Looking for the Best Budget Spotting Scopes for Target Shooting? You’ve come to the right place!
Many people believe they won’t find a quality spotting scope on a budget. But you don’t need to spend a ton of money to buy a reliable and durable spotting scope.
We have reviewed some of the top-rated models on the market to find you the Best Budget Spotting Scope for Target Shooting. All the spotting scopes on our list are affordable, without compromising on quality.
If you are in a hurry: Emarth 20-60x60AE is the Best Spotting Scope for Target Shooting.
- ✅【High Magnification】This spotting scope features a...
- ✅【Fully Multi-coated Lens】The lens are all fully...
- ✅【Durable Construction】High-quality rubber armor...
Last update on 2024-12-20 / Paid links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Now, let us move to our in-depth reviews.
Best Budget Spotting Scopes for Target Shooting Reviews
Here is our list of the 7 Best Spotting Scopes for Target Shooting…
- Emarth 20-60x60AE
- Huicocy 20-60x60mm
- SVBONY SV28 Scope
- Gosky 20-60×60 HD
- Landove 20-60X80
- Amcrest AMSS60-G
- Kalawen Hunting Scope
1. Emarth 20-60x60AE
First, we will review Emarth 20-60x60AE. It is a 45-degree angled eyepiece for ease of use at lower vantage points. The multi-coated lenses reduce fog and increase clarity at any distance. Lenses are nitrogen-purged to provide a high-quality image in any condition. Anti-reflective features make images sharp and crisp.
The outer shell uses a durable rubber material. The rubber shell makes it easy to grip the cope and protects it from damage in extreme conditions and drops. The Emarth has proven performance in wet conditions as it is a completely sealed unit.
Emarth 20-60x60AE has a field of view of 39-19m/1000m. It works great for the 50-300 yards range. I used it for 150 yards and it worked perfectly. You can see splash targets fairly well at 300 yards.
It comes with a dual-focus wheel to finetune and sharpen images at any range. It is a suitable option if you are looking for long-range spotting scopes. The price, glass quality, and lenses make it one of the top spotting scopes for range shooting.
The weight and dimensions are also impressive. Weighing only 3.3 lbs, it is extremely portable. It comes with a tripod mount to hold the scope steady. It offers value for money and comes with lifetime customer support.
2. Huicocy 20-60x60mm
Now, let us move on to number five on the list. The Huicocy 60mm lens gives the viewer great light transmission with matching resolution. It is IP65 waterproof, and fogproof. The body is aluminum with a rubber barrier for protection in all weather conditions. The retractable sunshade reduces the amount of glare for more comfort.
The Field of Vision is 6 – 131ft/1000 yards and uses a central focusing method. The lens is also broadband coated, and the zoom range is 20x – 60x. The magnification range is ideal for hunting or calling shots at 300 yards.
The Huicocy has an 8m close-focus view, with a fold-down eyecup, and a comfortable eye relief of 13mm – 16mm. The retractable eyepiece makes it easier to use for longer periods of time. The adjustable eyepiece makes it comfortable even if you wear glasses.
Huicocy 20-60x60mm comes with all the accessories you need to get started. Like most spotters on the market, it comes with a tripod. But it is not a low-quality tripod. It also includes a universal phone adapter for ease of viewing and a support platform.
This compact spotting scope weighs only 1.32 lbs. It is portable and easy to carry thanks to the compact design. It is a great choice when looking for a budget model. You get a reliable spotter for a great price.
3. SVBONY SV28 Scope
The SVBONY SV28 full-size spotting scope is next on our list. Its 70mm lens gathers a high volume of light for excellent and sharp images. It features a 25-75x zoom to bring objects 75x closer. It is one of the longer zooms compared to the more common 20x-60x zoom.
At a great price point, the SV28 is suitable for anyone looking for a high-quality spotting scope. This BAK4 prism spotting scope has a 15mm eyepiece diameter.
The SV28 also has an FMC-coated lens for greater clarity and 64-43 ft/1000 yards field of view and a close focus range of 8m. It has a fold-down eye guard. The close focus range of 8 meters makes it dynamic in both short and long-range use. It makes a fantastic pick when looking for the Best Spotting Scope for Long Range Shooting.
The SV28 weighs only 1.9 lbs. Making it easy to carry along on remote trips with other accessories. You get everything you need to get started with the SV28 at a reasonable price. It comes with an updated desktop-type tripod. The desktop tripod creates a sturdier platform than a traditional tripod.
4. Gosky 20-60×60 HD
The second model on our list is the Gosky 20-60×60 High Definition (HD) spotting scope. It comes with a tripod stand, and phone mount for enhanced viewing and target practice. The BAK4 Porro Prism makes images crisp and clear even in low light conditions. It also reduces the chances of getting ghost images and glare.
Like the Emarth, this spotter comes with a durable rubber outer layer for protection in any weather. It also has a dynamic focusing system making zooming much easier during hunting.
Gosky has an FMC objective lens for improved brightness. It has a rotating body for a greater range of motions when viewing in difficult terrain. The eyepiece angled at 45 degrees makes for a more comfortable viewing experience.
The variable magnification offers you the ability to easily zoom in on a target. The 20x- 60x magnification range makes it diverse for shooting practice. I used it for archery at 50 yards and 100 yards. I could clearly see the arrows on my target.
Gosky is a high-quality option at an affordable price. It is backed by a 1 year warranty and lifetime customer service.
This spotter weighs only 3.25 lbs. It comes with a lightweight tripod yet it’s compatible with most tripods available on the market. It and a phone adapter ready to take pictures out of the box. Transporting it is easy as it comes with a carrying case to keep your scope safe.
4. Landove 20-60X80
The Landove 20-60X80 spotting scope is fourth on our list. This angled scope comes with an 80mm objective lens and a large focus wheel. The multi-coated lenses deliver brighter images at all zoom levels. It uses a BAK4 prism for crisp images with excellent colors and details. It features an eyepiece with plenty of eye relief from 14.5mm to 11.5mm.
The Landove is great for scanning the practice area at the 20x zoom level but can zoom up to 60x. The Field of view is 82.9-48ft/ 1000 yards. I was very impressed using it at the range. At the 100-yard range, I could see the staples that hold the targets.
This model is completely sealed. The rubber armor construction makes it suitable for all weather conditions. It is waterproof, shockproof, and fog-resistant. It is an excellent scope for use in harsh conditions.
With a fully rotatable body, it is versatile in any situation. It is a bit larger in size weighing 4.5 lbs. But that should not be an issue. It comes with a high-quality carry case to keep the spotters safe.
High-quality glass, lenses, and performance come together in this spotter. This should be on your list when considering options for target practice. This model comes with a handy tripod and a soft carrying case. It has everything you need to get started. It includes a lifetime warranty and a lifetime money-back guarantee.
6. Amcrest AMSS60-G
Next on this list is the Amcrest 20-60×60 scope. The zoom range for the Amcrest is between 20x – 60x. It has a field-of-view of 36 – 19m/1000m with an exit eye diameter of 3.2mm to 1.1mm.
This model comes with premium optics and a metal tripod with adjustable feet. It also includes a digiscoping phone adapter, a cleaning kit, and a durable carry case with a zipper. Amcrest spotter scope is great due to ease of use, close focus of 23 feet, and weighing only 1.75 lbs.
The BK7 Porro Prism provides a higher refractive index. The multi-coated optics provide for brighter edges of the objective lens. You will get great image clarity even in low-light conditions. If you are out hunting, you will get a clear image of the game to make a moral and ethical shot.
It also has a built-in retractable sunshade helping to reduce glare. It comes with IPX6 weatherproof housing for protection from the elements.
The Amcrest 20-60x60mm is great if you are looking for performance and optical quality at an excellent price. The twilight rating of 30, makes it a great choice for hunting and target practice.
7. Kalawen Hunting Scope
Next on the list is the Kalawen 20-60×60 HD target scope. It offers many features and functions for target practice. One of the top features of the Kalawen is the updated position of the focusing ring for ease of zooming.
The flexible hood reduces glare, protecting the lens, and extending the life of the HD lenses. The advanced focusing system allows for exceptional picture quality at higher zoom levels. Anti-reflective and anti-glare lenses ensure bright images even in lowlight conditions.
The ultra-durable mount allows for a more stable viewing and picture-taking experience. Combined with FMC optical lens, and a BAK4 prism, this is an excellent budget target shooting scope. It comes with premium functions at an affordable price. It includes a retractable sunshade.
At 3.07 lbs., this high-definition scope is a bit heavier than others on the market. But it is still compact making it a little challenging to transport to remote locations. With all these features, it is a great budget option due to its value and performance.
How to Choose a Spotting Scope for Target Shooting
Whether it be a long, mid, or short range, there are many spotting scopes on the market. It is important to know the type of scope you need. The kinds of optics, features, sizes, and capabilities vary, and, so does the price range.
Spotting scopes or spotters are conceptually the same as telescopes. But much smaller in size. The compact design and weight make them easy to carry. Spotting scopes do not have the same level of magnification as telescopes. They are not suitable for star gazing.
When choosing a practice or hunting spotting scope, some critical features are important. Making the buying decision is much easier when you keep these important features in mind.
In this section, we will discuss magnifications, optical quality, eyepiece orientation, eye relief, FoV, design, tripods, and price ranges.
Magnifications and Zooms
Magnification is a key feature of any spotting scope. There are two types of lenses:
- Fixed lenses
- Zoom lenses
Fixed lenses collect light better and produce higher-quality images than zoom lenses. But they come with fixed magnification. Zoom lenses can be adjusted to change the magnification.
It is easy to find the magnification range and objective lens size. You just have to read the numbers. E.g. 18-45×65 scope comes with an 18x – 45x zoom and 65mm objective lens diameters.
The ideal range of magnification for a target shooter ranges from 20x to 60x. 15x to 45x magnifications are suitable for shorter ranges. A low-power scope will have image noise at a high magnification range.
Optics, Glass Quality, and Lenses
High-quality optics should be at the top of your list when buying a spotting scope.
Objective lens size is an important consideration when choosing a target shooting scope. Objective lenses help focus on an item and increase the resolution of an image. A large 80mm or 100mm objective lens will use all the available light to produce life-like images. A bigger objective lens will also produce a bright image.
Prisms
Prism quality is vital every time you look through the eyepiece.
The type of prism is also a very important factor. The prism helps when lining up the images to create a seamless, unobstructed view in a straight line.
You also need to consider optical quality, high magnification, lens coating, and zoom. as per your needs.
Yards
Most spotting scopes we reviewed are suitable for targets at the 50-300 yards range.
Often heat variances, chromatic aberrations, wind, and dust come into play at over 500 yards. At these ranges, spotting scopes are useful only for reading wind or checking another spotter placed closer to the target.
Eyepiece
Here will discuss the difference between angled and straight designs. There are two different types of eyepieces. A straight eyepiece is great for faster target acquisition. This type of eyepiece works better for spotting downhill or when using a bench rest for shooting. Some people find a straight scope more natural and easier to use.
A 45-degree angled eyepiece will be better for most when viewing from above. The angled design makes it easy to view if the spotting scope is fixed on a tripod. An angled design is suitable for birdwatchers for easier, aerial viewing.
Angled scopes with rotating eyepieces are suitable for target shooting ranges. You can easily align the eyepiece settings with your AR15 scope or a red dot.
Some spotting scopes use interchangeable eyepieces. Buyers beware as sometimes they can be sold as the ‘body only’. Interchangeable eyepieces let you change the power range to suit different conditions.
Size and Weight
Portable, lightweight spotters are great if you tend to travel a lot or hike to remote locations. The lighter the better in these scenarios.
When most hunters go to zero range of their rifles, they want a compact spotting scope. They want a lightweight model to make corrections without having to carry a large or expensive spotter.
Durability and ease of use, along with the type of coating used on lenses will also play an important role in the decision process.
Eye Relief
Eye relief plays a critical role in comfort when viewing for extended periods of time. A decent eye relief range can be crucial for your decision based on your primary. In case you wear glasses, you should go for a spotter with generous eye relief.
Field of View
A wide field of view is also something you will want when shopping for a hunting spotting scope. The field of view decides how much of the observable world you will see while looking through the eyepiece. The better the FoV, the more you see through the objective lens.
You should also look for a spotting scope that comes with anti-glare features. If the lens comes with anti-glare features, then distant images will be clear even during hot weather.
Tripods
You will not get steady images unless you attach a sturdy tripod to your spotter. Even budget models come with tripods and carrying cases to get you started.
You can enjoy a successful range session by using a high-quality tripod. Most spotters on our list are compatible with commercial tripods on the market thanks to the inbuilt tripod adapter.
Conclusion
You don’t need a high-end or top-of-the-line spotting scope for basic outdoor activities. Even if you buy a premium model, you will need to be extremely careful carrying and using it.
So we evaluated over 20 spotting scopes on optical quality, durability, and affordability. Every model on our final list of top 7 is a great option with excellent features.
We found Emarth 20-60x60AE as the Best Budget Spotting Scope for Target Shooting. It is reliable, durable, and affordable. You get all the features you need for target practice and a wide range of other uses. It has a great range of FoV for target shooting. The image quality is outstanding. All the accessories are made with care.
We hope you like our pick of the Best Budget Spotting Scopes for Target Shooting. Let us know if you have any queries or need any help. We love to answer all the questions we get from our readers.
Last Updated on January 14, 2024 by Marty Prokop
