Using a rifle scope for a spotting scope?
Anonymous 01/05/25(Sun)06:51:53 | 12 comments
Anyone know if this will work? I've never used a rifle scope just binoculars.
I just want to be able to zoom on things like a parked car for example when I'm hiking to see if someones inside. Tried it before with a good set of binoculars but wasn't able to make out if someone was inside.
What type of magnification should I look for?
I just want to be able to zoom on things like a parked car for example when I'm hiking to see if someones inside. Tried it before with a good set of binoculars but wasn't able to make out if someone was inside.
What type of magnification should I look for?
Anonymous 01/05/25(Sun)07:46:29 No.2798357
>>2798354
bump
bump
Anonymous 01/05/25(Sun)07:49:24 No.2798359
>>2798354
binoculars are better for what you intend to do. why couldn't you see a person? needed mroe zoom? if you're that far away, you need a big spotting scope and a tripod. anything above 12x magnification is going to be extremely unsteady without a tripod, and a small field of view out of a single tube makes it worse. and in order to get crystal clear riflescope glass at that magnification, it's gonna cost noticeably more than a good pair of 12x50 binoculars with equal clarity and build quality. 12x50/12x52 binoculars are way better.
binoculars are better for what you intend to do. why couldn't you see a person? needed mroe zoom? if you're that far away, you need a big spotting scope and a tripod. anything above 12x magnification is going to be extremely unsteady without a tripod, and a small field of view out of a single tube makes it worse. and in order to get crystal clear riflescope glass at that magnification, it's gonna cost noticeably more than a good pair of 12x50 binoculars with equal clarity and build quality. 12x50/12x52 binoculars are way better.
Anonymous 01/05/25(Sun)07:52:56 No.2798361
>>2798354
>Anyone know if this will work?
Yes, I know, and no, it'll not. Spotting scopes are normally such high magnification that you need a tripod to see anything through them. Rule of thumb is that (unless you have heart problems, parkinsons or anything else that keeps you shaking) you can use 8-10x without a tripod, but at that point, you already need a stable position. Generally pressing the monocular against your skull, which is uncomfy af without a rubber cup, and requires a much shorter eye relief than rifle scopes have, since you're supposed to stay away from them bcs of recoil, putting your second hand on the wrist of the hand holding the monocular, and bringing your elbows to your chest works. In my experience, if I'm completely at rest, I can go up to 15x (at least, never tried anything higher kek), but when my pulse is even slightly elevated (such as walking uphill for a few minutes) I have trouble even keeping an 8x stable.
>What type of magnification should I look for?
Depends on the distane you want to look at. 6-8x is standard for monoculars, 4x for combat rifles. Anything higher are actual spotting scopes (which generally come with tripods) and hunting scopes (which are intended for when you stabilize the rifle with a bipod or against a tree).
Personally, I use a Vortex 8x36RT, but that's mostly because it has Mildots for estimating distances. I've used that scope to identify people in camo (regular flecktarn print, no ghillies or anything like that) up to 800m and people in normal clothes up to 1100 so far. Though with the camo, I kinda got lucky - one guy was wearing all black and when I had him in sight, I saw one of the two other guys (wearing flecktarn milsurp) move. Didn't see them with my bare eyes, and wouldn't have checked the place they were in if I hadn't seen the first guy already.
>Anyone know if this will work?
Yes, I know, and no, it'll not. Spotting scopes are normally such high magnification that you need a tripod to see anything through them. Rule of thumb is that (unless you have heart problems, parkinsons or anything else that keeps you shaking) you can use 8-10x without a tripod, but at that point, you already need a stable position. Generally pressing the monocular against your skull, which is uncomfy af without a rubber cup, and requires a much shorter eye relief than rifle scopes have, since you're supposed to stay away from them bcs of recoil, putting your second hand on the wrist of the hand holding the monocular, and bringing your elbows to your chest works. In my experience, if I'm completely at rest, I can go up to 15x (at least, never tried anything higher kek), but when my pulse is even slightly elevated (such as walking uphill for a few minutes) I have trouble even keeping an 8x stable.
>What type of magnification should I look for?
Depends on the distane you want to look at. 6-8x is standard for monoculars, 4x for combat rifles. Anything higher are actual spotting scopes (which generally come with tripods) and hunting scopes (which are intended for when you stabilize the rifle with a bipod or against a tree).
Personally, I use a Vortex 8x36RT, but that's mostly because it has Mildots for estimating distances. I've used that scope to identify people in camo (regular flecktarn print, no ghillies or anything like that) up to 800m and people in normal clothes up to 1100 so far. Though with the camo, I kinda got lucky - one guy was wearing all black and when I had him in sight, I saw one of the two other guys (wearing flecktarn milsurp) move. Didn't see them with my bare eyes, and wouldn't have checked the place they were in if I hadn't seen the first guy already.
Anonymous 01/05/25(Sun)15:06:57 No.2798419
>>2798361
Not OP, but I'm a glasses wearer, and binoculars are fairly annoying to look through with glasses on. Rifles scopes are not annoying. Is a spotting scope for me?
Not OP, but I'm a glasses wearer, and binoculars are fairly annoying to look through with glasses on. Rifles scopes are not annoying. Is a spotting scope for me?
Anonymous 01/05/25(Sun)15:13:46 No.2798421
>>2798419
some binoculars have bad eye relief for glasses and some work fine. specs mean fuck all half the time, you gotta try them in person.
some binoculars have bad eye relief for glasses and some work fine. specs mean fuck all half the time, you gotta try them in person.
Anonymous 01/05/25(Sun)16:50:10 No.2798440
Whats the word on spotting scopes? Is there something affordable and very high zoom so I can view wildlife like deer, sheep, birds etc. I wasnt something very high zoom so as if im right next to it but not willing to spend a grand on this. Is it possible? Not a hunter just for viewing
Anonymous 01/05/25(Sun)16:57:39 No.2798446
>>2798354
You’d be better off with binoculars or an actual spotting scope if you want to look really far away.
You’d be better off with binoculars or an actual spotting scope if you want to look really far away.
Anonymous 01/05/25(Sun)17:02:28 No.2798447
>>2798440
spotting scopes are only worth it if you're extremely far away. or looking at tiny bullet holes on a target at closer ranges. a pair of 12x binoculars are nice for normal midrange type stuff. also, looking through one eye is not as comfortable or natural as you might expect for any real extended viewing, so unless you are blind in one eye, there is no advantage over binoculars. binoculars feel more natural and don't cause strain.
spotting scopes are only worth it if you're extremely far away. or looking at tiny bullet holes on a target at closer ranges. a pair of 12x binoculars are nice for normal midrange type stuff. also, looking through one eye is not as comfortable or natural as you might expect for any real extended viewing, so unless you are blind in one eye, there is no advantage over binoculars. binoculars feel more natural and don't cause strain.
Anonymous 01/06/25(Mon)11:27:29 No.2798583
>>2798359
>anything above 12x magnification is going to be extremely unsteady without a tripod
This, and conversely, you can see surprisingly more with 7-10x binos when you have them on a tripod.
>anything above 12x magnification is going to be extremely unsteady without a tripod
This, and conversely, you can see surprisingly more with 7-10x binos when you have them on a tripod.
Anonymous 01/06/25(Mon)16:01:24 No.2798615
>>2798359
Yeah I see what you're saying. I borrowed my friends 20x50 binocs, went to the coast after a run and tried to focus on a nearby seal, some far away ships and had a hard time reading the name on the shipping container ship and the seal was just a black bob. :(
I'll get similar binocs I think then get a tripod and adapter for it.
The reason I wanted something like a scope is I could just stick it in my pocket. Easier to carry around. Then if I get a rifle in the future it would be handy.
Thanks.
Yeah I see what you're saying. I borrowed my friends 20x50 binocs, went to the coast after a run and tried to focus on a nearby seal, some far away ships and had a hard time reading the name on the shipping container ship and the seal was just a black bob. :(
I'll get similar binocs I think then get a tripod and adapter for it.
The reason I wanted something like a scope is I could just stick it in my pocket. Easier to carry around. Then if I get a rifle in the future it would be handy.
Thanks.
Anonymous 01/14/25(Tue)22:32:56 No.2800154
>>2798615
>The reason I wanted something like a scope is I could just stick it in my pocket. Easier to carry around. Then if I get a rifle in the future it would be handy.
You want a monocular. It is less of a pain in the ass in a pocket than a rifle scope. When you buy a rifle you should buy good glass and mount it properly. I say when because if you're a man you should have a rifle because it is a handy tool.
>The reason I wanted something like a scope is I could just stick it in my pocket. Easier to carry around. Then if I get a rifle in the future it would be handy.
You want a monocular. It is less of a pain in the ass in a pocket than a rifle scope. When you buy a rifle you should buy good glass and mount it properly. I say when because if you're a man you should have a rifle because it is a handy tool.
Anonymous 01/15/25(Wed)11:06:37 No.2800209
>>2798354
You don't want a rifle scope. First off, a rifle optic has eye relief set so you don't put your eyeball up against. This means what when you're using it to observe, you'll just just have to hover the tube in space and hope you can keep the long tube aligned at the right distance from your eye. The rifle optic is also going to make a ton of concessions on form factor because it has to fit in on a rifle. They are typically going to be much longer tube with a smaller lens, and if it's a decent optic you will pay a lot more since they will have some expensive glass and coatings to minimize the issues with smaller lenses. Its also going to be heavier than you think to survive recoil OR you will pay for a better rugged housing.
For this use case, actually observe what professionals and high level hobbyists are doing and then understand why they are doing it. Adapt that to your use case. Door kickers, hunting guides and hunters, mountaineers, etc have access to literally thousands of dollars of rifle optics. Basically none of them use for dedicated observation unless they have a constant, steady position that they may need to shoot from. Binos are the way to go for better focus, detail, light transmission, long term eye strain etc. And most of them are going to be 8 to 10x. At 10x if you wobble a quarter inch the thing you are looking at 100 yards away will hop 5 feet off the mark. Much better to have a clear picture at lower magnification than trying to look through a straw. Decent entry level rifle optics are going to be around 1000, spend half that and get decent entry bino. Vortex does make those too as does Bushnell, Zeiss, Nikon, Fuji, etc.
You don't want a rifle scope. First off, a rifle optic has eye relief set so you don't put your eyeball up against. This means what when you're using it to observe, you'll just just have to hover the tube in space and hope you can keep the long tube aligned at the right distance from your eye. The rifle optic is also going to make a ton of concessions on form factor because it has to fit in on a rifle. They are typically going to be much longer tube with a smaller lens, and if it's a decent optic you will pay a lot more since they will have some expensive glass and coatings to minimize the issues with smaller lenses. Its also going to be heavier than you think to survive recoil OR you will pay for a better rugged housing.
For this use case, actually observe what professionals and high level hobbyists are doing and then understand why they are doing it. Adapt that to your use case. Door kickers, hunting guides and hunters, mountaineers, etc have access to literally thousands of dollars of rifle optics. Basically none of them use for dedicated observation unless they have a constant, steady position that they may need to shoot from. Binos are the way to go for better focus, detail, light transmission, long term eye strain etc. And most of them are going to be 8 to 10x. At 10x if you wobble a quarter inch the thing you are looking at 100 yards away will hop 5 feet off the mark. Much better to have a clear picture at lower magnification than trying to look through a straw. Decent entry level rifle optics are going to be around 1000, spend half that and get decent entry bino. Vortex does make those too as does Bushnell, Zeiss, Nikon, Fuji, etc.