/DM team and a long-range match shooter/hobbyist.
I have a cheap spotter that I drag out to the 100 meter range for spotting holes, but wouldn't use for anything else.
For all of my "real" stuff, I use a 12-40x Leupy. It has a Manfrotto grip ball head that costs more than my whole cheapo spotter.
The 12x bottom is also frequently misunderstood by users that aren't working in a team. It isn't that I'm trying to cut cost by going with a lower magnification; I need to be able to track trace, which is easier done when at a lower power (12-15x generally, depending on distance). I'll be at 40X for rapid range estimation, facial recognition, reconnaissance, and immediate shot correction (if outside the ability to track trace).
I really prefer the H32 and H36 reticle over mil-dot or TMR.

[MBtech]

Have not found anything with a mil reticle that fits my budget, but I am the hobbyist mentioned above. I did go to a gun shop on my lunch break today, checked out a couple Vortex, and by checked out I mean held. Guy would not let me take it outside to look through! How the hell do you judge a 20-60x80 scope in a 40-50 foot building! They have lost my business for good. I usually buy my FGMM 308 ammo there and have bought one pistol... not anymore.

[MBtech]

Have had a couple recommendations on tri-pod style stands, has anyone had any experience with the clamp style for bench mounting a spotting scope?

[T2C]

Have had a couple recommendations on tri-pod style stands, has anyone had any experience with the clamp style for bench mounting a spotting scope?

I made a scope stand out of a sliding pipe clamp and cast iron pipe. The pipe and clamp are available at most hardware stores and looks like the one in this picture. http://www.walmart.com/ip/Bessey-Cla...fad91e&veh=cse



I made the part that holds the screw to secure the scope to the stand out of a wood block, two 3" long 1/4-20 bolts, with wing nuts and washers and a piece of aluminum band material. I found a bolt with the same thread as the bottom of the scope at the hardware store. It passes through the band material into the bottom of the scope. You can use hex nuts to set the depth the bolt reaches into the scope body.

The farther the scope is away from the clamp, the more the wind will cause it to shake. Most days it is not an issue, but if it is really windy it can be. The range where I shoot has pillars adjacent to the firing points. I steady the scope with a light bungee cord wrapped around the pipe and secured to either a pillar or on the bench where the scope stand is clamped.

[railpig314]

Hey,
What do you need a mil dot reticle in a spotting scope for? I wish some of you would check out the Konus scopes. They have good glass and are very inexpensive. We use them for the NM's and they work just fine. You guys are going to spend a lot of money for nothing. But I think that's what a lot of these companies are betting on!

[MBtech]

I made a scope stand out of a sliding pipe clamp and cast iron pipe. The pipe and clamp are available at most hardware stores and looks like the one in this picture. http://www.walmart.com/ip/Bessey-Cla...fad91e&veh=cse



I made the part that holds the screw to secure the scope to the stand out of a wood block, two 3" long 1/4-20 bolts, with wing nuts and washers and a piece of aluminum band material. I found a bolt with the same thread as the bottom of the scope at the hardware store. It passes through the band material into the bottom of the scope. You can use hex nuts to set the depth the bolt reaches into the scope body.

The farther the scope is away from the clamp, the more the wind will cause it to shake. Most days it is not an issue, but if it is really windy it can be. The range where I shoot has pillars adjacent to the firing points. I steady the scope with a light bungee cord wrapped around the pipe and secured to either a pillar or on the bench where the scope stand is clamped.

That's a good idea, good way to save some money. Thanks for that, I'm sure I could rig that up.

[MBtech]

Hey,
What do you need a mil dot reticle in a spotting scope for? I wish some of you would check out the Konus scopes. They have good glass and are very inexpensive. We use them for the NM's and they work just fine. You guys are going to spend a lot of money for nothing. But I think that's what a lot of these companies are betting on!

I don't necessarily need a mil dot reticle for my application at this point, but with a shooter and a spotter it would definitely be nice to have as most of the time I am shooting with someone. I also want a mil dot scope for my Rem 700, so the two would work nicely together, but they look to be way out of my price range anyway, looks like $1500 and up... just aint happening for me anytime soon.

The Konus is for sure my first pick in the lower budget range
Kowa or Vortex for the next step up. Anything over $1K will not be happening.
A lot is going to have to do with the more important purchase and price tag of the rifle scope in which spotter I choose and can afford.

[Failure2Stop]

Hey,
What do you need a mil dot reticle in a spotting scope for? I wish some of you would check out the Konus scopes. They have good glass and are very inexpensive. We use them for the NM's and they work just fine. You guys are going to spend a lot of money for nothing. But I think that's what a lot of these companies are betting on!

If you're a spotter communicating with a shooter and need to immediately adjust a shot, give a reference, or do a rapid range estimation without a laser, they're pretty important. Not saying that everyone needs one, but those that do, do.

[MBtech]

If you're a spotter communicating with a shooter and need to immediately adjust a shot, give a reference, or do a rapid range estimation without a laser, they're pretty important. Not saying that everyone needs one, but those that do, do.

I agree 100%, if you need it for ex. LE, MIL, Competition, and/or can afford it, it's just going to make the task easier than without it taking out a lot of guess work and time. Which in turn means more effective rounds down range.