Spotting scopes and why you need them!

What are spotting scopes and why you need them!

Any prepper worth his salt knows the value of hunting when SHTF. Maybe you need to supplement your diet with protein. Maybe you need to ward of predators. Maybe you just think it’s cool. Regardless you need to know all about scopes or “glass” as seasoned hunters refer to them.

So here are the basics about scopes:

Your average scope is comprised of a lens, a body, adjustment knobs and the eye piece. What are all these parts for? They all serve a very important purpose in viewing, focusing and magnifying the object. The front lens is an objective lens and the purpose of this to gather light and give a “field of view”. The body is what makes up the main scope it is the tubing between the lens and the eyepiece. The knobs are used to adjust size. Usually on most scopes one turn of the knob causes a 1/4” at 100 yards. At the seeing end of the scope you have the eyepiece with magnification and sometimes a knob for focusing objects as well. You should also know that some scopesare single power and do not allow for adjustment of magnification. One further terminology to note is the “eye relief distance”. This is the distance between the viewer’s eye and lens at the seeing end of the scope. This distance is important to know because it should be enough to avoid getting an eye injury if there is a recoil.

Now that we’ve covered some of the scope basics let’s talk about what you need a scope for.

Scopes allow you view objects at far range. This means you don’t need to stalk pray for very long. It also means you can get a shot without having to get too close to the game you are hunting. So you are less likely to scare away flighty animals like deer. Scopes are also great to use in dim or low light. If it’s dark your scope will focus all the light from the object and allow it to become visible. If you are a precision hunter, having a best spotting scope will also allow you to improve your accuracy and extend it for far-away objects. Scopes can also be used for things other than hunting. You can use it to spot birds or animals. In addition to this scopes serve a surveillance purpose as well. You can use them to scout the area and look out for trouble.

There are some downsides to using a scope though. Many hunters feel that using a scope decreases your visibility of the surrounding area and this can be a disadvantage in some situations. Scopes are also more expensive than using iron sights. When compared with sights scope are also heavier and more likely to break.

It is worth noting that a scope won’t make up for poor marksmanship. If you have trouble aiming or hitting your target a scope won’t improve that. This is why pro hunters suggest the best way to learn is still by using the iron sight on the rifle. Once you learn from this you can move on to using a scope.

Now that you know the basics about scopes you are better equipped to make a decision about whether you want one. Do your research and think about your needs before you go out and get one.