In market for spotting scope

[Mity2]

Got sick and tired of fire 3 rds at 100yds open sight, wait until range is clear, run down 100yds, verify, and run back, then repeat the same process.
But I'm not sure what to look for.

What I want is something that allows me to see a 22 caliber hole at 100yds without difficulty.
What power at minimum should I look for?
Would 18~36X50 scope sufficient to see 22caliber hole at 100yds? Or should I look for something like 25~75X75?

[NP1724]

Got sick and tired of fire 3 rds at 100yds open sight, wait until range is clear, run down 100yds, verify, and run back, then repeat the same process.
But I'm not sure what to look for.

What I want is something that allows me to see a 22 caliber hole at 100yds without difficulty.
What power at minimum should I look for?
Would 18~36X50 scope sufficient to see 22caliber hole at 100yds? Or should I look for something like 25~75X75?

I have a cheap barska 20-60x50mm that I can see just about anything at 100 yds, but I have to stare into it pretty good to pick out .223 at 200 especially on black.

If you do a search you can probably find a bunch of opinions, thats what I did but ended up just buying one to see if it would work at 200yds. If I went to 300 with .223 I would need better glass.

[Tomcat088]

Keep in mind that you get what you pay for in optics. Especially when looking longer ranges, the cheaper glass just won't cut it. For the 100 yard stuff, even some of the cheaper scopes will get the job done, although you still get some eye strain if you're looking through the spotting scope for that long. Keep in mind that when you're trying to see small things (holes, animals, etc), resolution is a very important thing. Now with all things being equal, like say quality of glass, the larger the objective lense is on the scope, the more light it will gather (brighter) and the higher resolution that it will have. Obviously there comes a point where the scope is so big you'd probably not want to lug it around or have it next to you on the bench, but still, resolution is important. You have to remember though that with the cheaper scopes, the glass isn't always equal, and just because it has a large objective size, doesn't necessarily mean it'll be clear. On the contrary, when lenses get larger, it can be difficult to keep the glass as good because you have a larger lense that needs to have tighter quality control.

Either way, I think that 36X should be enough resolution to see .22 caliber bullet holes at 100 yards if it's decent glass. If you want to go higher in magnification you can, but just really look through some of the scopes, because higher magnification doesn't always equate to being able to see those holes better. Keep in mind that target backers, target colors, etc also play a part in how easily you'll see the holes. It's pretty difficult to see hits on black.

[Pete D.]

Kowa spotting scopes are the top shelf.
36X, as noted is more than enough. (You will notice that as you increase power, the image gets dimmer. Everything gets magnified except the amount of light coming in to the tube. This is an unavoidable optical truth. The only way around it is to increase the objective diameter.) 12-36X50mm is a nice compromise.
Pete

[RobW]

Howdy. I've got three spotting scopes that are a pretty decent cross section of less-than-premium glass, which is to say I do not own a Kowa.

NG 20x33mm - available from Pilkington Competition Equipment. Great little scope for pistol, usable at 100yds. Good glass. In less than optimal conditions, it lacks the magnification and objective size for any but short ranges.

Sibir optics 20-40x60mm (I think). Sibir is the precursor to Barska and the like, a Soviet (yes, I've had it that long) import that I got years ago. Still works fine, and has seen a whole heck of a lot of use. Coated lenses, not the greatest resolution, but no problem seeing .22 holes at 100 yds. Anything further is touch and go, depends on conditions.

Konus 20-60x80mm - i bought mine during a closeout at Optics Planet, they are typically available for a decent price from jarheadtop.com. Good glass with a great reputation at this price point (200-250). No problems with .223 holes at 300 yards.

Hope that helps!

--RobW

[24/7dude]

I have a 18-36x and it works good for .22 out to 100 yards.

200 yards I would get something with more power though.

[arrrrgh15]

I've got a leupold Mk4 spotting scope that, compared to the others I've looked through, is excellent. Very clear out to 1000 yards. Easily spot 30 cal bullet holes in paper at 500 yards, and spot hits on steel plates out to 1000 yards. It's a little on the pricey side though.

Mity, I'll send you a PM.

[24/7dude]

don't spend more on you're spotting scope than you did on your rifle scope.

all you need it for is to see the holes in the paper so who cares if it's not the clearest.

Here is a good example of a long range one at a good price:

http://www.opticsplanet.net/celestro...mak-52236.html

[Pukindog]

I have used most of the low end and high end scopes. Despite what many think there is a difference. I own a Kowa. Middle of the road spotting scope. Excellent optics. I have two eyepieces for mine. A variable and a fixed 25 power. I almost always use the fixed 25 for all of my shooting.
If all you want to do is see .22 caliber holes at 100 yards the cheapest of the cheap will do that, but, don't expect a whole lot more.

Jeff

[ProTool]

Here is a good example of a long range one at a good price:

http://www.opticsplanet.net/celestro...mak-52236.html

I got the same scope from OpticsPlanet. Works very well and consistent without having to strain hard in the 100-200 yard distance. Just remember not to cheap out on a good tripod, otherwise that nice scope will be broken before you know it