ORIGINAL: Jeff Ovington
O.k...I'm hear to help you not bash you..
You will get a huge list by alot of guys giving you suggetions on what type $200 dollar scope to get where to get it etc..
Take your time look threw them yourself, look throw lots of manufacturers and models and lots of the same models..
Park your vehical aways from the store but in seeing distance..Before you enter the store set up targets with .22 cal and .30 cal holes on and around your vehical..
Then go to the clerk, and start checking them out,take them outside focus with them in the morning afternoon and just dusk..
Then ask your self is a 200.00 spooting scope going to help me out in the situation I want to use it for..
Please don't throw your money away taking on a chance,in whichI and lots of others will know you are going to regret..
Your probabkly better off using a quality pair of bino's if 200 yrds is your max distance anyways..
Save your money and wait..
If its urgent and it can't wait,heres a suggestion,when I was young,on a budget, we had a planned sheep hunt, I went in with my brother andcousins and a friend and together we purchased a Leica between the six of us no fights have ever insued over it.
Now18 years later, weall have our own, but that one is still there, for anyone of us to use,now some of our kids will have to use it,but its well looked after and it probably was the best $250.00 I ever spent.
Harrrrumph!!!Now THAT'Show you pick a scope!
I was at the range on Sunday with a buddy who was so proud of the $40 spotter he picked-up from Craigslist. It was pretty dim on the lowest power setting, & nearly black when turned-up more than ½way. A bargain? Hardly.
I just bought a spotter, & my research showed me a few things:
1) Lens quality is paramount
2) Unless you get into some big $$$ (> $600 or so), the picture at the higher mag settings won't be that great
3) There are scopes that have great optics AND low weight - and there's a reason those are the most expensive ones!
4) Determine your usage 1st, and that will show you the kind of scopes to look at. For checking holes in paper at the range, weight's not a big issue. If you're going on a guided sheep hunt, weight can be critical. Then again, if you can
afford a guided sheep hunt, price won't be the deciding factor on a scope, anyway.
5) Like almost all optics, you'll get what you pay for.
FC