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Spotting scopes have many uses in the field,
particularly out in the wide open spaces of the American West,
or while hunting over the expansive bean fields of the Mid-West
and the prairies of our Plains states. They are much
easier to use than a handheld high-power binocular for me for
glassing over great distances.
While pretty handy in the hunting field, a good
spotting is a very valuable asset at the shooting range. A
good scope allows shooters to see tiny bullet holes, or the lack
thereof, in distant targets without walking downrange to do an
inspection. At a public range, calling a ceasefire every few
minutes to go downrange is almost as detrimental to one’s
health as dodging bullets to inspect the target without calling
for one. It is inconvenient, and wastes the time of everyone
trying to shoot. Occasionally, I shoot at a range with
other shooters, particularly while at the NRA’s
Whittington Center near Raton, New Mexico. A good
spotting scope is a valuable asset at such a place, saving time
and energy for all the shooters on the line.
The vast majority of my shooting, however, is
done at my own shooting range that is built on my property. I
have a covered position with a sturdy bench, several good
shooting rests from which to choose, a comfortable seat, and
target positions at twenty-five, fifty, and one hundred yards.
Seeing tiny bullet holes at a distance is difficult with a
hunting scope of normal power, and impossible when using open
sights.
Above, when referring to a spotting scope, I
qualified the noun with the adjective "good".
A good spotting scope is an asset. A cheap one is an
aggravation. Before getting the Leupold spotting
scope reviewed here, I have had for a couple of years a compact Burris
spotting scope that was included free when I purchased a Burris
rifle scope a couple of years ago. The rifle scope is a good
unit. The spotting scope is worth less than it cost me, and it
cost me nothing. Trying to see through that thing and focus it
to see bullet holes on targets is an exercise in futility. I
hate it, and after trying to use the abomination a few times, I
reverted to just walking downrange to look at bullet holes in
the target, or around the target as the case may be. This is
detrimental to good shooting, and a waste of valuable time. I
needed a GOOD spotting scope, and placed an order for this
Leupold.
To mount the scope to the shooting bench, I
ordered a mount from Sinclair International. Sinclair has
many really useful and high quality products for shooters, and Pat
Mundy at Leupold is the fellow that recommended the Sinclair
mount to me. It is everything that he said it was, and the
perfect choice for the Leupold scope. The Sinclair mount is
easily adjusted to securely clamp the scope to any bench,
and has a wide range of adjustment for elevation, and 360
degrees of lateral adjustment. It is strong, sturdy, and
perfect. Thank for the tip, Pat!
The Leupold Golden Ring scope chosen has a power
range from 15 to 30 and a 50mm objective lens. It is also very
compact in size, and comes with a strap for carry afield, and a
padded belt-attachable case. It has a brown synthetic rubber
coating, with a textured surface for a secure grip in any
weather. It has Leupold’s Multicoat 4 lens coating to enhance
image quality, and lens caps for protection on both ends.
It would be a very good unit to carry afield.
However, my main purpose for the Leupold
spotting scope is on the range, and that is where it has proven
very useful to me. The image quality between this Golden Ring
and my other spotting scope is like the difference between
looking through a professional camera quality lens on a
beautiful clear day and looking through a muddy water balloon
with a sharp stick poking you in the eye. Harry Houdini
couldn’t get a clear image through that cheap giveaway scope,
but the image looking through the Leupold is wonderful. It
is a great addition to the Gunblast shooting range, and will
travel with me whenever I shoot on any other range in the
future.
As I get older, I am still learning that it is
always wise to buy quality. Life’s to long to use crappy
equipment. For anyone needing a good spotting scope, check out
this Leupold Golden Ring unit. It is built in the USA, and
has Leupold’s famous lifetime guarantee. It is compact, light,
easy to use, and I highly recommend it.
Look at Leupold optical products online at:
www.leupold.com.
For the bench mount and other useful products
for serious shooters, go to: www.sinclairintl.com.
Jeff Quinn
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Click pictures for a larger version.
Leupold's Golden Ring spotting scope on the Sinclair
International bench mount.
Focus knob is conveniently located and easy to operate.
Leupold's Golden Ring spotting scope can be mounted on a
standard camera tripod.
Power adjusts from 15X to 30X.
The Golden Ring spotting scope is very compact, as shown
in this comparison to a 1911A1 pistol.
Scope comes with a padded belt-attached carrying case.
Sinclair International Spotting Scope Mount is just the
ticket for using a spotting scope at a shooting bench.
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