This year at Nationals at the Whittington Center I noticed some really expensive spotting scope setups. To be honest I had scope envy.

I have a Burris 15-45xspotting scope
It works well for the most part. I just picked up an older B&L 15-60x spotting scope on a whim. It goes well with my vintage tripod


The question is what are you using for a spotting scope?

I just recently got a spotting scope rig together...

Someone in my neighborhood was selling a Celestron 20X 50mm straight-body scope for $25. It could use another 5X of magnification but it works just fine.

A friend gave me a semi-broken camera tripod for free. I need to replace the tripod with something a little less janky but it works at the moment.

Some of the guys I shoot with have some really nice spotting scopes we use for the big regional/state matches, but I couldn't tell you what they are.

I am a big fan of the Vortex spotting scopes have a viper and rattler. Just did get a set of their 16x56 binoculars with an adapter to fit their summit tripod. That set up should work quite well for silloutte.

The 16X56 binoculars may be a bit low on the magnification for smallbore silhouette and highpower silhouette, but they might be good for the cowboy matches. The NRA rules don't allow binoculars on a stand or tripod to be used for spotting during cowboy rifles silhouette matches, though.

NRA Rifle Silhouette Rules, 3.1.3 (e)
http://rulebooks.nra.org/documents/pdf/ ... r-book.pdf

Have not shot the "cowboy" stuff, the closest match is over 200 miles one way.. so don't really care what they do or don't allow.
I can tell you they work fine for the 22 bpcr silloutte where the rams are at 200 meters, and as well as they pick up the mirage and with the field of view they offer, should work quite well for the bpcr silloutte. Maybe find time in the next couple of days to shoot my swingers, as well as see how they work for finding the mirage and winds for shooting 1000 yds.

Jason wrote:The 16X56 binoculars may be a bit low on the magnification for smallbore silhouette and highpower silhouette, but they might be good for the cowboy matches. The NRA rules don't allow binoculars on a stand or tripod to be used for spotting during cowboy rifles silhouette matches, though.

NRA Rifle Silhouette Rules, 3.1.3 (e)
http://rulebooks.nra.org/documents/pdf/ ... r-book.pdf

Could have swore I saw binoculars mounted on tripods?

I think the rule not allowing binoculars on tripods is only a couple years old now. The rule not allowing spotting scopes for spotting in cowboy matches has been there quite a bit longer. There were quite a few who got around the no spotting scope rule by just getting 20+ power binoculars and mounting them on tripods. Evidently someone complained enough that the rule got put in place.

Interesting... learn something new every day...

Jason, Binoculars on tripods have never been allowed as long as I have been shooting CLA.

Al Foust

My question is why aren't they allowed?

It seems silly that spotting with two eye balls is illegal given the natural state of most people having two eye balls.

Allen, The reason spotting scopes are not allowed for CLA is stated in the first paragraph of the cowboy rules. It's to keep costs down. I have talked to several framers of these rules and they were very adamant about keeping things simple.

3.1.3 Cowboy Lever Action Silhouette Rifle – Listed below are the three classes of Cowboy Silhouette Rifles. The below listed rules (a - f) apply to all classes of Cowboy Silhouette Rifles. (The intent of these rules is to establish a match for common hunting carbines and other lever action rifles. The match is focused toward shooters who enjoy shooting hunting arms and do not want to make the investment required of other specialized types of shooting competitions.)

Al Foust

Allen,

Binoculars are allowed in Cowboy silhouette, but the spotter has to hold them. Cant use them on a tripod.

Dustin

Why would having to use only binoculars instead of spotting scopes keep costs down? It's easy to spend as much as you are able/willing to on either. For competitors who do both cowboy and scoped rifle silhouette matches, they'd have to buy good binoculars in addition to the spotting scope and tripod that they already have.

Jason, you are 100% correct. I have a Bushnell bracket glasses setup for HP and I don't have as much in them as I do the Leupold binoculars I use for CLA. But to be honest I don't think it's a big deal using binoculars given the distances we shoot and the size of the targets. Also I would not relish dragging my "big eyes" up and down the firing line at Raton.
I will state this again' the framers of the CLA rules were real adamant about costs and keeping things simple. One of them told me they should have only allowed the open sights on the barrels. How many shooters would we have with that rule.

Al Foust

cslcAl wrote:One of them told me they should have only allowed the open sights on the barrels. How many shooters would we have with that rule.

They should have never done the pistol cartridge rifle either. What a pain! And an extra set of targets to boot!

Dustin