Spotting Scopes

T

Twud

Guest
Just had a 6MM BR Bench/Varmint rifle built and I can't see bullet holes at 500yards with my old 40x Nikon spotting scope. I've got around $600 to spend, and it's looking like that's not going to be enough. I'd rather do without than look through fuzzy glass.
Any and all advice from you long range guys would be apreciated.
Mark
 
Mark - IMO you're going to have to spend a lot more than $600 to see 6mm holes at 500 yds and that will depend on how well illuminated the target is.
Look at a 82mm Kowa which will be on the lower end of expenditure - IMO.
We'll see how others respond. The amount of light on the target is huge + the issue of whether the target itself is light or dark.
 
SS Scope

Most LR Prone shooters use the 82 Kowa or an equal to and a LER eye piece.
You might want a 20-60 eye piece.
 
budget isn't the issue. Light is...

Twud said:
Just had a 6MM BR Bench/Varmint rifle built and I can't see bullet holes at 500yards with my old 40x Nikon spotting scope. I've got around $600 to spend, and it's looking like that's not going to be enough. I'd rather do without than look through fuzzy glass.
Any and all advice from you long range guys would be apreciated.
Mark
Click to expand...

Unless light conditions are nearly perfect, i.e. light coming from behind the target, and unless your target is a light color so the bullet holes are a good contrast, you're not going to see 6mm bullet holes at 500y with any reliability. Occasionally, sure. Especially if they're clustered together.

If your riflescope is good enough, then you'll have nearly as much success seeing bullet holes with it as a spotter. Why? Because you can cozy right up to your rifle and have it steady as a rock, vs. needing to get as close as you can to your spotter's ocular lens without touching the scope. Image tremble is way more problematic with a spotter.

And a fixed power eyepiece will enable a better view than a variable, all other things being equal.
 
Twud said:
Just had a 6MM BR Bench/Varmint rifle built and I can't see bullet holes at 500yards with my old 40x Nikon spotting scope. I've got around $600 to spend, and it's looking like that's not going to be enough. I'd rather do without than look through fuzzy glass.
Any and all advice from you long range guys would be apreciated.
Mark
Click to expand...


Why not peddle your Nikon scope to make up the difference towards the Kowa? The issue with the eyepiece is right on the money. The variable eye pieces are a total let down. I have the fixed 27 EER on my Kowa. A tour of scopes at any NM event will reveal that the vast majority scopes have fixed eye pieces. There is a vary good reason,. Optical quality is much better in a fix power eyepiece. This is also reflected in the cost of the eyepiece.

SXS comparisons with spotters costing three times the Kowa's price, makes for some vary quiet owners. This is the biggest single reason the Kowa scopes dominate on the line.
 
Shoot & See Targets

Birchwood Casey's 'Shoot & See' Targets are a cheap alternative to laying out serious cash for a spotting scope capable of resolving bullet holes at that distance. I use these targets at 500m with an older Redfield 0-60 X spotting scope and this combo. works well.

Chino69
 
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