Spotting Scope

[Squeeze]

Well after a long summer of new home building, my wife told me  
I should buy something nice for myself, since I worked so hard
on HER house  So since the new place has a shooting range,
constructed by me and my Kubota, I am thinking the new shooting  
bench needs a good spotting scope.  An old friend is trying to talk
me into an elk and speed goat trip, sometime in the next year, or
two, so the spotting scope would make the trip out west, too.
I do own land, that is managed for whitetails, and the spotter
would be used to ID certain animals, from a truck window, too.
 
So here is my question.  Are there any recommendations for  
a spotting scope, at the $300 or less price point?  What features and
power ranges would be most useful for range spotting, and field
spotting?
 
Thanks in advance for any info you may provide.
 
Squeeze

[Redhawk1]

In the price range you are at, I would recommend the Burris Landmark 20-60X80mm.  I have the Burris Landmark 15-45X60 that I use at the range all the time, but I wish I would of got the 20-60X80mm. But my next spotting scope is going to be a either a Leupold Gold ring 12-40X60mm or the Nikon 20-60X80mm Sky & Earth spotting scope.  

[quickdtoo]

Here's a similar thread at RFC that may be of help to ya....

http://rimfirecentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=100824

[Squeeze]

OK, from the posts on Rimfirecentral, Celestron has me interested.

Also, I saw the spotter reviews, and it looked like Bushnell's Spacemaster
was the better value of spotters tested.  But at about $300
at the OpticZone, for the Bushnell, versus under $200, at
the OpticsPlanet, fort the Celestron, I think I will be
looking hard at the Celestron.  Does anyone have some experience
with the Ultima 80?  This spotter will mostly sit on the
bench, but it will have to go out spotting deer, banging around
the truck, and it will have to go out west, and bang around in
a backpack.  Is it tough enough?  For that matter, has anyone put
a Bushnell Spacemaster through hunting conditions?

Squeeze

[TheOpticZone]

Squeeze,

If you decide on the Celestron, let me know what model you are interested in because our distributor started carrying the brand and I may be able to help you out.

[Graybeard]

As much as I love the clarity of my Bushnell Elite 20-60x80mm on the range there is no way you want such a huge optic on an elk or antelope hunt. I think you need to be looking at a top quality scope with a 50mm or at most 60mm objective for that use, 20x to 25x is plenty of magnification IF the optics are top drawer. IF they are not then objective size is of no real value anyway.

[Squeeze]

Jon,
 
Thanks, for the offer.  I felt kind of "funny" shopping for  
optics, at places like the opticsplanet.  You usually get  
my optics business, and I will send you some mail, if
Celestron, or one of the current products on your site,
is the spotter I choose.  Graybeard sent me back to the drawing  
board with his reply, which is why I posted this question here.
Not only do I get good advise here, I get advise that often has
me re-thinking my objective, too.  Now I am not sure I want
a bench scope that is a hog in the field, or a field spotter that  
won't show me .22 cal holes at 200 yards.  I may give up on
the one spotter to do it all, in which case I have to decide  
is it a bench scope, or a more compact field spotter, that  
I buy with this current "mad" money.  
 
Squeeze