Spotting Scope, Anything wrong with this?

silver star · May 18, 2011

My $50 Academy spotting scope will not allow me to see 5mm holes at 300yds.
Waiting for "Range Clear" to drive down is not working so well either.
This scope will focus at 50yds and the moon.
I have not seen anything like this at the range but I have had this for a long time and did not give much money for it compared to the Hi end spotting scopes I have priced.
With that much money difference I was just wondering if someone knows if these scopes will work for target pratice.
Thanks

DoctorJJ · May 18, 2011

Have you ever used it during the day? Provided the image is bright enough and it will focus, it should be fine. How many power is it?

Dieseltech09 · May 18, 2011

lol I cant wait to see you at the range with that thing.

foghorn918 · May 18, 2011

can't beilieve you can't see the bullet "craters" with that.

silver star · May 18, 2011

Brian Koenke (Dieseltech) said:
lol I cant wait to see you at the range with that thing.

Please laugh now, not at the range, Ha!

Dieseltech09 · May 18, 2011

Michael J said:
Please laugh now, not at the range, Ha!

When you going out? Im off on Fridays until July. We need to go shoot sometime.

silver star · May 18, 2011

Brian Koenke (Dieseltech) said:
When you going out? Im off on Fridays until July. We need to go shoot sometime.

Will be next week at the soonest, going to NM fly fishing tomorrow, be back Tuesday.
I will be at 8000' elevation, if I take my new "to be" spotting scope, I should be able to see you guys from there.

silver star · May 18, 2011

DoctorJJ said:
Have you ever used it during the day? Provided the image is bright enough and it will focus, it should be fine. How many power is it?

Yes I have used it during the day but not for spotting targets. I will soon.
I don't know the power but will try to determin this.
Will keep you posted.
Michael

dennishoddy · May 18, 2011

I was always courious about getting on sites like Optics Planet, etc to look at scopes and things. They always listed spotting scopes as Terresterial, and the telescopes for star gazing to be Astronomical. Always wondered what the difference was, and your post got me to looking.
I guess its not much difference overall. I'm interested in hearing your range report as well. We are hoping to start work on a 300 yd range at the Ponca Club.
I'm thinking my Leupold spotting scope would have trouble picking up a bullet hole in a target at that range.

Here is a quote from their FAQ:

What are the differences between terrestrial spotting scopes and astronomical telescopes?
Terrestrial telescopes should be compact, portable and deliver a "correct image" - one that is right-side up and oriented from left-to-right as we see objects with the unaided eye. Astronomical telescopes must be longer to accommodate great magnifications and have the large apertures to gather as much light as possible from objects at enormous distances and often with low light levels. Astronomers do not require "correct images," so special image-erecting optics are not as important for celestial observation.

Chambers · May 18, 2011

Try the caldwell shoot-n-c targets.

dennishoddy · May 18, 2011

Chambers said:
Try the caldwell shoot-n-c targets.

I have some of those. I've taken game at that range, but never busted paper. My stuff may work, just never had an opportunity to look at it at that range.
What do folks use at the 1000 yd and E class ranges?

JRSherman · May 18, 2011

dennishoddy said:
I have some of those. I've taken game at that range, but never busted paper. My stuff may work, just never had an opportunity to look at it at that range.
What do folks use at the 1000 yd and E class ranges?

The Palomar Observatory. ;D

dennishoddy · May 18, 2011

JRSherman said:
The Palomar Observatory. ;D

It would danged sure take that for my bifocals to see anything that far

JRSherman · May 18, 2011

There's a good thread on snipershide about setting up a remote camera monitoring system(up to a mile away IIRC) that's pretty cool to read, lemme see if I can dig it up, will ETA it if I can. . .

Live video from target camera-Snipershide

Chambers · May 18, 2011

JRSherman said:
There's a good thread on snipershide about setting up a remote camera monitoring system(up to a mile away IIRC) that's pretty cool to read, lemme see if I can dig it up, will ETA it if I can. . .

It's all fun and games until someone shoots your camera.

JRSherman · May 18, 2011

Added link above as promised.

Yup Chambers, that would blow lol. Most of the guys invested a lot in the equipment, and a leeeeetle in the camera hehe.

dennishoddy · May 18, 2011

Surely, they would have a block to protect the camera. In my youth, I was the kid in the trap pit loading and pulling the rope.
3/16" of steel between me and a 12 ga

I'm thinking the insurance companies would have a field day with that one

JRSherman · May 18, 2011

I think most of what I saw on the hide was people doing it in private places, or shooting on public land far from normal folk.

benjamin-benjamin · May 18, 2011

yup i know so for a fact, my brother did it with me, he has one from optics planet and he even hooked it up to his laptop and we marked the shots as i shot them!!!

pyplynr · May 18, 2011

I got to use a Swarovski spotter at the last match I went to. It was REAL NICE! But it also had a hefty price tag also. I've been researching the Vortex Viper HD line of spotters for my range. So far I've been using my scope to see my hits. I've also have a good set of Nikon binos that I use for spotters as well. They are 10-22x50 and I can see hits on steel at 1000 but I don't think I could see holes in paper. Since I've recently got some great rangefinders my next purchase is a good spotting scope.