Affordable spotting scopes

[Otis61]

Looking to get a good, new spotting scope, but, like everyone else, want one that wont break the bank. What do you like? What do you wish you had? Looking in the $300 to $500 range.

[M1 Tanker]

Cabelas has A LOT of them in your price range and they usually have a lot of customer reviews too. I would check out their website....and probably Bass Pro too.

[landtoy80]

I looked at too many cheap scopes and liked none.
If you want a good spotting scope look into a terrestrial telescope.
I have a Celestron C90. http://www.opticsplanet.net/celestron-90mm-maksutov-spotting-scope-package-52268-op-90mm-spotting-scope-with-trip.htmlI got luck and found an older US made C90. I could of got a new China C90 but the older US one was more to my liking. Most people can't tell the difference between the US made one and the Chain one but my eyes can see chromatic aberration.
I was going to spend the $$$ or $$$$ for a Televue refractor scope but when I looked through it I could see chromatic aberration. I was told I 'shouldn't' see in the Televue with its very clear lenses but I could. The store had the used C90 for a fraction of what I was going to spend of the Televeu so I bought it.

The nice thing about a telescope is you can crank up the power if you need to and if you want to see an alien, you have the power to do so:wink:
The C90 was what the Border Patrol used at one time.

[Otis61]

Hey thanks for the link. That one sounds good. Even got an award. But what in the sam --- is chromatic abberation?

[landtoy80]

Chromatic aberration for me is, I see blue or sometimes a goldish line on the edge of objects I look at.
http://www.dpreview.com/learn/?/Glossary/Optical/chromatic_aberration_01.htm
http://www.dpreview.com/Learn/Articles/Glossary/Optical/images/123di_chromatic_t.jpg
Look at the gold line in the right and the blue line on the left of the pic.
If first found out I can see it when I got some polycarbonate glasses. When I was walking down a sidewalk and looking down I couldn't see the cut crack on the sidewalk. It looked to me as a big blue line. When I looked in the side mirror on my semi, I couldn't see under a car, it was just blue.
I had to get high index glasses to help with my vision. I can still see it a little with my high index glasses but is very minor.

I find this in cheap scopes too. It can be found in any optic that has cheap lenses.

[Otis61]

Oh. I see. So you probably see that through many scopes too? Does that mean that if you can't see it, or if its not very apparent, then its higher quality glass?

[landtoy80]

High index lenses or good coating of lenses helps.
The first thing I do when I look at a scope is look to see how bad the CA is.

I did find a cheap China scope that I don't see much if any CA in. Its an Osprey International Tactical 6-24x50 30mm body with green and red illuminated reticle. I had it about a year and used it several times on several guns and the reticle wouldn't drop down enough. The vendor gave me a new one. I have yet to try out the new one yet. I was told by the vendor (could be BS) that the lenses are made in Japan and the scope is assembled in China. No mater where it is made, its a very clear scope. The only think I don't like is the side focus. Its alright for bench shooting (its a big scope) but would suck if you had to focus on a moving target at an unknown distance. But for a couple hundred $$$ its not bad.

At Shot Show I was looking at scopes and looked through some Hensoldt scopes. I like them, TILL... is asked how much they were http://www.sportoptics.com/Zeiss-Hensoldt-Rifle-Scopes.aspx $3000 to $5000 :eek: I about dropped one when the lady told me the price.

[landtoy80]

If you get a telescope for terrestrial use you need to make sure you get an Erect Image Diagonal http://www.celestron.com/c3/product.php?ProdID=330 This design allows you to look into the telescope at a 45° angle, at images that are oriented properly, meaning the image is upright and correct from left to right.

[madokie]

the konus brand is well thought of,chinese 300$ or so,all 300$ or less is going to be chinese,Baush & lomb have good reviews on some of theirs,russian ones are cheap, good optics, but the rest of scope is crap,all plastic,might work on shooting range only,i got that big 6x100x100,230$ off e-bay paid 130$ too much, like a kids toy, lots of power & fairly clear though.