Reddit mentions of BARSKA 15-40x50 Colorado Spotting Scope

https://www.amazon.ca/Barska-CO11500-15-40x50-Colorado-Spotting/dp/B0049IZMUW/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1480084327&sr=8-3&keywords=Spotting+scope

For a 100 metres this 40x should be plenty sufficient.

If I'm only shooting between 25 and 100 yards - is this dubiously cheap spotting scope going to be sufficient to check my groups?

http://www.amazon.com/BARSKA-15-40x50-Colorado-Spotting-Scope/dp/B0049IZMUW

I bought this scope and put this tripod on it. It works great out to 100yds with .22lr/.223. Cheaper glass will get fuzzy at higher magnifications, so I find that 30x works best for this particular scope.

Here, Here and Here, though i would pick a $10 binocular over a $30 spotting scope. (based on experience with both)

Hello :-)

Yes, a reflector is the best bang for the buck but the image is upside-down. You can get erecting eyepieces and erecting adapters, but as they are rarely used (it does not matter if space is "upside-down") there are few choices and especially the adapters tend to be of poor quality.

Under $200 you will have MANY sets that are not good; Either on a weak tripod or with flawed optics. Short cheap refractors are not suited for high magnification; Short newtonian reflectors have their flaws, too.

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GoScope: Short refractor has several flaws, despite the large aperture.

Starblast 4.5": Short reflector, the aperture ratio of F/4 will have several flaws.

70eq: Small refractor. Not bad, but it just lacks the aperture for many targets. Especially for terrestrial, the 70az would be better (and cheaper) than the 70EQ

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Yes, aperture is key, but portability plays a big role, too :-)

Here is a link on what to expect in different smaller apertures and one link with more comparisons:

• http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=&sl=de&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.binoviewer.at%2Fbeobachtungspraxis%2Fteleskopvergleich_deepsky.htm&sandbox=1
  
  
• https://www.reddit.com/r/Astronomy/comments/3j2wjo/what_is_a_good_telescope_in_this_budget/cum0622
  
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  For size, see
  
  
  
• http://www.astropetes.com.au/telescopes.html
  
  
• AWB/Heritage http://www.zudensternen.de/Teleskop%20Skywatcher%20Heritage%20Dobson%20130.html
  
  
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  One option under $200 is the Celestron c90; You will need a (rigid) tripod and one or two more eyepieces, but these are fun for terrestrial viewing and super small. Maksutovs are short as they have a different design (optical path "bouncing" back and forth).
  
  For $200, you can get a 5" telescope though, or a 6" dobsonian for $275 if the main focus is space... And get some $35 binoculars or spotting scope for day-time (Celestron Cometron 7x50, or just something simple as this spotting scope so you don't have to compromise regarding night-time observing!)
  
  Here a few other suggestions;
  
  
• AWB Onesky - Great telescope for kids, but more than a toy. Low to the ground but far more rigid than all the weak sets on tripod in this price range; It has a few quirks, but nothing you can't fix.
  
  
• 90mm refractor will show more than the typical 60, 70mm refractors in this price range; The tripod like in all of the cheaper sets aren't very rigid.
  
  
• c90, as discussed, sometimes cheaper; The down-side is mainly the small maximum field of view and a bit less contrast compared to the refractor, the up-side is the ultra compact size.
  
  
  
• If you insist on small size and day-time use, you can also get the c90 on a computerized table top mount for $225. GoTo does not make everything necessarily easier (you will still need to know about the night-sky, and "Turn left at Orion" or "Simple stargazing" is an easier read than the Computer control's manual), but for the price difference, you could go that way.
  
  
  
• 6" Dobsonian - best bang for the buck (Except for the 8" which already shows the spiral structure of a bunch of galaxies...)
  
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  Eyepieces: It depends strongly on the choice of telescope. But you can get decent eyepieces for $20-$40, and there's no need to combine a cheap kit eyepiece with a cheap barlow. Stay away from overpriced eypiece box sets and zoom eyepieces (as they have a narrow apparent field of view on one side of the scale, but they can be nice for a day-time spotting scope). Two or three decent wide-angle eyepieces instead can go a long way.