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Anyone have a recommendation for a decent spotting scope at sensible prices? Mainly going to be used for 300-1100Yds.. the club scopes are fine for the smallbore stuff.

Ive obviously looked around, and prices start from around £70 to oh-my-god.

Anyone have a personal got it, use it, like it basis?

TIA all!

Buy a Kowa, not cheap but will last a lifetime. I have two, a TSN 1 and a TSN 820. You get exactly what you pay for in optics, buy the best you can. Lots of Kowa on a certain on line auction site at reasonable prices.

Or look on birdwatching sites - usually have some good deals on some of them as they are more interested in upgrading to specially coated lenses.

I find that an outer looks the same whether you have a coated lens or not

Hammerstein wrote:Anyone have a recommendation for a decent spotting scope at sensible prices? Mainly going to be used for 300-1100Yds.. the club scopes are fine for the smallbore stuff.

Kowa TSN-661 does me. If I was to go any higher than that I'd probably go with a Leica.

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karen wrote:Or look on birdwatching sites - usually have some good deals on some of them as they are more interested in upgrading to specially coated lenses.

I find that an outer looks the same whether you have a coated lens or not

Ooooh! Good call... hadnt thought of looking on the birding sites... thats some more forums to join then!

Steve E wrote:Buy a Kowa, not cheap but will last a lifetime. I have two, a TSN 1 and a TSN 820. You get exactly what you pay for in optics, buy the best you can. Lots of Kowa on a certain on line auction site at reasonable prices.

I knew someone was going to say that.. Its always my inclination anyway, but this does provide a better excuse to the wife..

Hammerstein wrote:Anyone have a recommendation for a decent spotting scope at sensible prices? Mainly going to be used for 300-1100Yds.. the club scopes are fine for the smallbore stuff.

Another vote for Kowa. I use an angled TSN-821M which is nearly a decade old and still works great for me. Just as importantly, I've got the 27x Long Eye Relief eyepiece, which gives me some room to manoeuvre around the scope so that the stand doesn't interfere with my position. I'd love a Leica, but they really are a serious chunk of wedge.

Definitely keep an eye out for second-hand on eBay etc...

Gaz

GazMorris wrote:Just as importantly, I've got the 27x Long Eye Relief eyepiece, which gives me some room to manoeuvre around the scope so that the stand doesn't interfere with my position.

Agreed - 27 LER for me too. The supplier (Bath Optics, IIRC) very helpfully sent me a few eyepieces on sale or return to try out. This seems the best fixed power compromise, but it is too strong for me at short range - I can't see enough other targets. I might get around to trying a zoom or lower-power one for that scenario.

Also note that the angled eyepiece versions are practically the standard (for self-coaching), to get the scope as close as possible in order to view with minimal disturbance when in-position. That might cut down your choice of used 'scopes since some twitchers prefer straight.

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have a look at optolyth , great glass and bargains to be had

Some good recommendations here as well.
http://www.full-bore.co.uk/viewtopic.ph ... ing+scopes