Spotting Scopes are a powerful way to see wildlife and nature, and used a lot by birders, naturalists and hunters. They are more powerful than regular binoculars, and less powerful than a telescope. If you are interested in watching birds and wildlife, a telescope will be too much. Binoculars may not be enough.

Overall, Vortex Scopes are made in a variety of locations, depending on the scope. Whether it's the Vortex Copperhead made in China, or the Vortex Razor HD AMG in the USA, all Vortex scopes come with a VIP warranty that guarantees repair or replacement for any damage or defect!

Fit the adapter to both your camera of choice and your spotting scope (be sure you have the correct adapter). Attach the spotting scope to its tripod in the usual manner. If you're hoping for some close-up bird shots, focus on a tree stump, branch, post, telephone wire etc. and wait for the bird to show up.

Burris is an American scope company headquartered in Greely, Colorado, and the XTR Pro is made right there in the HQ. All of the engineering, manufacturing, assembly and quality control is also done in Greely. The only components not made in Colorado are the lenses, which I'll come back to discuss shortly.