By Robin Owens 4 days ago, Binoculars
Our choice of the best spotting scopes for target shooting.
Whether you are a bird watcher, rookie astronomer or law enforcement officer, you will benefit from using a long-range spotting scope. This type of equipment is traditionally appreciated by nature enthusiasts but recently the 1,000-yard spotting scope has become a top-pick for hunters as well.
We have created this list to help you find the best spotting scope for target shooting.
Before making your choice, think carefully about which specs you need most. The scopes come at different sizes and price ranges. Their performance differs as well so make sure to check if a piece of equipment suits your needs.
In these reviews we will provide you with a detailed description of each spotting scope and help you find the most reliable device.
Magnification: 45x | Objective diameter: 65mm | Field of view at 1000m: 131ft | Closest focusing distance: 11ft | Eye relief: 17.6mm | Weight: 1757g
⊕ Waterproof and fog-resistant
⊕ 45x magnification
⊕ Huge lens
⊖ Bulky, weighs too much
The Leupold SX-4 Pro Guide 15-45x65 HD spotting scope is a perfect choice for hunters who need to use reliable equipment during trips. As it is fully waterproof and fog-resistant, it delivers great performance even under unfavorable weather conditions. Thanks to special coating layers, the lenses won’t get scratched if you use the scope too often.
The Twilight Max Light Management feature accounts for stunning vision quality and adds up to half an hour of shooting light at the end of the day. Unlike most spotting scopes for target shooting, this one eliminates 90% of stray light which is hugely beneficial for clarity and HD image quality across the lens.
Magnification:12x | Objective diameter: 50mm | Field of view at 1000m: 52metres | Closest focusing distance: 15ft | Eye relief: 16.2mm | Weight: 952g
⊕ Affordable
⊕ Bak-4 glass lens is up to military standard
⊕ Doesn’t take too much space, easy to carry
⊕ Steady tripod
⊖ It’s not water-resistant
Authentic Roxant Evolution binoculars boast powerful military-grade lens. Thanks to the BAK4 prism they deliver HD quality and amazing light transmission. Brightness is on the top-notch level as well.
What’s more, the spotting scope offers a high level of detail and fantastic color accuracy.
Its optical glass is multi-coated which contributes to the overall great performance. As the spotting scope has 42mm objective lenses with 10x magnifying power, you will easily spot any object.
This best spotting scope for range shooting has a durable body thanks to a metal alloy frame and rubberized armor. You will appreciate that it is completely water- and shockproof. The binoculars are easy to carry around.
Magnification: 60x | Objective diameter: 80mm | Field of view at 1000m:101metres | Closest focusing distance: 6.1metres | Eye relief: 18.0mm | Weight: 2300g
⊕ Anti-reflective glass
⊕ Twist-up eyecups
⊕ A tripod adapter can be rotated
⊖ Fairly heavy
Bushnell 20-60x80 45-Degree Legend Ultra HD is a spotting scope that is known for its impressive magnifying power. It is fully waterproof thanks to the rubber-armored body and delivers stunning image quality.
Manufacturers have ensured that you can use this target spotting scope outdoors even in poor weather. Thanks to the Rainguard HD coating of the lenses, you can see any object clearly despite condensation or heavy rain.
Magnification: 60x | Objective diameter: 60mm | Field of view at 1000m: 34.7metres | Closest focusing distance: 6.1metres | Eye relief: 17.0mm | Weight: 958g
⊕ A budget product
⊕ Easy to carry
⊕ Small size
⊖ Angled spotting scopes might be uncomfortable to use
Diamondback delivers amazing image quality thanks to the anti-reflective coating of the lenses that also significantly reduces light loss.
Brightness and clarity are at the top level despite the small size of the lens. If you need to use this best spotting scope for target shooting in a harsh environment, you will appreciate that it won’t get scratched thanks to its ArmorTek coating. There is also an additional dielectric coating level to ensure that the Porro prism will deliver great color accuracy.
Porro prisms add to a long depth of view. This spotting scope delivers perfect image quality with high contrast, brightness, clarity, and color reproduction.
Magnification:60x | Objective diameter: 80mm | Field of view at 1000m: 105ft | Closest focusing distance: 8metres| Eye relief: 15mm | Weight: 1615g
⊕ Amazing brightness levels
⊕ Great zooming capabilities
⊕ Durable body
⊕ Rubberized rear elements
⊖ Insufficient clarity
⊖ Poor magnification
Тhе Сеlеѕtrоn Ultіmа 80 is an angled 65mm spotting scope that is perfect for those who need to use magnifying equipment in a poor light. It has been designed for people who enjoy hunting not only in the daytime but also after sunset.
This shooting spotting scope works perfectly in different situations regardless of harsh conditions. It is suitable for any task and allows seeing objects with amazing clarity. Thanks to the 80mm refractor and a 45-degree viewing angle, the overall image quality is quite impressive.
The spotting scope can be carried around easily. For better performance, there is а 20х60х еуеріесе.
Magnification: 45x | Objective diameter: 60mm | Field of view at 1000m: 115ft | Closest focusing distance: 11metres | Eye relief: 16mm | Weight: 950g
⊕ Simple to use
⊕ Doesn’t weigh much
⊕ Stunning magnification
⊖ Relatively unknown Chinese product
Carson Optical has offered new gear for those, who are interested in long range spotting scopes. The angled Everglade 15-45x60 can be used both at the shooting range and on the hunting trail.
Thanks to its low 15x magnification, it allows for wide view. If you opt for 45x magnification, you can see distant objects with great clarity.
Its 60mm lenses are coated with multiple special layers which allow drawing in more light even under poor lighting conditions, for instance, at dusk or dawn. The eyepiece of this best spotting scope for target shooting is positioned at a 45° angle so you won’t have to worry about muscle strain regardless of your position.
| Image | Name | Features | |
|---|---|---|---|
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Leupold SX-4
Our Choice |
CHECK PRICE → | |
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Roxant Authentic
Professional |
CHECK PRICE → | |
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Bushnell Legend
Budget |
CHECK PRICE → |
Eye relief refers to the distance from the lenses to your eyes. It is indicated in millimeters. It’s important to check how high it is as it helps understand how comfortable a spotting scope can be used.
If it’s high, you will be able to see everything clearly even if you don’t bring the scope too close to your eyes. It’s especially vital for gun-mounted scopes as the scopes that can be used with tripods don’t need a high eye relief that much.
It is the lens that is positioned at the end of the spotting scope. As it’s made of high-quality glass, it lets the light in and makes an image brighter. Decent lenses also ensure that you will have a great field of view. If the lens is quite large, it will be able to gather more light. This is why it’s important to purchase a spotting scope with an objective lens of 60mm or even more.
Magnifying power is an important thing to consider when you are buying a spotting scope. Your equipment might come with different types of lenses, namely, fixed and zoom ones.
If your shooters spotting scope has fixed lenses, you won’t be able to change magnification without changing the lens. However, these lenses deliver better image quality and gather more light than zoom lenses.
If you purchase a spotting scope with a stand-alone zoom, you can zoom manually to see objects more clearly. The control feature looks like a small scope put on the top of the main one.
By using such equipment, you won’t be able to zoom so quickly as with spotting scopes that have eyepiece twists. However, you can zoom with better precision and focus only on the objects that you need to see clearly.
All target spotting scopes usually have three numbers in their titles. While the first two refer to their magnification range, the last one indicates the size of the lens. For instance, if you have a 15-45x60 spotting scope, it has a range of 15-45x and comes with a 60mm lens.
Hunters usually opt for straight spotting scopes which are also quite handy for the target range. They allow you to see everything that happens below and can be used with great ease. Nature lovers, especially bird watchers, will benefit from using angled spotting scopes as they make it easier to look in the sky.
Leupold's Mark 4 Tactical Spotting Scope is widely used by the U.S. Marine Corps as it is an officially recognized Scout Sniper Observation Telescope. Marine snipers had been using older versions of spotting scopes for decades before switching to this model.
If you want to get a clear 500-yard image, you need to purchase the best rifle spotting scope that is capable of at least 5X magnification. However, this bare minimum might prove to be insufficient so it’s better to choose spotting scopes with a 10X magnification.
