Kowa 66 vs 77

Tyler455

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Nov 1, 2016
Messages
149
I’ve read a lot of Kowa 77 vs 88 and also the Swaro 65 but not the Kowa 66. Does anyone have input on how the Kowa 66 compares to the 77? The 65mm category is often touted as the best do all size so I’m interested.
 

sneaky

"DADDY"
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Feb 1, 2014
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Completely different. The glass is different in the 77 and the eyepiece on the 77 is considered to be the best in the business. Those are the main reasons that the 77 gets considerably more press than the 66.

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twall13

WKR
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Jan 21, 2015
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Utah
I own a 553 and love it but I knew going in I was okay with its limitations. Eventually I hope to have an 883 as well to have me covered in about any situation. I think for most guys the 770 series hits a sweet spot for an all around scope if they only plan to own one scope. The 770 series compares well size and weight wise to alot of 65mm scopes but you get the advantage of a larger objective. As has been mentioned, the eyepiece is better in the 770 over the 660 series scopes. If I was looking for a one and done scope I'd be very interested in the 773. As I want a bit more flexibility that two scopes can provide I'm looking at the small and large end with the fluorite glass.

Here is a link to a quick review/comparison that S&S did on the 770 series a few years back that may be helpful.
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Joined
Jul 9, 2018
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I’ve used both 66 & 77, still own the 77. As others stated the eyepiece on 77 is definitely superior to 66. In dimmer light the 77 is much more useful to me. I only care to own one spotter. If I owned 2 I’d probably have a 55 & 88. The 77 hits a sweet spot for me. I’ve carried it around plenty
 

chasewild

WKR
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Mar 22, 2016
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CO -> AK
I’ve used both 66 & 77, still own the 77. As others stated the eyepiece on 77 is definitely superior to 66. In dimmer light the 77 is much more useful to me. I only care to own one spotter. If I owned 2 I’d probably have a 55 & 88. The 77 hits a sweet spot for me. I’ve carried it around plenty
This.
 

BigT

FNG
Joined
Feb 8, 2021
Messages
23
Location
Utah
I'll give another vote to the 77. I picked it up last year from the SandS guys up in Boise. In visiting with Rob he was highly sold on this scope over my Swaro ATS 65 even with the 25-50 lens. This Kowa 773 gave me a little more crisp image than the Swaro did and a little brighter. I have never looked through the 66, but have considered selling my 77 to move to the 88. The 77 is packable though so that's the kicker.
 

wyo2track

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Sep 9, 2015
Messages
213
Location
western WY
I have a 663. As others have stated, the 20-60 te-9z eyepiece hampers its performance. However, I picked up the te-14wd 30x eyepiece for a steal on ebay and it brought the 663 to life. It's so dang clear and with a wide field of view, a real pleasure to look through. The 9z eyepiece just doesnt do the scope any favors. The te-14wd is also considerably shorter in length which fits in a pack pocket easier. If I need to get a little closer view I just throw my camera up to it and zoom in.
 
Joined
Mar 14, 2016
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I have a 663. As others have stated, the 20-60 te-9z eyepiece hampers its performance. However, I picked up the te-14wd 30x eyepiece for a steal on ebay and it brought the 663 to life. It's so dang clear and with a wide field of view, a real pleasure to look through. The 9z eyepiece just doesnt do the scope any favors. The te-14wd is also considerably shorter in length which fits in a pack pocket easier. If I need to get a little closer view I just throw my camera up to it and zoom in.
Wyo2 is right on the money. While the 66 with the 20-60x eyepiece is still pretty good optically, the FOV sucks. The 30x wide angle eyepiece turns it into a whole different scope. Better color, a larger apparent FOV than my ELs, razor sharp and there is hardly any edge distortion. For less than $1,000 used, it's the best i've put my hands on; and it's less than 3 lbs i think. But yes the 77 is a better scope overall.
 
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