
Swarovski ATX/STX Spotting Scope
July/Aug 2015 Issue of MuleyCrazy Magazine
by Steve Monk
Whether you’re hunting in rugged mountain country with colossal canyons, or in sage country that stretches for miles, you will not find a piece of glass that will close the distance better and allow you to see more clearly than the Swarovski ATX/STX spotting scope.
Over the past couple of years, the MuleyCrazy Optics program has really taken off. While our primary focus will always be bringing our readers and subscribers a magazine featuring the biggest and best mule deer each year, it certainly has been fun to help hundreds of our loyal subscribers get the most bang for their buck when purchasing new optics. Whether they’re just upgrading to a newer model of their favorite binoculars which now feature better glass, or extending their effective shooting range with a new riflescope and a customized turret, most trophy mule deer hunters understand the tremendous advantage using quality optics gives them.
As our optics department is somewhat of my specialty, I have the opportunity to get my hands on all of the best glass in the industry! After a lot of testing and comparing, I have a good understanding of the performance of optics at all price points, from Vortex, Leica, Zeiss, Swarovski, Docter and the other brands we carry. On a regular basis, customers call asking for a piece of glass that will allow them to cover the vast, expansive country they hunt with the utmost clarity. Simply put, they are looking for the VERY best. The conversation usually covers 15-power binoculars and then gravitates to spotting scopes. While there are a lot of apples-to-apples comparisons among top-end binoculars and riflescopes, when it comes to spotting scopes, one stands at the top of the mountain in a class of its own. The Swarovski ATX/STX spotting scope is an incredible piece of equipment that offers the ultimate in optical performance.
While traditional methods of hunting, such as tracking and still-hunting, are still effective ways to get a big buck on the ground, even most old-timers and seasoned hunters understand that those are not the most effective ways to locate big deer. They know if you can get to a high vantage point allowing yourself to view a lot of country, the odds of finding your buck-of-a-lifetime before he finds you are greatly increased.
Unlike whitetail hunting in the East, mule deer country is big. Instead of a few yards and oak trees, there is usually a lot of distance between you and where your monster buck could be hiding. I think it would be hard to find a pair of binoculars that isn’t pretty clear at less than 100 yards, or a spotting scope at 300 yards, but what about at 1000 yards, or 2000 yards, or even two miles?
At long distances there’s a lot of air compressed between you and your target for the glass to cut through, making inexpensive, cheap glass virtually useless. Factor in atmospheric conditions like heat waves and a little glare from the sun and your effective sight range is minimal with lower-priced optics. This is where the use of top-end optics is a must, and why they’re used by ALL serious guides and outfitters in the hunting industry; and as I mentioned previously, the Swarovski ATX/STX leads the pack in the spotting scope category.
In addition to its unmatched optical quality, it’s built very differently from any other scope on the market. A unique feature is its two-piece system, which allows the objective lens to be changed to different sizes depending on how and where you’re hunting. You select whether you want a straight or angled eyepiece and then which objective lens, or lenses, you want.
Normally, a large spotting scope is a huge pain for a backpacking/overnight hunt. For me, I don’t mind packing a little extra weight because I feel the trade-off is worth it, but what is cumbersome to me is the physical size of a big spotter, making it tough to pack with all the rest of my gear. The Swarovski modular system allows the biggest spotting scope on the market to be split into two pieces and to be much more compact than its counterparts; but don’t think because it’s a two-piece unit it’s not solid. The eyepiece and objective lens fit together seamlessly and soundly.
The available objective lens options are a 65mm, which is great for a pack-in type of hunt, an 85mm which is standard size for large spotting scopes, and a whopping 95mm objective- the largest on the market. With either the 65mm or 85mm objective lens attached, the magnification is 25x-60x. With the 95mm, the magnification range is 30x-70x.
At lower magnification levels, all top-end and even mid-range spotting scopes look awesome, but at full magnification almost every spotting scope out there loses some sharpness, brightness, and has some degree of fuzzy vignette around the edges that inevitably gets worse the more you zoom in. To me, the most impressive quality of the Swarovski ATX/STX scope is the way it maintains its impeccable clarity at every magnification level. I am thoroughly impressed to say the least.
In addition to the complete edge-to-edge clarity no matter the zoom level, the glass in this scope is superbly bright, making it ideal for locating that monster buck that’s weary of daylight. Because nobody wants to make a long, steep, pre-dawn hike up a rocky peak just to be disappointed by inferior optics, a scope that allows you to maximize and stretch the distance during primetime glassing is a necessity.
Not only will a big buck usually head for cover once the sun crests the horizon, but anyone who has hunted in the desert country knows that their once crystal-clear glassing session can quickly become a dizzy, wavy mess due to heat waves. Once again, quality optics do a great job at reducing the negative effects of atmospheric conditions, and this scope reduces heat waves at an unmatched level - better than anything I’ve ever seen.
Additionally, I love the sleek, streamlined design. Both the magnification and focus rings are built right into the housing. You simply adjust your magnification on the rear ring, and then move about an inch forward to the focus ring. The way it all works is very well designed and really helps to minimize any chance of breaking a focus knob, which are protruding objects on most other spotting scopes.
By no means is this any entry-level piece of equipment; the ATX/STX carries a hefty price tag – exceeding $4,000. Nothing about it is cheap. Like I said before, this is for those who are looking for the very best and have the means to afford it. If you fit into that category, I’d highly recommend taking a look at this line of spotting scopes. It will be impossible not to be impressed.
July/Aug 2015 Issue of MuleyCrazy Magazine
by Steve Monk
Whether you’re hunting in rugged mountain country with colossal canyons, or in sage country that stretches for miles, you will not find a piece of glass that will close the distance better and allow you to see more clearly than the Swarovski ATX/STX spotting scope.
Over the past couple of years, the MuleyCrazy Optics program has really taken off. While our primary focus will always be bringing our readers and subscribers a magazine featuring the biggest and best mule deer each year, it certainly has been fun to help hundreds of our loyal subscribers get the most bang for their buck when purchasing new optics. Whether they’re just upgrading to a newer model of their favorite binoculars which now feature better glass, or extending their effective shooting range with a new riflescope and a customized turret, most trophy mule deer hunters understand the tremendous advantage using quality optics gives them.
As our optics department is somewhat of my specialty, I have the opportunity to get my hands on all of the best glass in the industry! After a lot of testing and comparing, I have a good understanding of the performance of optics at all price points, from Vortex, Leica, Zeiss, Swarovski, Docter and the other brands we carry. On a regular basis, customers call asking for a piece of glass that will allow them to cover the vast, expansive country they hunt with the utmost clarity. Simply put, they are looking for the VERY best. The conversation usually covers 15-power binoculars and then gravitates to spotting scopes. While there are a lot of apples-to-apples comparisons among top-end binoculars and riflescopes, when it comes to spotting scopes, one stands at the top of the mountain in a class of its own. The Swarovski ATX/STX spotting scope is an incredible piece of equipment that offers the ultimate in optical performance.
While traditional methods of hunting, such as tracking and still-hunting, are still effective ways to get a big buck on the ground, even most old-timers and seasoned hunters understand that those are not the most effective ways to locate big deer. They know if you can get to a high vantage point allowing yourself to view a lot of country, the odds of finding your buck-of-a-lifetime before he finds you are greatly increased.
Unlike whitetail hunting in the East, mule deer country is big. Instead of a few yards and oak trees, there is usually a lot of distance between you and where your monster buck could be hiding. I think it would be hard to find a pair of binoculars that isn’t pretty clear at less than 100 yards, or a spotting scope at 300 yards, but what about at 1000 yards, or 2000 yards, or even two miles?
At long distances there’s a lot of air compressed between you and your target for the glass to cut through, making inexpensive, cheap glass virtually useless. Factor in atmospheric conditions like heat waves and a little glare from the sun and your effective sight range is minimal with lower-priced optics. This is where the use of top-end optics is a must, and why they’re used by ALL serious guides and outfitters in the hunting industry; and as I mentioned previously, the Swarovski ATX/STX leads the pack in the spotting scope category.
In addition to its unmatched optical quality, it’s built very differently from any other scope on the market. A unique feature is its two-piece system, which allows the objective lens to be changed to different sizes depending on how and where you’re hunting. You select whether you want a straight or angled eyepiece and then which objective lens, or lenses, you want.
Normally, a large spotting scope is a huge pain for a backpacking/overnight hunt. For me, I don’t mind packing a little extra weight because I feel the trade-off is worth it, but what is cumbersome to me is the physical size of a big spotter, making it tough to pack with all the rest of my gear. The Swarovski modular system allows the biggest spotting scope on the market to be split into two pieces and to be much more compact than its counterparts; but don’t think because it’s a two-piece unit it’s not solid. The eyepiece and objective lens fit together seamlessly and soundly.
The available objective lens options are a 65mm, which is great for a pack-in type of hunt, an 85mm which is standard size for large spotting scopes, and a whopping 95mm objective- the largest on the market. With either the 65mm or 85mm objective lens attached, the magnification is 25x-60x. With the 95mm, the magnification range is 30x-70x.
At lower magnification levels, all top-end and even mid-range spotting scopes look awesome, but at full magnification almost every spotting scope out there loses some sharpness, brightness, and has some degree of fuzzy vignette around the edges that inevitably gets worse the more you zoom in. To me, the most impressive quality of the Swarovski ATX/STX scope is the way it maintains its impeccable clarity at every magnification level. I am thoroughly impressed to say the least.
In addition to the complete edge-to-edge clarity no matter the zoom level, the glass in this scope is superbly bright, making it ideal for locating that monster buck that’s weary of daylight. Because nobody wants to make a long, steep, pre-dawn hike up a rocky peak just to be disappointed by inferior optics, a scope that allows you to maximize and stretch the distance during primetime glassing is a necessity.
Not only will a big buck usually head for cover once the sun crests the horizon, but anyone who has hunted in the desert country knows that their once crystal-clear glassing session can quickly become a dizzy, wavy mess due to heat waves. Once again, quality optics do a great job at reducing the negative effects of atmospheric conditions, and this scope reduces heat waves at an unmatched level - better than anything I’ve ever seen.
Additionally, I love the sleek, streamlined design. Both the magnification and focus rings are built right into the housing. You simply adjust your magnification on the rear ring, and then move about an inch forward to the focus ring. The way it all works is very well designed and really helps to minimize any chance of breaking a focus knob, which are protruding objects on most other spotting scopes.
By no means is this any entry-level piece of equipment; the ATX/STX carries a hefty price tag – exceeding $4,000. Nothing about it is cheap. Like I said before, this is for those who are looking for the very best and have the means to afford it. If you fit into that category, I’d highly recommend taking a look at this line of spotting scopes. It will be impossible not to be impressed.