Spotting scopes

[timmy]

Getting tired of packing my zeiss diascope 85mm around. Would like to shed some weight and am leaning towards a swarovski 65mm scope. Anybody have any thoughts on shedding some weight and still having good glass.

 

[Deleted member 38069]

I use the leupold SX-4 65 mm with the carbon fiber tripod and it's light enough. I would give it a look. I can't remember what it weighs but it was much lighter than my Leica

 

[TimeOnTarget]

You won't be disappointed by the Swaro.

 

[CForest]

You will still have good glass with the swaro, and a much smaller package. But will loose a lot of light gathering ability obviously. Wish I knew what tags we may draw this year, I would be interested in that zeiss

 

[timmy]

Not sure if it's an either/or for you, but if I started over I would really like to have both an 80+ for the truck, and a backpacking scope the like the new maven for carrying around.

Not familiar with any of the maven scopes I’m an optic snob so I want the best glass I can have.

 

[Deleted member 16014]

I've been using a 65mm HD Swaro for several years and recently moved up to an 80. The 65 is great, very excellent all around scope. The 80 Swaro STS/ATS is about the lightest alpha 80-85 out there so I didn't feel as bad about gaining some oz. The ATX/STX are just plain heavy.

 

[1_pointer]

I've been using a 65mm HD Swaro for several years and recently moved up to an 80. The 65 is great, very excellent all around scope. The 80 Swaro STS/ATS is about the lightest alpha 80-85 out there so I didn't feel as bad about gaining some oz. The ATX/STX are just plain heavy.

Have you tried the bino type eyepiece? I'm guessing it's uber expensive and heavy, but I bet it's sweet.

 

[Deleted member 16014]

I have not, but the 95 obj is probably the only reason I’d move to the STX personally. It would be more like adding it, which even with a bunch of kids uncle Donald’s stimulus check might not cover it, ha. @BlakeA do you have the BTX eye?

 

[BlakeA]

I do not. I have the 95 ATX. I'm not sure how much my setup weighs exactly as I just throw it all in the pack and go. It costs about what a used car would cost and probably feels like it weighs as much as one to some but damn that glass is

 

[1_pointer]

Thanks for the info! Some top tier glass ownership is something I need to experience. Hunting with pards that do have top shelf stuff, I've no resigned not to look through their stuff anymore. Too depressing...

 

[Schaaf]

I always found that I gave up too much with a 65mm scope, seemed like it was too much in the middle and never excelled at anything. The lighter weight 80mm scopes are fine with me. Swarovski STS 80, Meopta S2 82, or Kowa 773 are my favorite spotters and I've had them all and now own the Meopta.

If I can buy one without the wife finding out I'll eventually buy that small Maven 55 spotter for when I really need to cut weight.

 

[timmy]

Could be an expensive venture if I’m just going to end up back at the 80-85.

 

[ScottP]

I settled on the Kowa 774. Wanted good glass with enough magnification to get well above my 12x binos. Thought long and hard about the 554 because I know I would carry it more often. I want to own both... but alas. I began looking at 65mm Leica, but the weight difference wasn't much between the 77mm Kowa and 65mm Leica.

It's pretty sweet to have a scope where you can dial it up to 60x and the image is perfect, even at low light.

Could be an expensive venture if I’m just going to end up back at the 80-85.

 

[TimeOnTarget]

Not familiar with any of the maven scopes I’m an optic snob so I want the best glass I can have.

Get the Swaro, ATX/STX with the 95 and 65 Obj. Best glass out there and covers all the basis.

 

[ntodwild]

Getting tired of packing my zeiss diascope 85mm around. Would like to shed some weight and am leaning towards a swarovski 65mm scope. Anybody have any thoughts on shedding some weight and still having good glass.

Athlon makes a wonderful little 15x45x65 that I have been using for a few years now and I am pretty happy with it. In relative terms it's affordable, solid glass and is packable. It's a nice compromise between a larger scope and a small ultralight lower power scope. https://athlonoptics.com/product/ares-15-45x65-uhd-45-degree/

 

[Jape]

I have used the 95 BTX and while it is lovely for eye relief, the weight and shear size translated into getting rid of it and using an ATS 65 instead.

 

[timmy]

Ended up going with a Swarovski sts after looking at last light against the Zeiss I will be keeping both scopes. I can see the benefits to both of them.

 

[Badger_55]

Nice! I have ran with a middle spotter for a long time. The last two years I have wished to have a 80+mm scope available in for the truck, horse or a short walk. I hope to grab one before this years hunts but it all depends if I can get some projects done for the wife first. I usually run with Leupolds and have good experiences, my gold ring hd 12-40 is my all around spotter but am hoping to add an SX-4 or even SX-5 if I can find a decent price. Problem with the SX-4 is it is not made here at home.

 

[Deleted member 39961]

I settled on the Kowa 774. Wanted good glass with enough magnification to get well above my 12x binos. Thought long and hard about the 554 because I know I would carry it more often. I want to own both... but alas. I began looking at 65mm Leica, but the weight difference wasn't much between the 77mm Kowa and 65mm Leica.

It's pretty sweet to have a scope where you can dial it up to 60x and the image is perfect, even at low light.

See, it's posts like these that make me want to sell the Swaro ATM and try the Kowa 77.

 

[ScottP]

See, it's posts like these that make me want to sell the Swaro ATM and try the Kowa 77.

I've never compared the two side-by-side. Seems like when you get into the upper end Kowa, Leica, Zeiss, Swaro you can't go wrong and have to look hard to find any negatives. Mostly a size and weight thing and what fits your style of hunting, and budget.