Customer Reviews

Barska Gladiator 25-75x100 Waterproof Straight Spotting Scope w/Tripod

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I sure am not an expert and this is my first spotting scope, yet after doing the research and owning a pair of 8 x 42 Barska binoculars (I love) I pulled the trigger on this scope. I am delighted with it especially compared to its competition that is pricey. Here I feel it is a great bang for the buck scope. It is clear and stable and sees birds close(10M) as well as far (1 KM) for hawks. I even left the Gladiator out and while it was covered with rain and dew, a quick wipe off and no damage. The stand could be improved, but as for the scope I am very happy.

I recently purchased the BARSKA GLADIATOR 25-75x100 spotting scope. My only complaint is that it is rather cumbersome because of its large size, but the optics are really good. The focus adjustment is very smooth and fine tuning is done with ease without any problem to focus in on your subject. If I had it to do over again, I would make the same purchase.

I already had a 20-60x field scope with a 65mm objective lens, but found it wanting in early evening lower light (often when bears and wolves become more active), so was looking for a lower cost option. After a fair amount of research, this scope seemed to be the ticket. We have had it out on a number of trips and it works well. The key element is a very stable tripod for it. When one is at 75x magnification, a little bit of anything can make a lesser tripod shake, which means the image isn't too good, either. We haven't been on an outing where others had high dollar scopes, too, but our other scope in decent light held it's own. This one is taking in so much more light, it's no comparison better.

I am not an expert in consumer optics; however, I am uncompromising when it comes to what I take to the rifle bench. I bought this spotting scope specifically to do the job of eliminating the waste of time and annoying necessity of manually checking target paper out, and it is capable of that and much more. I have since completely stopped using my clunky, annoying to setup and calibrate telescope for my casual astronomy hobby as this big honking scope captures amazing amounts of light in pure darkness. You just can't beat a 100mm objective lens. I should note I have only used this scope at 50 and 100 yards - and if it's pertinent, I was observing at 75x, shooting a Savage .22 bolt action and a Mosin Nagant M91/30. Even the .22 caliber holes were very clearly visible at 100 yards with full magnification. I have read someone complaining of Barskas having problems resolving fuzzy edges of the image at full magnification but it is possible this problem is exclusively isolated to other hobby applications such as birdwatching. I have not encountered it thus far.

The ONLY serious defect in the total package that leads me to write it down to 4 stars are the accessories. Barska has seriously under-anchored this product with a light, unwieldy tripod. It was clearly not designed for a spotting scope of this weight, length and objective. It would probably be rock solid on a 20-60x60, and perhaps they just decided to save time and money not sourcing a bulkier tripod. But I have bad news about it. One of the tightening screws broke the first day I took it to the range, but luckily I haven't quite figured out what it tightened, so it hasn't been an issue. Unfortunately, just today, while experimenting with a little airliner watching (which it does fantastically even at 25x, if a bit hard to track the aircraft), I actually broke the critical y-axis tightening rod -- the tilt grip. This is probably the most important part on the tripod to work well because it's your only tool to keep the MONSTROSITY of an objective from tipping forward. This thing is SERIOUSLY front heavy. I apologize for not having current information about customer support in this area yet, as I have not yet contacted Barska. I'm not sure if I even intend to request a replacement or spend high dollar on an after market tripod of superior quality.

I'm not sure what they are referring to as "micro-adjustment capable" but you really just have to wiggle it around the right way until it is fixed on the target you want. Luckily, an extreme advantage the optics give you over the limitations of the tripod is that the field of view is quite impressive.

Last and unfortunately least, they provide you with a soft carry case instead of the hard carry case that comes with the 25-125x88 and the 20-60x60 Benchmarks and other slightly smaller spotting scopes. Initially, I sought to get a carrying case separately simply for aesthetic and convenience concerns. However, the fit and organization of the interior is troublesome, with lots of strange velcroing subcompartments. I'm sure someone at Barska R&D thought, "People will love this, they can add and remove this compartment!" But the compartment is used to separate the crap-tripod from the awesome-spotting scope. Why would you want to remove the compartment and clunk it around w/ the tripod banging on top of the scope with no protective layer between them? Perhaps they prophesied that people would just dump the tripod and get a new one.

I cannot downplay the quality of the optics. I had concerns about resolving the tiny image of a .22 caliber hole in the paper at 100 yards, but it was crystal clear. I am anxious to push this scope to the limits of its range and clarity. Unfortunately, the extremely impressive cost on Amazon is offset by the fact that the accessories are somewhat worthless.

I have contacted Barska to request individual sale of a carrying case and they are getting back to me while looking into whether one of the Benchmark hard cases will fit a Gladiator series scope. It seems that the Benchmark is several inches shorter than the Gladiator (Naturally, as I said, this thing is gigantic), so they do not believe their smaller carrying case will fit it.

It's too bad. With even a functionally acceptable tripod, this would be one HELL of a total optical package to fit anyone's hobby needs - bird and wildlife watching, astronomy, shooting. If it's far away and you need to see it, it'll do it.

Let me start by saying that this scope looks the part when you get it. The 100mm lens is really something- creates a great big field of view and allows a lot of light in. The scope itself is sturdy and easy to operate. The tripod is kind of cheap, but not the worst-what do you exect? You get a nice nylon carrying bag as well.

The problem is this -it will not give you a real sharp close-up. I thought I could see real minute detail from 100 yards and you just don't. What you see from 100 you see about the same from a mile which is pretty good. The problem is it just doesn't magnify real super close. Maybe my expectations are too high. If you want to see super close detail you probably have to go to a $400+ scope. I also bought the adaptor for the camera and that is kind of a POS. It works, but if you put any presure on the button to take a picture this adaptor shakes like crazy. I would recommend buying a different adaptor.

I hadnt expected this scope to get so close far away objects with clear and wide vision. It is a bit heavy and you will need a strong and high tripod but it values everything if you wanna have a strong and good scope. Just setup your scope with high and durable tripod and enjoy to see whatever you can never see only with your eyes. I definetly recommend it as an amatour watcher...

Wow is it big but still a great price for the quality and works great with mounting bracket if you get Barska Tripod. Just keep in mind how big it is when you order.

Fantastic buy for the price. The scope is great, extremely clear at lower to mid power, but gets a little fuzzy around 75X. Super light gathering in low light. The included tripod is cheap and not very stable, but for the price, the scope alone would be a deal.

I was a little worried when I purchased the Barska Gladiator. I just couldn't imagine a 100mm objective at such a low price with good performance. So upon receipt, I did a quick comparision with my favorite astronomical scope, the Televue Ranger. The Barska compared quite favorably in a 70 yard fine target resolution comparision. In fact, I could not discern too much difference between the 70mm Ranger and 100mm Barska resolution in daylight. One might say this is expected of a 70 vs 100mm comparision. However, the Televue optics quality and performance is quite legendary with ability to achieve 180x and still perform. With both scopes I was able to read 0.2 inch high text and track 0.1 inch reticle artifacts at 70 yards (Barska at 75x). So, I expect this Barska to perform quite adequately at the shooting range for most calibers and ranges. I was not disappointed in performance of Barska and scope quality looks and feels superior. Oh, of course I used a stable scope mount in both cases. One really needs a stable, fine az and el adjustment tripod to be able to use this scope at 75x. I recommend this scope.

I purchased this just before a 2 week trip to Yellowstone, based on the high recommendations at Amazon, and the relatively low price.

I was very pleased with the clarity and the sharpness, especially in dim light, because of the large 100mm lens. In the Lamar Valley I could see a wolf scratch it's belly with it's right hind leg at 75x at over a half a mile away. (could barely make out the wolf with normal eyesight). At Canyon I set it up on an Osprey nest with two chicks on a rock pinnacle. The nest and chicks and sometimes mother Osprey filled up the viewfinder. Many people came by and looked through the scope, and I liked watching their excited reaction. Some people couldn't speak English, but patted me on the back or said it was 'magnifique.'

In the Hayden valley at dusk I was able to pick out elk across the valley that we definitely could not see unaided. I also set up the scope on Grizzly in the Lamar Valley and on Dunraven Pass.

The scope is very large - definitely not a field scope. You need a heavy tripod to put it on. The one that comes with it does not do the job.

This is one of the best purchases I have ever made. It added much more enjoyment to my wildlife viewing in Wyoming and Montana.