Spotting Scope

Help!
What is the best Bullseye spotting scopes out there? Pls recommend.

Don't want to break the bank please )
Handcycle

Best is relative. Cheapest? Best quality glass? Smallest?

I like the NG Spotting scope, small, pretty good quality glass, not the cheapest option. The Kowa is probably the highest quality scope typically seen on the bullseye line. I've seen a few people set up 60 or 80mm rifle scopes.

Lots of discussion on the list...

Pistol box scope

Spotting Scope recommendation

Spotting scope with angled eyepiece

Searching for a better spotting scope

Cheap Spotting Scopes

I use a Champions Choice CC 10 x 30 50mm spotting scope and am very satisfied with its performance at 50 ft, 25 yds and 50 yds. 
[size=36][size=36]CC 10-30x 50mm Spotting Scope[/size][/size]

You really don't need and expensive scope if you only go to 50 yards. I have a Tasco and 50 yards 22 holes are clear. I think the eye relief is a bigger factor.

Another user of the 10-30x50 champion choice scope, #CC1030. Works pretty decent, is compact, body can rotate in the mount and have had no problems with it. Prior scope was the Vortex Razor 11-33x50 on a ball head, MUCH better glass but heavy, not as compact, and with added ball mount it was more affected by wind.

eBay. Russian Touring 6, or an Alpen 20X50. Or any small bushnell.

All very well for some of the responders to claim that "you don't need an expensive / powerful scope". I beg to differ - it very much depends on the condition of your eyes. I have tried several of the popular "budget" scopes and a couple of the more up-market ones. After having had my previous large scope ruined by torrential rain on the Sunday at Canton last year, upon arrival at Perry I visited the Champions Choice store and took the advice of the ever cheerful James. Yes, I bought a big one, and not low budget, but at least I can now (generally) see 22 holes in the black at 50 yards on a dull/damp day.

Ya pays ya money, and takes ya chance!

Give this a look see. Large objective, VERY compact, nice variable magnification. Very satisfied with it at 25 and 50yds with a .22. 45 degree angle eyepiece. free shipping and free returns.

https://www.opticsplanet.com/hawke-sport-optics-nature-trek-9-27x56-spotting-scope.html

SteveT wrote:Best is relative. Cheapest? Best quality glass? Smallest?

I like the NG Spotting scope, small, pretty good quality glass, not the cheapest option. The Kowa is probably the highest quality scope typically seen on the bullseye line. I've seen a few people set up 60 or 80mm rifle scopes.

Lots of discussion on the list...

Pistol box scope

Spotting Scope recommendation

Spotting scope with angled eyepiece

Searching for a better spotting scope

Cheap Spotting Scopes

SteveT:
The NG looks small & compact (nice) - which is good. It should work well ( bright & clear ) even up to 50 meter bullseye? Or stretching it at 50 meter?

Handcycle

My NG can see holes as well or better than any of the cheap scopes I have looked through regardless of their power or objective size (Konus, Barska, Tasco etc.). I can see most 22 holes at 50 yards. On a clear sunny day, no problem. On a cloudy dreary day I will not be able to see a few holes in the black across the 3 SF targets. 

In my opinion (and in my eyes) quality glass is more important to see the holes than magnification or objective size. I've looked through several cheap 50, 60 and even 80mm scopes and couldn't see details at the target any better than my NG. Zooming in to higher magnification didn't help either. Of course combining good glass and a large objective will show much more detail and see holes the smaller and cheaper scopes miss. 

IMO you don't need a big zoom range of power in a spotting scope for bullseye. If I only shot one distance I would want about 25x for 50 yards and 15x for 25 and shorter, but 20x is a good compromise for a fixed scope. With the NG eyepiece and not taking off my glasses to get closer, I can see most of the paper at 50 yards and about 7 ring at 25. By getting closer and moving my eye around relative to the eyepiece I can see the outer areas of the target to find those wild shots.

Unfortunately, unless you come to Camp Perry, visit Champions Choice or a visit a good optics store, you can't look through the scopes before buying, but bullseye doesn't require a great scope. We always get a chance to look at the targets up close, so if I only see 8 or 9 shots through the scope, I'll still get to see where the shots ended up.

If you are the kind of person who needs the best, buy the Kowa. If you like cool designs or need more room in your box, get the NG. If you are a cheapskate, buy one of the cheap scopes, it will be fine. If you are like most people, buy a cheap scope, then upgrade somewhere down the line. If it was me, I'd get the Champions Choice scope for around $100. They are good people and will make it right if something is wrong. If I was really short of money, I'd get one of the cheaper scopes recommended in the thread links above. I started bullseye 20 years ago with a cheap Tasco. I still have it and use for indoor rifle or when I take friends shooting.

I don't know what is the "best". When I went looking for a pistol scope to fit my box, I wanted small. I like this scope




This scope is a 16X to 30 X and I wish it went down to 10X as I think I would be using it at that magnification. My zoom is set to 16X because image clarity is actually better at the lower magnifications. Mirage gets magnified at the higher zoom settings, and I can't see holes on the target.


Something to consider, will the scope focus down to 50 feet. I installed one of my rifle scopes, this one




and it would not focus down to 50 feet, therefore I could not use it in indoor Bullseye matches. Something else to consider, I prefer the angled eyepiece as that helps keep me from bumping into my box.

SteveT's first response with the links to old threads prompted me to search the Forum for more comments about scopes. I then came across my response to an old thread:-

"Started with a Barska - cheap and cheerful, but hard to see anything well at 50yards. Others on the line at local matches use Minox MD50W - about $200 - great at 25 yards, but in bad light I struggled to see 22 holes in the black at 50yards.

More recently I tried one of those tiny NG scopes - from the Canada dealer, see other threads on this forum - but not good for my eyes. Returned it."

I subsequently bought a Vanguard 80mm Endeavor XF from CC at Perry. It just about fits into my custom box, it is heavy and a tight fit! But even with this decent quality 80mm scope I often still have trouble seeing 22 holes in the black on a dull day - that is obviously down to my poor eyesight. Hence my interest in this and previous threads - can I find something better - short of spending several thousand on a high end Kowa?

I have the tiny NG. I love it's size and weight. Being honest, it is not the best for seeing 22 holes in the black even at 25. But to be honest, I use my scope to verify zero. After that, I have no need to look at it again. So it really is sufficient for that. I can tell my first few shots are on call and then I move on. Maybe I'm using it wrong, but it works for me.

I have a Minox and have been happy with it.  Mine is the straight barreled one, if I was going to buy again I would get the angled model.

Jwhelan939 wrote:I have the tiny NG. I love it's size and weight. Being honest, it is not the best for seeing 22 holes in the black even at 25. But to be honest, I use my scope to verify zero. After that, I have no need to look at it again. So it really is sufficient for that. I can tell my first few shots are on call and then I move on. Maybe I'm using it wrong, but it works for me.

You're not using it wrong. Verifying shots are on call is the only real reason we need scopes... and to add a distracting factor and make the game harder.

Kowa TSN-501. Discontinued, but you still see them for sale on eBay. No issues seeing holes at 50 yards.

I currently have a Kowa TS-9c that I have had since about 1989/1990.  If I didn't have it, I would probably have either a Kowa TSN-501 or the Vortex Razor 50mm.

An angled eyepiece is great in that you just turn your head to look in the scope.  No moving your feet around to spot your shots.

Normally use it during SF for zero verification and TF 1st magazine to check sustained group.

I bought my TS-9 from Ebay. 

My first Gun-ho came with a bushnell. Box, scope mount, scope a small batch of tools and miscellaneous stuff was $75. I ended up selling the whole kit to a new shooter when I upgraded.

Like MMC said the scope is just to confirm your call or check a group. People try to keep score with it and i'd bet more often than not that hurts their focus and score. The scope doesn't need to be able to see if a round broke the line at 50. go down range to score.

Watch Zins shoot. When I did he was barely in the scope.

I got a damaged celestron #52320 landscout 10-30x50 for cheap and repaired it.  A prism had come loose so all I had to do was glue it back in place and clean it up a bit.

It isn't great, but it wasn't expensive either.  The size is right and it is capable enough for what we're doing.