Celestron VistaPix IS70 Digital Spotting Scope and Camera – All-in-one 70mm digital spotting scope with 3MP digital camera.

The spotting scope you choose greatly affects how it will work for you under certain conditions. For example, the person who only wants to use his or her spotting scope at the rifle range can often drive up to the bench and conveniently layout supplies including a large objective porro prism spotting scope. The target shooter could easily use a 80MM porro prism scope on a full-length tripod and not worry about compact design or lightweight since their automobile is a few yards away. On the other hand, a person who is planning an elk hunt in Montana’s Bob Marshall Wilderness is probably very concerned with weight and the ability to fit the scope into a pack. Typically roof prism spotting scopes offer the hunter or backpacker a more compact and lightweight design to pack and carry long distances. While some porro prism spotting scopes are quite compact, others can offer larger fields of view and resolution, but they may not be practical to pack into the woods. Other features for the hunter to consider are rubber armoring to protect the scope from blunt force. A waterproof spotting scope offers piece of mind to the hunter working in rain and snow.

**This is not a comprehensive list of all the factors to consider when choosing a spotting scope but it will hopefully shed some light on some of the more critical factors to consider.

Magnification: The magnification feature of a spotting scope allows the user to view an object much closer than it would otherwise be using only the human eye. The magnification power is a function of both the scope’s optical system and the eyepiece being used. Spotting scopes such as Bushnell’s Spacemaster® series and Bausch & Lomb’s Premier® HDR series offer the user a choice of zoom eyepieces such as a 15-45x variable eyepiece or high power fixed eyepieces such as 60x. Most hunters prefer the versatility of a zoom (variable) eyepiece for use at varying distances. Sometimes the higher magnification offered in a zoom eyepiece can make the difference between positively identifying a trophy animal and not knowing for sure whether this is the Boone and Crockett animal you’ve been tracking.

Objective Lens Diameter: The objective lens of a spotting scope serves to gather incoming light. A 60mm objective lens will gather more light than a 50mm lens. When more light is transmitted to your eye, you will view a brighter and clearer image. Resolution (ability to see detail) is also a function of the objective lens diameter.

Eye Relief: Eye relief is the minimum distance between the spotting scope eyepiece and your eye that still allows you to see the entire field of view. Hunters and shooters who do not wear eyeglasses can use most spotting scopes and eyepieces without any trouble. People who wear eyeglasses are more concerned with eye relief. When a person wears glasses while looking through a standard spotting scope eyepiece their glasses may touch the eyepiece. Bushnell offers two eyepiece enhancements for those users wearing eyeglasses. Most Bushnell® and Bausch & Lomb® spotting scope eyepieces offer the ability to roll down the rubber eyecup thus increasing the distance between your glasses and the eyepiece without impairing the view. If even more eye relief is required specially designed long eye relief zoom eyepieces are available. The need for eye relief is an individual specific need. Sometimes eyeglass wearers are more comfortable looking through a spotting scope without their glasses on.

Optical Lens Coatings: Lens coatings play an important role in getting the light gathered at the objective end of the scope transmitted through the ocular end to your eye. The lens coatings are partially responsible for delivering a brighter and higher contrast image. All Bausch and Lomb® spotting scopes offer multi-coated lenses for superior images. Bushnell® spotting scopes feature fully coated lenses.

Spotting Scope Terminology is a post from: Binoculars Direct | Eyeglasses | Sunglasses | Contact Lenses | Goggles

The Leupold VX-L 10×50 is a popular low-light scope.

First, a scope magnifies the target giving the shooter a clearer target picture than with normal eye vision, allowing the shooter to more accurately see the target or game at a greater distance. Using scopes on hunting firearms can give the hunter added hunting time early and late in the day. Scopes accentuate available light, making it possible to shoot in lower light conditions.

Firing a scoped gun can even be safer than shooting with iron sites, since the shooter can better see the target and what’s beyond it. Therefore, he is less likely to shoot something other than the intended game or target.

The right scope also allows shooters to take full advantage of modern calibers and rifles.

Here are some suggestions for the proper scope for various sitiuations.

Making the Right Riflescope Choice is a post from: Binoculars Direct | Eyeglasses | Sunglasses | Contact Lenses | Goggles

Tools You Will Need

• The rifle and scope you will be shooting

• No less than two different types of ammo from different manufacturers and with different loads. (We suggest you try at least three.)

• Several paper or cardboard targets.

• A bore sighter. (Available at gun shops and sporting goods stores, an inexpensive item.)

• A pair of good binoculars or viewing scope.

See Binoculars or Spotting Scopes.

• Tools for adjusting your scope. (See the instructions that came with your scope.)

• A felt marker to identify groupings on the target.

• Appropriate safety equipment such as ear plugs or other hearing protection, and shooting glasses or other eye protection

****PLEASE FOLLOW ALL SAFETY RULES WHILE HANDLING YOUR FIREARM. REMEMBER TO CARRY YOUR FIREARM UNLOADED, BREECH OPEN, AND NEVER POINTED IN THE DIRECTION OF ANOTHER INDIVIDUAL.

STEP 1
Having located an appropriate location to fire your rifle, you need to set up a target at a distance of 100 yards* from your shooting location . You should use a comfortable gun rest to eliminate as much human error as possible.

Making certain the rifle is empty with no cartridge in the chamber and the breech open , follow the instructions that came with your bore sighter and install the bore sighter in the muzzle of your rifle lining it up with the scope as close as possible.

Now, sighting through the scope as though you were going to shoot you should see two sets of cross hairs. One set is a plain cross hair (this is the one in the scope itself) and another set which is graduated or on a grid (this is the one in the bore sighter). These cross hairs should line up with each other vertically, horizontally and in complete alignment. If the vertical and horizontal cross hairs are not parallel with each other, adjust the bore sighter whatever direction it needs to turn in order to achieve this.

Next you need to get the cross hairs to cross or meet at precisely the same location. If they do not do that you will need to adjust your scope so they do. There are two adjustments on any scope. One for elevation (usually on top) and another for windage (usually on the side). Follow the directions that came with your scope for how to access these adjustments and what tool to use (i.e.. screwdriver, etc.) to make this adjustment. Proceed to adjust your scope right, left, up, or down until the cross hairs match. Remove the bore sighter from the muzzle! Make sure you have removed the bore sighter from the end of the muzzle!! Load one cartridge into the chamber and close the breech. Take aim at the target bulls eye and squeeze off one round. Open the breech and be certain the rifle is not loaded then go check your target close up. If the one round you fired hit anywhere on the target you have done well. Don’t be concerned that it was not on the bulls eye. That will come later. You have now completed the first step.

*If you are not hitting the paper target at all in step one, move the target closer in 25 yard increments until you do consistently hit somewhere on the target. You cannot make any scope adjustments if you do not know which direction to make it. Once you initially hit the target sheet you can make adjustments and then gradually move the target back out to the 100 yard mark.

STEP 2
The next step is to test ammunition . As was mentioned in the introduction, no two ammunitions will behave in the same manner when fired from the same rifle. This may be one of the most important steps in sighting in any firearm and is the one that is most frequently omitted. Do not bypass this step.

Select one type of ammo and fire three separate shots at the target with that ammo. Using your binoculars or spotting scope, locate the pattern for those three shots. (If you do not have field glasses or prefer to walk out to the target to check close up, always leave your rifle empty with the breech open and carry it with you to insure against accidental discharge.) Hopefully, there will be a tight pattern of bullet holes in one particular area of the target. Use the marker to label this grouping. Again, it is not terribly important if the pattern is in the bulls eye or not, but keep in mind the bulls eye is what you are aiming for.

Repeat this procedure with the other brands of ammo you are testing. Always fire three shots or more to get an accurate grouping. Two shots are simply not enough to determine anything. When you have finished with all the ammo you care to test, you will have marked and identified each grouping and its relationship to the center of the bulls eye.

Now you can select the type of ammunition which produced the tightest grouping closest to the center bulls eye. This is the ammunition you should use with this rifle. This does not indicate that the other brands and grains of ammunition are not any good, they simply are not the ammunition best suited for this particular rifle. You have now completed step two.

STEP 3
In step three you will use the ammunition you have selected as the best for that rifle and make adjustments in the elevation and windage of your scope based upon the pattern you are shooting. The elevation needs to be adjusted to provide the most accurate shot possible even though the distance from you to your target in the field can range any where from 50 to 500 yards, depending on your scope and rifle. To accomplish this set your elevation so the pattern hits the target about three inches above the bulls eye. This will not alter closer shots significantly and will compensate for the longer shots. The windage adjustment should remain dead on center. Continue to fire no less than three shots to locate your pattern then make the necessary adjustments to your scope to achieve the three inch high dead on center pattern. When you are confident you have accomplished this you have completed step three.

STEP 4
The final step in the procedure is to be sure the rifle is not loaded, no cartridge in the chamber, and the breech open. Reinsert the bore sighter lining it up by eye just like in the first step. Now, get in the shooting position and record on a piece of paper exactly where the scope’s cross hairs are in relation to the bore sight cross hairs. This is a little insurance in case you should bump or drop your rifle while in the field. This kind of jarring can throw off the accuracy of the scope. You can use the bore sighter to check the accuracy of the scope. By referring to this record you made when sighting in your rifle, you will be able to readjust the rifle scope and be reasonably comfortable that it is somewhat accurate. This completes step four and the complete procedure.

How To Sight In Your Rifle Scope is a post from: Binoculars Direct | Eyeglasses | Sunglasses | Contact Lenses | Goggles