Your Favorite Spotting Scope and Why

[Racethesunset]

Tony's review of the newer modular Swaro scopes (and how they are noticeably better than the prior generation) got me thinking about what's unseen in the distance.

So, I have a few questions and points of dialog for the hunters out west:

• What's your favorite spotter for western hunting?
• How do you use it (as a workhorse, as a hail mary, for antlers)?
• What do you complement it with in the pack (8,10, 12, 15, etc - I use 12x50 SV's on a tripod mostly)?
• Lastly, given objectives of coues, muley, elk, sheep, bear, what would you upgrade to?

In the past, this type of question usually ended in a sizable donation to the Swarovski estate in Austria. The war chest isn't quite ready for such a move, but it will be soon enough.

 

[marktole]

I’m going to go ahead and be the first to donate to the Swarovski estate here.

I use a Swaro ATX 65mm spotter. The sharpness of the image, brightness, colors, edge to edge clarity, field of view, and field flatteners are incredible. I would use an 85mm lense with it, but I’m mostly back pack hunting and don’t perceive the added benefit of an 85mm lense to be wroth the extra weight, size, and cost.

The way I use it is like workhorse/antler combination, I guess? I usually glass with my binos on a tripod and when I find something I want to take a closer look at (like a questionable rock way out there or a buck) I’ll pull out the spotter.

I run 10x50 EL’s on a tripod to go with the spotter. I had some 15x SLC HD in the mix that I just never used much with the 10x’s and a spotter, so I sold them (to you, the OP of this thread!). I have been curious to try 12x’s however, but I’m not sure how steady I’d be at free handing them. I also don’t have much trouble finding game with my 10x’s so I haven’t made the move.

There’s really not much to upgrade to from an ATX, unless I went to a bigger lens. But I will say this, I had a 65mm Vortex before the ATX and the difference is unreal. I think Vortex makes an excellent product for the money, but that ATX is unreal. So if you’ve already got a spotter I would just hang onto it until you can afford some alpha glass, it’s definitely worth it.

 

[Racethesunset]

I wonder how many are backpackers are hunting with the 85’s...

Weight aside, would the lens size change the way you use them?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[6mm Remington]

I'll just put it right out there that I could afford a Sworavski or Leica spotting scope. What I ended up getting was a Leupold 15-30x50mm Gold Ring compact scope. I used it antelope, deer, and elk hunting this year. I really like it. It's very clear and sharp for the money I paid for it and I know from experience that Leupold optics are tough (Gold Ring scopes and spotters). It is also small and light weight and easy to carry in a pack. I really like it!

 

[marktole]

I wonder how many are backpackers are hunting with the 85’s...

Weight aside, would the lens size change the way you use them?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

No, it would not change the way I use it.

 

[marktole]

I'll just put it right out there that I could afford a Sworavski or Leica spotting scope. What I ended up getting was a Leupold 15-30x50mm Gold Ring compact scope. I used it antelope, deer, and elk hunting this year. I really like it. It's very clear and sharp for the money I paid for it and I know from experience that Leupold optics are tough (Gold Ring scopes and spotters). It is also small and light weight and easy to carry in a pack. I really like it!

As an owner of a Swarovski spotting scope, I totally agree with you that they’re not always the way to go. My 65mm is like 55-56oz, not that light for a spotting scope, especially a 65mm one. Criteria is different for everyone on size, weight, glass quality, power range, objective lens, etc. That’s why there’s a whole slew of them on the market with many good choices to chose from!

 

[Hatchet Jack]

Right now i'm using a Kowa 664 w/ the 20-60x eyepiece. Optically, it gives up very very little to the swaro sts hd 65 other than a little field of view. I also have meopta 15x56 in the pack and Leica trinovid 10x42 on my harness. The spotter only comes out to get a closer look at something I have already found or if I want to get some video. If I wasn't hunting coues deer i'd probably switch to 12x50 and the kowa 774.

 

[dotman]

As an owner of a Swarovski spotting scope, I totally agree with you that they’re not always the way to go. My 65mm is like 55-56oz, not that light for a spotting scope, especially a 65mm one. Criteria is different for everyone on size, weight, glass quality, power range, objective lens, etc. That’s why there’s a whole slew of them on the market with many good choices to chose from!

Yeah the ATX 65 pretty much weighs the same as my ATS 80 HD. While I’m very interested in the ATX/STX and will try it someday I’m sure, I think the Kowa 553 will get the most use overall and will always have a spot in my pack. It weighs 29oz and is tiny but is optically amazing and the 45x puts it right at what the useable max for most spotters is at in common conditions.

I always have my 10x binos on a tripod and rarely pack my 80mm in which with the ATX 65mm being the same weight/size I can see it not being packed often as well. This would be different if I sheep and goat hunted. The 55mm Kowa will be all I need out of a spotter for 95% of my hunting.

 

[svivian]

Yeah the ATX 65 pretty much weighs the same as my ATS 80 HD. While I’m very interested in the ATX/STX and will try it someday I’m sure, I think the Kowa 553 will get the most use overall and will always have a spot in my pack. It weighs 29oz and is tiny but is optically amazing and the 45x puts it right at what the useable max for most spotters is at in common conditions.

I always have my 10x binos on a tripod and rarely pack my 80mm in which with the ATX 65mm being the same weight/size I can see it not being packed often as well. This would be different if I sheep and goat hunted. The 55mm Kowa will be all I need out of a spotter for 95% of my hunting.

When I purchased my ats 80 I almost got the atx in the 65 because I was packing the gen 1 65 razor. For the size to weight ratio I'm very happy with the 80 and I take it every time I go out. I use 10x42 els and the spotter has saved me many miles.

 

[HellsCanyon]

I'll preface this and say that neither my eyes nor my brain are very picky about different glass "colors", or CA. So take it for what it's worth...

I've used the following spotters extensively:

Vortex Viper HD 65mm/80mm models
Vortex Razor HD in 65/80mm (gen 1) models
Swaro STS Non HD 65mm spotter.

Truth be told there's very little difference to my eyes between the Viper and Razor lines in clarity. I'd take the Viper 80mm over the Razor 65mm every day. Just because the 65mm Razor (and 65mm viper as well) got really dark really fast. Clarity wasn't enough of a difference to sway me one way or the other. The 80MM viper was functional, and only had to be sent in for repair once!

The Swaro STS was on par with the Razor HD 80mm for light gathering, if not SLIGHTLY under, but won out in clarity. Wasn't a huge fan of it really, thought the eye box was a little finicky and it still got dark too fast for me to be entirely too happy with it for being a Swaro. I haven't looked through an STX/ATX yet but I know they are on another level.

With that said, I'm in the market for a new spotter this year and I've got it down between the Kowa TSN 774 with Wide Angle 25-60X eye piece, or the Meopta S2 with 30-60WA eye piece. We shall see what direction I go but I don't think I can lose with either choice.

Mike

 

[RosinBag]

I use the Swarovski STM 65 with the 20-60 eyepiece and it weighs 47 ounces and I use the Swarovski 12x50 ELs with them. I put them on an Outdoorsman tripod. I use them for everything from looking at antlers on an animal I have already located to picking apart the landscape at distance in the afternoons. The spotters save you lots of waisted miles on your legs if you can determine if the animal is worth going after or not without having to walk a mile to determine that.

 

[Racethesunset]

I use the Swarovski STM 65 with the 20-60 eyepiece and it weighs 47 ounces and I use the Swarovski 12x50 ELs with them. I put them on an Outdoorsman tripod. I use them for everything from looking at antlers on an animal I have already located to picking apart the landscape at distance in the afternoons. The spotters save you lots of waisted miles on your legs if you can determine if the animal is worth going after or not without having to walk a mile to determine that.

Anything that you’d prefer over the 65?

 

[RosinBag]

Not really sure, it’s the only one I have used in the last ten years. I suppose the 85 would be better, but it weighs more and I don’t know if I have ever felt under powered. The BTX system would be nice also, but probably could never afford to go that route.

 

[Davebuech]

The Swaro STS was on par with the Razor HD 80mm for light gathering, if not SLIGHTLY under, but won out in clarity. Wasn't a huge fan of it really, thought the eye box was a little finicky and it still got dark too fast for me to be entirely too happy with it for being a Swaro. I haven't looked through an STX/ATX yet but I know they are on another level.


Mike

testing a Swaro 65 against another brand's 80 tells something about the Swaro if it only lost out slightly on light transmission/gathering and won in clarity, I would look for a Swaro you find comfortable.

 

[dotman]

testing a Swaro 65 against another brand's 80 tells something about the Swaro if it only lost out slightly on light transmission/gathering and won in clarity, I would look for a Swaro you find comfortable.

And it was the non HD model.

 

[HellsCanyon]

testing a Swaro 65 against another brand's 80 tells something about the Swaro if it only lost out slightly on light transmission/gathering and won in clarity, I would look for a Swaro you find comfortable.

Truth be told, I can get vortex optics at a great discount, so the added cost of a non-HD swaro over a significantly discounted Razor is not worth it for me. They were that close in IQ and last minute light gathering still goes to the Razor. I don't hunt much of anything besides muleys and low light transmission is top of the list for me.
I'd have to step up to the "X" scopes from swaro to get into a Swaro, and they're a bit out of my price range. I can get into the Kowa and Meopta for less and have near or better quality of glass compared to the top tier swaro's depending on who you talk to.

Back to the topic at hand, sorry for the sidetrack OP.

Mike

 

[Racethesunset]

Truth be told, I can get vortex optics at a great discount, so the added cost of a non-HD swaro over a significantly discounted Razor is not worth it for me. I'd have to step up to the "X" scopes from swaro, and they're a bit out of my price range. I can get into the Kowa and Meopta for less and have near or better quality of glass compared to the top tier swaro's depending on who you talk to.

Back to the topic at hand, sorry for the sidetrack OP.

Mike

Good info, no worries.

 

[mfllood3800]

Tony's review of the newer modular Swaro scopes (and how they are noticeably better than the prior generation) got me thinking about what's unseen in the distance.

So, I have a few questions and points of dialog for the hunters out west:

• What's your favorite spotter for western hunting?
• How do you use it (as a workhorse, as a hail mary, for antlers)?
• What do you complement it with in the pack (8,10, 12, 15, etc - I use 12x50 SV's on a tripod mostly)?
• Lastly, given objectives of coues, muley, elk, sheep, bear, what would you upgrade to?

In the past, this type of question usually ended in a sizable donation to the Swarovski estate in Austria. The war chest isn't quite ready for such a move, but it will be soon enough.

What's your favorite spotter for western hunting? Swaro 80 with the 25x50 ocular

How do you use it (as a workhorse, as a hail mary, for antlers)? work horse, back packing - yep I haul the 80 around- 1 lb heavier than the 60, to me it is worth all 16 oz's. lol

What do you complement it with in the pack (8,10, 12, 15, etc - I use 12x50 SV's on a tripod mostly)? Swaro 10x42

Lastly, given objectives of coues, muley, elk, sheep, bear, what would you upgrade to? I feel I have the perfect set up in my 80. If I needed to go light weight I would get out my 60, but like the 80 for all points of interest.

 

[Gumbo]

I run an old Diascope 85 I bought from Cameraland as a demo about a decade ago. It is big, heavy, and I love it because it was cheap by today's standards. I mostly glass relatively open country for muleys and antelope, frequently at distances of 2-3 miles, occasionally out to 5 or more. I really don't know what the new glass would do better because I've never used it, the thing that always kills me is waves, but if I am patient I can almost always tell if a buck is worth a hike or not to get a closer look. I've considered going smaller, but the magnification on this is great at 20 for scanning and 60 for sizing up at long distances. The only time I don't really like it is searching at distances of a mile or less, 20 power is just too much. My strategy is to camp out on key vantages where I can overlook several square miles of terrain, sometimes for days on end. If I could afford a 60 or 65 I'd get one for glassing tighter terrain with shorter distances and when backpacking. I compliment it with ultravid 10x42s, which are used pretty infrequently when I am actually sitting glassing long distances as described. I use those more when hiking and backpacking, although they are always with me of course. While this duo of glass isn't ideal for all I do and it isn't probably top quality by today's standards of glass, it does work very well for me.

 

[Tony Trietch]

I wonder how many are backpackers are hunting with the 85’s...

Weight aside, would the lens size change the way you use them?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Tony's review of the newer modular Swaro scopes (and how they are noticeably better than the prior generation) got me thinking about what's unseen in the distance.

So, I have a few questions and points of dialog for the hunters out west:

• What's your favorite spotter for western hunting?
• How do you use it (as a workhorse, as a hail mary, for antlers)?
• What do you complement it with in the pack (8,10, 12, 15, etc - I use 12x50 SV's on a tripod mostly)?
• Lastly, given objectives of coues, muley, elk, sheep, bear, what would you upgrade to?

In the past, this type of question usually ended in a sizable donation to the Swarovski estate in Austria. The war chest isn't quite ready for such a move, but it will be soon enough.

Thanks for reading the article.
You probably can tell from the reading it that the stx 95 is my favorite scope. How I use it depends on terrain and species but for deer, I often end up scanning/searching with it as much as I do my 10x42s on the tripod. I don't think there is an upgrade from the atx/sts/btx line as for as performance in the field (not that I have looked through). You can opt to go lighter and use the 65 and I did that that as well this season. There is a good chance the 95 will be in my pack for most of my backpacking hunts and scouting trips next year, it just helps identify animals at longer ranges better.
If animal quality isn't that big of a deal and identifying a big framed 175 from a tight framed 190 when they are a couple miles away isn't important then go with the lighter and smaller choice. The zoom on the stx 95 is clear and usable all the way to 70x. It saves miles walked and even more important, time.
There are much lighter and less expensive options, you have to figure out what is most important to you.