Best budget spotting scope for 1000 yards
A spotting scope has a higher magnification than most other optical devices, such as binoculars and monoculars. However, spotting scopes can be expensive if you want one with high performance to use for 1000 yards.
Not to be discouraged, there are budget alternatives that can still spot targets over that distance, which is what this article looks at.
Best Budget Spotting Scope for 1000 Yards-Top Picks
| Product | Image | How To Buy |
| Vortex Diamondback HD 20-60x85mm Spotting Scopes |  |
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| Celestron Ultima 100 Spotting Scope 100mm |  |
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| Athlon Optics Argos 20-60x85mm HD Spotting Scopes |  |
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| Vanguard Endeavor HD 65A 15-45x65mm Spotting Scope |  |
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| Athlon Optics Talos 20-60×80 Spotter Scope |
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| Barska Blackhawk 18-36×50 Spotting Scope |  |
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| Celestron TrailSeeker 20-60x80mm Spotting Scope |  |
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Bushnell Trophy Xtreme Spotting Scope |
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The detailed reviews….
Vortex Diamondback HD 20-60x85mm Spotting Scopes
For Just under $500, you get this vortex diamond black spotting scope. It’s one of the best performers when it comes down to clarity, and this makes it a perfect option for a target that is 1000 yards out. A lot of reviews point out its good performance under low light, while most others complement its low-profile design The good performance is aided by the multicoated lens and one of the widest objective lenses measuring 85mm.
Mounting the scope on a tripod is quick and simple, and the high quality can be felt from the ultra-hard casing, which has a rubber surface for added grip. In addition, the spotting scope has an integrated sunshade that surrounds the objective lens and can be pulled forward to reduce glare from the sun. You also get a focus wheel to help you focus when the image is blurry.
Key Features
- Magnification: 20 – 60 x
- Objective Lens Diameter: 85 mm
- Eye Relief: 18.3 – 20.3 mm
- 60 – 108 ft at 1000 yds Field of View
- Fully Multi-Coated lens
- 6 ft minimum focus range
- Rubber surface on the housing
- Fog-proof and Weather resistant
- Weights 61.3 oz
Celestron Ultima 100 Spotting Scope 100mm
The Celestron Ultima is one variant in the Ultima series but this one has the widest objective lens diameter of 100mm. This makes it very capable when it comes to spotting distant objects, but on the other hand, it is rather bulky at a weight of 4.5 lbs. It uses a 45-degree eyepiece design with an eye relief of 18mm.
The 66x magnification, which brings the images closer, aids target identification at 1000 yards. Although the image can occasionally become blurry, this has been addressed by the manufacturer with a quick focus knob which is easily adjusted with a finger.
The lens features a high-quality multicoating that makes sure the maximum amount of light gets in through it. The scope is water resistant and part of the package is a carrying case that allows you to conveniently tote it around despite its unwieldy dimensions.
Key Features
- Magnification: 22-66x
- 100 mm objective lens diameter
- 53-95ft at 1000 yards field of view
- 33ft minimum focus range
- Sight tube for quick targeting
- Fog and Water-resistant
- Includes a Soft carrying case
- Multi-Coated Optics
- Objective Lens cap
- Peep sight for a quick initial location of your subject
- Rubber armored housing
- The smooth focus knob can be turned with a single finger
- Weighs 4.5 lbs.
Athlon Optics Argos 20-60x85mm HD Spotting Scopes
The Athlon Argos is both simple and adaptable. It comes with two eyepiece designs, one straight and one angled at 45 degrees. It is ergonomically designed and uses a rotating ring tripod mount so that every user will find it easy to observe targets.
A capable 60x magnification and a wide objective lens of 85mm, both help provide well-defined images of distant targets with no darkened or blurred-out areas. Sharp images at 1000 yards are further aided by the very good quality glass that has been well coated, as well as a Porro prism to further enhance the quality.
The scope is also tough, thanks to the solid aluminum casing and gas purging on the lens, which allows it to resist moisture and have better thermal stability. Overall, this is one of the best spotting scopes considering it’s available at a price of less than $400. The superb quality exhibited over 1000 yards will rival some of the expensive models.
Key Features
- Magnification: 20 – 60 x
- Objective Lens Diameter: 85 mm
- Eye Relief: 0.77 – 0.7 in
- Exit Pupil: 4.2 – 1.42 mm
- 48 – 102 ft at 100 yds Field of View
- Wind Band Fully Multi-Coated lens
- Rotating ring tripod mount design
- An extendable sunshade
- Phase Coated Porro Prism
- 4 ft minimum focus range
- Weights 68.9 oz
Vanguard Endeavor HD 65A 15-45x65mm Spotting Scope
If you want the best of the best at a budget price the Vanguard Endeavor must make the cut. What makes this spotting scope stand out is the extra-low dispersion glass that gives an excellent color rendition and minimal fringing even over a distance of 1000 yards. It’s easy to identify the scope from the rest because it has a unique design. With a rubber-armored magnesium body that makes it hardy as well as gives the user a solid grip when using it.
The lens is fully multicoated and includes an additional dual focus wheel for coarse and fine adjustments to ensure that the images are as sharp as possible. Furthermore, the scope includes a built-in sunshade and extendable rubber eyecups to improve your viewing experience, especially on a sunny day.
Key Features
- Extra-low Dispersion glass (ED)
- Magnesium alloy casing
- Magnification:15 – 45 x
- 8 – 21 meters @1000m Field of View
- objective lens diameter: 65mm
- Angled eyepiece design
- Dual focus wheel
- Fully multi-coated Lens coating
- Eye Relief 19 – 20 mm
- Weighs 51.1 oz
Athlon Optics Talos 20-60×80 Spotter Scope
The Athlon Talos is a great low-cost option. It costs less than $200 and has a range of 1000 yards. Expect it to fall short of the quality of more expensive options, but for the price you’re paying, I doubt you’ll find anything better. It also adds a touch of style to the user’s experience by allowing them to choose from a variety of casing colors.
The spotting scope makes use of a K9 glass prism with a silver coating, which reflects a large amount of light through the lens. This is a clever way to provide high-quality images while keeping the scope’s price low. Another appealing feature is its light weight (2.1 lbs.) and nitrogen-purged construction for moisture protection and improved thermal stability.
Key Features
- Magnification: 20 – 60 x
- Objective Lens Diameter: 80 mm
- Eye Relief: 0.6 – 0.7 in
- 48 – 82.9 ft at 100 yds Field of View
- Aluminum casing material
- Silver Coated K9 Prism glass
- Fully Multi-Coated lens
- 7 ft minimum focus range
- Weight: 38.5 oz
Barska Blackhawk 18-36×50 Spotting Scope
This is a low-cost spotting scope but it delivers high-quality performance for someone who wants to spot targets at 1000 yards. It has a rather small objective lens diameter but, because the lens is so good together with the coatings applied on it, you get a good image with just small dark parts on the edges. Moreover, it has an integrated sunshade, which helps the user see clear images of the target even in bright sunlight.
The small objective lens diameter has advantages as well, as it contributes to the scope’s lightweight and portable design. At that long range of 1000 yards, the field of view is also excellent, making it very easy to track down targets.
The ruggedness with which this spotting scope has been built is noteworthy. It is waterproof, fog proof, and has shock-absorbing armor to protect the lens, which is the most delicate part, in the event of an impact.
Key features
- Magnification: 18-36x
- Objective Lens Diameter: 50mm
- Angled eyepiece design
- Multi-Coated lens
- 100-137 ft at 1000 yds Field of View.
- Large focus dial
- Fast and easy to use
- Includes a T-adapter for digiscoping
- 23 ft minimum focus distance
- Weights 1.44 lbs.
Buying a Budget Spotting Scope For 1000 Yards.
These are some of the things you should consider when buying a spotting scope for 1000 yards.
Quality of glass-The type of glass used on the lens determines the quality of the image the user gets. Unfortunately, the higher the quality, the higher the cost of the spotting scope.
Glass coating-This is applied on the lens to minimize reflective loss, and permit more light transmission through the lens. look for terms like ‘multi-coated lens’ describing the lens to get the best quality optics.
Objective lens diameter- A wider objective lens will allow in more light resulting in a brighter image. Choose an objective lens with a diameter of at least 60mm, if you want a bright image, without dark edges, over a distance of 1000 yards.
A large objective lens, on the other hand, will make the spotting scope bulky and unwieldy, so it’s up to you to decide what you value the most.
Magnification-Magnification denoted by ‘X’ is how many times the original image can be enlarged. Typically, a spotting scope has a high magnification, but you need even higher magnification if you want to use it for 1000 yards. Consider one with a magnification between 30x and 60x, because anything smaller than this will not deliver a valuable image.
Magnification works hand in hand with factors like the diameter of the objective lens and the quality of the lens to deliver a clear image to the user.
Field of View-The total area that can be viewed at once and it’s measured in degrees. A wide FOV is good for tracking targets and can be very useful for activities like hunting and birding.
Eyepiece design-An eyepiece can either be straight or angled towards the top, although the appropriateness of either depends on preference, an angled eyepiece is more convenient. If it is on a tripod and is being used by people of different heights.
Durability– Although damage is sometimes unavoidable, a good spotting scope should have some features that allow it to withstand harsh conditions such as impact or inclement weather that can cause damage.
A tough casing and a waterproof rating are telltale signs of a long-lasting spotting scope. To reduce fogging, some lenses are also argon purged.
CONCLUSION
After going through this review, you’ll have familiarized yourself with the best budget-spotting scope for 1000 yards. These scopes have the best performance at that range without being overly expensive. This detailed review also gives a buying guide that you can use to look for other alternatives on the market that we have not included on the list.
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