Meade 20-60×60 Spotting Scope Review 2026: Still Worth It?

Spotting scopes confuse a lot of first time buyers. The numbers look impressive. The prices swing wildly. One scope costs forty dollars and another costs two thousand. The Meade 20-60×60 sits at the budget end of that range, and it has quietly served shooters, birders, and backyard watchers for years.

This review covers the real performance of this scope. It covers the good parts and the parts that frustrate people. You will learn how the glass behaves at low power, what happens when you crank the zoom, and whether the bundled tripod can hold a steady image. You will also see which scopes beat it today.

Read the whole post before you spend money. A cheap scope that works beats an expensive scope that sits in a closet.

Key Takeaways:

• The Meade 20-60×60 is an entry level scope, and it behaves like one. The 60mm objective lens gathers enough light for daytime use. It struggles once the sun drops low. Expect clear views in bright conditions and dim, soft views at dusk.
• Image quality is genuinely good at 20x and 25x. Most owners report sharp, bright views at the low end of the zoom range. This is the magnification you will actually use most of the time.
• Performance falls apart near 60x. Chromatic aberration appears as purple and green fringing around dark edges. The image dims noticeably. Many users stop zooming past 40x.
• The included tripod is the weakest part of the package. It shakes. Holding a target at high power becomes a test of patience. Budget for a better tripod and the whole experience improves.
• The hard case is surprisingly good. Meade shipped this scope with a molded waterproof case, a soft nylon bag, lens covers, and a cleaning cloth. The accessory bundle punches above the price.
• Value depends entirely on your expectations. At under one hundred dollars, this scope earns its place. Compared against modern 80mm scopes with multi coated glass, it falls behind.

What Is the Meade 20-60×60 Spotting Scope?

Last update on 2026-09-17 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API Some of the links on this website are affiliate links, which means that at no additional cost to you, I earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. I only recommend products and services that I believe will add value to my readers. Thank you for your support!

The Meade 20-60×60 is a compact zoom spotting scope built for outdoor use. Meade sold it under model numbers 81011 and 81015. The name breaks down simply. The scope zooms from 20x to 60x magnification, and the front objective lens measures 60mm across.

The body uses polycarbonate construction with a rubber armor coating. This keeps the weight low and the grip secure. The eyepiece sits at a 45 degree angle, which helps when you view objects above eye level or share the scope with people of different heights.

Inside, the scope uses a porro prism design with BK-7 glass. The optics carry a basic coating rather than full multi coating. That single detail explains much of the performance you read about later in this review. Meade aimed this scope at hunters, target shooters, campers, and casual birders who wanted portable magnification without a serious investment.

The Unboxing Experience

Opening this package feels better than the price suggests. The scope arrives inside a molded plastic hard case with a locking latch and two small keys. The case has cut foam that holds the scope and tripod separately. This is not a flimsy cardboard box with bubble wrap.

Lift the scope out and the first impression is weight, or the lack of it. The polycarbonate body feels light in the hand. The rubber armor has a textured grip that holds well even with cold fingers. Some owners describe it as feeling slightly hollow, which is fair.

The soft nylon bag deserves a mention. It unzips at both ends, so you can leave it on the scope while you glass a target. That is a thoughtful touch. The box also includes a carry strap, a lens cleaning cloth, front and rear lens covers, and the tripod in its own small sleeve. The objective cover has a tiny compass set into it. It is a gimmick, and nobody takes it seriously.

Build Quality and Design

The build holds up to normal outdoor handling. Rubber armor wraps the main tube and absorbs small knocks. The focus knob sits recessed into the body rather than sticking out, which protects it during transport. That recessed design is both a strength and a frustration, as you will read shortly.

The zoom ring sits on the eyepiece and turns with moderate resistance. Magnification numbers are printed clearly along the ring, with more marked increments than many competing budget scopes offer. The rubber eyecup folds down for eyeglass wearers.

One real limitation shows up at the mount. The tripod foot screws directly to the body without a rotating collar. You cannot rotate the scope to change the eyepiece angle. The eyepiece stays fixed in the upward position. Scopes with rotating collars let you tilt the eyepiece sideways for prone shooting or awkward angles. This one does not, and serious shooters notice.

Top 3 Alternatives for Meade 20-60×60 Spotting Scope

Last update on 2026-09-13 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API Some of the links on this website are affiliate links, which means that at no additional cost to you, I earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. I only recommend products and services that I believe will add value to my readers. Thank you for your support!

Celestron Ultima 20-60×80 Angled Spotting Scope

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Gosky 20-60×80 HD Spotting Scope with Tripod and Carrying Bag

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Vortex Optics Diamondback HD 20-60×85 Angled Spotting Scope

Optical Performance at Low Magnification

This is where the Meade earns its reputation. At 20x and 25x, the image looks bright, sharp, and pleasant. Colors appear natural. Edge to edge sharpness holds up reasonably well for a scope in this class. Contrast is decent in good daylight.

Shooters use this range to confirm shot placement on paper targets at one hundred to two hundred yards. Most report seeing .22 caliber holes at one hundred yards in good light. That is a practical, honest result.

Birders get usable views of waterfowl, hawks, and shorebirds at moderate distance. You will identify a species. You will not count individual feather barbs. The 3mm exit pupil at 20x delivers enough light for comfortable daytime viewing.

The 45 degree angled eyepiece makes long sessions easier on your neck. You look down into the scope rather than craning forward. Many users find this more comfortable than a straight body after thirty minutes of glassing.

What Happens When You Zoom to 60x

Honesty matters here. The top of the zoom range disappoints. This is the single most common complaint across owner reviews, and the physics behind it are straightforward.

The scope uses BK-7 glass with basic coatings rather than BAK-4 glass with full multi coating. At 60x, the exit pupil shrinks to roughly 1mm. Less light reaches your eye. The image dims and softens.

Chromatic aberration becomes obvious. Dark objects against bright backgrounds pick up purple and green color fringing along their edges. Birders describe this as unacceptable for detailed identification work. Target shooters find the softness makes small bullet holes harder to resolve, not easier.

Practical advice from long term owners is simple. Use 20x to 40x for real work. Treat anything above 40x as a bonus you occasionally use when light is excellent and the target is large. The 60x number sells scopes. It rarely delivers.

The Focus System

The focus knob sits recessed on the side of the body. This protects it from damage. It also creates the second biggest complaint about this scope.

Turning the knob shakes the whole scope. The lightweight body and the lightweight tripod combine badly. You turn the focus, the image jumps, you wait for it to settle, you check sharpness, then you repeat. At 60x this becomes genuinely annoying.

The focus travel itself is reasonably smooth, with no grinding or sticking in most units. The problem is the shake, not the mechanism.

There is a fix, and it costs money. Mount the scope on a heavier tripod with a fluid head and the shake mostly disappears. A stable platform transforms the focusing experience. This single upgrade does more for usability than anything else you can do with this scope.

The Included Tripod Problem

The bundled tripod extends from roughly 15 inches to 44 inches. It includes a quick release plate and a small bubble level. On paper that sounds respectable.

In practice, the tripod is too light for the job. Reviewers consistently call it flimsy. Legs flex under light pressure. Wind moves the scope. Touching the focus knob sends ripples through the image.

At 20x you can live with it. At 40x and above, keeping a target centered becomes frustrating work. One owner summarized it well by saying the scope is fine and the tripod is the bottleneck.

Treat the included tripod as a travel backup or a tabletop option. Spend forty to eighty dollars on a proper video tripod with a fluid pan head. The image steadiness improves dramatically. Many people who dismissed this scope as unusable changed their opinion after this upgrade.

Field of View and Eye Relief

Field of view runs from about 105 feet at 1,000 yards at 20x down to roughly 48 feet at 1,000 yards at 60x. These numbers are typical for a 60mm zoom scope in this price bracket.

The wider view at 20x makes finding targets much easier. Start wide, locate your subject, then zoom in. Trying to find a small target at 60x is slow and frustrating because the view is so narrow.

Eye relief measures 13mm. That is adequate for most users but tight for eyeglass wearers. If you wear glasses, fold down the rubber eyecup and expect to lose a little of the outer field. Some glasses wearers manage fine. Others find themselves removing their glasses, which defeats the purpose.

The rubber eyecup is comfortable and blocks stray side light reasonably well during bright afternoon sessions.

Waterproofing and Weather Resistance

Meade marketed this scope as waterproof with rubber armor protection. Real world reports are mostly positive for light rain and morning dew. The body handles damp conditions without immediate problems.

Be cautious about the fogproof claim. The scope is not nitrogen purged in the same way premium sealed scopes are. Rapid temperature changes can cause internal fogging in some units. Taking a cold scope into a warm vehicle, or the reverse, is the usual trigger.

Practical guidance is simple. Let the scope acclimate to outdoor temperature before you use it. Keep the lens covers on during transport. Store it in the hard case with the lid slightly open so moisture does not get trapped inside.

The hard case does more for weather protection than the scope body itself. It is waterproof, it locks, and it keeps grit away from the lenses between outings.

Best Uses for This Scope

This scope fits specific jobs well. Range work at one hundred to two hundred yards is its strongest use case. You see your hits, you adjust, you keep shooting without walking downrange.

Backyard and window viewing works nicely. People with a view of a lake, a valley, or a bird feeder get real enjoyment from it. The angled eyepiece makes seated viewing comfortable.

Casual wildlife watching fits too. Deer, elk, waterfowl, and large raptors at moderate distance look good at 20x to 30x.

It also serves as a travel scope. The light weight and hard case make it easy to toss in a truck or a camper.

It does not fit serious long range shooting, competitive birding, or low light hunting. Those jobs need bigger glass, better coatings, and a sturdier mount than this package provides.

What This Scope Does Not Do Well

Authentic reviews name the weaknesses clearly, so here they are.

Low light performance is poor. The 60mm objective with basic coatings loses the image quickly at dawn and dusk. Hunters who glass during legal shooting light before sunrise will be disappointed.

High magnification is mostly unusable. Chromatic aberration and dimming make 50x and 60x more decorative than functional.

The tripod cannot do its job. This is the most consistent complaint across every review source.

No rotating tripod collar. You cannot adjust the eyepiece position for prone or awkward shooting angles.

Build feels plasticky to some users. The polycarbonate body keeps weight down but lacks the reassuring density of metal bodied scopes.

Availability is now limited. Meade discontinued this model, so new units are scarce and you may be shopping the used market.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Excellent value at its original price point, especially for range use under two hundred yards
• Sharp, bright images at 20x to 40x in good daylight conditions
• Comfortable 45 degree angled eyepiece that reduces neck strain during long sessions
• Complete accessory bundle including a lockable hard case, soft nylon bag, carry strap, lens covers, and cleaning cloth
• Very light and portable thanks to polycarbonate construction
• Soft case unzips at both ends, so you can use the scope with the case still on
• Rubber armor grip holds securely in wet or cold weather

Cons

• Noticeable chromatic aberration above 45x, with purple and green fringing
• Dim, soft image at full 60x zoom
• Included tripod is too flimsy for stable high magnification viewing
• Image shakes badly during focusing due to the light body and light tripod combination
• Weak low light performance at dawn and dusk
• No rotating tripod collar to reposition the eyepiece
• BK-7 glass with basic coatings rather than BAK-4 with full multi coating
• Discontinued by Meade, limiting warranty support and new stock

Price and Value in 2026

This scope originally sold for roughly sixty to one hundred dollars depending on the retailer and bundle. Costco carried it at sixty dollars at one point, which made it a genuine bargain.

In 2026 the situation changed. Meade discontinued the model. You now find it mostly through used listings, clearance stock, and secondhand marketplaces. Prices vary widely and inconsistently.

Here is the honest value calculation. At sixty dollars, this scope is a smart buy for casual use. The accessories alone justify much of the cost. At one hundred fifty dollars or more, you should look elsewhere.

Modern budget 80mm scopes from Gosky, Celestron, and SVBONY now offer BAK-4 prisms and fully multi coated optics at similar prices. They gather significantly more light and show less color fringing. The market moved forward, and this scope did not move with it.

Who Should Buy the Meade 20-60×60?

Buy this scope if you want a lightweight, well protected spotting scope for casual daytime use and you find one at a low price. Target shooters who verify hits at one hundred yards get real practical value from it.

Buy it if portability matters more than optical perfection. The hard case and light body make it easy to carry and store.

Buy it if you are new to spotting scopes and want to learn what you actually need. This scope teaches you quickly that magnification numbers matter less than glass quality and tripod stability.

Skip it if you hunt in low light, chase distant birds, or shoot beyond three hundred yards. Skip it if you want long term warranty coverage, since the model is discontinued. Skip it if your budget stretches to a modern 80mm scope with multi coated optics, because that upgrade delivers a visibly better image.

Final Verdict

The Meade 20-60×60 is an honest budget scope with clear strengths and clear limits. It delivers good daytime views at moderate magnification, ships with a genuinely useful accessory bundle, and survives normal outdoor handling.

It also disappoints at high zoom, struggles in dim light, and comes with a tripod that undermines its own performance. Pair it with a solid tripod and it becomes a far better tool than the box suggests.

In 2026, the recommendation depends on price and availability. Find one cheap and you have a capable range companion. Pay close to modern 80mm scope prices and you are making a mistake.

Treat it as what it is. A simple, light, portable scope that does the easy jobs well and leaves the hard jobs to better glass.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Meade 20-60×60 spotting scope good for bird watching?

It works for casual bird watching at moderate distances in good light. You will identify common species at 20x to 30x. Serious birders who need fine detail at long range will find the color fringing and dim high power views limiting.

Can you see bullet holes at 100 yards with this scope?

Yes, most owners report seeing .22 caliber holes at one hundred yards in good light. Larger calibers are easier. Good lighting and a stable tripod make the biggest difference.

Why does the image look purple around the edges at high zoom?

That is chromatic aberration. It happens because the BK-7 glass and basic lens coatings cannot focus all colors of light at exactly the same point. The effect grows stronger as magnification increases.

Is the included tripod good enough?

No. The bundled tripod is too light and shakes during focusing. It is acceptable at 20x. Upgrade to a video tripod with a fluid head for a dramatically better experience.

Is the Meade 20-60×60 still being made?

No. Meade discontinued this model. You will mostly find it through used listings and remaining clearance stock. New warranty support is limited.

Can you use this scope for astronomy?

You can view the moon and bright planets at low power. The small aperture and basic coatings limit deep sky performance. A dedicated telescope serves astronomy much better.

Does it work with a smartphone adapter?

Yes, with a universal eyepiece adapter. Expect modest results. The soft image at high zoom and the shaky tripod make phone photography difficult without an upgraded mount.