One of the most critical pieces of equipment a guide or outfitter consistently relies on is their optics. Whether buried in the pack frame or mounted to the truck, the spotting scope is arguably the tool that professionals use day in and day out to master their craft.
Spotting scopes might very well be the origin of the phrase ‘you get what you pay for.’ You can get into one for roughly the same cost as a high-end pair of hunting boots, or you could drop enough coin to send a gifted youth to college for a semester. Like any form of gear, the difference comes down to performance in the field, and in this case it’s literally a difference you can see.
Lenny Miller of Taneytown, Maryland has been a professional hunting guide for the past two decades, and he will see you before you see him. As a guide, its Lenny’s job to pick out game animals on the landscape and make a decision whether or not to move his hunter into position to shoot. And while Lenny Miller’s lethal eyesight is the stuff of legend – he can see germs on a countertop, and once made 300 lbs. of shed elk antlers magically appear with a blink through his Zeiss binoculars – he doesn’t find animals using s*** optics.
Miller explains there are three names to know when it comes to discussing professional grade spotting scopes: Zeiss, Leica and Swarovski. And although they might carry some of the heaviest price tags, the investment should be a no-brainer for professional guides and outfitters.
“They’re built better, they have better glass. There are some other mid-level spotting scopes out there – Vortex, Meopta – they’re comparable, but you’re looking at a probably 8 – 9 percent difference in light transmission that first half hour and last half hour,” says Miller of the industry leading brands. “And if its your job, if your a guide or an outfitter, then spending the extra fifteen hundred, two grand is probably worth it because obviously that’s the most important time of the day.”
One important feature to look for is a lifetime warranty behind the product, something cheaper optics companies don’t offer. Miller says the warranty alone is reason enough for him to buy the Zeiss optics he uses over one hundred days a year in the field.
“It’s a big investment up front, but if you look at it over a thirty year period, if you go with a cheaper spotting scope – say you have to replace that once every ten years – well now you’ve spent more money than you would have spent if you just would have went with the best up front.”
Miller also advises anyone in the market for a spotting scope to give consideration to what kind of terrain they’ll be packing into, and who is going to be behind the lens.
“In my opinion, you really ought to look at what your needs are. The 85 mm – the 90 – the big freakin’ scopes for a guy that does nothing but backcountry hunting – that’s probably not what he’s looking for because of the weight and so forth.”
On the other hand, as a professional guide, Miller prefers carrying the most powerful optics available to him. “Being lazy and having hunters who are out of shape, I want the bigger glass that allows me to see as much as possible so I know if its worth it to make the effort to hike over to where the animal is.”
Whether you’re a professional working in the industry, of simply a weekend warrior just looking to gain an edge, most leading manufactures offer a full product line to meet a variety of consumer budgets and demands. Price point for top of the line spotting scopes range from $1,500 to $4,000 depending on options.
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