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The Best Spotting Scope Reviews and Advice
What Spotting Scope Does the Military Use?
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Table of Contents
Introduction
Military spotting scopes are designed to recognize and identify targets at long distances. They have bright and powerful optics and are built to survive blows, shocks, impacts, and drops.
They usually have a wide magnification range and large objective lens diameter. As good as it sounds, you wonder what spotting scopes do the military use? How are they different from the usual spotting scopes?
The spotting scopes used by the army should have added durability and sturdiness and should be able to withstand extreme weather conditions. They are usually lightweight but are shock-proof, waterproof, and reliable. These scopes are also filled with nitrogen to protect the optic from fogging. They are also designed to produce bright images even in low-light conditions.
Things to Consider
There are various factors to think about when choosing a spotting scope for military or tactical use. Let’s go ahead and learn more about them!
Magnification
Magnification can range from 12x up to 60x or more, and higher magnifications allow you to see objects in greater detail when the light and weather are favorable.
You have to consider though that dust, humidity, heat waves, glare, air, and wind currents can affect image quality, and there will be a drastic reduction in the image quality when there is higher magnification.
Objective Lens
The glass at the far end of the spotting scope is the objective lens. A larger objective lens will transmit more light, which will give you more defined detail and deliver better image quality. However, you have to consider that it is not always about the size of the lens but the quality that it offers so make sure to go for the quality and not the size.
Eyepiece
The finish and the construction of a scope’s eyepiece are very critical. There are straight, angled and removable types of eyepieces. Removable eyepieces enable you to change the magnification ranges, angled eyepieces allow you to have a comfortable viewing while in different positions, and straight eyepieces are best for quick target acquisition.
Tripod
You want to keep your spotting scope steady so that it can perform best. You can choose from a full-length tripod which you can use while standing or a short and sturdy tripod which, of course, you can use for sitting or low-height positions.
It is very critical that you choose tripods with added durability and sturdiness to ensure the stability of your scope since it is also essential that you get a clear focus on your target.
Top List of Military Spotting Scopes
M151 Spotting Scope
The M151 spotting scope is compact and light, and it allows the identification and recognition of targets at long distances. It has a magnification of 12-40x and an objective lens diameter of 60mm. It is weather-resistant and fog-proof, and it comes with a Leupold MilDot reticle for tactical collaboration and range estimation. It also has a night vision adaptor which can be attached to the eyepiece.
It comes with a tripod kit which allows the spotter to have a good sight while sitting or in prone positions. It is made of high-strength lightweight aluminum which provides rock-solid stability which is needed for target interdiction, surveillance, and observation missions.
It also comes with a laser filter unit that protects the observer from eye hazards on the battlefield, and an anti-reflection feature that eliminates detection from returned glint. However, it can be tough to find this scope available on the consumer market.
Levenhuk Blaze Spotting Scope
This scope is suitable for military use since it is resistant to impact and is very powerful. It has sizeable objective lens diameters and wide magnification ranges which allow observation of remote objects and those close to the observer with the same level of quality. This scope has a 27x to 75x magnification range and a 90mm to 100mm objective lens diameter.
The Levenhuk Scope can allow more light to be gathered compared to the typical spotting scopes, which means it can provide brighter images even in low-light conditions. This army scope can withstand extreme weather conditions because it is sturdy and durable.
It has high optical characteristics and reinforced polycarbonate rubber-armored shells which are shock-proof and will last longer in harsh conditions.
This scope is also filled with nitrogen which protects the optics from fogging. The scope comes with a case that does not need to be removed so the scope can be protected when you observe and when you transport.
Leupold Mark 4 Spotting Scope
This scope is intended for tactical spotting. The fact that it has a reticle makes it stand out because not all scopes have it. This is important to improving ranged precision.
Moreover, this model is tripod-ready which is another good thing because you sure would not want to be holding your scope for very long. A sturdy tripod will always be helpful.
It is waterproof, fog-proof, and armor-coated so you should be able to bring it anywhere, and it can surely withstand any weather condition.
This spotting scope is made for long-distance work and magnification can range from 12x to 60x. It is designed to be used as part of the team, with one person handling the gun while the other is controlling the spotting scope.
The Verdict
After a thorough discussion of what spotting scope does the military uses, we can say that there are so many factors that differentiate them from the typical spotting scopes being used for hunting or bird watching. The factors mentioned above are just some of them.
We can say that spotting scopes for military or tactical use are a lot more enhanced in terms of the specifications and features since they are designed to function in critical situations, and their durability and sturdiness are of extreme importance. They are also expected to provide higher image qualities even in low-light conditions and extreme weather conditions.
The spotting scope models stated above are just a few of the popular ones out on the market today, but there are certainly more options available that may offer a whole lot of different features that are not mentioned in the examples above.
