Best Spotting Scopes For Hunting

7 Best Spotting Scopes For Hunting [Reviews 2021] & Buying Guide

Whether for Shooting or Nature Watching YOU NEED a Spotting Scope! If you are an avid shooter, hunter, and Nature Lover, in general, you need best spotting scopes for hunting to see the Fauna, Flora, and to be able to group your shots and sight in your weapon.

This is a tall order for one single device. However, today you will see such Best 6 Spotting Scopes For Hunting that can do double or even triple duty as the mood takes you.

Remember hunters like Teddy Roosevelt were at the forefront of conservation efforts and now we can all enjoy the fruits of their dedication to preserving our natural heritage.

In this article, you will learn about the things to look for in a good spotting scope as well as the criteria we used in selecting the six you will see highlighted today.

5 Best Spotting Scopes For Hunting Comparison in 2021

IMAGE PRODUCT DETAILS Price
  • Weight: 5.1 ounces
  • Reticle: 2 MOA Red Dot
  • Warranty: Infinite warranty
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  • Weight: 6.7 ounces
  • Reticle: 3 MOA Red Dot
  • Warranty: Limited Lifetime
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  • Weight: 5 ounces
  • Reticle: 5 MOA RGB Dot
  • Warranty: One-Year
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  • Weight: 7.2 ounces
  • Reticle: 5 MOA Dual-Color Dot
  • Warranty: Lifetime Limited
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  • Weight: 7.2 ounces
  • Reticle: 5 MOA Dual-Color Dot
  • Warranty: Lifetime Limited
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Top 7 Best Spotting Scopes for Hunting Reviews


1. Bushnell Legend Ultra HD 20-60 x80 (45-degree) Spotting Scope Review

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Whether you are a hunter, shooter or someone who likes to go out in the field and watch nature in all its glory. You can’t do any better than the Bushnell Legend. You have ultra HD clarity in a small package that uses prisms to ensure the image is transferred to your eyes with perfect color and clarity.

The scope, However, is no slouch when it comes to going where you want to be, whether it be the range or out in the middle of Alaska sighting in on a bear or other game animal you have a for in the area.

As a spotting scope, however, it gets the passing grade and high marks because it allows you to sight in a rifle at ranges of 300 yards with ease. This is the scope you need when you must have accuracy for your shooting as well as when you’re painting, taking pictures, and birding anywhere in the continental United States.

Features:

  • Two-speed dual focus control.
    • Waterproofed and with a special water repellent shell scope can take a drenching and still keep perfect focus.
    • With these extra low dispersion glass prisms, everything is color corrected and there is no distortion of the image.
    • The controls are stacked and marked that allows quick adjustments for both coarse and fine.
    • You have 20 – 60X magnification that provides HD viewing whenever you need it

Customer thoughts:

  • Let’s me group by shots 300 to 500 yards quickly and easily.
  • At 200 yards, sighting my rifle is child’s play.
  • For a birder, this is a great scope and with a good tripod. The zoom ring works great and does not jitter or jump around while focusing or zooming.
  • After almost a decade of experience with shooting and spotting scopes, I can safely say this will spot your rifle up to 500 yards with no problems
  • 300 m and my rifle hit what I’m shooting at. Thanks, Bushnell!
  • Find focuses with no bounce. It performs just as well as a digital scope that costs over $1000. So why waste the cash? Go with Bushnell!

2. Vortex Viper HD 15-45×65 Spotting Scope Review

When everything is got to be perfect, you want the most accurate scope you can buy. You can get premium HD quality imagery with the Vortex Viper. You have multilayer-coated prism optics with color correcting properties as well.

This is the crème de la crème of spotting scopes and it is waterproof, fireproof, and armored like a tank. This means it will go anywhere that you do and ignores the elements and rough usage in the process. As a spotting scope, it knows no equal, and for the price, it’s a bargain.

Features:

  • Special extra load dispersion glass prevents image distortion and perfect color passes through.
  • High-speed target acquisition, even from car window mounts.
  • Armor Tek provides all-around protection from falls and being in the wild.
  • Prism optics give you the clearest image resolution possible and chromatic coatings ensure that there is no distortion of color and image
  • The Vortex Viper HD 15-45×65 Spotting Scope mainly in 2 design:

Customer thoughts:

  • You get the clearest imagery and clarity for birding, hunting, and shooting in general.
  • I’ve watched hundreds of shorebirds at ranges up to 300 yards with no distortion and loss color.
  • Quality spotting scope with clear picture and a good field of vision at all magnifications
  • The Viper gives me the perfect picture of my groupings and lets me cite my rifle in perfectly every time.
  • I give it five stars because of its lightweight, image quality, and it didn’t pauper me in the process.
  • Rugged and takes a beating and everything stays aligned and true
  • The best scope you can get for the money on the market today.

3. Celestron 52248 65mm Ultima Zoom Spotting Scope Review

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Whether you’re a Nature Lover, Hunter, and someone who likes to get the lay of the land before setting up to paint or use your camera. Here is the perfect spotting scope. It gives you all the features and amenities that you require.

It can take objects up to 1000 yards away and make them look as if they were within 50 yards or so. This is precisely the accuracy you need to set up for shooting from a blind or watching birds down in the wetlands. It will fit on anything, as it has a standard mounting attachment so a camera tripod is a perfect solution to allow you to see everything around you.

Features:

  • The optics are multicoated to resist scratching and cut down on glare.
  • The sight tube is designed for quick target acquisition.
  • The eyepiece has an 18 to 55X zoom
  • The maker also provides you with a lifetime limited warranty

Customer thoughts:

  • I see perfectly whether I’m wearing my glasses are not
  • Makes things appear so close I can almost reach out and touch them
  • With the solar filter in place, you can even see a solar eclipse and film it to have a memento to pass on to your children and grandchildren.
  • Water doesn’t bother it and can be used from a moving car or boat with equal ease
  • The zoom is simple to adjust can you have perfect clarity up close or out to the horizon
  • I can sight my rifle in and almost no time at all. Using this spotting scope.

4. ALPEN Waterproof Fog proof Spotting Scopes Review

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Depending on your needs you can select different variations of this dependable scope. They are all reasonably priced. Now you can go out into the wild and see nature up close and personal, without disturbing the natural order of things.

At lower end, you have 15-45×60 magnifications and spend a little more cash you can go up to 20-60×60, which provides you with an entirely different view of the world around you. Any one of the ASPEN scopes is perfect for a hunter to get the lay of the land and set up your shooting marks.

Features:

  • All come with a lifetime manufacturer’s warranty
  • They come with Straight or 45° angle eyepiece those are waterproof, fog proof, fireproof and would go out of alignment if the going gets rough
  • The optics are BaK-7 multi-coated to provide you with superior brightness, clarity, and resolution for distant objects
  • Each comes with a tabletop tripod that micro-adjusts to give perfect focus on whatever it is you are looking at.
  • Along with all this, it comes with a water resistant padded nylon case that protects the optics and barrel from harm.

Customer thoughts:

  • I get tired of carrying heavy spotting scopes to see if my bullets were heading at 100 yards. This scope has the range and with one of the clearest fields of vision I’ve ever used.
  • The tripod is perfect for setting up at the range to keep track of my groupings.
  • With over 30 years of experience in the wild as a naturalist and a hunter, I discovered this is the perfect combination of clarity and range for a terrestrial scope.
  • At first, I was worried about the optics and the coatings, but I discovered that this scope compares favorably with more expensive ones that I have used in the past.
  • Unless you are, a professional range guide and you want to put out the big bucks for top-end optics. This scope can handle all your needs.
  • Simple and easy to set up and fits in my range bag with ease.

5. Bushnell Trophy XLT 20-60x 65mm Waterproof Compact Tripod Spotting Scope Reviews

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If you want your shots to be accurate and you groupings to be tight, you have to have a spotting scope. Bushnell now gives you the perfect way to do this.

You get perfect clarity that almost looks like HD video. You do not have to worry about dinging this one up, as it’s designed for rugged use and can withstand a drenching if the weather turns bad or your canoe/kayak overturns.

This is the perfect scope for the naturalist as well, as it allows you to easily observe an area without straining your eyes as you patiently observe the animals or birds that interest you.

Features:

  • Bushnell fully QAs all the materials and workmanship to go into their scopes
  • Designed to be tough and last three years of heavy usage
  • You have 20-60X magnification
  • Fully multi-coated optics that prevents scratching and provides crystal-clear viewing
  • Tube is rubber armored to provide 100% waterproofing
  • Fully adjustable tripod and a hard case come standard.
  • Measures a little bit over 13 inches.
  • Scope weighs in at approximately 43 ounces

Customer thoughts:

  • Customers uniformly love the scope and most give it high marks. After using it for six months, I have to agree, as it’s perfect for shooting and sighting in my rifle up to 300 yards.
  • Though, it’s at a relatively low price. The optics are remarkably good for a scope in this price range. I use it between 100 and 200 yards and get perfect clarity on whatever I am looking at.
  • Awesome is the only word to describe this scope. However, it is recommended that you use a full-blown camera tripod to get the best stability.
  • No regrets at all for replacing my more expensive scope with this Bushnell
  • A scope that gives you great imagery, rugged design, and at a low-cost, what can get better than this?

6. BARSKA Benchmark 25-125×88 Waterproof Straight Spotting Scope Review

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Whether you’re a Nature Lover, Hunter, and someone who likes to get the lay of the land before setting up to paint or use your camera. Here is the perfect spotting scope. It gives you all the features and amenities that you require.

It can take objects up to 1000 yards away and make them look as if they were within 50 yards or so. This is precisely the accuracy you need to set up for shooting from a blind or watching birds down in the wetlands.

It will fit on anything, as it has a standard mounting attachment so a camera tripod is a perfect solution to allow you to see everything around you.

Features:

  • 25X to 125X magnification.
  • Shock resistant tube shell that keeps everything perfectly aligned.
  • Waterproof and anti-fogging
  • Comes complete with a hard case, tripod, and pistol grip
  • The optics are coated to resist scratching and maintain crystal clarity at both inner and outer ranges

Customer thoughts:

  • Best Spotting Scope For Hunting
  • I’ve had mine for over a year now and had 125x gives me clear vision and more detail than my Zeiss spotting scope
  • 125x is great but only if the light is good. As the day fades you need to crank things down a bit to get clear imagery
  • I’ve dropped mine a few times and so far no damage.
  • Buy yourself a good tripod if you are a serious shooter
  • Overall, I’ve been impressed. For the price and if you don’t want to stay at the limits of magnification all the time, this is a fine scope. Picks out and allows you to count birds at a kilometer range.

7. Gosky 2019 Updated 20-60×80 Spotting Scope with Tripod

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Gosky scope is one of the leading products in the industry today. Before the year 2009, it was in the market but with fewer features and quality!

However, there was an update and now is among the high-end spotting and sighting products. It has many uses, and among them is bird watching and game hunting!

Why is it a top product?

Ours is one of the best-rated products in the market today. We give value for money!

Features

The scope is waterproof, fog-proof, and is not affected by shock. Hence ideal for use under all weather conditions. It is a non-slip scope because its construction has a durable framework and a rubber gripping. Protect your eyes with a stretch-able eye shield!

It comes with a full metal tripod tabletop and a mounting stand for steadiness when in use. You can sight the images with minimum interruption. The package also features a carry case, cleaning cloth, the lens covers, and the eyepiece.

It comes with a multi-coated 80mm objective lens that enhances the field of view. You can sight targets that are a thousand yards away within a short moment. The optic can improve the transmission of light and make the target clear and brighter, and hence delivering clear images.

It has a wide range of uses such as archery, target shooting, bird watching, outdoor sporting, camping, hiking, and astronomical observation, and so on.


What points should follow to get Best Spotting Scopes for Hunting?


When you’re looking to get a good spotting scope, you should check out following points:-

  • A good spotting scope as coated lenses or prism optics.
    • If used as a spotting scope should be accurate at 200 yards or better.
    • The scope must be waterproof and able to handle the fall from a minimum height of 3 feet without distorting or warping of the tube.
    • A good spotting scope should also be able to be focused without losing sight of your object of interest.
    • A good spotting scope provides magnification of at least 20 – to 60X
    • Your spotting scope should be able to fit on a standard camera tripod for stability.

These are the minimum things you should look for when you are purchasing a spotting scope and the basic criteria. We have used in the selection of what you are about to see today.

Why use a spotting scope in the first place?


  • For the shooter, it gives you a better feel for how well your rifle is firing and if you’re using an assistant. They can dial you and to make your shots even more accurate.
  • In addition, a spotting scope is often more comfortable to use than attempting to use the scope that is on your weapon.
  • You can look at the area around you and still keep your weapon trained downrange, which provide you with additional safety as well as making sure you are zeroed where you want to be.
  • For the Naturalist/Birder , you can observe and watch nature comfortably and without disturbing the environment around you.

Final Verdict


After reviewing all of these great spotting scopes, this reviewer has chosen one out of the six as the best hunting spotting scopes for hunting, shooting, and other uses.

Price and performance were factored in as well. However, you may disagree, as you choose and select one of the others that catch your eye, and best suits your needs.

In the final analysis, this reviewer felt that the Bushnell Trophy offered the best performance versus cost and rates it at 4.4 Stars out of five.

While the Vortex Viper, the Bushnell Legend are clearly superior. This reviewer felt that for general spotting and birding use the Trophy offers the best trade-off in the various categories used in the selection process.

But again, let your conscience be your guide and choose the spotting scope that best suits the use you want the Spotting Scopes For Hunting and your budget constraints.

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