Spotting scope - angled or straight?

I prefer straight for hunting and angled for target shooting. For hunting a straight allows me to glass with binos and locate an animal, then I can simply pull the bino mount off and slide the spotting scope on. The animal will be right in the middle of spotting scope without any adjustment to the tripod or head. Angled for target shooting allows me to set the spotting scope up for minimal change in position after the shot. I can simply lean my head over and look through the angled eyepiece which is not possible with a straight.

Angled. Better for viewers of differing heights. Too many years with back and neck injuries. If I could get an angled eyepiece for a varmint scope, I'd very much like to give it a try.

For hunting, binoculars mounted on a tripod, especially for long glassing sessions are far more desirable than a single spotter.
The spotter has an advantage as for power at least as a general rule, but angled eyepieces aren't available on most of them. The newer Swarovski model being an exception, but of coarse very pricey also.
But for a varmit hunter, or any other hunter for that matter, who would prefer angled eyepieces, the ww2 German 10x80 or 12x60 flak glasses would be all but impossible to improve upon. Key is to find a set in good clean condition, but that's not impossible. Field of view in either would be immense, especially with the 10x80s, as compared with other glasses. But they aren't something you would hang around your neck, or use by just holding them up to your eyes, they do require a tripod. Don't ever turn down an opportunity to look thru a good clean set of large WW2 military binoculars, especially the German and Jap versions.

If you used strictly for hunting the straight allows you to glass downhill easier in a seating or prone position. For star gazing and target shooting angled is best if several users will be seeing through it of different heights.

Straight spotting scopes = a pain in the neck. I use them BUT .... they feel like I'm always looking up at things ... in the house, outdoors, on the road, I look slightly downward. It would be nice to have a world with a "heads up display" and a back and neck that haven't been "re-engineered" by bad usage and so many little injuries, but that ain't how it is. Looking "up" hurts my neck. Even sitting at the bench, I'm looking down at my brass, my tools, my notes, my chrony display. And right now, at my keyboard and screen. Form follows function according to Bucky Fuller. All these decades of looking down at my work ... ever see a surgeon looking up at his work? Some do ... with a camera and a screen.

Have you considered a draw-scope?

I live in Scotland and use a Swarovski CTC 30x75 draw scope. It draws down into a compact size, can be drawn and mounted like any other straight spotting scope and quickly mounted on sticks.

Optics are as expected with Swarovski but approx half the price of a spotting scope.

imyourhuckleberry said:

If you used strictly for hunting the straight allows you to glass downhill easier in a seating or prone position. For star gazing and target shooting angled is best if several users will be seeing through it of different heights.

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villagelightsmith said:

Straight spotting scopes = a pain in the neck. I use them BUT .... they feel like I'm always looking up at things ... in the house, outdoors, on the road, I look slightly downward. It would be nice to have a world with a "heads up display" and a back and neck that haven't been "re-engineered" by bad usage and so many little injuries, but that ain't how it is. Looking "up" hurts my neck. Even sitting at the bench, I'm looking down at my brass, my tools, my notes, my chrony display. And right now, at my keyboard and screen. Form follows function according to Bucky Fuller. All these decades of looking down at my work ... ever see a surgeon looking up at his work? Some do ... with a camera and a screen.

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Id be curious as to what you use your scope for?
If for example hunting, do you use it for looking for game, or just checking it out after its been found with other type optics?
Also important would be how you hunt, as in from a stationary position where you would be glassing for long periods, or moving about and glassing for brief periods. Certainly size and weight are a much bigger concern for someone who is on the move much of the time. Fact is that some of the finest optics ever created have angle eyepieces. But they are not intended for those who move about.

yobuck said:

Id be curious as to what you use your scope for?
If for example hunting, do you use it for looking for game, or just checking it out after its been found with other type optics?
Also important would be how you hunt, as in from a stationary position where you would be glassing for long periods, or moving about and glassing for brief periods. Certainly size and weight are a much bigger concern for someone who is on the move much of the time. Fact is that some of the finest optics ever created have angle eyepieces. But they are not intended for those who move about.

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I have two spotters and both straight. I have a big Nikon Fieldscope the 25X75X82 and a small one that I carry on my back back a Leupold Gold ring in 15X30X50. Weighs in under 22 ounces. For me I find it easier and more stable than binoculars and I basically glass if I'm stalking, which is usually 85% of the time. I use it to see the antlers and to determine whether its worth following that particular deer. The big one I use it for my target shooting at various distances to see bullet impact but it also gets a lot of use in Digiscoping. The glass on the Leupold is very nice that I use it as well for target shooting at 100 yards and if I have a shoot N C target I can see bullet wholes at 200 yards if it is not too hot of a day.

Well it appears that Kowa has recently introduced an angle version to their excellent line of spotters.
No doubt it will also be a bit pricey, but the option is there for those who want one.
Also if you search out "used Bushnell spotting scopes", on eBay you will find they have or at least have offered them.
I do know the older Spacemaster model with the angle eyepiece was an excellent scope, and on occasion you will find one there.
I'm assuming you are a spot and stalk type hunter based on what you've said. I'm also assuming you are a western hunter as that method doesn't work as well in the East.
None the less, and preferences aside, using a single spotter of any brand or design isn't a good method for glassing for game.
We have been blessed by our creator with having binocular vision with our eyes. If you feel that's unimportant for glassing, then cover one of your eyes for an hour and then see which works best for you. You could actually achieve the same results using a good rifle scope for glassing as using a spotter.
But for sure opportunities are being missed by not using the proper type optics for glassing.
Go to the 24 hour Campfire website. Then go to the Home page, then search out an article entitled BIG EYES. At this point it's an old article, probably at least 10 years old. But I'd suggest anyone having an interest in glassing for game read it, because time doesn't matter when it comes to technique.

My preference is angled

Angled is far better for my neck.

I hindsight……I surely wish that I'd bought angled! memtb

Just voted angled. Very interesting viewing the result.

I have both. I like angled at the range and it's kept in my range box. I like straight for most hunting situations. I find it easier to find game in than angled and works better when window mounted.

However, when watching up mountain side with a lot of elevation an angled eye piece is more comfortable for all day viewing. It doesn't put as much strain on your neck to look down as it does up. I like 15X56 binoculars best of all if I'm going to glass a mountain all day.