Spotting Scope for Bullseye

[EDD]

I'm new to Bullseye shooting and slowly getting my equipment together. I've narrowed down my spotting scope decision to two scopes. They are Celestron's 65mm and 80mm angled scopes. My concern with the two is focus at 50' indoors and size of the scope (length and additional width with the 45 degree angle). I eventually will be using a pistol box and want to mount it inside. Most boxes I've seen are about 18 inches long. The scopes are 13" and 16". Anyone using anything similar. I've only seen other shooters using small straight body scopes but I want to be able to use this scope outside out to 100 yds or possibly more.

Here are links to the models I'm interested in.
http://www.adorama.com/CNU65.html?searchinfo=celestron ultima&item_no=10
http://www.adorama.com/CNU80.html?searchinfo=celestron ultima&item_no=7

Thanks for any input.

 

[Dan S]

A small Bushnell or Kowa is all you need. 20x magnification will show holes out to 50 yards if you shoot outdoors.

 

[ToeRag]

I'm new to Bullseye shooting and slowly getting my equipment together. I've narrowed down my spotting scope decision to two scopes. They are Celestron's 65mm and 80mm angled scopes. My concern with the two is focus at 50' indoors and size of the scope (length and additional width with the 45 degree angle). I eventually will be using a pistol box and want to mount it inside. Most boxes I've seen are about 18 inches long. The scopes are 13" and 16". Anyone using anything similar. I've only seen other shooters using small straight body scopes but I want to be able to use this scope outside out to 100 yds or possibly more.

Here are links to the models I'm interested in.
http://www.adorama.com/CNU65.html?searchinfo=celestron ultima&item_no=10
http://www.adorama.com/CNU80.html?searchinfo=celestron ultima&item_no=7

Thanks for any input.

I'm also VERY new to shooting. Starting to purchase some hardware, and as you might imagine it can get rather expensive quickly.

I want to spend the serious $ on things that matter first; and the less expensive things be a bit frugal. Because a spotting scope doesn't improve my shot, just let me see how /good/bad I'm doing I found an inexpensive one that I ordered (didn't get it yet)
http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/cb.aspx?a=444234
If I really get into this sport, I can always buy a better one in a year or two.

EDIT: I just got the scope today ... DAMAGED! and it really wasn't a quality scope even for $70. I sent it back for refund & I ordered the one that Dick suggested in the post below.

 

[Dick]

This is the scope that I use for Bullseye:

https://www.highpointscientific.com/store/viewItem.asp?idProduct=501

It's small, very light, and inexpensive. I have it mounted on the "standard" Gil Hebard mount inside the "standard" Gun Ho pistol box and it leaves plenty of room for all the other stuff you need to fit in there for your Bullseye matches. The optics are fine for seeing .22 holes at up to 50 yards, but leave a bit to be desired as a general spotting scope for rifle work - that said, if your sole use for it is Bullseye it will be more than adequate. I can also recommend High Point Scientific as a vendor, though others sell the same product at approximately the same price.

 

[rep308]

I'm new to Bullseye shooting and slowly getting my equipment together. I've narrowed down my spotting scope decision to two scopes. They are Celestron's 65mm and 80mm angled scopes.

Here are links to the models I'm interested in.
http://www.adorama.com/CNU65.html?searchinfo=celestron ultima&item_no=10
http://www.adorama.com/CNU80.html?searchinfo=celestron ultima&item_no=7

Thanks for any input.

I bought the 80mm angled from Adorama at the suggestion of a member here and have been very happy. I have only been using it at 50 yds to 200 yds rifle shooting.

 

[boomerang]

The scope Dick uses looks good. Those Celestrons are giant. Way too big in my opinion for carrying around in a gun box. Not much will fit in the bottom of the box with a scope that big. Small and light is the way to go. I haven't seen a scope that won't focus down to 50 feet. The concern might be if you want to shoot air pistol or rifle. Then you want to make sure your scope will focus dow to 10 meters, which many won't do.

 

[Dick]

The concern might be if you want to shoot air pistol or rifle. Then you want to make sure your scope will focus down to 10 meters, which many won't do.

I use that little scope in my basement air gun range as well - it focuses just fine at 10m, and even closer than that if need be.

 

[ToeRag]

This is the scope that I use for Bullseye:

https://www.highpointscientific.com/store/viewItem.asp?idProduct=501

It's small, very light, and inexpensive. I have it mounted on the "standard" Gil Hebard mount inside the "standard" Gun Ho pistol box and it leaves plenty of room for all the other stuff you need to fit in there for your Bullseye matches. The optics are fine for seeing .22 holes at up to 50 yards, but leave a bit to be desired as a general spotting scope for rifle work - that said, if your sole use for it is Bullseye it will be more than adequate. I can also recommend High Point Scientific as a vendor, though others sell the same product at approximately the same price.

Got mine Thursday .. looks great, reasonable price. Haven't used it on a target yet but spied on some robins sitting on their nest. NICE little tri-pod! Very happy with the purchase so far.

 

[EDD]

Looks more and more like I'll have to dedicate a smaller scope for bullseye. I've been looking for a used Bullseye box as well and my wife's uncle,who's been a competitive shooter for years, is going to give me his. I was showing him my practice targets and after looking them over he offered it to me. I'll have to set it up with my gear and see what kind of room is left over. Any dimensions on the Celestron mini 50? The site lists the length but what about the width. I realize it is 50mm but how much does the 45 degree eyepiece stick out past?
Thanks for the tips everyone.

 

[Dick]

Some dimensions for you on the Celestron mini: The objective lens is 50mm (about 2"), as you know, but that's the glass - with the lens barrel, the actual OD at the objective is 2.5". Back toward where the ocular begins to stick out, that increases to about 3.5" to accommodate the focusing mechanism. The ocular itself projects to 5.5", i.e., if the scope were sitting flat on a table, the top of the ocular would be 5.5" above the tabletop. But when you put the hard plastic lens cap on, that increases to about 6". The scope mount itself adds about an inch, so if mounted on the lid of a gun box, the whole rig projects out about 7" at the tip of the ocular with the lens cap on. There's plenty of room in the more-or-less ubiquitous 4-gun Gun Ho bullseye box to leave the scope mounted and still be able to close and latch the lid.

 

[EDD]

That's what I was looking for. I don't have the box yet but he said he thought it was a three gun box.
Thanks again.

 

[dam8]

# gun box is ideal, sometimes tippy though. The 4 gun box is probably the most common. I bought the biggest scope I could fit in my box. 60mm objective lens, 20-45 zoom eye piece. A bit more than most but very bright and clear ( gathers more light)