I was comparing scopes side by side and I couldn't tell the difference...

[engineer40]

I was holding up a few of my scopes and comparing them today. It was a very sunny day in west Michigan, no haze at all.

And I'll be darned if I couldn't really distinguish the optical clarity between my cheap scopes and my nicer scopes. I had never actually just looked through all of my scopes one right after each other comparing them before.

Now I'm specifically talking about my newer scopes. Less than 5 years old. I have a 20 year old Tasco and Simmons, and have looked through my friends real old Leupold and none of them are on par by today's standards.

(I'll add that I have great vision. I just had my eyes checked again a few months back. Also all of the scopes went to at least 9x so that is what I set them all at for viewing in an effort to make my "test" fair.)

How far out do you need to be looking before the optical clarity can actually be noticed? I only could see about 150 yards out my back door so that's all the further I was looking with them.

I tested with my SWFA, Burris, Nikon, brand new Leupold that I just bought for my Dad's birthday, and a cheapy "Sniper" brand scope I bought off Amazon last year.

I could see the details of whatever I was looking at about the same in all of them. I fully expected to see a distinct difference when viewing through the generic "Sniper" scope. It's a 4-16x and for around $80 came with illuminated reticle with 2 batteries, flip scope caps, parallax adjustment, locking turrets, a nice sunshade, and scope rings! (I did strip the scope rings immediately and threw them away). I assumed the actual optics must be where they cut corners. But today when comparing next to other scopes, I just couldn't tell the difference. Even on it's highest power setting, there was no yellow tint or fuzziness of the viewing...

I looked through all of these scopes for a long time today. If I was forced to make a bet with my own money, at the end of the day I would say... probably the brand new Leupold was the clearest. But it's also the only one that hasn't been out hunting and shooting like the others have been. So most likely it is also the cleanest of the bunch.

I realize more goes into the price of a scope than just the optical clarity. I'd be surprised if the turret tracking on that super cheap scope is worth a hoot. But then again, I suppose I was kind of surprised today with it's optic clarity.

Maybe I should put that cheap scope onto a rifle I actually use for longer range shooting and start testing it's turrets also.... Or at the very least, put it onto a rifle I shoot more often rather than that old 303 British.

Just thinking out loud. Sorry if this email was digressing too much.

 

[Garycrow]

Try them right before dark.

 

[engineer40]

Try them right before dark.

Ahhhh! Veeeery good idea!

 

[Rich Coyle]

When I compared my Bushnell 6500 with my Nightforce on leaves and twigs about like you did I couldn't see any difference. When I got an eye chart and put it 200 yards away, there was a world of difference. The Nightforce is way better. In fact it is better than anything I have seen at the range.

 

[J E Custom]

Try them right before dark.

+1

Place them all on a flat surface pointing at the same spot/target and adjust each to the same power
(As not to give one the advantage over the other).

Just before dark, while you can still see well through all of them start checking/looking through them
every few minutes without touching them. (I normally set them on sand bags and place a sand bag on top of them to hold them steady.

keep looking through them until they white out. Some go fast , others will hang in there until almost dark.This will separate the good from the bad/poor.

Looking through a scope in good light makes it hard to judge the quality, But in poor light it is easy to see the difference. Good light gathering ability is very important for clarity.

J E CUSTOM

 

[lloydsmale]

find a target or something with small writing and have a buddy keep moving them farther and farther out and see which one lets you read the writing at the farthest distance then repeat the test in low light. Buddy and I just did it about a week ago with spotting scopes. My leupold wind river and his vortex. Sure was an eye opener to how much garbage that wind river was. He even pulled out an old 80 dollar simmons that did just as well as my wind river.

 

[Wedgy]

I can line up a few scopes and look at a neighbors house 733 yards away and pick out the details of the features & trim in both light and shade under the patio cover. What looks like a piece of wood trim with the Bushnell 6500 is easily distinguishable as an electrical conduit with the NXS and S3, all comparable zoom range set at 20x.

 

[Rich Coyle]

I can line up a few scopes and look at a neighbors house 733 yards away and pick out the details of the features & trim in both light and shade under the patio cover. What looks like a piece of wood trim with the Bushnell 6500 is easily distinguishable as an electrical conduit with the NXS and S3, all comparable zoom range set at 20x.

I discovered the same thing about Nightforce. And the 6500 is no slough.

 

[ChrisP]

The next step (if you get the chance) is to compare the NXS against an ATAC-R..

 

[Barrelnut]

There is actually a USAF chart for comparing optical resolution of scopes etc.

Here's a link to a printable copy. Print it, put it up as a target at the range, and compare scopes side by side. Makes it easy to get an accurate comparison of resolution between various optics.
http://www.takinami.com/yoshihiko/photo/lens_test/USAF.pdf

 

[engineer40]

There is actually a USAF chart for comparing optical resolution of scopes etc.

Here's a link to a printable copy. Print it, put it up as a target at the range, and compare scopes side by side. Makes it easy to get an accurate comparison of resolution between various optics.
http://www.takinami.com/yoshihiko/photo/lens_test/USAF.pdf

That's sweet... At first glance I didn't realize how small the numbers in the center got.

I zoomed the PDF in to 1000% and could still see the numbers getting smaller.

 

[dig]

Great chart, thanks for posting. I have used a newspaper at 100 yards to compare. When you start reading the difference becomes apperant very quickly. Will try the chart next.

 

[tulku]

Good suggestion Barrelnut . I've been using the 1951 AF Chart as well as a lot of other Resolution Targets to Compare Scopes and Binoculars for many Decades . We used to use real AF Targets to Test super accurate Lenses for Circuit Production . You could look at the Line Edges at 1000X and they looked perfectly straight . They were made of Chromium on Glass and you could buy them for a few Hundred Dollars , but that was long ago . You have to play around with the Distance somewhat so that the Line Widths and spaces are in the Scope Power Range that you are interested in . There are a lot of Factors to consider , but for Small Varmint Hunting in bright Sunlight , Resolution and Internal Reflection and Reticle Size are important . As was suggested , if you Hunt in Dim Light , that kind of Testing is important . There are a few cheaper Scopes out there that have Resolution far out of their price point . I remember seeing a Store set-up in Cabelas ( it was either Mn. or SD ) . They had a Tripod Set-up with a scalloped top where you could lay Scopes side-by-side or Binocs. side-by-side and look up at a Resolution Target on a far wall . You need a really solid Rest to compare Optics .

 

[Barrelnut]

Good suggestion Barrelnut . I've been using the 1951 AF Chart as well as a lot of other Resolution Targets to Compare Scopes and Binoculars for many Decades . We used to use real AF Targets to Test super accurate Lenses for Circuit Production . You could look at the Line Edges at 1000X and they looked perfectly straight . They were made of Chromium on Glass and you could buy them for a few Hundred Dollars , but that was long ago . You have to play around with the Distance somewhat so that the Line Widths and spaces are in the Scope Power Range that you are interested in . There are a lot of Factors to consider , but for Small Varmint Hunting in bright Sunlight , Resolution and Internal Reflection and Reticle Size are important . As was suggested , if you Hunt in Dim Light , that kind of Testing is important . There are a few cheaper Scopes out there that have Resolution far out of their price point . I remember seeing a Store set-up in Cabelas ( it was either Mn. or SD ) . They had a Tripod Set-up with a scalloped top where you could lay Scopes side-by-side or Binocs. side-by-side and look up at a Resolution Target on a far wall . You need a really solid Rest to compare Optics .

Thanks for the additional background on these charts. I have seen these for sale in glass for professional use. Didn't know the circuit connection. The printable one is very good. It's like an eye chart for optics.