Spotting Scope reviews from Reddit
Summary
We analyzed 150 Reddit reviews across 19 subreddits and 61 posts to rank the best Spotting Scope brands recommended by redditors, including communities like r/longrange, r/Hunting, r/guns, r/yellowstone, r/birding. Top-rated brands include Vortex (4.1/5), Leupold (4.3/5), Celestron (4.1/5).
Stats
Reviews150
Subreddits19
Posts61
Brands28
Products80
150 reviews from
and
By Brand
/By Product
#1
Vortex
4.1
(51)
"I found a used vortex razor 20-60 x 85 and I love the thing man."
"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."
#2
Leupold
4.3
(15)
"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."
"Clarity and adjustments were nicer than the Vortex."
"I decided to try the leupold sx2 for 300 and it's significantly better."
"Leupold will give you better bang for your buck as does Nikon."
"Your size dimensions seem a little restrictive, but these come close."
#3
Celestron
4.1
(14)
"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."
"Nothing fancy, but it has worked great for me up to 300m so far."
"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."
#4
Swarovski
4.9
(11)
"It is hard to beat Swarovski."
"If you've got swaro money, they are epic scopes."
"Or the swaro new stuff."
"Swarovski is recommended as an upgrade."
"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."
#5
Kowa
4.8
(10)
"The KOWA."
"Kowa is what I have. They are expensive, but worth it."
"I can confirm the Kowa has been great."
"I recently got a kowa tsn-88a and couldn't be happier."
"Keep your eyes open for a Kowa, found mine at a garage sale for next to nothing."
"Great choice with the 25x LER eyepiece!"
"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."
#6
Bushnell
4.0
(11)
"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."
"Look on eBay for used spotting scopes, something like an old made in Japan Bushnell space master. That's what I use and works great."
"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."
#7
Athlon
4.0
(7)
"Athlon Ares G2 UHD 15-45x65 (or even a 20-60x85) with a Sirui tripod."
"I'd recommend Athlon Cronus 15x or Bushnell Forge 15x binos on a tripod."
"So I think I can recommend Athlon."
"Honestly if I were you with your budget I’d get that athlon scope."
"It was pretty cheap and has been clear and robust enough for me after 2 years of use."
"Look at the Athlon ares 15-45x65. It’s right at $600 and has several good reviews on it."
"The Athlon spotting scope was no help for bullet trace visibility."
#8
Zeiss
4.4
(5)
"Another good option is Zeiss."
"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."
"Zeiss and Swarovski are the gold standard but are pricey."
#9
Pentax
4.5
(2)
"The Pentax PF-65ED body combined with the Pentax XW-10 eyepiece provides excellent magnification and a wide field of view."
"Very good resolution for the money but it isn't 'cheap' at ~$800-1200 for scope+eyepiece."
#10
Vortex Razor
4.5
(2)
"Lifetime no questions asked warranty."
"I’d look at the Razor 13-39x56 too."
#11
Nikon
4.0
(2)
"For spotting Nikons overall better glass."
"Nikon or Opticron might have some good mid-market options for you."
#12
Redfield
4.0
(2)
"I have a redfield spotting scope from Amazon and it’s great."
"Redfield."
#13
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…"
#14
Hensoldt
5.0
(1)
"Hendsolt spotter 60 if you can find one."
#15
Konus
5.0
(1)
"Inexpensive and can see my Bullet holes at 300 yards with it."
#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
Maven
4.0
(1)
"I recommend holding off until you can get something nice. And if you are getting one I think you’re better off getting a lighter one like a maven cs.1, Leupold gr 12-40x60 or kowa 535."
#19
Diamondback
4.0
(1)
"Are a great balance of budget and performance"
#20
Celestron 21035 70mm Travel Scope
4.0
(1)
"Maybe this is the time for a short travel refractor like this one?"
#21
Cabela's
4.0
(1)
"I can spot 600 yds all day with a small hunters 20X scope from Cabelas that probably only cost $50 30 years ago."
#22
Nikon P900
4.0
(1)
"I am going to get a Nikon P900 it has image stabilization an an 82x optical zoom."
#23
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."
#24
Phone Skope
4.0
(1)
"Check out Phone Skope, they do sell internationally, not just in the US."
#25
Nikon Prostaff 3S 10x42
4.0
(1)
"I purchased one of each. Binoculars - Nikon Prostaff 3S 10 x 42."
#26
Redfield Rampage
4.0
(1)
"Is decent for the money"
#27
Celestron Ultima
4.0
(1)
"Might be a good starting point."
#28
Konus 20-60x80
4.0
(1)
"Is the budget option in High Power competition."
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