20 Best Scopes For 6.5 Creedmoor (2023 Updated)

This is my #1 scope now. The glass optics are clearly(pun) high end. I have a cool range setup now, was able to mount on my old manfrotto tripod.

Hard to hold steady unless it’s mounted on a tripod. Luckily I was able to find my old tripod from the 80’s. Nice zoom and quick focus. A cool thing to have if your balcony comes with a view.

So, I was hoping to get a scope to hold me over until I was able to purchase something along the lines of a Kowa or Swarovski and chose this one. I hated it. I am naturally a more picky person as I like to be able to see my birds but the chromatic aberration is so bad at max magnification I had a hard time identifying Bonaparte’s gulls.

I imagine if you don’t push the limits of what the scope can do it should be just fine, but I needed it to be able to get that extra range. That was what I bought it for in the first place. Make sure it actually fits your needs before you pull the trigger, otherwise you will end up like me, $300 down after punting and selling it back.

I have my 10-year old pair of binoculars that I bought for $200 and I never need another pair. The same is not true for spotting scopes, get nicer or sacrifice range.

I love this scope. I believe this is one of the best scopes in this price range. Im not an extremist critic like some who post on here. If you want better, youll pay $1000s for it. Where this scope really shines is in low light.

I was very impressed with what I saw at close to dusk. I was able to ID some Red-breasted mergansers at the time. Look at the moon through it. Amazing detail! BH threw in the Vortex Pro Gt Tripod. It works great.

Youll need a heavier duty tripod like this cause the scope is heavy. The only downside to the scope is its length and weight. You might not want to track in far with the scope. But that weight is what gives you the exceptional low light viewing.

The 60x power is very important in my book. I use it a lot in birding even if the image is not as clear as at lower magnification. Granted in the summer 60x may be almost useless because of the heat waves in the atmosphere.

Combining BH’s unbeatable price and Vortexs’ lifetime warranty, this set made me a very happy customer!!.

Like most people mention the tri pod isn’t great but it’s alright for what the package costs. The scope is a definite value, from almost 5 miles away I could spot a bull elk from a cow elk against the snow couldn’t count points but damn that’s a long ways away.

Could count points on deer from almost 1 mile away against the snow. For around $100 this is a real deal.

I haven’t used many spotting scopes. But where many options are hundreds of dollars and I’m thrifty I wanted something sub $100. This seemed to have the best reviews under $100 so I gave it a try. I got done with my 1st range day with it and I’m happy to report it’s well worth the money.

It’s extremely clear and bright and the magnification is plenty. I got an adapter to put my phone on the eyepiece. Zoomed in to 60x looking at a target at 100 yards the paper fills most of the view and you can clearly see the holes and fine details.

The tripod it comes with is much smaller/shorter than it looks in the photos but I suppose it would work. I used a normal camera tripod I had laying around since the scope takes a normal 1/4″ tripod stud.

Lousy zoom. Not clear at 30-60x zoom. Piece of junk. The tripod was unstable and shaky. I have a pair of Simmons 10×50 binoculars that are much better but was looking for something more powerful but this wasn’t it.

The people who say this is a good scope are full of it. Returned it for a refund. Don’t buy this. Save your money for a better scope.

When I started shopping around for a new scope, I was planning on spending the Big Bucks on a Kowa, Swarovski, Leica or Zeiss. Something with an 80 + mm objective and costing three, maybe four grand.

I wandered around the net for a few days and read all the reviews on the camera store sites and then I checked the review charts published by the birdwatching magazines. I kept seeing raves about the small Nikon ED-50 A.

Lots of them. One of the charts had the ED-50 A rated about fourth of ALL scopes including the high-end monsters. It even rated MUCH higher than all the bigger and more expensive Nikons. Being the skeptical and cynical type (working enforcement for EPA will do that to you), I had a hard time believing that something with a 50mm objective would bring in enough light.

And, in general, the bigger scopes have a sharper focus than the small ones. But it was only xxx hundred bucks and B & H Photo said I could return it within ten days. Bought it, tested it, loved it. Real, true, deep, abiding, and passionate love.

It does everything that Nikon’s product description says it does. Small, extremely sharp, easy to focus, waterproof, and beyond-belief bright. But the best feature is that you can put it in your pocket.

Literally. The issue with larger scopes is that they require big tripods and the whole rig can get very heavy and ponderous. Hard to stash in a car and rough on your shoulders in the field. The ED-50 A does just fine on a small tripod (Vanguard or Manfrotto – something that costs around $100) and that means YOU WON’T LEAVE IT AT HOME.

The eyepiece only goes up to 30X but in nearly every situation, that’s more than enough. I’ve found that unless viewing conditions are perfect, zooming in past 30X just gives you a bigger hawk in the eyepiece.

It don’t get any clearer. One small irritant. The eyepiece is angled up from a straight-on view which makes it a bit more difficult find your subject. This is a common hassle for all angled scopes. But the ED-50 A is also angled slightly right-to-left.

This means that when the scope is pointed at a distant duck and you look down the line of the eyepiece, you are looking about ten degrees left of where the main barrel of the scope is pointing. This is a needless design flaw and it takes some getting used to.

And I’m not quite there yet. Despite that minor issue, I really, really like this device. Highly recommended. Cheers, Bill.

Christmas present so still new. It came much faster than expected and in great condition. I took it out to view waterfowl with other birders Mine was the smallest and lightest scope in the group so great for field work.

I used it handheld and passed it around. Wow was the unanimous reaction. Super clear and bright. Focus is easy to use. I ordered a handholding case and will also try with monopod and light tripod depending on trip.

I chose straight scope because other reviewers stated optics were brighter for this compact beauty than in the angles version. I have not compared them. It would be easy to window mount if desired. Many reviewers have recommended sliced wide angle eyepieces for better field of view but the zoom lens is quite good as is.

I used without eyeglasses and I think the fold down eye cup could be annoying to those who switch back and forth. The case is great for carrying but you cannot use the scope without removing it entirely.

This little gem will go virtually anywhere I can so I am looking forward to lots of use.

This scope has very good image quality and is small and less expensive compared to scopes with similar quality. Just what I wanted! My friend bought an expensive 65mm scope of a different brand without ED glass, and the image had strong magenta frames around all objects on the horizon.

Not so with this scope, the image is clear like water. Also, with a 50mm objective lens it is brighter at 30x than any 60mm or even 85mm scope is at 60x zoom. Very light weight makes it convenient to carry in any situation, even if you are going long distances over steep terrain and need to save your pack weight for other things.

I just carried it up a steep mountain where I found an old undisturbed wreck that proved no one had been there in at least 25 years. Downsides: -working the zoom and focus isn’t as intuitive as I would like.

-lens caps keep falling off, I replaced the objective lens cap with a screw on aluminum lens cap after I lost it, much better, never falls off. The eye lens cap still falls off because I haven’t lost it yet.

-not quite as sharp at 30x zoom as at 13x, but I should point out that this is a) not that big a deal, b) common even on very expensive zoom lenses, and c) you can replace the 13x-30x eyepiece with a fixed 27x eyepiece with great image quality (more than enough to make up for the reduced x) if it is important to you.

I wanted a high-end scope for watching birds, boats, and other wildlife from my window in SF, and that I could take on hikes where I’d know I’d see some cool wildlife. This thing is incredible. Wow. I am really impressed by the power and clarity – it is definitely way more power than I thought I would need.

At 20x, I’m already seeing wildlife in a way that is really fantastic. The build quality seems great. Everything feels very well made and solid. I would highly recommend this scope to anyone in this price range.

After all the reviews I’ve watched and read, this is the best option in the range.

I watch birds and really needed a scope to be able to better identify shore/lake birds as my bino’s weren’t giving me the reach I required. I wanted to spend less than $1,000 on my first scope, although I recognized my budget scope wouldn’t be able to compete with the Swaro’s I had tried out from friends.

I read some birding reviews that spoke highly of this scope. I am Canadian and worried about brokerage fees and duty costs, but B & H gave me a quote so I knew what the total cost would be before purchase.

The scope took 4 days to arrive, and cost exactly what I was quoted (no additional brokerage fees), it came with a rain cover and a nice added insulated Klean Kanteen mug as an extra. Even in American funds, it was cheaper than what it would have cost if I purchased it in Canada.

I am so happy with this scope, it performs exactly how I expected it to based on reviews. At full zoom, the image is slightly soft, and in low light, the image is not as clear, however, I am able to see shorebirds so much better now, and get a much further reach then what I was able to with my bino’s.

Very impressed at what you get for the cost. It is a great entry level scope for a birder on a budget.

Robust, easy to use, super clear and crisp image. Nice features like the ability to rotate the scope to turn the eyepiece towards you whilst keeping the sight trained on the same spot. Also very pleased with the inbuilt rubber sun shield/hood and adjustable eye piece.

Easy to adjust and fine tune focus. Best scope I’ve ever used for target archery. The target feels as if it’s at the end of my nose in HD!.

So I have been a true blue Leupold owner since the mid 80’s. I have had a VX2 3x9x40 completely submerged in a near freezing creek and never have I had a single issue with that scope to this day. That was 1994.

I have purchased several other Leupold scopes and binoculars since then and today I picked up my 20x60x80 Alpine2 spotting scope. It’s an overcast day and while I realize that increased magnification means a slightly darker image, this is not what I was expecting.

This may be a lense issue, maybe a faulty product, maybe that’s just the way it is. If tomorrow is sunny I am sure the image will be much clearer. However my beef is that despite literally hours of research ahead of time to find a scope made in America, I found out that.

THIS SCOPE IS MADE IN CHINA! Nowhere on the Leupold website, paperwork or scope itself does it state this fact. However the website doesn’t state that this scope is made in Beaverton Oregon. The paperwork doesn’t say so either.

The scope doesn’t state that it is made in the USA. The box itself doesn’t even say that it is made in the USA. HOWEVER the display sleeve that is conveniently removed from the box to access the scope does state clearly MADE IN CHINA.

I am sad that $500 doesn’t buy a scope made in the USA, especially from a company that I have so loyally purchased from for nearly 40 years. I have also learned that my Leupold binoculars were not built in the USA.

I just want others to be aware of this fact.

I’ve put Leupold products on all of my rifles since 1981. The quality of the glass and reliable mechanics had made me a long time fan. It was a no-brainer to look to Leupold for a spotting scope. It pains me to say that this product is underwhelming, especially the clarity of the optics.

I expected similar quality glass as that found in my VX-III. Not even close. Is this product sufficient to spot rounds on target – Sure. I’m glad I’m not using this as a telephoto platform. All of the picture would have that Vaseline, fuzzy quality popular with pictures of starlets from the 1950.

The HD moniker is LAUGHABLE.

I’m glad that I decided to spend the small amount of money it cost me to upgrade to the 80 mm lens. It really lets in a large amount of light and the anti fog lives up to its word. This is probably the first leupold optic I have ever purchased in my life.

It will get plenty of use. Mostly wildlife, but I actually brought it outdoors in the middle of the night and watched the eclipse (blood moon) just this past week. The clarity is fantastic. Both the zoom and eye adjustment dials are very smooth turning and allow for a gentle grip.

Overall, i would make this purchase again.

Really nice scope for the price. I’ve never had a real high end one, but this one met my expectations plus some. Will be perfect for wildlife and bird watching. Good crisp view. Bright images. Focuses easily.

Well made, but also surprisingly light weight for its size. No issues with fogging. Only thing I didnt care for was the tripod that came with it. Lots of plastic and cheaply made. Works fine once you get on your target, but kinda bouncey/rigid and doesnt move smoothly while trying to find your target.

I bought this over 2 years ago from Adorama (good service by the way) and very satisfied. I am a very advanced astronomy buff so have very high standards for my equipment. My favorite eyepieces for astronomy are Pentax (have full set) and since they are a perfect match for this scope the choice was obvious.

Advantages. the scope is sealed and nitrogen filled to prevent internal dewing. It has ED glass and the eyepieces have the same nitrogen fill and ED glass. Nice that you can change out the eyepieces and not have to worry about moisture getting into the scope or eyepieces.

But if you don’t want to use the Pentax eyepieces that is fine since the scope takes any standard 1 1/4″ astronomy eyepiece and I have tried many brands and all work fine. I like the angled version since I can lock it on a subject and have people of different heights look through the scope easily.

The straight model isn’t as convenient for that but you may find the straight version is a bit faster to find the subject. I chose the 65mm version rather than the 80 to save weight. The 80mm scopes are falling out of favor for a lot of people who don’t like all the weight and bulk.

The 65 easily fits into a day pack or over your shoulder and since you don’t need a extra heavy duty tripod you save weight there also. I would only consider the larger aperture scopes if you plan on doing a lot of viewing in very dim lighting.

I find if you just put a lower power eyepiece on the scope you will have no problem even in darker conditions. By the way I also have used the scope for bench rest target shooting and it works great.

I bought this to use as a aid to my photography for distant birds of prey ,it fits inside my camera backpack and weighs hardly anything ,I have put a small area plate on it so it integrates with my other items.

used it a few times now and the clarity is really outstanding ,I have owned a few larger more cumbersome scopes in the past and the i. q on this is far superior ,possibly due to the straight through eyepiece? or maybe just because celestron know how to make a good one.

I would thoroughly recommend this to anyone that is looking for a small scope with good quality lenses and is a steal at the price. the bonus points being the lockable metal case and the carry bag ,the lens end covers also fit nice and snugly.

the only thing I would knock it for is the flimsy tripod but cheap good ones are freely available.

I received this and immediately tried it for some moon and star gazing. It was very easy to setup and once it was dialed in, it picked up the picture and I was able to focus easily. The only upgrade I would recommend is the tripod.

However, if its set on a table with a stable stationary chair, it will work just fine. Great product for the price.

I use this for spotting precision pistol targets out to 50 yards. Clarity is good enough and I am able to spot 22 holes even in overcast light conditions. The scope is compact enough to fold away into my Bullseye box.

Only problem Ive had is with the eyepiece cover, it fits very loosely and kept flying off every time I opened my box. I solved that by drilling a hole through the centre of the cover, knotting an elastic hair band and feeding it through, then the cover just hangs below the scope during use and the band is taut enough to retain the cover in place during storage.

This little scope is big in quality and delivery. We set it up to view across our Columbia River on the hillside. So awesome to see deer and the mountain goats close up. Hubby will use it mostly for hunting.

counting those antler points or scouting out game activity.