Vortex Spotting Scopes

[Displaced Nova Scotian]

Good morning guys,
I am starting to prepare for a sheep hunt which, unless I get lucky, will be next year. The list, shown by others on this site, of what is required vs what I have is seriously one sided but I do have Vortex binoculars and a Ziess 3-9X40 scope on top of my 30-06 that I am quite comfortable with.

Seeing as great optics can save me from tracking down one side of a mountain and up the other side, I am looking for peoples opinions on the above mentioned spotting scopes. I looked through some glass at Whole Sale Sports, the diamondback 20-60X80 let in a lot of good light and was noticeably different from the 20-60X60; then when I tried out their step up version, the viper 15-45X65, I found that the glass was better and with the dual adjusting nobs the images were dramatically clearer. I question if this magnification is ample for counting annuli at longer distances or if the higher magnification scope with its poorer image quality will even be able to do what I am looking for?

Of course the fancy car is more expensive and also weighs more, I'm brand new to this discussion so I am looking for ones opinions on what they use, what you think a sheep hunter should be looking for in a spotting scope etc.

Thanks a lot fellas. :-D

[TheProvider]

Another way to look at it is. If you can see clearer but not as far is it better than seeing farther but not as clear. Personally I would prefer clearer image. Clearer picture can help you spot the almost hidden animals. You will definitely be able to accurately count annuli. With either situation you may have to get a little closer to confirm annuli.

[Weatherby Fan]

I would talk to Mark (todbartell) at Omineca Source for Sports as he uses them himself and will give you great advice.
WF

[BromBones]

The Viper 15-45 is a better choice. Have spent many hours behind one and I think they are one of the best options for a mid-range $ spotter.

Also don't put much weight on being able to count annuli at long distances on your first go. Takes a pretty experienced guy to determine age in the field.

[spear]

I have a sheep hunt in 27 days, I bought myself a vortex razor 20-60x65, there is no way I will be taking a stone ram based on counting annuli, unless I can get him at 100 yards in full light. More experienced sheep hunters may feel comfortable counting rings, but id rely on full curl. That said I have an older vortex spotter that can count points on a muley at some great distance, but im sure glad I upgraded for the purpose of sheep hunting. Best of luck

[Displaced Nova Scotian]

Another way to look at it is. If you can see clearer but not as far is it better than seeing farther but not as clear.
I believe my answer to this question is that seeing clearer at a shorter distance is more important. Thanks for that, makes my job seam a little easier!



I would talk to Mark (todbartell) at Omineca Source for Sports as he uses them himself and will give you great advice.
WF
I've noticed Mark has a number of posts in the sheep threads and is on my list of people to speak with, I'm sure he'll chime in here sometime or I'll give him a shout. Thanks.


The Viper 15-45 is a better choice. Have spent many hours behind one and I think they are one of the best options for a mid-range $ spotter. Also don't put much weight on being able to count annuli at long distances on your first go. Takes a pretty experienced guy to determine age in the field.
BromBones, have you ever ranged something you could not quite see clearly with this scope? Just for numbers in my head say...


I have a sheep hunt in 27 days, I bought myself a vortex razor 20-60x65, there is no way I will be taking a stone ram based on counting annuli, unless I can get him at 100 yards in full light. More experienced sheep hunters may feel comfortable counting rings, but id rely on full curl. That said I have an older vortex spotter that can count points on a muley at some great distance, but im sure glad I upgraded for the purpose of sheep hunting. Best of luck
The store didn't even have any razors in stock when I was there but I'm betting you got your hands on some great glass. You are right wrt counting rings, no matter how many photos I look through I still am fuzzy on counting rings but at least checking to see if full curl is there is the main goal. Good luck on this hunt, looking forward to some photos and stories of it!

Any one else with their opinions...

[BRvalley]

what is your budget?

I'm in the market for a spotter myself, I've decided on a kowa, excellent reviews and cheaper than the other big brands high end stuff

now for the hard decision...angled vs straight? i think straight wins in most situations, for myself at least

[BCBRAD]

Don't skimp on the tri-pod, makes a world of diffrence.

[spear]

Wish I had left some cash in the tank for a bettter tripod for sure.
straight spotters are nice finding game quickly but are very awkward when glassing uphill or straight across on steep terrain.
I bought an angled version of the razor, it can also be turned sideways to better view wildlife on level ground.

[6point]

I have the viper 15-45-60 with HD glass...I love it till after the sun goes down, then I have a realy hard time seeing clearly threw it in the last hour of light at farther distances...I haven't tried out many other spotters tho to compare.

[todbartell]

I have a Viper 15-45x65 (non HD) and really enjoy it. I was out yesterday evening doing some shooting at 630 yards and could see holes in the white paper from my 223 when the mirage went away. Very fine focus which helps a lot. We've had it side by side with a Swarvo 20-60x60 and the difference wasn't a lot, not if you factor in price. In fact a friend of mine who hunts sheep a lot and owns a Swarvo asked me how much I paid for my Viper last time we were out shooting...he figured it was worth more than the Swarvo and was blown away when I told him $599. The Summit SS tripod from Vortex is what I use, it's light and compact, relatively inexpensive and is quick to set up. I may buy a Razor 16-48x65 next year but I sure do like my Viper

.02$

[Displaced Nova Scotian]

what is your budget?
I am thinking somewhere around the 7 to 8 hundred dollar mark is where I'll have to top out, anything above that and I just can't afford it, at the moment. I've checked out Kowa's website and it looks like vantage point outfitters sells them, so I'll give them a look, thanks.


I have the viper 15-45-60 with HD glass...I love it till after the sun goes down, then I have a realy hard time seeing clearly threw it in the last hour of light at farther distances...I haven't tried out many other spotters tho to compare.
I expect with dwindling daylight that all glass will not live up to what it would ordinarily do in good light, I find this with my rifle scope as the nights coming on, what I could ordinarily see just isn't there anymore however when I'm glassing sheep, or any other animal for that matter, it'll likely be at times with better lighting and will make my hunts accordingly. I'm assuming throughout the day you're happy with your glass though?


I have a Viper 15-45x65 (non HD) and really enjoy it. I was out yesterday evening doing some shooting at 630 yards and could see holes in the white paper from my 223 when the mirage went away. Very fine focus which helps a lot. We've had it side by side with a Swarvo 20-60x60 and the difference wasn't a lot, not if you factor in price. In fact a friend of mine who hunts sheep a lot and owns a Swarvo asked me how much I paid for my Viper last time we were out shooting...he figured it was worth more than the Swarvo and was blown away when I told him $599. The Summit SS tripod from Vortex is what I use, it's light and compact, relatively inexpensive and is quick to set up. I may buy a Razor 16-48x65 next year but I sure do like my Viper
.02$
I have no idea what the "average distance" between two mountains is...and of course I'm writing that with a smirk on my face knowing full well there is no standard! However, if you can pick out holes from 630 yards without the HD glass then this 15-45X65 has got to be what I thought it was while looking through it at the store, thanks for the post!

I've read a few posts from ya'll about investing in a good tripod. I was seriously considering using my backpack setup in front of me as a place for it to rest while I glassed another mountain but this doesn't sound like a good thing? Having the extra weight and space used up seams to mean a lot to me but I'm guessing trying to glass from a backpack may not work too well?

Thanks for all the input so far, I'm learning a lot.

[SHACK]

Nope, a backpack is not going to suffice, at all! Get a good tripod with a good pan head or pistol head and you will be much better off than over your backpack. You can and will be spending HOURS looking through a spotter it needs to be stable, and pan smoothly to pic out anything on the mountainside.

Dont forget the bushnell elite spotters, great glass for the $ small, light, and compact.

[xfactor]

I have a manfrotto tripod and ball head, will this work for a spotting scope or should I be looking for something to go with a spotting scope when I buy?

[coach]

I have a manfrotto tripod and ball head, will this work for a spotting scope or should I be looking for something to go with a spotting scope when I buy?

That's exactly what I have and it works great.

[exislander]

look for a full curl.....the most important thing on a sheep hunt is to be in shape and that costs you nothing....best glass in the world wont help if you are huffing and puffing when it's time for the shot....hope your hunt is a good one.[

[coach]

look for a full curl.....the most important thing on a sheep hunt is to be in shape and that costs you nothing....best glass in the world wont help if you are huffing and puffing when it's time for the shot....hope your hunt is a good one.[

Great response. If you're in good enough shape, you should be able to stalk every animal you see. No need for a spotting scope.. Let your boots do the walking..

[uraarchr]

Just read an article in a current mag:the Swaro was
#1 but the Kowa was very close.they loved the fine focus on the Kowa.worked out to max zoom(Iircc). I have Bushnell Elite but find myself wishing for more.I know someone w a Swaro:might have to blackmail them into lending it to me.

[BCBRAD]

Great response. If you're in good enough shape, you should be able to stalk every animal you see. No need for a spotting scope.. Let your boots do the walking..

I guess so, but this is very time consuming in the quest for a legal animal, eg: spend 3 or 4 hours on a stalk and find its not legal or spend minutes to analyze through spotter and if not legal move on. Also, practice with your rifle, today there is good enough equipment and knowledge to reach out beyond traditional 30-30 distances.

[allan]

Don't discount used spotters, I've bought all used mint condition optics for a considerable discount. Just be sure and know what it is your buying, by looking through as
many as you can before hand. My opininion is anything is better then nothing. Buy what you can afford so your not stressed out about it. Good quality tripods will go a long way to spending more time behind your scope. Angled tripod for me as I'm tall, but my short friend (6') prefers straight.

[Abashai]

I have the Vortex Viper HD 80mm angled spotter. The clarity is absolutely stunning and the fine focus wheel is fantastic. My problem is that it is so heavy that I can never see myself actually packing it into the field never mind the beefy tripod a scope of this weight requires. I've been using Vortex's High Country tripod which is very light weight and does a reasonable job when you are sitting on the ground but I've found the ball head to be finicky and I think the scope is just too heavy for it. I think a good quality pan head is almost more important than the tripod.

Vortex now makes a 65mm in the viper HD which wasn't available when I got mine but the issue I have with that is the magnification is only 15-45. The size and weight difference is worth it though I think.

I'm probably just going to have to bite the bullet and buy the Swaro 20-60x60. That in my opinion is just the perfect spotting scope for size, weight and magnification, and I have not yet found any thing that competes on all three criteria... never mind the optical quality lol...

[coach]

I guess so, but this is very time consuming in the quest for a legal animal, eg: spend 3 or 4 hours on a stalk and find its not legal or spend minutes to analyze through spotter and if not legal move on. Also, practice with your rifle, today there is good enough equipment and knowledge to reach out beyond traditional 30-30 distances.

I was kidding. :-D A quality spotting scope and tripod are extremely important pieces of equipment that will save you hours of unnecessary hiking. The saying is, "Let your eyes do the walking."

[coach]

I have the same spotter as Todbartell, the viper 15-45x65 (non hd). So far I'm very impressed with it. My old Impact spotter is a POS - but I decided to give Vortex one more try anyway. Hopefully it's gonna stand up to the rigours of a busy season.

[Displaced Nova Scotian]

Hello guys,
I spent some more time at the store looking through the Vortex 15-45x60 HD along with the 20-60x80HD and found that the 80 was not that much better from my testing spot. I will certainly be looking to take a look through other scopes, including the Kowa, as the opportunity comes up. As always I'm keeping a look at what's used and for sale and always looking to extend my effective range with the gun.

Thanks for the help and if anything else comes to mind that you believe could help me out be sure to post it.