First good spotter?

[CMF]

I'm looking to add a spotter to my gear. I currently run 8x42 diamondback on my chest. I carry a pair of 15x56 diamondbacks with tripod when scouting or on hunts like Oryx.

We have an upcoming rifle elk in some open country in NM and a female barbary hunt in January.
We aren't usually looking for trophy quality animals, but I have some points to burn on an elk hunt next year and I'll be looking for a better bull.
We do lots of different types of hunting all over and do backpack often for elk and mule deer so weight is a factor.

I'm considering the new mini Vortex Razor HD 13-39x56 angled Scope.

Should I consider a bigger or better all-around scope?
Any thoughts on an alternative?
budget sub $1500...

I plan to one day do some type of sheep hunt, but figure when that day comes, I'll go all-in on something bigger...

 

[RaggedHunter]

The original Kowa 66 with the fixed 30X wide angle eye piece will be hard to beat optically in that price range.

 

[cmahoney]

You should buy some good binos first.


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[socoalt]

2nd the good binos. $1500 is a good budget for some used slc's with cash to spare.

 

[Desk Jockey]

I picked up an older vortex x65 spotter here for far less than your max budget. Something similar would be a good placeholder if you plan to upgrade someday. Bank the difference and buy your dream spotter down the road.

 

[Mountainrancher]

I also would say you should upgrade your binos first but if you must have a spotter this deal doesn’t look too bad https://rokslide.com/forums/threads...65-angled-spotting-scope.329421/#post-3294616

That combined with a set of maven binos would be right at your budget

B1.2 - 8x42 / 10x42

Buy Maven Outdoor Equipment Company B1.2 Binoculars. Our B Series Binoculars stack up with the most celebrated and expensive binoculars in the world…bar none.

mavenbuilt.com

You can find the mavens used for around 750 on the classifieds here as well if you’re not in a hurry

 

[Mountainrancher]

Another option is to give Doug at camera land a call. I’ve never bought from them but they have an overwhelming amount of good feedback on here. Looks like they are making some deals right now. https://rokslide.com/forums/threads/super-sale-is-happening-now-at-camera-land.329447/

 

[CMF]

When you say upgrade binos are you referring to the 8s or the 15s? I feel like the 8s are pretty good for what I do with them. The 15s definitely leave a lot to be desired.

 

[cmahoney]

Both, some good 10’s or 12’s.


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[jlw0142]

Go to this link, I just bought one of these thanks to another Rokslide user who posted the link. Awesome sale.

https://www.cabelas.com/shop/en/vortex-razor-hd-16-48x65-angled-spotting-scope

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[Mountainrancher]

When you say upgrade binos are you referring to the 8s or the 15s? I feel like the 8s are pretty good for what I do with them. The 15s definitely leave a lot to be desired.

The 8s

 

[Tahoe1305]

OR. Snag both.

In another thread on here folks are snagging the first Gen Razor 16-48x65 spotter for $500! That’s nearly half what most pay new.

I love mine. Next step up IMO closes in on the $2k mark for swaro spotters.

Snag that and some Maven or the like and still be under the $1500 budget.

 

[gr8fuldoug]

Another option is to give Doug at camera land a call. I’ve never bought from them but they have an overwhelming amount of good feedback on here. Looks like they are making some deals right now. https://rokslide.com/forums/threads/super-sale-is-happening-now-at-camera-land.329447/

Our pleasure to assist. Please feel free to give a call, 516-217-1000, and let's discuss what would be best for you.
Perfect timing, Super Sale is Happening Now at Camera Land

 

[svivian]

Upgrade binos for sure first IMO

 

[carsonkeys]

Upgrade your binos with @gr8fuldoug and rent your spotter of choice from @Rent Outdoor Gear.

 

[Buglebrush]

I've got the Vortex Razor 16x48x65 Spotting Scope on the classifieds for $600. This includes the Magview S1 digiscoping adaptor a $169 value, and the phone skope adaptor. No risk buying Vortex with their VIP warranty totally covering you, no receipt required.

 

[Sled]

I

I'm looking to add a spotter to my gear. I currently run 8x42 diamondback on my chest. I carry a pair of 15x56 diamondbacks with tripod when scouting or on hunts like Oryx.

We have an upcoming rifle elk in some open country in NM and a female barbary hunt in January.
We aren't usually looking for trophy quality animals, but I have some points to burn on an elk hunt next year and I'll be looking for a better bull.
We do lots of different types of hunting all over and do backpack often for elk and mule deer so weight is a factor.

I'm considering the new mini Vortex Razor HD 13-39x56 angled Scope.

Should I consider a bigger or better all-around scope?
Any thoughts on an alternative?
budget sub $1500...

I plan to one day do some type of sheep hunt, but figure when that day comes, I'll go all-in on something bigger...

If you hunt and spot from the truck then I'd say get something bigger than the 56mm spotter. If you're going to carry a spotter in the field then the 50mm class spotter is usually a good idea. I'd consider how you'll use it before deciding on angled vs straight. From the truck I like angled. For packing and in the field I prefer straight.

The 15x diamondback is fine for daytime use, especially if you haven't used expensive glass. If you hunt dusk and dawn and use binos I'd say Doug could really help you out. I run maven b3 8x30 as my primary chest rig for most of my hunting. Big open terrain I'll swap those for 10x42 or 12x.

I don't mean to glass shame you. You'll still find and kill animals with less expensive glass. The next level up would be a noticeable difference. Tract makes a nice set that can be had used or on sale $500-650 typically. A step up from that buys another 5-8 minutes of use if you need it.

 

[PHo]

A good set of quality binos in 8x or 10x will out-glass a cheaper spotter, as well as your Diamondback 8s and 15s for that matter. With your budget you can certainly get into a pair of quality binos. There are a few pairs of Swaro SLCs as well as a pair of Leica Noctivids in the classifieds right now within your budget, and those aren’t just good quality but some of the BEST you can get.

 

[CMF]

A good set of quality binos in 8x or 10x will out-glass a cheaper spotter, as well as your Diamondback 8s and 15s for that matter. With your budget you can certainly get into a pair of quality binos. There are a few pairs of Swaro SLCs as well as a pair of Leica Noctivids in the classifieds right now within your budget, and those aren’t just good quality but some of the BEST you can get.

When you say out glass a cheaper spotter, are you considering the Razor HD 13-39x56 or the Razor HD 16-48x65 a cheaper spotter?
I have tried a buddy's old Leupold and a couple cheap(less than $200) spotters and my 8x Diamondbacks would out glass them.
Are the Razors not enough upgrade to out glass better binos?
I want to be able to pick up animals farther and also see better detail, I was thinking the razor would be enough to out do binos, is that wrong?

 

[Tahoe1305]

It will 100% be able to see more detail at further ranges (either of those razors).

Difference is the glassing experience behind any kind of binos, most would agree is better than a spotter.

My technique is find with quick general grid scanning of the binos. Then pull out the spotter when I have something I need more detail on.

Bigger zoom binos like 12x+ just mean I need to bust the spotter out a bit less because they can see more detail.

Folks are saying upgrade binos first because most spend far more time finding things behind binos than a spotter. If you never see it in the first place you’ll never pull the spotter out anyway.