School me on how to evaluate the quality of rifle scope glass

[PNWdude67]

I have seven scopes lined up and have been looking through them all morning trying to learn and see the difference in high'ish quality glass vs low quality glass and guess I have to admit I'm not sure what all to really look for. I read comments on forums about how this glass is better than that glass and then another person comes along and says the complete opposite. I understand everyones eyes are different so that brings me to this point to where I would like to see for myself.

This line up is not apples to apples. Its a mix of what I have. The lineup consists of a cheap Bushnell 3-9x40, Leupold VX-3 2-10x40, Athlon Midas TAC 6-24x50 FFP, Bushnell LRHSi 4.5-18x44 FFP, Vortex Viper PST Gen 2 5-25x50 FFP, Vortex Razor LHT 3-15x42 SFP and last is a Vortex Razor AMG 6-24x50 FFP.

If a person was to google the Viper PST vs the Razor AMG the results would most likely be that the AMG is night and day difference and the PST glass is useless etc, but I honestly cant see it. I suppose it's because I don't know what to look for or I'm not looking at the correct type of stuff and the proper distances. What I can see looking at a license plate at about 100yds is the cheap Bushnell is somewhat blurry. I cant make out the cars model name and the the picture is dull looking, but thats also a $40 scope. The Midas TAC has a bad fish eye effect when zoomed to 24x. Between the others, LHRSi, LHT, PST AMG, I don't see much difference when I feel like I should be able to. Some "eye opening" tips, advice, comments would help. Thanks

It gets more difficult to "see a difference" when you start comparing higher tier glass. The "dollar bill" test is a good objective way to compare if you have the opportunity to line up a few optics and focus on the same dollar bill, same light conditions tacked to a wall.

 

[Deleted member 48126]

Will 16's post pretty much hit the nail on the head. I didn't know you could test your scope like that. Something new I can try out.

 

[jd126]

It gets more difficult to "see a difference" when you start comparing higher tier glass. The "dollar bill" test is a good objective way to compare if you have the opportunity to line up a few optics and focus on the same dollar bill, same light conditions tacked to a wall.

I like this idea. Now if it was the hundred dollar bill test, I wouldn't be able to set that one up.

 

[FEENIX]

I am not sure what happen to him but this is Bruce Ventura's area of expertise. He use to develop prototype military optics for a living. IIRC, he's an optical engineer with a PhD (but I coukd be wrong) and owns an Optics business. He supposedly developed a quick method of assessing riflescope quality that involves, glare and chromatic aberration, resolution, transmission and reticle adjustment accuracy/repeatability, etc.

 

[Will16]

To check resolution line your scopes up in the evening when the shadows start showing, look though one by one focusing on things like grass and leaves, trees to. You will find that certain scopes will pic out and resolve the fine details better, one way to do this is to spot bullet holes in paper at 100 through 400 yards. Again certain ones will pic out the bullet holes without needing the same power as the others. Low light, go out as the sun is going down set them all out and set something else out to view like deer antlers or something. Looking though them all record when they will not be able to see what your looking at as the sun sets. I'am betting the most expensive one will last longer giving you a better window of opportunity. CA put a white target on a black background in good light. View though all of your scopes at it and some will make fringes on the edge of white target and black background like in those pictures. The one with little to no fringes has less chromatic aberration distortions. Use the entire magnification range not just the top.

 

[Will16]

This is taken from the thread I posted on page three. Post 34

 

[AlphaDogs]

Save yourself a lot of effort. Spend at least 2 grand and make sure the name on the scope is Schmidt/Kahles/Swaro/Zeiss.

Now you can stop posting and get a job to pay for it.

 

[Deleted member 48126]

^ not helpful and also an opinion.

OP dont listen, make sure it says Nightforce/Vortex/Hensoldt/ZCO and get a job you lazy bum!

 

[jd126]

Save yourself a lot of effort. Spend at least 2 grand and make sure the name on the scope is Schmidt/Kahles/Swaro/Zeiss.

Now you can stop posting and get a job to pay for it.

Thank you for your contribution to this thread. I have learned a lot from you.

 

[AlphaDogs]

If you want a second tier scope, listen to 300 W (excepting Hensholdt)

 

[Deleted member 48126]

If you want second tier responses listen to AlphaDogs....

 

[AlphaDogs]

Thank you for your contribution to this thread. I have learned a lot from you.

This whole thread is amusing. There is TONS of information from real experts on how to evaluate optics all over the internet and every large library on the world. To suggest that this forum is the best source of information is laughable.

After you going thru this AND the linked articles at the end you should be prepared.

Riflescope Fundamentals » OpticsThoughts

 

[jd126]

This whole thread is amusing. There is TONS of information from real experts on how to evaluate optics all over the internet and every large library on the world. To suggest that this forum is the best source of information is laughable.

After you going thru this AND the linked articles at the end you should be prepared.

Riflescope Fundamentals » OpticsThoughts

That linked article is second tier. They are evaluating Sig Tango, Redfield, Minox, eotech, vortex. I don't see a single Schmidt/Kahles/Swaro/Zeiss so they must not know what they are talking about.

 

[Flatfoot]

There is much good advice above. The last part depends on what is important to you. If you only hunt during the day and most of your hunting is inside of 100 yards it is probably impossible to tell the difference between your scopes because they will all do that well. On the other hand, if you hunt at last light the light gathering may be more important and some if the more expensive scopes like your razor may pull ahead.

The reality is that most optics will experience diminishing returns, and if you do not have specific requirements to chase those returns you will not notice the difference in optics.