Good copy, I appreciate your insights. I have my concerns about weight for both these scopes. I want something that I can use to determine if the animal is legal - for me it's about putting meat in the freezer and you can't eat antlers. The SX-4 Pro Guide might be a better option for me. Small enough to carry but with enough magnification and large enough objective to gather light. Part of the reason I haven't picked up a new spotting scope yet.
Years ago I bought an inexpensive Bushnell 18-36x50 spotting scope just to use at the range when zeroing or fine tuning my rifles. I took it out hunting pronghorn in Wyoming and after a couple of days of glassing I thought my eyes were going to fall out of my head. I don't think I have used it since. The magnification was a bit too low for the ranges I was glassing and the clarity of the scope left a lot to be desired. I think Bushnell ground their lenses from old soda bottle bottoms. For a long time I was looking at the 20-60x80mm spotting scopes but really did not like the idea of carrying all that weight knowing that the scope would drive the selection of the tripod. It is sounding more and more like the 15-45x magnification range will meet all my needs. Thanks for the feedback.
+1 for a lightweight backpacking scope that still has good magnification
