Spotting scope

[dam8]

What sort of spotting scope do you guys use? Bullseye, air and free pistol. So 10m, 50' . To be mounted in a shooters box.
Dave

[eskinner]

I'm cheap.
I use a Meade 'scope that comes with the 45 degree viewer. I use only the lowest power objective (the lens nearest the eye) and it works great at both 25 and 50 yards. It attaches just fine to the standard adapter used with gun boxes -- that's how mine is attached.
I paid $38 for the first one (in a camera store in the mall) I bought a couple of years ago and still use all the time, and then $32 (at a Radio Shack!) for the one I gave my son a couple of months ago. All the details are at http://www.flat5.net/spottingscope.html -- Others may look better but this one works as well as any including those costing more than 10x. I'd rather put my money in ammo for practice, quality guns and smithing, and save a few bucks on the stuff that doesn't govern where the bullet goes.

--
Ed Skinner, ed@flat5.net, http://www.flat5.net/ (shooter's notes)
http://conventionalpistol.blogspot.com/ (shooter's blog)

[RobH]

I tried some of the cheaper scopes, then I got wise and traded them in and got a Kowa TSN-661 with the 25X LER eyepiece. I should have bought that one in the first place. Fortunately a great vendor was able to take my other two scopes in trade at Perry this year so I didn't loose that much money on the two previous scopes I had. Good equipment is worth theprice you pay. I'll never have to buy another scope again. I'd say it was money very welll spent.

Rob

[Nicole Hamilton]

I like the Kowas and the LER eyepieces also. I wanted one I could also use for high power rifle at 100+ yards and didn't care about whether it'd fit in a pistol box. (I carry everything into the range in a big leather bag.) After collecting a lot of feedback and suggestions in various forums on the web and in the newsgroups, I ended up with the angled TSN-821N and the 27x LER eyepiece. It's huge and people do look at me funny when I take it out at an AP match to use at just 10m :) but it really is a great scope with a remarkably clear image. I've had it about 6 or 7 years now and though it was NOT cheap, I've never regretted splurging for it. I've never looked through any other brand of scope that worked as well. There's a huge difference between brands.

[Richard Newman]

I think there are lots of choices for 25 and 50M. My primary one is a 30+year old Unertl. But for 10M I haven't seen anything comparable. Many standard scopes won't even focus that close. I either use a pair of 8 power binoculars, or a 10 power monocular, but neither is "ideal". Any one got a better choice for the short range??
Richard NewmanXZRME

[Nicole Hamilton]

The Kowas all focus to under 10m. Looking through my 821 at an AP target, it's like holding it at 10". It's a huge scope, but you look through it and go, Wow!

[dam8]

I shoot both air and 22. I have been looking at different sizes. I'd like an angled eye piece. What are you guys using? I might use this for rifle shooting at 100 yds. in the future, but I'm not opposed to getting one special for that when ( and if ) the time comes

[PardiniGSP]

I have used the tiny NG 20x33 spotting scopes, offered by our hosts, for two years. They have excellent resolution from 10M to 50M and all Ms in between. They weight next to nothing and they fit easily in any pistol box. To mount them on my pistol boxes, I drill a hole in a block of wood and screw the block to the inside base of the lid of the pistol box. Works fine, and the scopes draw a lot of attention at matches.

[Nicole Hamilton]

As I mentioned in a separate thread, I collected a lot of suggestions from other shooters and online, then bought an angled Kowa TSN-821 with a 27x LER (long eye relief) eyepiece. It's expensive and big, but an absolutely fantastic scope. In 6 years, I have still not seen another scope that offers an image as clear or as bright as I get through my Kowa.

My criteria at the time was primarily that I wanted something that would let me see .223 holes in high power rifle (which starts at 100 yards.) I also wanted to use it for indoor BE at 50' but didn't care about trying to mount it inside a pistol case as I just carry everything in a big leather bag. Later, when I started shooting AP, I was delighted to find that it has no problem focusing to under 10m. (At 10m, the image is amazing! It's like you're holding the target in your hands. :)

[dam8]

thanks everone.
best regards, Dave

[Guest]

Just out of curiosity Nicole, why are spotting scopes allowed at your AP matches??

8.4.10.1 seems to indicate spotting scopes are only permitted in 25 and 50 meter events.

[Nicole Hamilton]

A good reason to allow scopes is because not all ranges have carriers to let you bring the target back after every shot. When I shot in some AP matches in New Hampshire (while I was still living near Boston), that was the case. So everyone hung several targets, then changed them in unison and everyone had scopes to look at their shots in between.

Beyond that, I really hadn't ever looked at the rules to see what it said about scopes 'till you asked. I assumed if it was okay at one range, it was okay everywhere. (But bear in mind, I'm not headed to the Olympics, I'm just out to have a good time and enjoy being mediocre. :) But having now looked, it appears there's a variation allowed here in the US. From the 2005 USAS Pistol Rules:

8.4.10.1 Spotting Telescopes

The use of telescopes not attached to the pistol to locate shots or judge the wind is permitted for 25 m and 50 m events only.

USA 8.4.10.1A The use of telescopes not attached to the pistol to locate shots or judge the wind is permitted for all pistol events.

But of course, even if you don't use a scope at a match, you'd probably like to have one for practice at home. I only know a couple people who've told me they have carriers there. So it would likely still be useful to choose a scope that can focus under 10m.

[Myron32]

I use Kowa exclusively.

I use their small scope with a fixed 20x eyepiece in my shooting box on a a Hebard mount.

I use a Kowa 77mm scope with 27X EER eyepiece for rifle matches on a stand made here in CT by Mo DeFina at Master Class Sports, Brookfield, CT.

[Pradeep5]

Generally a scope is allowed in AP matches when the match is using more than 1 shot per target card. For higher level events it's one shot per card (or using electronics), and therefore a scope is not needed.

I have the little NG scope and it works great, nice and compact so it fits in the shooting box etc.

[David Levene]

For higher level events it's one shot per card (or using electronics), and therefore a scope is not needed.

...and actually is not allowed under ISSF rules.

[Richard H]

For higher level events it's one shot per card (or using electronics), and therefore a scope is not needed.

...and actually is not allowed under ISSF rules.

Many matches around the world at the local level are ran on less than the ISSF rules. Some ranges don't have target carriers so they put up 3 or 4 targets and shoot 5 shots on each. Usually matches like the one mentioned above will allow scopes.

David you got to get oout a slum it some more ;) We still are using hand cranks.

[David Levene]

David you got to get oout a slum it some more ;) We still are using hand cranks.

You are probably right Richard, I cannot even remember the last time I shot on electric carriers, let alone hand cranks.

All of my (little) shooting in the last few years has been on Sius Ascor electronics. I'm lucky that I live within 30 minutes of Bisley where we have more electronics than we normally need. The bad news is that there are no local clubs left with half reasonable airgun facilities.

[mad5757]

First post in a couple years---------------

I shoot benchrest competition and NRA silhouette. The benchrest is rimfire at 50' and centerfire at 100'. The silhouette is out to 500 meters.
Almost everyone on the firing line of either competition is using a Kowa with the 27 power LER eyepiece.
I'd hate to think of showing up for a match without my Kowa 821.
Mad`