Customer Reviews

BARSKA Benchmark 25-125x88 Waterproof Straight Spotting Scope (Includes Handheld Tripod, Table Top Tripod, Soft Carrying Case, Hard Case)

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

I have used this spotting scope for both sighting in a 22 rifle and for looking at eagles. I could see the the bullet holes in the white fine. Some of the holes in the black I could not see. This was at about 100 yds on a bright sunny day. At 100 yds I could get a decent image up to 75 power. Focusing on a fence pole at about 250 yds I could get a decent image all the way to 125 power.

With the included hand grip on the scope I was pleasantly surprised by how well I could see and follow flying eagles.

This scope is well worth the money.

I have used the scope at the range and at work. Up to about, 75power it performs well but after that, the optics take a nose dive. I understood I wasn't buying a top dollar spotter but I had expected better quality than I received. I needed a spotter scope for target shooting in the 500 to 1000 yard range if this scope held its clarity to full power it would have worked but with the 75 fall off point, it fell short.

An astronomer told me not to worry about magnification... optical quality is more important... she is right!

This thing may go to "125x", but its totally blurry at that level. Its basically good up to 50 or 75x. Its very cheap-feeling. Its not too bad, but really it seems like cheap crap when you hold it.

I guess it works well enough... but if you dont need all the accessories it comes with, go with a cheaper model or similar priced one with lesser zoom but better optics.

Having read some of the reviews here I was surprised at the criticism. I have had mine for about 1yr now and through much handling at the shooting range the 125x is still very very clear, and the objective is smooth and easy to rotate. The quality might be a bit variable from unit to unit but mine works just great. It does take a bit of fiddling to get the focus just right because there is some free play in the mechanism, but it tracks true consistently from short distance too long. I bought this as a practice scope but I also have a top line Zeiss 60x65 for competition days. This morning I compared it next to the Barska and was surprised to see that the 125x was able to show a bit more detail in some cases over the Zeiss. no kidding. I tried it multiple times from one to another and was astonished. Now don't get me wrong the Zeiss is superior in many many ways but the level of optical clarity of this $100 Barska is an incredible bargain to the $3000 Zeiss.

I bought this scope last week, knowing that my cheap binoculars wouldn't help me sight in my rifle at 50 yards. I was a little skeptical given some of the negative reviews, but when I got to the range I was very impressed.

The doodads, as I think another mentioned, are not custom, but still nice. The tripod is pretty cheap, but it works well enough if you don't have the $$ to buy a better replacement.

Others have written about how the quality of the image is poor at higher magnifications, but I did not find that to be the case. Although the image does darken considerably after ~75x, it was no problem at all in daylight.

In terms of what I could see, I was not disappointed. I could see .22 holes in paper at 100 yards, although at that zoom the field of view is quite small. At 50 yards I could see an area about 2' x 2' and still see the .22 holes in paper. This was while wearing glasses - If I didn't have eye protection on I'm sure it would have been even better.

That being said, I wouldn't expect to be able to use this past 100 yards if I was looking for holes on paper.

If you are trying to check the grouping at 300 yards on your $2/rd match ammo that you shot looking through your $500 Leupold scope, then yeah, buy a better scope. Otherwise I would say this scope is a great value and I would buy it again.

Good, durable,scope. I've already dropped it a couple of times and it's still holding up well. Don't be fooled by all of the bells and whistles. Tripod is barely usable and case isn't a custom fit. Just a lot of luggage to cart to the range.

I bought this spotting scope to take hunting because it has good specs (objective lens diameter and magnification) at a very good price. I had read the other reviews and was willing to accept the reduced clarity at highest magnifications since they won't be used in hunting anyway.

The screw-on pistol grip is an excellent accessory, especially since it's a straight-through scope. The grip even has a mount on the bottom so that you can attach it to a tripod and get a little more height. Although the pictures don't show it, the scope has an objective lens cover that is attached to the bottom of the unit, which I found very convenient. The scope feels solid and fairly durable although I don't want to test exactly how durable. The included hard and soft carry cases provide adequate protection and are quite handy for transportation.
I took the scope to a local park for testing, and while it's true that clarity, brightness and stability are issues at higher magnifications, I am convinced that it is perfectly adequate for my needs. I was still able to count birds on the grass at over a kilometer away at 125x, and at 25x I could easily pick out objects in the trees that I couldn't see with the naked eye even when I knew where they were.
I haven't tested the scope in wet or cold weather or in low-light conditions yet, so I can't comment on that. The only disappointment I've experienced so far is discovering a light speckling of dust on the inside of the objective lens. This could only be seen when looking at it from the side when it's under direct sunlight, or by looking through the scope at a white wall that is out of focus.

Considering the price, I think this was a good purchase and would recommend it for anything that doesn't rely on top clarity out to 125x.

The scope does everything I had hoped it would. I use it primarily for gun range spotting and at 100 yds. it is spot on, I actually had to back out the magnification so I could see around the target as well. If you put the time into "learning" how to properly focus the scope it works flawlessly. I am anxious to try out the 150-200 yd. range, as I have not had the daylight to test it fully yet, but I am confident that it will meet these expectations as well.

Doesn't fog, eye relief is fine (I don't wear glasses, so I'm not sure for those who do). The tripod is shaky, but I haven't weighted anything to the drop-down hook on it either for stabilization.

All in all, I am absolutlely satisfied and then some with this purchase. Would definately recommend this to anyone who is looking for a cheap substitute to higher end models. Happy spotting folks.

Had a different scope I use for my job that I was very pleased with, Tasco World Class 20-60x80 Zoom Waterproof/Fogproof Spotting Scope w/Tripod and accidentally broke it. I was going to just get the same thing, but saw this one had a stronger magnification for a similar price so I got it instead. Big mistake. The view is much darker, and the view area is much smaller, even at lower magnifications. can't even use it. going to get my original scope again.

This was exactly what I wanted. I'm in a high-rise office and wanted something to see the surf conditions. I can see what color board shorts the surfers are wearing on waves nearly 2-miles away. Maybe not the highest quality, but I got exactly what I paid for. Thanks to all those that gave reviews. That really helped make my selection. Mahalo!