Spotting Scopes

[lakefolk]

Angled or straight eyepiece and why??
Looking at everything and only buying one.

[Bijoukid]

Angled, especially if you ever plan on taking it to the mountains

[5keepers2]

angled.....no question

[Transom]

Only reason to go straight is for glassing out of your truck window or if standing behind a long tripod on flat land. Most PHs I have seen use angled and they buy quality. Like mortgage the house quality. Me I just got a $200 one which is honestly not very good but it does what I need of it which is see 22 caliber holes at 200 yards.

[DoctorJJ]

Straight is MUCH easier to find game that you notice and need to take a closer look at. Trying to find the animal you just saw with angled is hard at 800+ yards. It’s just not as intuitive with angled as it is with straight. For long sessions where you are just sitting in one place, glassing, then angled is more comfortable, no question. But if you’re on the move and spot game with your eyes or your binoculars and need to get a quick look with the higher powered spotter, then straight is actually the answer.

[Bassman25]

the straight ones are better for finding the line on the game you are hunting and can help you put the spot on them easier because you are lined up with your binos. I will say that the angled ones are way more comfortable if you are sitting on a bench or on a hillside looking over an area for hours at a time. In my opinion its a personal preference, I use the straight line version and have tried the angled. I prefer the straight ones, it fits my hunting style.

[blakesfav]

Luxury is a binocular attachment. It fixes the power (usually at 40x), but it's remarkably more comfortable.

[lakefolk]

Luxury is a binocular attachment. It fixes the power (usually at 40x), but it's remarkably more comfortable.

can you explain this more please? or maybe a link?
are you meaning just a binocular tripod mount?

thanks everyone so far,,, still researching.. i can say most viewing will be wildlife in places like national parks, refuges etc...

[C130]

What will you be using it for? I've been looking at them specifically for long distance shooting but haven't bought one yet.

[Idaho Sandman]

I prefer straight, even for extended time behind it. I can acquire game/targets quicker and I manipulate the tripod for easy stress free viewing while in the field. I also really like a tripod mount for my binos. I use that for 80% of my glassing. Then if I really need to pick apart a piece of cover at a great distance, I drop the spotter on. Angled in the car is really nice tho.

[86 inches]

Are you going to be sharing the scope with others like maybe your wife. Angled is much easier for that. Set it for her a then you just lean over a bit. If you're gonna be solo, straight with a tall tripod would be the way to go.

[MichPhoenix77]

Straight if you are using for spotting game from a vehicle, spotting game from above or shooting at a range from a bench. Angled for prone shooting or spotting game in the mountains.

[78Staff]

Straight if you are using for spotting game from a vehicle, spotting game from above or shooting at a range from a bench. Angled for prone shooting or spotting game in the mountains.

This pretty much nails it... Strait for me is much more usable that angled, but I shoot paper more than game (with a rifle anyway). Leupold Mark IV is my goto.

[DoctorJJ]

Straight if you are using for spotting game from a vehicle, spotting game from above or shooting at a range from a bench. Angled for prone shooting or spotting game in the mountains.

I would disagree with this slightly. I like a straight for shooting prone also. Have it set up right by my rifle and I barely move. I am left eye dominant and shoot left handed but right handed rifles so when I’m prone, I have the spotter on a mini tripod just to the left of my gun. Then I can just slide my head over and look through the spotter. All the action and brass ejection is on the right side. Much easier to use a straight. I also like straight for finding animals that I’ve spotted with the naked eye or binocs. Just much easier to line up. Any uphill spotting or glassing is much easier with angled. Sitting in one spot for extended glassing, and especially if two people are using the spotter, then angled is preferable

[86 inches]

Well... he said he was going to be watching wildlife in national parks. I don't think he's hunting.

[blakesfav]

can you explain this more please? or maybe a link?
are you meaning just a binocular tripod mount?

thanks everyone so far,,, still researching.. i can say most viewing will be wildlife in places like national parks, refuges etc...

https://www.muleycrazy.com/swarovski-btx-review.html

Not as much power as some single lens scopes, and no zoom, but total game changer for comfort. Not cheap though.

[Toni]

Get a very sturdy monopod/tripod for it. One that holds the scope locked in place and doesn’t move at all. I had at first used a cheaper one but it wouldn’t hold the scope steady.

[MikeSouza]

I think it’s personal preference. All mine are now angled along with my brother. Thats what we like, but our cousin will run a straight in the same scenario when he’s sitting or standing next to us. Get yourself a phone skope so you can video and take pics of the animals. Like mentioned above, get a good, quality tripod and a head that will support your scope. You want to be sturdy and not have it shaking in the slightest wind. We spend countless hours behind our glass each year on hunts and a quality tripod is just as important as a quality spotter.

[86 inches]

Did you find one.

[86 inches]

Take a look at this by the Audubon Society. I just ordered the budget friendly Celestron Trailseeker 65. For looking at birds, mostly.

https://www.audubon.org/news/how-cho...spotting-scope