Range shooting can be tiresome if you do not have the right optics. Many shooters aren’t sure about the required magnification, lens diameter, and optic quality for a particular range. The shooting ranges are different for a pistol and rifle. Sometimes good scopes are criticized for poor performances because of atmospheric conditions like air turbulence, dust, humidity, and haze.
For a clear understanding, the important features are discussed in the buying guide. Some of the best spotting scopes for target shooting are listed here will all the features.
Best Spotting Scopes for Target Shooting –Buying Guide
There are a few things you need to know about before choosing the best spotting scope for target shooting. They will help you improve your shooting game experience.
Features:
- Angled shooting scope is preferred if using for multiple activities
- A High-end glass will provide great optical performance at large ranges
- Extra lens coating and prism-correction improve the light transmission
- For long-range shooting, 20-60x higher magnification is ideal. 15-45x is good for medium range.
- To change the power range, use interchangeable eyepieces for versatility
- Look for illuminated reticles with on/off option
- Size and weight are needed to be considered if using for multiple activities
- A quality high-end tripod system is required for improved performance
- The scope should be weatherproof
Warranty:
- Read the exchange and return policy carefully
- Stores have different policies for damaged products
The Best Spotting Scopes for Target Shooting
Some of the best shooting scopes are reviewed for you according to the user experience. Reading the features will help you narrow down your selection.
| Image | Name | Features | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Hikpro 20L waterproof backpack | ☞ Perfect choice for newbies ☞ Mesh shoulder straps | View Product |
 | Outlander lightweight backpack | ☞ It covers almost no space ☞ Available in different colors | View Product |
 | Teton Sports Explorer Backpack | ☞ 65 L capacity ☞ 1k+ five-star ratings at Amazon | View Product |
 | Venture pal hiking backpack | ☞ Comes with life-time warranty ☞ Breathable mesh straps | View Product |
 | Outdoor Master Travel Backpack | ☞ Excellent customer care services ☞ Supreme foam-padded hip-belt | View Product |
 | Mountain 65 L internal frame backpack | ☞ Two sides mesh pockets ☞ Fast and branded zippers | View Product |
 | Teton Sports 1100 | ☞ Long-lasting and durable ☞ Number of options in colors | View Product |
1. Celestron Ultima 80 Target Spotting Scope
Specifications
- Magnification: 20x-60x
- Objective lens diameter: 80mm
- Eye piece: 45o angled
- Field of view (degrees): 2.0o-1.0o
- Field of view (ft. @1000 yards): 105-53
- Eye relief: 18mm
- Weight: 3.6 pounds
- Length: 18 inches
Features
- Anti-reflective multicoated lens for brighter and sharper images
- Extended tripod mounting plate
- Zoom eyepiece with integrated T-adapter for digiscoping
- Eyepiece lens cap and carrying case for protection against environmental conditions
- Waterproof and fog proof design
Celestron Ultima 80 is the best budget spotting scope for target shooting. This target spotting scope is waterproof, fog proof, and used for long range shooting. You can use it for bird watching as it has a range up to 200 yards. The multicoated anti-reflection objective lens and eye piece ensure great light transmission. The carrying case is available for easy transportation. It comes with a limited warranty.
Customer Review
It is an excellent scope at a reasonable price. The wide aperture gives a huge amount of light and an improved detailed view. The weather protective cover can stay while using the scope on a tripod too. It is lightweight and the carry bag is handy.
2. Celestron Regal M2 65ED Shooting Spotting Scope
Specifications
- Magnification: 16x-48x
- Objective lens diameter: 65mm
- Field of view (degrees): 2.5o-1.3o
- Field of view (ft. @1000 yards): 131-68
- Eye relief: 20mm
- Weight: 4.5 pounds
- Length: 13.1 inches
Features
- Extra-low dispersion (ED) glass with improved resolution and contrast
- XLT lens coatings for excellent light transmission in dim conditions
- Waterproof and fog proof magnesium alloy body
- Dual speed focusing for quick sharp focus
- Tripod allows to position the eyepiece at comfortable angle
- T-mount adapter to attach your DSLR camera
This spotting scope for 200 yards is great for bird viewing, observing nature, and star gazing at night. The durable and strong magnesium alloy body is weather-resistant. It has all the features an expensive scope contains. The ED optical glass reduces chromatic irregularity providing improved resolution and contrast. XLT optical coatings maximize the light transmission resulting in bright images. The rotating tripod mount provides comfortable observing angle. It has a padded case for protection and limited lifetime warranty.
Customer Review
It works smoothly and has sharp optics. The eyepiece quality is great. The lens cover and eyepiece cover are sturdy and fit well to protect the glass. It has a 200 yard viewing range with no image degradation.
3. Vortex Optics Viper HD Best Long Range Shooting Scope
Specifications
- Magnification: 20x-60x
- Objective lens diameter: 85mm
- Field of view (degrees): 1.9o-1.0o
- Field of view (ft. @1000 yards): 101-50
- Eye relief: 17.8mm-19.6mm
- Weight: 3 pounds
- Length: 19.1 inches
Features
- HD optical system for high quality images
- XR anti-reflective coatings for bright view in dim conditions
- Helical style focus for ultra-sharp view
- In-built sunshade to reduce glare
- Adjustable eyecup for full field view
- The tripod mounting collar allows flexible viewing
Vortex Viper provides clear view compared to the other scopes making it the best long range shooting scope. The high priced lens has XR anti-reflective coatings for bright view in low-light. The extendable sunshade reduces glare in sunlight. The smooth helical focus provides ultra-sharp viewing. If you wear glasses, you can adjust the eye cup for full field view. This 1000 yard scope can be used for bird watching and game viewing. The rubber armor ensures firm grip so it does not slip while setting up.
Customer Review
This scope is worth every penny having amazing clarity. You can view at 400 yards. It is durable and the adjustable eye piece is great.
4. Vortex Optics Razor HD Range Spotting Scope
Specifications
- Magnification: 27x-60x
- Objective lens diameter: 85mm
- Field of view (degrees): 2.2o-1.3o
- Field of view (ft. @1000 yards): 117-68
- Eye relief: 16.7mm-17.0mm
- Weight: 4 pounds
- Length: 15.5 inches
Features
- HD optical system for high quality images
- XR Plus anti-reflective coatings for maximum brightness in dim conditions
- Helical style focus for ultra-sharp view
- In-built sunshade to reduce glare
- Adjustable eyecup for full field view
- The tripod mounting collar allows flexible viewing
- Rubber armor non-slip covering
- Armortek coatings to protect the lens from dirt, scratches and oil
The Razor range spotting scope is one of the finest scopes on the market. Triplet apochromatic lens with high density, extra-low dispersion glass provides high resolution and color consistency. XR Plus anti-reflective coatings improve the brightness in low-light conditions. You need to rotate the focus till you get the clear image.
The adjustable eyecup allows you to observe full field view if your wear glasses. The eyecup needs to be fully extended if you do not wear glasses. The tripod mounting collar allows rotating the scope to get a comfortable viewing angle. The extendable sunshade blocks stray light. Moisture and dust is prevented by the O-ring seal and argon is purged to prevent fogging.
Customer Review
This spotting scope is small, lightweight, and very packable. The image quality is consistent and you can see the fine details. The price is approachable too.
5. Bushnell Legend Ultra HD High Power Spotting Scope
Specifications
- Magnification: 20x-60x
- Objective lens diameter: 80mm
- Eye piece: 45o angled
- Field of view (ft. @1000 yards): 110-51
- Eye relief: 18mm
- Weight: 9.4 pounds
- Length: 16.5 inches
Features
- ED prime extra-low dispersion glass with enhanced resolution
- Multicoated lens for brightness in dim light
- Dual focus for quick adjustments
- RainGuard HD waterproof coating for lens protection
- Soft protection case
The Bushnell high power spotting scope has all that you need in a spotting scope. The ED prime extra-low dispersion glass provides high resolution and contrast. The multi-coated optics reduces the glare and light loss resulting in brighter images. The RainGaurd HD protects your view during rainy weather reducing the large rain drops to microscopic size. This 300 yard scope works well to see holes and objects at a distance and comes in an affordable price.
Customer Review
It is good for range spotting and you can see up to 300 yards without any issue. Good field view. It is good for birding and hunting in this price.
6. Vanguard Endeavor HD Rifle Spotting Scope
Specifications
- Magnification: 15x-45x
- Objective lens diameter: 65mm
- Field of view (degrees): 2.2o-1.3o
- Field of view (ft. @1000 yards): 114-69
- Eye relief: 19mm-20mm
- Weight: 3.2 pounds
- Length: 15 inches
Features
- Magnesium body with rubber armor for firm grip
- Extra low dispersion glass for accurate color rendering and less color fringing
- Fully multi-coated lens for optimal light transmission
- In-built sunshade to reduce glare in sunlight
- Dual focus wheels for quick and fine adjustments
- Detachable angled eyepiece and long eye relief
- Nitrogen purging for foggy weather
Endeavor HD range spotting scopes (100-200 yards) provide excellent field view and long range visibility. The premium extra-low dispersion glass and BAK4 roof prism reduces chromatic irregularities, providing sharp view with high contrast. The fully multi-coated anti-reflective lens ensures optimal light transmission even in dim conditions. Focusing wheels provide rapid and fine-tuning adjustments.
The O-ring seal prevents moisture and dirt from entering the optics. Nitrogen purging prevents fog formation. The in-built sunshield reduces glare. Vanguard provides premium lifetime warranty. It repairs or replaces your damaged pieces.
Customer Review
It is a great scope for its price. Zooming up to 40x in good light provides great image quality. Above that the quality declines. It is not lightweight but can be managed comfortably. The focus dials are smooth. The carrying bag fits well and is a bonus.
7. Swarovski Optik HD-ATS-80 Shooters Spotting Scope
Specifications
- Magnification: 20x-60x
- Objective lens diameter: 80mm
- Field of view (degrees): 2.1o-1.1o
- Field of view (ft. @1000 yards): 108-60
- Eye relief: 17mm
- Weight: 5.6 pounds
- Length: 14 inches
Features
- High-end durable aluminum scope
- Excellent light transmission in low light
- Fluoride-containing HD lenses to minimize color fringing and provide high resolution images
- Adjustable eyecups for glasses-wearers
- Lifetime warranty
Swarovski Optik target spotting scopes will not fail to impress you with amazing performance, fine resolution, user-friendly design, and outstanding functionality.
The fluoride-containing HD lenses minimize color fringing and provide high contrast images. HD lenses are good for photographers who click photos through the shooters spotting scope. This 500 yard scope is suitable for birding, wildlife, shooting, and photography.
The adjustable eyecups accommodate the eye-glass observers. The eyepiece produces bright images across the magnification range. This scope has limited lifetime warranty.
Customer Review
You get what you pay for. This scope is first-class. It is easy to use and has good focus. It is expensive but the quality is worth the money.
Conclusion
Now that you are clear about your requirements, it will be easy for you to select a spotting scope. Budget is always the priority but you have to make sure that you are not compromising the quality as you will be investing for long-term use. Some of the best target spotting scopes is listed mentioning all the specifications and key features for easy comparison. A good scope will improve your range shooting experience.
FAQs
What is the best spotting scope for long range shooting?
Vortex Optics Viper HD is the best spotting scope for long range shooting. It has a 1000 yard spotting range. It provides clear images.
What is the best spotting scope for 100 yards?
Celestron Ultima 80 is the best spotting scope for 100 yards. You can use it for bird watching.
What is the best spotting scope for 200 yards?
Celestron Regal M2 65 ED is the best spotting scope for 200 yards with 16-48x magnification.
What is the best spotting scope for 300 yards?
Bushnell Legend Ultra HD is best at 300 yards.
What is the best spotting scope for 1000 yards?
NightForce TS 80 is the best spotting scope for 1000 yards. It provides clear images at long ranges.
What is the spotting scope magnification for 1000 yards?
20-60x and higher magnification is ideal for 1000 yards. There are other things that are needed to be considered in this range such as the chromatic aberrations and weather conditions. Digiscope adaption would be great.
What magnification do I need for 500 yards?
20-60x magnification is required for 500 yards. You need quality optics for this range.
What is the magnification needed for 1000 yards?
20-60x and higher magnification is needed for 1000 yards.
What is the magnification needed for 100 yards?
You will need 15-45x magnification scope with 50mm objective lens diameter for target shooting up to 100 yards.
What is the magnification needed for 200 yards?
For 200 yards range shooting, you will require 15-60x magnification scope with 80mm objective lens diameter.