Quite often, marksmen shooting at long ranges with normal rifle scopes will have no idea where they hit the target. Even pistol shooters can occasionally only guess their accuracy at 50 meters. Spotting scopes come to the rescue here as practical tools to check your hit, especially at long distance, as most spotting scopes offer more powerful magnification than rifle scopes.
Spotting scopes are useful gear for more than just sport shooters. Professional law enforcement snipers also have great faith in their spotters, which estimate the range from the target, track the trajectory and then analyze the shooter’s hit.
The optics company MINOX launched the MD 80 ZR spotting scope not just for hunters and bird watchers, but specifically for sport shooters and law enforcement agencies as well. MINOX showcased the spotter at the IWA 2017. Here’s an overview of new products.
MINOX MD 80 ZR Spotting Scope – The features
The MINOX MD 80 ZR spotting scope is fitted with a premium-grade and high-quality lens. The precision optics are protected by a robust and impact-resistant metal housing. The spotting scope also comes encased in black rubber, improving purchase and adding a rugged touch. A nitrogen filling guards against corrosion, like in all MINOX scopes. The MD 80 ZR is dustproof and also waterproof down to 5 meters.
The MINOX MD 80 ZR is around 20% shorter and more compact than spotting scopes by other manufacturers. A new lens/mirror system enables this smaller size. We looked straight through the eyepiece while testing the device at the range. This appealed to us especially, as a diagonal eyepiece can be a bit unwieldy at times.
Sporting a fixed wide-angle lens with infinitely variable magnification from 20× to 60×, the spotting scope reliably acquired targets even at long distances. The image was extremely clear. We had a good view of the individual hits in high resolution and – above all – good quality.
The MINOX MD 80 ZR has a MIL reticle in the first image plane. It is used for reliable range finding out in the field, as well as to aim. It is compatible with all standard MIL-grade riflescope reticles. A precise 0.2 mrad partition with AQRAS and mrad scales sits at the center of the image.
We had to fit the spotting scope to a tripod to improve stability. The MINOX MD 80 ZR is easy to mount thanks to its integrated port with rotation lock.
The spotting scope came packed in an ever-ready case. The MINOX MD 80 ZR is available from specialist dealers for €1,398.00 (manufacturer’s RRP).
Visit the manufacturer’s website to learn more about the scopes by MINOX.
MINOX binoculars plus PUMA knife as freebies? Click here to see what the wild boar set also includes.
The MINOX spotting scopes MD 60 Z and MD 80 Z are good choices for hunters and nature enthusiasts. We featured both of these models here as well.
