Best spotting scope on Reddit
134 reviews from r/longrange, r/guns, r/birding and 13 more subreddits
134 reviews from
and
By Brand
/By Product
#1
Vortex
4.1
(41)
"Another vote for a Vortex."
"I bought the Vortex Viper 20-60 on Sierra Trading for $500 and I'm very satisfied with my purchase."
"Vortex can be found online for much much cheaper than their MSRP on the website."
"Best balance of value and quality on the market."
"I always recommend Vortex as a brand since their warranty allows you to send it in for any reason at any time."
"Holy hell it's amazing. FAR better than the Viper PST 5-25x."
"Serves double duty as regular binoculars and a spotting scope."
"Check out Vortex Optics. Impressive."
"Excellent clarity and brightness for birdwatching."
"I have been using my Vortex spotting scope and tripod for about 4 years now, and it has worked well for spotting up to 665 yards."
#2
Celestron
4.2
(13)
"The Celestron C90 is a great choice for its resolution and mirror-based setup, avoiding chromatic and spherical aberrations."
"The Celestron C5 is used by NASA on the ISS, showcasing its reliability and performance."
"I absolutely love my Celestron Regal 80. It's been worth every penny."
"Is surprisingly great for its price range."
"Very happy with it for birds and other things."
"You will be much happier with a fixed Celestron refractor for looking at planets, moon, and occasional deep sky."
"Optics are fantastic, bright, and clear, and it’s quite a bit more compact than refractor sporting scopes."
"Celestron is a reputable telescope brand for astronomy stuff. They make scopes and binoculars."
"The Celestron C90 is a really good spotting scope that can easily double up as a super portable telescope."
"The C90 is a small and affordable option for spotting."
#3
Leupold
4.4
(12)
"Leupold also makes good quality spotting scopes."
"I like the size/weight. This combination is sturdy and steady."
"It's a great spotter for the price and also lighter weight than many others in its category."
"The short tripod was essential for my spotting needs."
"The Leupold performed spectacularly at least to the 1000 yards we worked up to, in that I never had to give it a second thought."
"By far the best budget level spotting scope I have looked through."
"Leupold will give you better bang for your buck as does Nikon."
"I prefer my 12x binos for spotting hits on steel targets beyond 1000 yards."
"Great for spotting distant birds, but a bit heavy."
"Heard good things about their top model."
#4
Swarovski
4.9
(9)
"Swarovski is recommended as an upgrade."
"My Swaro spotter can see 30 cal bullet holes in white paper at 640 yards if there is little to no mirage."
"A good spotting scope will be a lifetime companion when choosing the right model, so it's really worth the investment."
"If you have the $ I recommend Swarovski."
"Best available at a tolerable price."
"Yes it makes a big difference for that kind of crystal."
"[Swarovski STR 80]"
"Swarovski spotting scopes provide excellent image quality."
"Maybe try looking for an 18mm scope vs 17mm. Sounds silly but that 1mm might be the difference maker. I can't recommend a specific one but maybe a used Swarovski would be in that price range."
#5
Bushnell
4.0
(10)
"I enjoy it very much. Works great for the things you mentioned."
"I've heard really good things about the Bushnell Legend Tactical 15-45x60 spotter for pretty close to your budget."
"I'm really happy with the Bushnell H2O 10x42 binoculars. Not too big, not too small, durable, and waterproof."
"Great choice for astronomical use, balancing weight, aperture, and magnification."
"I know bushnell makes some decent ones which should fit in your price range."
"Bushnell Legend fits your requirements."
"Great for general use and helps in calling corrections effectively."
"Best budget spotting scope I've used so far."
"I've heard really good things and for sub $500 it seems pretty alright."
"Don't get a cheap target camera, they lose connection after 200 yards. Fucked again by Caldwell."
#6
Kowa
4.4
(8)
"Keep your eyes open for a Kowa, found mine at a garage sale for next to nothing."
"Great choice with the 25x LER eyepiece!"
"The Kowa 25-60x eyepiece is highly recommended for use with Kowa TSN 770 or 880 spotting scopes."
"Reliable out to 1200+ yards for wind reading."
"Able to see very clearly through this scope."
"Are worth looking into."
"Get the best spotting scope possible for optimal performance."
"$500 is entry level. You’re probably not gonna love the picture esp at long distances."
#7
Athlon
4.1
(7)
"Able to see 223 at 300. The adjustable feet on the oak bench sled make it much more convenient on the bench."
"I got an Athlon Ares for ~600 and love it."
"I just bought and am happy with this spotting scope."
"Optical quality is good enough to see 556 holes on paper out to 200y."
"It was pretty cheap and has been clear and robust enough for me after 2 years of use."
"Athlon spotters punch above their weight class."
"The Athlon spotting scope was no help for bullet trace visibility."
#8
Zeiss
4.2
(6)
"You're not going to be disappointed going with that Zeiss. If you're going to actually use it you will be happy spending a little extra."
"Best available at a tolerable price."
"Zeiss is another top choice for high-quality spotting scopes."
"The Zeiss binoculars provide better image quality without chromatic aberrations."
"In good light at 70m there's not a massive difference between a Zeiss DiaScope 85 FL and a cheap 60x scope made in China."
"Zeiss and Swarovski are the gold standard but are pricey."
#9
Vanguard
4.5
(4)
"Vanguard offers good quality spotting scopes."
"It works well, can stand up to abuse, and has a lifetime no fault warranty."
"Vanguard makes pretty nice mid tier scopes. I like mine and get lots of compliments from the groups I bird with."
"I found a pretty good deal on a Vanguard HD Endeavor 82A. They were really happy!"
#10
Pentax
4.7
(3)
"The Pentax PF-65ED body combined with the Pentax XW-10 eyepiece provides excellent magnification and a wide field of view."
"The XW-10 eyepiece offers a great eye relief and enhances the viewing experience."
"Very good resolution for the money but it isn't 'cheap' at ~$800-1200 for scope+eyepiece."
#11
Manfrotto
4.3
(3)
"The Manfrotto geared head tripod was another great addition."
"I like Slik or Manfrotto tripods- sturdy but lighter weight than some others."
"Manfrotto tripods are solid if you need a good mount."
#12
Vortex Razor
4.5
(2)
"Lifetime no questions asked warranty."
"I’d look at the Razor 13-39x56 too."
#13
Razor
4.5
(2)
"I love it. It is stupid sharp and the colors are great."
"I'm satisfied with the refurbished Razor 22-48x spotting scope."
#14
Redfield
4.0
(2)
"I have a redfield spotting scope from Amazon and it’s great."
"Redfield."
#15
Spotting Scope
2.0
(3)
"I have a 20-60x60 scope. Was cheap but does the job."
"You can get away with a cheap scope, but not a cheap spotter."
"I think you’re better off renting a $2000+ scope than struggling to use a low quality cheap scope…"
#16
Nikon Coolpix P900
5.0
(1)
"Not only does it have excellent Nikon glass it is an 82X zoom."
#17
Athlon Talos
5.0
(1)
"Absolutely amazing bang for your buck"
#18
Hensoldt, SWARO, Leopold, KOWA, Vortex, Bushnell
4.0
(1)
"Quality long range spotting scopes are not cheap and cheap spotting scopes are not very useful at long range."
#19
Phone Skope
4.0
(1)
"Check out Phone Skope, they do sell internationally, not just in the US."
#20
Nikon Prostaff 3S 10x42
4.0
(1)
"I purchased one of each. Binoculars - Nikon Prostaff 3S 10 x 42."
#21
Nikon
4.0
(1)
"Nikon or Opticron might have some good mid-market options for you."
#22
Redfield Rampage
4.0
(1)
"Is decent for the money"
#23
Celestron Ultima
4.0
(1)
"Might be a good starting point."
#24
Konus 20-60x80
4.0
(1)
"Is the budget option in High Power competition."
Discover your audience
GummySearch is an audience research toolkit for 130,000 unique communities on Reddit.
If you are looking for startup problems to solve, want to validate your idea or find your first customers online, GummySearch is for you.
Sign up for free, get community insights in minutes.
Tell me more
Get started
