Best binoculars for scoring? (Edit: Now Scope)

[AlanF]

My previous statement that It is not fair on shooters to have scorers and check scorers using substandard gear. was meant to imply that the shooter can gain from a good scorer as well as suffer.

I agree that unnecessary delays imposed on a shooters can be very unfair, but a good scorer, who has good optics and is on the ball may help the shooter.
A scorer may call for a higher score as well as a lower score and if he is really on the ball and sees a bullet trace towards a wrong target can often help facilitate a much shorter delay. This applies also to eTargets scoring as well. It is much harder to pick up a bullet trajectory through Binoculars that a steadily held spotting scope.

It seems to me that the quality of scoring has dramatically fallen and it is something that should be addressed.

Peter Smith.

I don't disagree with any of your points Peter. If spotting scopes were made compulsory, and possibly allowing binoculars for the check scorer only, I would be happier. Having been disadvantaged by over-zealous scorers several times (including by direct competitors in my class) its a bit of sore point for me personally. I would prefer they leave it to the shooter to challenge if he wants to, and only query the marking themselves in clear cut cases.

[UL1700]

I am working on developing new skills on reading the direction of hail having experienced Lang Lang on Saturday!

Sorry I managed to completely miss you, juggling shooting wife and baby can be fun! My 1st range also started in that rather impressive hail storm where to start with I couldn't do much other than watch the ice fall (I don't think any optic was going to let me see through that!) I also borrowed one of Don's Bipods for my 2nd range, the result being that I had less vert at 600 then I did at 500 and was on target for Dons call almost immediately without having to fight my rest. Needless to say I have another bipod to try on order and it possibly explains some of my "tuning" issues with the 308.

Spotting scope it is I reckon, now to convince Sophie, and I guess to see if there is anything of reasonable quality 2nd hand out there? New, the budget won't stretch to European optics but the Vortex Viper HD look interesting if a little pricey but I have one of their scopes on a 22 and have been really quite impressed for the $$s.

James

[DannyS]

I don’t think that the optics are the big issue, the concern I normally have with someone using binoculars is the amount of time it can take some scorers to find the right target each time, especially if I want to shoot quickly. Mind you, I would rather have someone using binoculars and concentrating on the job than someone with the best spotting scope in the world who is too busy gasbagging

[lonerider43]

ask yourself what the #1 fstd shooter in australia uses and go with that

[RDavies]

If you are going to Vic Queens, I can bring a $2500 top of the line Ziess binoculars, or a $400 Chinese spotting scope and tripod for you to use and you can see which you prefer. If you are scoring for me though, I would rather you use the cheap spotting scope and tripod.
If you are after a spotting scope to use, both while you are scoring, and when you are shooting, so you can read mirage much easier, (or for what I actually use them for, to get a wide angle view of the half dozen targets either side of you) it might be worth heading the advice I got from the cluiest bloke in F Class, Dave Mac (pjifl apprentice). Dave pointed me to a Pentax 65HD, which is not the cheapest, but has great optics, reasonable price, and small size. It is more than good enough for scoring duties, and a very handy size to sit next to you while shooting prone with more than good enough optics to read mirage. It has a very easy to use focus knob which is handy when shooting prone. You can buy wide angle eye pieces for them which not only make them easier to use while shooting prone, but also make them easy to glance through while scoring. Maybe google Pentax 65HD

http://www.nswra.org.au/products/Scope- ... lings.html