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Spotting scope recommendations
- Thread starter Jim Boyd
- Start date
bullgator
Senior Member
didn’t catch the budget part……my bad. Celestron, Athlon, Vanguard.
Jim Boyd
Senior Member
Thank you, sir.
Jester896
Senior Clown
the Endurance ED from Hawke is just a little over your range
used might not be out of the question either depending on the warranty.
used might not be out of the question either depending on the warranty.
bullgator
Senior Member
Jim, I was being drug around town (Publix) when I last responded. Now knowing the budget, I‘d like to offer a little more. I’m not a fan of lower Vortex lines. I’m ok with the Viper series on up, but they are over budget….about $700. The Athlon Ares looks like a good option at $519, but it tops out at 45x. The 60x is in the $600+ range. I also saw a Kowa 20-40x that was under $400! I have no idea what to make of it.…..good deal? or cheap scope taking advantage of a quality name? 
. I have a hard time thinking Kowa would put their name on an inferior product…..and again it tops out at 40x.
You can call Cameralandny and their staff can walk you through your needs.
. I have a hard time thinking Kowa would put their name on an inferior product…..and again it tops out at 40x.You can call Cameralandny and their staff can walk you through your needs.
JeffinPTC
Senior Member
I bought a Leupold SX-1 Ventana in 2016 for $160 at DVOR. It works for me but I'm only shooting 100 yds.
The have Leupolds now, but they're the higher SX2 etc, with much higher prices:
www.dvor.com
The have Leupolds now, but they're the higher SX2 etc, with much higher prices:
Results for leupold - Dvor.com
www.dvor.com
Jim Boyd
Senior Member
Jim, I was being drug around town (Publix) when I last responded. Now knowing the budget, I‘d like to offer a little more. I’m not a fan of lower Vortex lines. I’m ok with the Viper series on up, but they are over budget….about $700. The Athlon Ares looks like a good option at $519, but it tops out at 45x. The 60x is in the $600+ range. I also saw a Kowa 20-40x that was under $400! I have no idea what to make of it.…..good deal? or cheap scope taking advantage of a quality name?
You can call Cameralandny and their staff can walk you through your needs.
Thanks Bull!
I can perhaps stretch the budget a bit. Buy once / cry once and all that.
I have bought for Cameraland several times and been happy with them.
Leupold and Vortex sound good.
I am not familiar with some of the other names.
As I start building the range, my purse strings may loosen a bit.
Merry Christmas to all!
bullgator
Senior Member
Sounds like a fun project with the opportunity for many relaxing days of fun. Good luck!
Stevie Ray
Senior Member
Jim I've bought a couple of items from the following site, they'll have a good deal every now and then but most often their prices will be equal to just about everybody else. Good folks to deal with....
Spotting Scopes at Optics4Birding
Find the best spotting scopes for birding online for sale with Optics4Birding. Browse trusted and popular names in high magnification.
Optics4Birding Low prices on Binoculars, Spotting Scopes, Tripods
Optics4birding is a premier online retailer for quality binoculars, spotting scopes, tripods from leading brands like Nikon, Swarovski, Vortex, Zeiss and more
www.optics4birding.com
Good luck and Merry Christmas!
Jim Boyd
Senior Member
This appears to be a decent scope - and price:
ChidJ
Senior Member
I used a few different samples of the SX4 and SX5 for a few days. I was very disappointed with them. It was a sponsored event so all the ROs had to have them at their stage. I only used it when they came around for pictures.
Not trying to be a grinch on Christmas Eve. Its just a lot of money (to me) for something that I feel, with a high level of certainty, will let you down
Not trying to be a grinch on Christmas Eve. Its just a lot of money (to me) for something that I feel, with a high level of certainty, will let you down
Jim Boyd
Senior Member
Superior heads up - that is not grinch-like at all!
$500 IS a lot of money!
Merry Christmas!
Dub
Senior Member
Optics Planet is also the very last place I will shop for anything.
Their poor reputation is well earned.
Stevie Ray
Senior Member
I've only ordered from them one time a few years ago and I didn't have a good experience either.
JeffinPTC
Senior Member
Optics Planet is also the very last place I will shop for anything.
Their poor reputation is well earned.
I've bought a lot from OP and their discount site, www.DVOR.com
They're usually cheaper than the regular sites, but customer service is reflective of the prices. I returned something and Dvor would only give store credit, and it took me a year to find something else I liked. And before I knew better, the phone clerk sold me 1" rings for a 300 scope.
Still, I've gotten some really good deals there.
Their poor reputation is well earned.
I've bought a lot from OP and their discount site, www.DVOR.com
They're usually cheaper than the regular sites, but customer service is reflective of the prices. I returned something and Dvor would only give store credit, and it took me a year to find something else I liked. And before I knew better, the phone clerk sold me 1" rings for a 300 scope.
Still, I've gotten some really good deals there.
Robust Redhorse
Senior Member
Guys -
Support you local gun store.
OK - You might have to pay $50 bucks more, because they have to also, but I guarantee you that Optics Planet or SWFA won't have someone at your next city council or county commission hearing arguing for your Constitutional Rights!
Support you local gun store.
OK - You might have to pay $50 bucks more, because they have to also, but I guarantee you that Optics Planet or SWFA won't have someone at your next city council or county commission hearing arguing for your Constitutional Rights!
Robust Redhorse
Senior Member
It's amazing how many small businesses have had to go out of business because they don't have a loyal customer base.
Just give me $20 off at DICKS, BPS, etc.
Pretty sad, IMO.
Just give me $20 off at DICKS, BPS, etc.
Pretty sad, IMO.
Jim Boyd
Senior Member
RedHorse
Love the enthusiasm.
You may as well be telling a pile of rocks, however.
Genies rarely go back into bottles.
Far beyond pricing, there is the sheer convenience of buying what we want, when we want.
“That model is out of stock” is not heard, we just move to another vendor.
In decades past, we used the salesman’s knowledge (or worse, his opinion). Nowadays we have data, research and real world testing… at our fingertips.
Also, if Dicks or Sportsman’s Warehouse shows up at political events - what are they gonna do - suggest we donate to NRA? A bloated entity that does some good work but is largely devoted to ridiculous salaries for a chosen few?
Your suggestions are well intended and they are passionate but I fear they miss the mark and they certainly miss what current times dictate.
For many of these industries, it is change or die. Business has always been this way.
As we have always had - sportsmen have a voice and that voice is the ballot. I do not need Dick’s to leverage for me.
I want a candidate that supports the Constitution and also has common sense.
Your points are well made and they are well intentioned. They just don’t fit the current times and market trends, sir.
Dub
Senior Member
The local shops around here are on a rebound....one of them is really working hard on their inventory and selection....guns, ammo, optics and gear. I've been going there more often.
Dad called me a few months ago and was wanting a Trijicon SRO for one of his handguns. He was having trouble finding them anywhere and for various reasons he couldn't make trips to the semi-local gun stores in his area.
I recommended the rock solid places that I've had great success over the years with:
EuroOptic
CameralandNY
Primary Arms
MidwayUSA
I found the exact model he wanted at EuroOptic....and the price was much less than he expected.
Fast forward to last Friday.....Dad, my son and I were at a semi-local gun shop in Dad's stomping grounds. The purpose was to use their indoor range. Top notch range.
While my son was getting his pre-shooting safety training squared away....I walked around and looked at their inventory. Schmidt&Bender scopes, Nightforce scopes, Swarovski scopes, Trijicon red dots, etc. They had a few very impressive handguns as well as the normal stuff shops carry. Impressive long guns, too.
I price checked a Schmidt&Bender 4-16 that I've recently looked at online. It was not much more at all.....and I'd certainly attempt to dicker a bit if I'd been seriously about to buy one.
After shooting and on the way home I urged my father to try them first on any future guns & gear needs. Amazing inventory.
What's funny is this indoor range & gun shop was in what used to be a smallish store located in the hometown where I was born and raised.....the rest of the town has shrunk...however this gun shop has expanded and flourished.
We had an EXCELLENT RSO assigned to us that day, too. Former Marine, young guy who was super nice and grinned hugely when I asked him to jump in with us and try the various 2011 pistolas that I'd brought. He had a ball.
When we wrapped up, he said he was going to the office to see what they could do for him on a discount for his own 2011 or 1911. My mission that day was complete: precious time spent with my father and son, promotion of a strong LGS and hooked another kindred shooter on the virtues of the 1911/2011 perfection
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