Customer Reviews

BarskaŽ 20 - 60x60 mm Waterproof Spotting Scope

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This was my first purchase of a Barska product and I'm mystified at how they can produce such high quality at near give-away prices. I've owned optics from Nikon, Leupold, Minolta, Tasco, Simmons, Bushnell and other companies and Barska products are not merely "okay for the price," they surpass scopes costing much more. I was surprised when I received it with both a high-quality hard case and a cloth case--my first impression was that I would have preferred it if the company had foregone the hard case and put the money into the optics, but the padded lock-box turned out to be a bonus and not an add-on sales gimmick, they didn't compromise on the scope quality.

I needed a new spotting scope for rifle and pistol targets and honestly expected little from a zoom scope at this price range--I prefer fixed optics but needed at least 50x power to spot at 500-1000 yards and figured this would be adequate for seeing holes in paper. All I can say is, "Damn." Not only can I spot at 1000 yards, I can zoom in on a power pole a block away from my home and see a crisp, view-filling image of the serial numbers on the transformer box. The focus at 60x is stretching it--the useful magnification is more like 55x--but that's also the case with many pricier scopes...back it off a quarter turn from max power and the image becomes crisp and clear. The light capture doesn't match a $1000 Zeiss or Fujicon, nor is the focus crystal-sharp at maximum power, but how can anyone criticize that in a fifty-buck product? It's rubber-armored, the adjustments have the feel of a quality instrument, there's no chromatic aberration or distortion until about 50x, the ergonomics are excellent, the construction is bullet-proof and the 60mm field of view is generous both on the range and off.

For nature hiking and even star-gazing it's light enough to sling over my shoulder and forget about it, less cumbersome and heavy than high-power binoculars I generally leave at home. It's handy enough to tuck into a knapsack and rewarding enough that it's worthwhile going to the hassle of toting a full-size telescoping tripod on day hikes. I tuck it into my ditty bag for boating on Puget Sound to watch whales, seals, other critters and boat traffic and cheap enough that I don't worry about salt water spray and can hand it off to kids and enjoy watching them get a kick out of it without a lump in my throat. It has survived being dropped, doused with salt water and saturated with spilled beer.

Just to see if it was a fluke I dropped all of $30 on a pair of fixed-power Barska 10x50 binoculars and was equally impressed--they're better than my Nikons.

My experience with both Barska products is that you get way more than you pay for--they're not toys and while not as breath-taking as top Japanese and German optics, they're more than adequate for crisp and clear spotting and recreation. What's more important to me is that they get USED--I don't think twice about tossing them into into a day pack or my van just in case they come in handy, and if they get busted or lost I'll be disappointed but won't shed any tears, I'll just replace them with new Barskas. Next up is a rifle scope--I've looked through one at the range and it's as good or better than my Leupold.

In summary, them Russkies are turning out useful and rewarding gizmos for chump change. Those who say differently don't know optics--apparently they expect to see the rings of Saturn and don't understand the basic physics and limitations of light magnification. I've had the opportunity to use use truly fine scopes and binoculars and once you've seen professional quality you get kinda spoiled and judgemental. That said, I can't call Barskas magnificent but I can say that you're not going to see much more with a $1000 instrument than you'll see with this. I'm not Bill Gates so I have to make do. If you're considering a scope in the under-$150 range this is better than most of 'em and only runs $55--don't give it a second thought, unless you opt for the next one up the line with the prism eyepiece that's handier with the tabletop tripod (I'd look up the model number but if I leave this page I'll loose this message).

I have found this Scope to be in a class by itself. I really had few anticipations about it being above mediocre, as I've had a number of similar products in the past. When it arrived, & I tested the focus, it seemed to be too easy to operate, thus, perhaps a little on the cheaply-made side. So, for funnsies, I set it up on my porch, and cranked the magnification all the way up, as a 'trial by fire'. Looking at some vegetation more than 100M away, I found I could clearly see the veins in some leaves that were actually only about 1-1/2" X 1" in size. The resolution was outstanding! I think this scope has been my best-ever investment in range optics for both quality of vision as well as depth of field. I would definitely recommend this scope to anyone interested in good long-distance target verification or similar applications.

Good Scope for the price. Took this with me to the lake and was able to bring a kingfisher at about 275 yrds away close enough to to see it in full detail. Would have been 5 stars but the tripod is definitely a cheapo.

I was looking for a good scope that could give me a clear picture of .223 rounds at 100 yards and this exceeded my expectations by far. This scope has a nice non slip texture to it and despite what someone people say I feel has a good tripod for the weight it has to hold up. It has a regular tripod base so you can use a large tripod if you feel the need. This is a very light scope but feels strong and focusing is easy while holding it. I highly recommend this to anyone shooting within 100 yards no matter what caliber your shooting, after 100 yards I can't say since I am yet to go to a range with a greater distance but I'm sure it would do great even at 200 yards.

If you don't read past my first sentence...moral of the story, this scope is GREAT! I came across this scope while researching spotting scopes for the range. Before finding this scope, I was dead set on spending $200 for a different one. After reading the reviews and seeing the price, I took the plunge and purchased this one. I was definitely skeptical given how inexpensive it was. All my skepticism went right out the window as soon as I went to the range. WOW, this scope is GREAT! I use it primarily on the 50 & 100 yard outdoor range, shooting 556/223 ammo. This scope picks up the target and the bullet holes clear as day. AWESOME buy for the money; quality I would have expected from a scope that would cost hundreds of dollars more.

I ordered and received the spotting scope. It was not the one they advertised. It works OK. Resolution is crystal clear on .50 cal holes at 100 yds, so I imagine that it will do well at at least 200 yds on smaller holes. That is not why I rated it so low.

The listing refers to this being a "Blackhawk spotter". This is a particular Barska model that, per the listing, has rubber armoring, a sunshade, and BaK-7 prisms for optics. I thought that this was an extraordinary deal, since Amazon had this scope listed for $109 and this one from Sportsmans Guide was $60 including shipping.

The scope I received is a "Colorado" with none of those features. When I contacted Sportsmans Guide, they said that they made a mistake. They did not have the Blackhawk. They promised to change the listing and did send a return label. I waited to see if they had changed the listing before rating the product. They have not.

This was a classic bait and switch. Even with the return, I would be inconvenienced by looking for another scope. I decided it was not worth it. I plan to do no more business with Sportsmans Guide. Be aware that if you order this scope, the one you get is probably worth the money, but it will be different from the listed product.

This is my first scope. I needed it. We shoot pistols down range at about 25 yards or so. This scope is so clear that I can and did put my iPhone up to it to take a pic of my target and the hits. Clear as day. I also wear bi-focals so I need to see down range. This scope is perfect. I also tested it further at about 100 yards and can clearly see the letters on our neighbors sign by their mailbox. The sign is probably 5x8 and font size is probably no more than 36.

Great scope, I returned a Leupold 20-60X80 because It was not clear enough to see my impact point on my sight in target @ 100 yards with a 300 win mag, this scope is definately and suprisingly clearer than the Leupold

As an avid shooter for 30+ years, I purchased this scope on a whim from Amazon (the Sportsman's Guide) for $49.99 plus $10 shipping. Needing it only to see the holes' in my targets out to 300 yards to help with sighting in, I had no desire to spend $350+ on a nice Leupold for this only purpose. I half expected it to be crap and figured I'd' return it. I have to say I was very surprised. Brightness and clarity are more than acceptable and for the price, its about the finest low budget scope I've ever looked through.

Good spotting scope. I saved a lot of time while sighting in my new scope on my rifel. I sould have gotten one of these a long time ago. Works well and setup and adjusting was easy. And fits nicly back into it carrying case. Not always the case with some products.