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As I’ve
stated many times in these pages, it’d be nice if we all could afford the
very best optics that money could buy. Of course the sad reality is we
can’t. Whether it’s our choice of cars, computers, or camp gear, we often
have to settle for something that’s less than the best simply because we
all have fiscal limits on our discretionary spending. One thing
about the sports optics industry though - it provides us with a huge array
of choices. This is especially true when it comes to spotting scopes. As a
result, there’s a very good selection of moderately priced scopes
available that offer good performance that a person with modest means can
afford.
OK, so what do I consider "affordable". As they say "Beauty is
in the eye of the beholder" and "Affordability is in the size of the
wallet." For the purposes of this discussion I’ll look at products ranging
in price from around $135 to around $250. Dropping below the $135 range
gets into an area where, generally speaking, the products just don’t have
the capability to be used for silhouette. Going over $250 gets us into an
area where mama really starts to give us the evil eye because we seriously
exploded her budget for the month.
Because of the number of spotters that fall in this price range
is so large, I’m going to restrict my comments to a just a few scopes that
I’ve had personal, hands on experience with and which I consider to be the
best of the class. All are variable power and range in size from 50 to
60mm’s. All have straight eyepieces. So here here they are, listed by
price, from the least expensive to the most expensive.
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ALPEN 50mm MODEL 730 - $135 |
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The
Alpen Model 730 delivers performance far, far above its bargain
basement price |
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This scope won Outdoor Life Magazine’s 2004 "Great Buy" award.
After using it for only a few minutes, it was easy to see why it was
selected. To be blunt, most scopes in this price range are poor
performers. This scope however is a very, very notable exception to that
rule. Its optical performance is equal to scopes costing two to maybe even
three times more.
This is a 15 X 30 variable clad in Alpen dark green rubber armor
that sports a series of molded in ridges above and under the barrel for a
solid grip. A sliding sunshade prevents direct sunlight from hitting the
objective lens and degrading the surprisingly clear, edgey image produced
by the multi-coated 50mm optics. This capable cutie easily fits into a
range bag, back pack, or gun box and weighs only 23 ounces. Don’t worry
about the weather fogging up its innards either. It’s nitrogen filled and
100% waterproof. Use it as a boat anchor if it tickles your fancy and it
won’t hurt a thing. A nice metal bench tripod and a zippered case comes
with the scope as standard equipment. The scope is also available in a kit
that includes a hard sided case and a window mount as well. If low cost,
uncommon performance for the money, and portability are important to you,
this is the one.
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ALPEN 60mm MODEL 735 - $155
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The
Alpen Model 735 can easily compete with scopes costing 2-3 times as
much |
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This is the 60mm version of the Alpen 730 with all of the same
features. Like it’s little brother, it also was a winner of Outdoor Life’s
"Great Buy" award (2003). As a matter of note, Alpen products have won
four of these awards which kind of tells you something about the value of
their scopes. In my not so humble opinion this Alpen easily competes with
scopes 2-3 times more in price.
With its bigger multicoated objective, the 735 is able to give
the user higher magnification powers with none of the usual loss in image
brightness. The 735’s 18 X 36 power range is what I would consider to be
just about ideal in this size objective lens. I was very pleased to see
that when I changed magnification settings from the low to the high end,
that there was very little perceivable difference in the brightness - a
hallmark of good optical materials and design. Eye relief varies from 20
to 17mm’s depending on what magnification power is being used at the
moment. However even at the highest power setting, 17mm’s is plenty of eye
relief for those who wear glasses. The field of view is also the same as
the Model 730 at 100 yards, and varies between 12 and 9 feet - again
depending on the power setting. A nice wide field of view is essential to
ensure that the spotter is looking at the same target the shooter is
aiming at.
I had a chance to take the 735 out to the range and
run it through my home made resolution chart evaluation and was thoroughly
impressed with the results. This modestly priced optic was able to resolve even
the smallest line of type on the chart (9 point) at fifty yards. I then aimed
the scope at a set of telephone poles 500 yards away. At the top of each pole is
a ceramic electrical insulator. I was able to easily count the number of ribs on
the insulator (5). This was very impressive performance.
The 735 weighs a very comfortable 30 ounces and isn’t going to add a
burdensome load to your range bag. The objective lens is protected with a
snap-on plastic cover over the sliding sunshade and a plastic screw on cap goes
over the eyepiece. As a bonus, a nicely functional metal bench tripod is
provided in the scope’s double zippered nylon bag with shoulder strap. A kit
with a hard sided case and window mount is also available. This is a remarkable
value where you can’t go wrong.
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BUSHNELL 60mm DISCOVERER - $234 |
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The
Bushnell Discoverer has always been a solid performer and a real value |
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The 15 X 60 Discoverer is unique in that it is a straight through
refractor design as opposed to the poroprism design of the other three scopes
discussed here. In other words, there is no prism in the optical train and as a
result, is a more simple and robust design. I owned a Discoverer for at least
ten years and it gave me excellent service. It’s resolution was good enough that
I could see .224 sized holes in my cardboard half size practice targets at 200
meters. To this day, I’m not sure why I sold that scope.
The Discoverer has been recently improved with multicoated optics
making it even better than it was before. However, even with the upgrade, 60X is
too much magnification for this size objective lens. The image is just too dark
and the resolution unacceptable. However when you turn down the magnification to
20 or 25 power, the scope comes alive. The image is bright and clear and the
resolution crispy. Believe me, 25 power is plenty for silhouettes or just about
anything else.
This is also a very versatile scope in that it can focus down to 10
meters. So if you want to use it for air gun silhouette, go right ahead. It also
comes with a camera adapter standard which will allow you to turn the scope into
a giant telephoto lens for your 35mm camera.
If this scope has a disadvantage, it would be its size. The Discoverer
is over 17 inches long and weighs over 45 ounces. Nor is it waterproofed or
water resistant, so keep it out of the rain. In the 10 years I owned mine
(including several years in rainy, hot, humid Florida), I never had a problem
with fogging. The design of the scope is a bit dated, but it delivers very good
performance at the lower end of its magnification range. Still a good buy.
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Nikon 60mm Sky & Earth - $250 |
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The Nikon
Sky & Earth is both good looking and extremely capable |
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As some may recall, I reviewed a 80mm Sky & Earth in these pages a
couple of years ago and found it to be an especially good scope. Thanks to a
friend who owns the 60mm version, I was able to put one through its paces. The
first thing you notice about this scope is its very clean, quality design. It
looks really nice and will often turn heads on the firing line. The
polycarbonate bodied spotter weighs in at a little over 35 ounces and is just
under 13 inches long. The scope’s optics are multicoated and uses BAK-4 glass
(the best kind) in its prism. The result is that it provides a very nice clear
image which will leave your spotter with no excuses for not seeing a shot. The
furnished 15-45 variable multicoated eyepiece provides lots of choice in
magnification selections, however I found myself using the lower end of the
range almost exclusively. Resolution and brightness were at their best when
doing so. To be honest, for a high quality image, 45 power is too much
magnification for a 60mm objective in this price range. However, if you want the
magnification, it’s there. Sky & Earth products are water resistant which means
that they can take rain, but not total immersion in water. One handy feature is
is the rubber press on lens cap for the objective which is permanently attached
to the sliding sun shade. Can’t get lost that way. There’s also a screw on
plastic cap for the eyepiece. A very spiffy nylon carrying case with a shoulder
strap and lots of snap releases is also provided. This is a very good quality
scope that no one will ever regret buying.
So there you have it. Each of these scopes is far,
far more than just a competent performer. They’re first-rate performers that
give exceptional service for the price. If you choose one of these scopes, you
won’t be sorry.
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