Have you spoken to Bill T yet?
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Have you spoken to Bill T yet?
I'm looking at the the Kowa 773 right now with the wide angle zoom lens. S&S Archery has a good review on it compared to a Swaro.
I use Swarovski Bino's, but as for my spotter, I use a Leupold 12x40x60 HD, I really like the clarity and weight, yes I have used swaro, lieca, and kowa, but I carry a Leupold HD.
My own experience is that Swarovskis tend to hold their value better than anything else.
I lost a pair of Swaro binos and replaced them with top of the line Vortex. The swaros were definitely noticeably better, even though I wasn't comparing them side-by-side.
Ron
The Kowa 770 series is a world class scope easily comparable to the other big three but I can't get you into one within your budget. The 30+% US exchange is killing sales. If you can find a used one for $2000 buy it! Full pop retail these days is $3170. before tax.
The Kowa 663 Prominar is a step down but certainly better than the Leupold and probably as good as a Razor but a long way away from a Swarovision model. In your budget, the advise above to look and wait for a good used S/L/Z is probably pretty good.
Give me a call to chat anytime. I think I owe you lunch anyway ...
Heck my vortex viper hd is a better spotter than my buddies zeiss, although not sure of the model but his is their entry level. Those that badmouth the vortex razor are those that own the 4000$ leica or swaros. I have looked through them all, you will not be disappointed with the new razor hd. They are worth the 2000 $ . Just my 2cents.
Ron. Lots of talk here in on which brand is better and which way you should go blah blah. Here's some useful info that was passed on to me when I was doing the same as you:
1. Do it right the first time. Don't worry so much about the cost.
2. Forget about what others say they like. It's your eyes so do what your eyes like best. So that means making the effort to get out and try as many as you can.
3. Spend the extra $$ to get a good case to protect your investment.
4. Be cognizant of he weight. They're not light and an 80mm lens may not be the right choice for mountain hunting... depending on your hunting style.
5. Lots of talk about the scope but people often forget about the eyepiece. Getting the right eyepiece for your application is almost as important as the scope itself. For example in the swarovski, the wide-angle 25-50 wide angle eyepiece is far superior for extended periods of glassing than the 20-60. People will often argue that the extra 10 power magnification on the top end is necessary, but you'll have to try it for yourself. The difference is remarkable. Try to test them side by side. The wide angle eyepiece on 25 power has a much larger field of view than the regular eyepiece on 20 power. The 20-60 feels like you're looking through a tunnel, comparatively.
Lastly, it would appear to me that your capped at $2000 for the scope, nobody said anything about the eyepiece, tripod and case..... haha. Good luck with your search.
TJ
I've had a chance to use the viper when I looked at the new Razor HD. The Viper was definitely a step up from my Nomad. No question there. And I think the Viper is good glass for the money, but I the Razor HD is a big step up in clarity at higher magnification. That's what had me liking the Razor for the $. I was amazed at the clarity and easy of focus at all magnifications. But VERY clear at max magnification.
Unfortunately, I have not had the opportunity to compare the Razor with one of the top makers. Hoping to do that.