Spotting Scope for Mountain Hunting

[Rimbaud]

Fellow Hunters - I will be in the Carpathians next October to hunt chamois during the rut. I'd like to get a lightweight spotting scope, and would appreciate any recommendations from mountain hunters. I have Swaro 10x42 binos, and Leica 10x32 Geovids. The glass on both are great. It's so easy to get lost in a rat hole trying to compare glass so thanks in advance for sharing your experience. Thanks you.

 

[JimP]

Quite possibly your guide will have one so two may be one too many.

I know that on my coues deer hunt is southern Arizona my friend packed a spotter and I just had binoculars. But they were just 10x42 Swarovski's and I wished that they were 15x+

 

[Badjer]

I have hunted mountains but not chamois elevations. We only used 12x and 15x binos on these since we were still below timberline. I bought a Leupold Gold Ring 12-40 x 60 for future trips, but admit I haven't used it on a hunt yet.

 

[WAB]

Fellow Hunters - I will be in the Carpathians next October to hunt chamois during the rut. I'd like to get a lightweight spotting scope, and would appreciate any recommendations from mountain hunters. I have Swaro 10x42 binos, and Leica 10x32 Geovids. The glass on both are great. It's so easy to get lost in a rat hole trying to compare glass so thanks in advance for sharing your experience. Thanks you.

I’d consider using Swarovski SLC 15x56 from a tripod. I use them for Coues hunting. You can stay on the glass a lot longer with the bino’s and the definition a mile or more out is pretty amazing.

 

[AimSmall]

Quality binos like those will let you find them, the spotting scope gets enough detail to decide whether to pursue. I'm a big fan of the swarovski.

 

[Goat416]

I'm a big fan of the Swarovski spotting scopes, make sure you get a good stable carbon fiber tripod with a solid head. There is nothing more frustrating sitting on a windy ridge with a vibrating scope making it difficult to judge animals. For the mountains weight matters so I wouldn't necessarily go with the BTX and a 115mm objective, but an angled eyepiece like the ATX with an 85mm objective will be worth the extra weight and you can always get a second objective down the road for the truck hunts.

 

[Badjer]

I have hunted mountains but not chamois elevations. We only used 12x and 15x binos on these since we were still below timberline. I bought a Leupold Gold Ring 12-40 x 60 for future trips, but admit I haven't used it on a hunt yet.

Quality binos like those will let you find them, the spotting scope gets enough detail to decide whether to pursue. I'm a big fan of the swarovski.

As AimSmall said, binos to help find them, which is what the hunter usually does. A tripod is useful with binos as well. My thought is if a big spotter is needed, the guide will probably have one. They are the ones largely deciding if the animal you see is one worth pursuing. On one hunt my guide had his in the truck and only set it up twice. The call is yours... JMHO

 

[wesheltonj]

Just returned from the Julian Alps in Slovenia hunting Chamois. My guide had a Swaro CTC spotting scope. I would not recommend hauling one around.

Swarovski CTC Spotting Scope 30 x 75 - Trustach Shooting Supplies

Swarovski OptiksRead More >

www.trustachshootingsupplies.com

 

[brym427]

I dont know how lightweight you need but i love my kowa tsn884. I have magnesium legs for it but you could go carbon fiber and save even more weight

 

[Topshots]

Happy Kowa 554 user here. I upgraded from a lower quality 65mm spotter for weight savings. It suits me well because I typically hike in miles and don't scan/grid with my spotter, only use it to confirm animals found with my 10x binos.

 

[khesser]

If you can swing it I absolutely love Swarovskis atc 17-40x56. Best bang for the buck spotter Swaro makes. Combined with the Swaro EL Range 10x its all the glass you need for hunting. Photos taken through the atc with my iPhone on Kodiak

 

[Rimbaud]

If you can swing it I absolutely love Swarovskis atc 17-40x56. Best bang for the buck spotter Swaro makes. Combined with the Swaro EL Range 10x its all the glass you need for hunting. Photos taken through the atc with my iPhone on Kodiak View attachment 638254View attachment 638255View attachment 638253

That is incredible image quality!

 

[khesser]

That is incredible image quality!

I guarantee if you get a chance to check one out you’ll buy it.

 

[LivingTheDream]

I bought a Leupold Gold Ring 12-40 x 60

This is what I carry, it worked very well for me in Mongolia.

 

[YancyW]

I have a Sawro ATS, it is fantastic in every way, but I also think it is overkill pretty often. My old setup used to be a 8.5x swarm binos for scanning and then if something caught my eye, I would switch over to the spotting scope to check it out, I am pretty sensitive to eye fatigue and I also can make myself sick if I look through to spotter too long if I am in higher altitude. Now I am using a 12.5 or 15x binos on a tripod, works much better for me and if I have a guide with spotter, I'm covered.

 

[Nevada Mike]

I’d consider using Swarovski SLC 15x56 from a tripod. I use them for Coues hunting. You can stay on the glass a lot longer with the bino’s and the definition a mile or more out is pretty amazing.

I used to hunt with Zeiss 10 X 40 binos and a spotting scope. I have ditched the spotting scope for a Pair of tripod mounted Swaro 15 X 56 SLCs. as WAB says - they are far less tiring and meet my needs. Still carry the Zeiss glasses around my neck for quick glassing and IDing objects in the field.

 

[Markopolo50]

I say it depends. I have not hunted chamois and you may be moving a lot. I went Dall sheep hunting in Alaska and had Swaro's 10x42's. I figured my guide was the one to judge the sheep, and he was. Problem I had that we stayed in a spot for some time and I was not able to see any details on the white spots that my guide was looking at. I was trying to save weight but sure wished I had brought my spotter. And, I could have been looking at the other side of the mountain for other sheep. Just my opinion...

 

[Clodo Ferreira]

I have a Meopta S1 APO 20-60x75. OUTSTANDING SS!! Not to heavy and their resolution and clarity are fantastic! The Meopta S2 I have see is better yet but somewhat heavier. But not to change my S1. I bought the S1 with the 30X Wide Angle ocular. Truly great!!! The field carrying bag has a little bag in the carrying sling to put the additional occular. I chose the angled one. Better to me.

 

[Luvthunt]

I was looking for what to buy long ago also. In 1975 was in a sheep camp in British Columbia where there were three different spotters . As I recall one was a B&L another a Zeiss and a Bushnell Sentry. The Sentry was smaller , lighter and for that distance there in the BC mountains was as clear as the other scopes.

Bought the Sentry and today it is a testimony to hard use but still finds the bullet hole on the paper at any range I need to find.

 

[Clodo Ferreira]

Another one, truly hunting SS is this.

ZEISS Dialyt 18-45x65 | The hunting field spotter for observation over long distance

The waterproof and condensation-free design makes the ZEISS Dialyt 18-45x65 ready for use at any time – pull it from your backpack and start watching.

www.zeiss.com