The Best Spotting Scopes of 2025, Budget to Premium Optics Tested

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Spotting scopes are an interesting category of sports optics, largely because they’re such a significant investment that most hunters and shooters buy them infrequently. Unlike a rifle scope or even a binocular, there’s not much to fail on a spotter, so they tend to last for years.

​That means the pace of new-product innovation tends to be slower with spotting scopes than it does for other categories of optics and helps explain why Outdoor Life fields spotting scope tests only every other or every third year. Happily, this is a year for spotting scope introductions and product-line refreshers. We had 14 spotters in this year’s test, though to be fair a couple were small monoculars, the three from Leupold were only slight updates of existing product lines, and two were specialized precision-shooting spotters with first-plane tactical reticles.

​Still, it’s a good year to be in the market for a spotter. We tested the world-beating Leica APO-Televid that is almost worth its $4,000 price, and we tested a tiny 56mm canary-yellow compact spotter from a new brand. Between those extremes, there’s plenty of choice in big 80mm scopes and packable 65mm models at a wide range of prices and performances.

2025 Optics Test Winners

$1000 to $3200 Spotters

Under $1000

Tactical Spotters

Jump to our test protocol

2025 Optics Test Winners

​Editor’s Choice: Leica APO-Televid 82 Kit 25-50×82

Buy From Cabela’s

Buy From EuroOptic

Pros

• Stunning image
• Dual focus control
• Removable eyepiece
• Compatible with 20-60x eyepiece
• Redesigned optical system

Cons

• At over $4,000 with eyepiece, wildly expensive
• At 3.3 pounds, fairly heavy

---

Key Features

• 
  Angled eyepiece

• 
  Durable die-cast magnesium body

• 
  Arca-Swiss compatible mounting foot

• 
  Aiming slots on sunshade for quick target acquisition

• 
  Coarse and fine focus wheels

You owe it to yourself to look at the world through this heirloom-quality optic. Then you can literally see the dilemma of the Outdoor Life optics testers. This $4,000 spotter was bound to win our test based on the world-class glass, European craftsmanship, and Leica’s legacy of optical excellence.

​The dilemma: Is a $4,000 spotter really four times better than a $1,000 spotter? Keep that question in mind as you read our results. But in terms of the 82mm Leica APO-Televid, it’s one of the finest spotters we’ve tested, and is a worthy candidate for inclusion in the highest level of sports optics, to include Zeiss’s Harpia 82, Swarovski’s Optik HD, and Kowa’s Prominar spotters.

​The Leica’s glass is bright, crisp, and vibrant, though it actually struggled a bit in our low-light test, finishing in the upper middle of the field. Because we also tested the 65mm version of the APO-Televid, which came with a 20-60x eyepiece, we swapped eyepieces between the two scopes and found the 82mm Televid at about 40x had the best combination of optical clarity, brightness, and field of view.

​The Televid’s operation is flawless, with double points for its dual-speed fingertip focus. Turn the coarse focus to get in the ballpark, then tack up the focus with the fine wheel, which turns so easily and positively that it doesn’t impart any shake to the tripod.

​The scope mates to tripods easily with its Arca-Swiss-compatible foot, and the balance is nicely centered for such a heavy (4.25-pound) scope. We also like the simple but effective aiming slots in the sunscreen that help users quickly acquire targets through the angled eyepiece.

​We used a very handy smart-phone adapter to capture loads of photo and video content through both the Leica scopes. The Ollie adapter is among the best we’ve seen, with a quick and sure magnet that mates the eyepiece adapter to the phone case, aligning the phone’s camera with the exit pupil of the scope. It’s a fast, simple, and very effective way to record content through any scope.

​The only demerits we gave the Leica Televid is its price. As tester Luke Coccoli noted, “I would hate to take it out of its case for multiple uses at that price point. It’s as close to a perfect spotter as I’ve seen. But it’s also $4,000.”

​Still, it’s a great investment in a world-class optic that pays dividends by delivering bright, crisp, and stunning images from as close as 12 feet to as far as you can see.

​Maven CS.2A 26-66×85 (Great Buy)

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Pros

• At $1,300 a very appealing price for a full-size spotter
• Extra-low dispersion ED glass
• Integrated Arca-Swiss tripod mount
• Lifetime warranty
• Lightweight for an 85mm scope

Cons

• Upper end of magnification produced dark images
• Magnification dial is too slick

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Key Features

• 
  Center-barrel focus

• 
  Uses same ED glass as Maven’s C-Series binoculars

• 
  Two-tone styling is handsome and distinctive

• 
  Balances nicely

​Given that most serious spotting scopes cost in the $1,000-$1,500 range, it’s useful to ask the question: how much will you actually deploy this pricey optic. For most of us, it’s not that often, maybe a few weeks of pre-season big-game scouting, and maybe one or two backcountry hunts and a few weekend camping trips to look at stars and the rings of Saturn. Those of us who are really into glassing probably also have a spotter in our pickups and at a living-room window to watch birds or our neighbors.

My point is, any attribute that allows us to use our scopes more frequently starts to justify their cost, and Maven’s new CS.2A (the A stands for angled eyepiece) is so light and packable that you’ll use it more than whatever spotter it replaces. And the cost, $1,300, is reasonable for a big, serious, 85mm spotter. For all its performance and its fair price, the Maven wins this year’s Great Buy award in our spotting scope test.

​Its excellent glass — Maven says it’s the same extra-low dispersion glass it uses in its C-class binoculars — allowed it to win our low-light test, and we found it to be bright and crisp at modest magnifications. We were disappointed, though, in how grainy and dark the image became from about 55-power up to the maximum 66-power. That’s to be expected in most spotters; all that magnification creates a tiny exit pupil (just 1.3mm at 66x) and really chokes down the amount of light reaching the eye. But it also begs the question: would this scope be more useful with a 25-55-power eyepiece?

​What’s more clear is that the scope, built around a polymer body, is at 3.75 pounds, among the lightest full-sized spotters we’ve handled. We worry a bit about the integrity of the body during extended field trips, but we’re pretty rough on test submissions and found no reason to question its durability.

​The Maven’s center-barrel focus is tight but turns smoothly. We wanted a little more grip on the power-changing dial, which we thought is a touch too smooth. And, while we’re dishing out wishes, we wouldn’t mind a sunshade.

​The elegant form factor is not only pleasing to look at, but it fits nicely in most backpack optics sleeves, making this a most packable spotter and boosting its time-in-the-field metric mentioned above. In all, it’s a solid optic at a fair price, especially considering Maven’s lifetime warranty.

$1000 to $3200 Spotters

Leica APO-Televid 65 W Kit 25-50×65

Buy From EuroOptic

Buy From Cabela’s

Pros

• Stunning image
• Dual focus control
• Removable eyepiece
• Compatible with 20-60x eyepiece
• Redesigned optical system

Cons

• At about $3,200 with eyepiece, wildly expensive
• At 3.4 pounds, fairly heavy

---

Key Features

• 
  Angled eyepiece

• 
  Durable die-cast magnesium body

• 
  Arca-Swiss compatible mounting foot

• 
  Aiming slots on sunshade for quick target acquisition

• 
  Coarse and fine focus wheels

​

Pros

• Stunning image
• Dual focus control
• Removable eyepiece
• Compatible with 20-60x eyepiece
• Redesigned optical system

Cons

• At about $3,200 with eyepiece, wildly expensive
• At 3.4 pounds, fairly heavy

Key Features

• Angled eyepiece
• Durable die-cast magnesium body
• Arca-Swiss compatible mounting foot
• Aiming slots on sunshade for quick target acquisition
• Coarse and fine focus wheels

Pretty much everything you just read about the 82mm Televid applies to its 65mm companion, which is about $800 less expensive but has just as much field-worthiness as its big brother, largely because it’s a more compact and packable body.

​The Vario eyepieces (we had both 25-50x and 20-60x models) are interchangeable between the bodies. Just as with the 82mm Televid, the 65mm version has stunning glass, smooth and precise controls, and fine handling.

​Testers thought the sunshade should extend a little farther, and a couple noted some glue or grease around the edges of internal lens elements. But, just as with the 82mm Televid, the test team was unanimous in its praise for the two-speed focus.

​“The fine focus is a game-changer for its ability to get a tack-sharp image with very little effort,” noted tester Dale Manning.

​It’s worth noting that the eyepieces are sold separately for around $750. If you find yourself coming into an inheritance, we might suggest buying the Televid body of your choice, but then buying a couple eyepieces that you can swap out as needed to give yourself more magnification or a wider field of view, as the situation demands.

​Sig Sauer OSCAR6 HDX PRO 16-32×60

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Pros

• Image-stabilized operation
• Integrated Arca-Swiss tripod mount
• OmniScan feature matches stabilization to imparted movement
• Uses standard AA batteries

Cons

• Stabilization benefits require active batteries
• Ergonomics are cumbersome
• Forgettable glass

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Key Features

• 
  Electronic gyroscope enables tripod-free viewing

• 
  50 hours run time on twin AA batteries

• 
  Decent analog optics and operation

• 
  Removable eyepiece

Image-stabilization now comes to spotting scopes. We’re still getting used to the idea of binoculars with internal gyroscopes that cancel out the vibrations caused by our hands or the wind or our hard-beating hearts. Now Sig has incorporated that vibration-reduction technology in a spotter, and every tester was floored at their ability to hand-hold a 30-power spotting scope and glass effectively with it.

​That’s the value proposition of this disruptive new spotter from Sig Sauer. While it has a ready-to-mount tripod foot in its belly, its vibration-reduction module makes it possible to glass competently at pretty extreme distances without stabilization of a tripod or other rest. In our test, we were able to classify bulls from cows from spike elk at about three miles away with the OSCAR6 held in our hands. Try that with any other spotting scope.

​The Sig is smartly configured, with a 16-32x eyepiece that isn’t so powerful that hand-holding is ludicrous. But the configuration fits neatly in the compact spotting scope bandwidth and makes it a handy magnification for most backcountry hunts, where it makes 15×56 binoculars almost obsolete. It runs on dual AA batteries, which are stored in compartments on the optic’s belly, where they serve as useful detents for a user’s hands.

​Naturally, we found some shortcomings. The Sig has only adequate glass. It doesn’t have the bright or crisp image of a Leica Televid or a Maven. We worry about the durability of the electro-optic. And the center-body stabilization module ruins the ergonomics and balance of the OSCAR6.

​But those are admittedly superficial quibbles. The overall package is remarkable in its utility, and we could find no actual fault with its design or durability. It’s priced about right for the degree of disruptive utility that the OSCAR6 brings to the staid world of spotting scopes. And, on a practical consideration, being able to leave a heavy and bulky tripod behind makes this 3.5-pound spotter a backcountry all-star. Just be sure to pack extra batteries.

Burris Signature HD 20-60×85

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Pros

• Arca-Swiss compatible tripod mount
• Removable eyepiece
• With reticle eyepieces, a do-everything spotter
• At $1,700, a fair price for a full-sized scope
• Backed by Burris’s lifetime transferable warranty

Cons

• At 4.4 pounds, a heavy optic
• Good not great glass

---

Key Features

• 
  M-LOK accessory mount accepts red dot sighter

• 
  Center-barrel focus

• 
  Extendable sunshade

• 
  Durable die-cast magnesium body

We tested this “pretty good” spotter both with the 20-60x eyepiece that comes with the scope, but we also swapped in Burris’s 30-power wide-angle eyepieces that contain useful MOA and MIL reticles for spotting rifle-shooting companions. Understanding that these are two different end uses — and end users — we evaluated the Signature HD mainly as a wildlife observation tool, with some pretty choice benefits in the form of those sold-separately eyepieces.

​The “pretty good” designation followed the Burris around like a friendly dog. The Signature HD couldn’t keep up with the world-beating Leicas, but it batted above Leupolds and Bushnell submissions. In comment after comment, testers noted that its resolution, image, handling, and value were “pretty good.” Given the unrelenting criticism of our testers, that’s a pretty good assessment.

​We especially liked the Signature HD’s honest handling. Its center-barrel focus moves with precision, but doesn’t glide on gossamer wings just as we detected no sand or gravel in its workings. The glass is okay but not especially stunning, though the Burris did finish runner-up in our low-light test. And the overall build is one that most testers noted they’d use as a truck or base-camp spotter but probably wouldn’t lug into the field.

​But when you add the fixed-power eyepieces with reticles, the Signature HD platform becomes a different sort of “pretty good.” It functions as a very good range spotter. Unlike its peers, the Burris scope’s magnesium chassis has a carve-out to accept an M-LOK accessory, and we screwed in a Burris FastFire4 red dot. Once the sight is aligned with the focal path of the scope, ranging targets is as easy as placing the red dot on target, then switching to the eyepiece and calling shots with either MOA or MIL references. These eyepieces aren’t spendy; expect to pay less than $200 to convert your wildlife spotter to a precision-target spotter.

​“The Burris is perhaps the best of the mid-priced spotters in the test,” noted tester Mark Copenhaver. “Some nice features, but the image quality was lacking, especially at higher magnifications.”

​We recorded significant image degradation at 50x and above. That’s to be expected of any high-magnification spotter, but the Burris was at its “pretty good” best in the 40-50x range. Given the relatively low cost of acquisition of the accessories, including the FastFire4 red dot ($280) and the reticle eyepieces ($190), the Signature HD is a scope that will provide years of varied utility.

Spotting Scopes Under $1000

Leupold SX-2 Alpine HD Gen2 20-60×80

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Pros

• Interchangeable eyecups
• Arca-Swiss tripod adapter
• Magnesium body
• At under $500, a very appealing price

Cons

• Disappointing close focus
• Very slow focus

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Key Features

• 
  FormFit eyecups enable custom fit

• 
  Durable chassis for this price point

• 
  Diamond-Coat scratch-resistant coating on exterior lens surfaces

Leupold is going to sell a ton of these priced-right full-size spotting scopes for all the right reasons: The SX-2 Alpine HD Gen2 has features that are generally available in scopes in the $1,000 range.

Take the magnesium body. That’s a durable foundation for the optic that most manufacturers don’t employ in sub-$1,000 spotters. Then there’s the customizable eyecups. Are these Form-Fit eyecups really worth the $100 upcharge from the Gen1 version of the SX-2 to the Gen2 version? Maybe not, but they’re a great feature for hunters who plan to spend hours behind their Leupold spotter.

​The glass in the SX-2 Alpine HD Gen2 might make all-day glassing culminate in a Visine application session, but the image delivered by this price-point Leupold was pretty close to that of the SX-4 Pro Guide, which costs twice as much. In fact, the value delivered by the SX-2 Alpine HD nearly gave Leupold our Great Buy award.

​But the ho-hum Chinese glass held this spotter back, along with the glacially slow central-barrel focus control.

​“It seemed like it took 3.5 days to move the focus from near to far distances,” said tester Mark Copenhaver. Other testers noted the Alpine HD’s edge distortion and dark image above about 45x. Still, it’s a very good buy for its price, and given Leupold’s field-worthy optical coatings and forever warranty, plus interchangeable eyecups, it’s an excellent choice for anyone looking for a full-sized spotter on a budget.

Leupold SX-4 Pro Guide HD Gen2 20-60×85

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Pros

• Interchangeable eyecups
• Integrated Arca-Swiss tripod mount
• Durable magnesium body

Cons

• Narrow field of view
• Large and heavy for a backpack optic

---

Key Features

• 
  Oversized eyepiece minimizes eye strain

• 
  Lifetime transferable warranty

• 
  Retractable sunshade

• 
  Reverse porro prism design

This Gen2 version of Leupold’s mid-priced spotter is one of a flush of newish scopes that Leupold has brought to the market this year. They’re not novel product lines, but like the Gen2 version of Leupold’s binoculars and riflescopes, the changes are mainly cosmetic and operational. In the case of the SX-2 Alpine and SX-4 Pro Guide HD, the biggest changes are interchangeable eyecups.

​While the glass and coatings are largely unchanged, the ability to swap out eyecups to match your particular facial features and glassing preferences is no small thing, because comfort (or rather discomfort) is one of the biggest considerations when it comes to picking a spotting scope. If you have to screw your eye into the ocular lens and squint to see distant objects, you’re not going to glass for long, and consequently, you won’t see as much game as if you can settle comfortably behind a spotter and relax your face and eyes. Leupold’s Form-Fit eyecups — one is winged to block out peripheral light, the other is low for everyday glassing — are a simple and effective way to make glassing comfortable.

​Internally, the scope’s glass is good but not great. The SX-4 Pro Guide HD finished in the upper third of our low-light test, but testers noted a general lack of contrast and color to the daylight image produced by the spotter. We did like the durable magnesium body, which adds weight to the unit but should give it a long life in the field, and we like the integrated Arca-Swiss foot, which makes mounting the scope to a standard tripod head quick and easy.

​Leupold SX-4 Pro Guide HD Gen2 15-45×65

See It

Pros

• At around $800, a fair price for mid-sized spotter
• Interchangeable eyecups
• Durable magnesium body
• Packable size and weight
• Wide field of view

Cons

• Slight edge distortion
• Smudging on internal lenses

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Key Features

• 
  Center-barrel focus

• 
  Integrated Arca-Swiss tripod mount

• 
  Rotating barrel

• 
  Liberal eye relief

A pound lighter and four inches shorter than Leupold’s big 80mm version (see above) of the SX-4 Pro Guide HD, the 65mm model is more versatile and offers an arguably better image.

​In fact, the test team compared the image delivered by this mid-sized spotter, which retails for $799, favorably to the $3,100 65mm Leica Televid. That was in the daylight. It’s when the sun went down that the optical superiority of the Leica showed why it’s four times more expensive.

​But for general glassing and as a portable backpacking scope, the 65mm Leupold is a very good choice. We like the integrated Arca-Swiss mounting foot, the tight barrel rotation and locking screw, and the durable magnesium body. And, as noted above, the choice of two eyecups is a thoughtful and useful feature.

​We noted slight internal smudging and scratches, which may have contributed to some of the optical aberrations we observed, mainly a slight yellow fringing. But those are virtually unnoticeable in full light conditions. Operationally, the 65mm SX-4 has smooth and positive controls, and we noted that the focus wheel turns slightly faster than the slow focus of the SX-2 Alpine scope.

​If you’re looking for a mid-priced, mid-sized spotter that can pull multiple duty as a backpack optic, a truck spotter, or a range scope, the SX-4 Pro Guide HD Gen2 is a great choice.

Nocs Provisions Long View 20-60×85

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Pros

• Distinctive Oxford-blue armor
• Integrated Arca-Swiss tripod mounting foot
• Lifetime transferable warranty
• Excellent low-light performance

Cons

• Edge distortion
• Questionable durability

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Key Features

• 
  Removable eyepiece

• 
  Center-barrel focus

• 
  Sunshade aiming groove

• 
  Oversized barrel rotation screw

A newcomer to our test, and to most readers, you’ll find this full-sized and distinctively styled spotter on sale at REI and other outdoor retailers. The brand got its start 3-D printing optics from thermoplastics, and this production model isn’t far from that origin. The scope has a spongy, plasticky feel that obscures its very good optical performance.

To our great surprise, the Long View won our low-light test. That’s a function of both the large 85mm objective lens and at least one uncoated internal lens surface (since coatings can reduce light transmission), but the $600 Nocs Provisions was up against some prodigious competition in Leica and Maven.

​The non-traditional styling of the Long View ruffled some testers.

​“I did not like it from the start and it did nothing to change my mind,” noted tester Mark Copenhaver. “The appearance is like a guy wearing a man-bun. Why?”

​But tester Dale Manning noted “I actually don’t mind the blue armor,” but downgraded the Long View’s optical performance. “While this scope did great in the low-light test, during daylight conditions it is not very clear or bright. Edges are distorted with some blue aberration, there’s oil staining on the interior of the barrel, and it appears to have one uncoated lens.”

​The Nocs Provisions brings some tasty elements, including the integrated Arca-Swiss mounting foot, a sighting notch on the very good sunshade, and the heavily textured armor. “Ribbed for your pleasure,” noted tester Luke Coccoli.

​We worry a bit about the durability of the plastic body as well as the removable eyepiece, which can allow grit and moisture to enter the interior of the scope. But the Long View is a good freshman effort that will appeal to a demographic of buyers who will hopefully fill their Instagram feed with this stunning blue optic that does a decent job of revealing distant details.

​Nocs Provisions Lite View 9-27×56

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Pros

• Go-anywhere size and packability
• Grippy (and distinctive) yellow armor
• Useful as hand-held or tripod-mounted scope
• At about $350, fairly priced

Cons

• Mid-barrel focus is hard to turn
• Questionable durability

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Key Features

• 
  Removable “boot” enables hand-holding

• 
  Tripod mount for stabilized viewing

• 
  Thermoplastic body

• 
  Removable eyepiece

• 
  At 19.2 ounces, very light

Just as its big sibling, the Long View, caused a schism in the Outdoor Life test team, the canary-yellow (Nocs Provisions calls the color “ochre”) Lite View further divided the team. Some like the distinctive styling, others didn’t think it’s a serious hunting or field optic.

​Regardless of the external styling, the Lite View has plenty of optical horsepower. Its little 56mm objective lens fared well in the low-light test, and we had fun deploying the wee spotter on the rifle range, where its compact size and versatile mounting options make it a great shooting-bench optic.

​The 9-27x magnification isn’t going to let you count points on a far-distant buck, but the Lite View is a great optic to throw in a vehicle’s glovebox, take to a sporting event, or use as a fun backyard-birding glass. The removable “overshoe” is designed to fit in the palm for hand-held glassing. Or you can remove it to reveal a small and somewhat fragile threaded tripod adapter.

​“Definitely on the lower end of optical power, but for sports, birds, neighborhoods, vehicles, and high alpine lakes, this thing is go-anywhere durable,” noted tester Luke Coccoli.

​The Lite View is built around a thermoplastic body, which helps it achieve its 19-ounce weight and somewhat plasticky feel. We worry a bit about the durability of that build, as well as the possibility of grit and moisture entering the optic through the removable eyepiece. But Nocs Provisions offers a “no-matter-what lifetime warranty” that is a consolation for prospective buyers. Expect to see this product line in REI stores and other outdoor retailers. Its $350 price seems right for its versatility and go-everywhere deployment.

Maven Monoculars: M.1 10×42 and M.2 12×50

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Pros

• Lightweight and compact
• Bright Japanese glass
• Assembled at Maven’s Wyoming HQ
• Nicely textured controls

Cons

• Hard to hold still
• Questionable utility

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Key Features

• 
  Center-barrel focus

• 
  Two different configurations

• 
  Handsome styling

• 
  Multi-position eyecups

• 
  Wide fields of view

We weren’t quite sure how to classify this new product from the direct-to-consumer brand Maven. These monoculars have Japanese components, including excellent glass, but they’re being assembled in Maven’s facilities in Wyoming. They function as single-barrel mini spotting scopes, but they’re as portable as compact binoculars. So… what are they?

​We classified them as tiny spotters, but we struggled with the overall utility of this curious product line. Maven is offering two monoculars this year, both built with premium ED glass in durable magnesium bodies, a 10×42 and a 12×50. They’re close enough in both build and utility that we’re grouping them in this review. The 10×42 sells for $450 while the 12×50 is priced at $500.

​But about that utility… We love the idea of a go-everywhere optic, and testers imagined keeping one of these handy units in a pickup console or in a fanny pack for run-and-gun hunting. Both use cases sound great, but then there’s the matter of actually glassing with a monocular. They’re hard to hold still in a single hand, and we wish Maven had added a tripod mount to help stabilize both models. The image they produce is bright and clear, but it’s tiring looking through a tiny telescope for long periods. And the center-barrel focus is stiff, so focusing them pulls them off the target.

​We love the idea of this simple and relatively new optic category. And the Maven monoculars are among the most well-built and optically superior of those we’ve tested. But they’re fairly pricey for optics that are seeking a purpose, though when stabilized by a pickup window or a stout wooden fencepost, they are much more useful than when hand-held.

​Will these little gems replace your binocular? Probably not, but Maven has produced a solid pair of products in an overlooked category.

Tactical Spotters

​Steiner TS740 7-40×60

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Pros

• Contains first-plane MIL-pattern reticle
• Extremely durable armor
• Integrated Picatinny rail for accessories
• Distinctive coyote-brown color

Cons

• At over $3,000 wildly expensive
• Limited utility
• Reticle visibility issues at lower magnifications

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Key Features

• 
  Night-vision rail

• 
  Arca-Swiss compatible mounting rail

• 
  Eyepiece focus control

• 
  Reticle can be matched to shooters’ scope

• 
  Sling-ready design for packing

Like many of Steiner’s higher-end optics, this reticle-equipped spotter descends from military duty where it is a key aide for a spotter assigned to a designated shooter. By deploying a spotting scope with the same reticle style as the shooter’s rifle scope, the spotter can easily call hits and misses and talk the shooter into the target.

​The utility extends to precision rifle matches and any long-range shooting enterprise. The first-plane reticle could be called a MIL-universal, with an open center and 5 MILs of elevation and windage holds, with short hashes at half-MIL increments and full hashes at full values. Because the reticle increases in size in proportion to magnification, it can easily be tuned to the values of a companion shooter.

​It’s a smart, fast, and useful system. Unfortunately, the reticle so dominates the field of view, the TS740 isn’t very practical for general observation. And at about $3,000, it’s an expensive optic for such a narrow use case as a spotter for a shooter.

​We also quibbled with a few design choices. The fold-back objective lens cover is useful, but we worry it would break off in a hard range session. The coyote-brown armor is thick and protective, but it’s also slick and would be hard to hold if the scope didn’t have a profusion of tactical rails that accept various accessories like night vision optics, rangefinders, and other shooting aids.

​The Steiner can be mounted to a tripod via the threaded adapter, or it can slide on an Arca-Swiss-compatible base via the A-S rail.

​For a specialty optic, the TS740 is a hard-wearing and useful tool, but with limited versatility.

​Bushnell Elite Tactical LMSS2 8-40×60

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Pros

• Contains first-plane Horus Tremor4 reticle
• Excellent ED glass
• Double-tough armor
• Picatinny rail accepts accessories

Cons

• Limited use case
• Steep learning curve for reticle

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Key Features

• 
  Straight eyepiece

• 
  Magnification throw lever

• 
  Separate image and reticle focus controls

• 
  Bushnell’s High Definition Optical System

• 
  Durable aluminum chassis

Like the Steiner TS740, the Bushnell Elite Tactical LMSS2 is a purpose-built optic that’s intended to pair with a shooter engaging distant targets. Double points if that shooter also has a Horus Tremor4 reticle in their rifle scope.

​The match between spotter and shooter makes communicating misses and hits fast and clear, since both are seeing and speaking the same reticle language. Like most Horus reticles, the Tremor4 is both highly specialized but also widely versatile once you understand its geometry. The first-plane reticle combines a square Horus grid with wind dots and milling “chevrons” that enable extreme precision at any distance.

​Because the reticle is in the lower half of the image plane, the Bushnell Elite Tactical scope can be used as an adequate wildlife and target spotter. When it’s time to spot shots, simply move the reticle into the business portion of the image, and you’re in business.

​The ED glass and overall coatings and contrast are very good. We struggled a bit with the over-tight controls of the spotter, but expect them to loosen with hard use. We gave the Bushnell top marks for durability. Between its aluminum chassis and military-grade armor it’s built to take the abuse of a PRS match or other rugged uses. At about $1,600 real-world street price, it’s still a spendy optic, but it’s designed to win competitions or neutralize situations when paired with a skilled shooter who can navigate the Horus reticle.

How We Tested the Best Spotting Scopes

Optical Resolution 

We put all submissions, whether full-size or super-compact, through the same criteria. First, we measure optical resolution, using the diminishing black-and-white lines of a 1951 Air Force Resolution Target to score the optical performance of each submission. 

Low-Light Performance

We also measure the low-light performance of each submission by mounting them to tripods and focusing them at 200 yards at a black-and-white resolution target at twilight, all in order to measure the brightness of the glass.

The scope that can “see” the longest into the gathering darkness gets top marks. The scope that loses its night-vision earliest gets the lowest score. Scopes in the middle receive scores somewhere between those two poles.

How We Score and Grade Optics

We break our 10-point scoring into four general categories: optical performance, mechanical performance, design, and value. The average of these categories is the basis of our grades, detailed below.

Optical performance includes the resolution and low-light tests plus the more subjective assessments of image quality and brightness. Mechanical performance assesses the durability of the submission along with its controls: focus and zoom, eyecups and barrel rotation. Design considers the exterior finish, interior blacking, tripod mount, and its innovation and versatility along with its comfort. We ask testers to evaluate this critical question: how long could you glass with this spotter?

And then our price/value score rates how much optic—along with warranty and amenities such as carrying case, additional eyepieces, or field cover—you’re getting for your money. The spotter that gets the highest overall score wins our Editor’s Choice award for the best in the category; the optic with the highest price/value score wins our Great Buy recognition.

Grading 

Our 10-point evaluation adds up to a total numeric score, but we translate those to grades for each submission. Our Optical Performance grade combines the scores from resolution, low-light, image, and brightness. Our Mechanical Performance grade aggregates the mechanics and durability score. The Design grade considers Construction, Innovation, Versatility, and Comfort. And then the Price/Value grade is our value grade.

To earn an “Excellent” grade, the average of that category must be 9 or higher, which is extremely hard to achieve. “Very Good” is an average score of 7 to 9. A “Good” grade is 5 to 7. Our “Fair” grade is 3 to 25, and “Poor” is anything under 3.

How to Choose the Best Spotting Scope for You

Since even good budget spotters average over $1,000 and premium optics can cost up to $4,000, spotting scopes are among the most price-prohibitive pieces of outdoors gear. That means you want to be sure you’re buying the best scope for your use.

Full-size units start at 80mm objective lenses and can go up to 90 and even 95mm. That’s a lot of glass. Make sure you’re going to get the most out of it by investing in a stout tripod that will stabilize the scope. Second, really consider whether you need a full-size unit, or whether a 65mm or even a compact 56mm spotter is more your speed. For most of us who carry spotting scopes for miles over rough country, the smaller versions are preferable over the super-sized ones.

Next, consider whether you want an angled or a straight-body scope. I prefer angled scopes because of their versatility. I can easily deploy one on a steep hill, and by rotating the barrel, I can share the scope with a buddy sitting beside me without ever moving the scope.

Other considerations: center-barrel focus or fingertip focus close to the eyepiece. Also magnification range. Most full-size scopes have 20- to about 60-power magnification zoom ranges that cover most practical glassing purposes, but if you need more magnification, you’ll probably pay for it.

Look for spotters that have fully transferable lifetime warranties, good customer service, and solid reputations. After all, you’re going to be laying out a lot of cash for this spotter, and you want to make sure the company stands behind their product.