One factor, which you sometimes hear, is time. Scopes, and eyesight, deteriorate over time, My 30 year old Burris Fullfield, which sits atop my primary deer rifle, was a great scope. It still performs more than well enough for the hunting I do. Recently I've noticed it's not as clear as it used to be, but neither is my eyesight. And that scope has seen some hard use. I've not always been as careful as i should. So, all things considered, maybe it's time to update my glass. Not because the scope/rifle doesn't still shoot better than I can, but because the science of optics has come so far in the past 30 years. In evaluating optics, you can (I believe) come to a point where you have to be honest and ask whether you are capable of judging minute differences between scopes or whether the judgements are really mostly subjective. The only really objective questions are: Can I see and aim as far as I personally can shoot? Does the Point Of Impact stay the same?(There's a can of worms.) What can I afford? How much is the additional capability or "coolness" worth?
School me on how to evaluate the quality of rifle scope glass
- Thread starter jd126
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All excellent points ! I still use 50-70 year old Unertls and Bausch scopes. They still work fine BUT when I go out to shoot steel @1000 yds my mega-buck scopes are clearly superior.
$1500 rifles have advanced to the point where they shoot as well as $3000 ones.
$3000 scopes have optics and features superior to $1500 ones.
$1500 rifles have advanced to the point where they shoot as well as $3000 ones.
$3000 scopes have optics and features superior to $1500 ones.
Muledeerhuntingfreak
Well-Known Member
So far I hear a lot of blah blah blah from the people on this website the real question is are you going to go with A-scope that has one of the best warranty's in all of optics vortex has taken care of me beyond belief they not only replaced my scope because I had such a badd outcome with it No questions asked They not only replaced that scope what they upgraded me from 04 to 16 Dead hold scope to a 6 by 24HSLR Which was twice the money because of what happened with my scope and my situation when I was out hunting all we had the scope on my rifle for a year
All of that stuff you just spouted has nothing to do with this thread.
Would avoid Vortex. The other choices listed is up to you. For me, Leupold has worked well for 50 years and great customer service. Clear glass...accurate adjustments..repeatable, solid, lightweight, tried and true. I have used Nightforce but very heavy and I lean to light weight these days. Good you are taking your time to do the homework. You have to make it fit your needs/wants/ etc for YOU and what you intend to do with it. For me...I have never had any issue with Leupold for 50 years
D
Deleted member 103481
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The question was quite simply how is glass quality judged, not what scope should I buy.
I think @Will16 s photos and suggestions to speak with koshkin on the hide hit the mark.
In judging optical performance for myself, I have to look through it and when I do I know pretty quick, what I look for below:
Purple and green fringing are to me the biggest and easiest faults one can find, and they drive me mad.
Low light performance is quite simple, look through them all at last shooting light.
Resolution can be simple with tripod mounts looking at leaves or birds at distance. This includes center vs edge image quality
glare prevention, take a hike and set up on a hill like you're glassing and face the sun or angled towards it, note how some scopes are easy to Use, some impossible, some get hazy, some have massive flares.
If and how much optical performance matters in the field is not the topic at hand
I think @Will16 s photos and suggestions to speak with koshkin on the hide hit the mark.
In judging optical performance for myself, I have to look through it and when I do I know pretty quick, what I look for below:
Purple and green fringing are to me the biggest and easiest faults one can find, and they drive me mad.
Low light performance is quite simple, look through them all at last shooting light.
Resolution can be simple with tripod mounts looking at leaves or birds at distance. This includes center vs edge image quality
glare prevention, take a hike and set up on a hill like you're glassing and face the sun or angled towards it, note how some scopes are easy to Use, some impossible, some get hazy, some have massive flares.
If and how much optical performance matters in the field is not the topic at hand
thwatson2
Well-Known Member
Good glass, like that in Zeiss, Swarovski and Schmidt Bender is achieved through quality glass cutting/forming and great coatings. The coatings are paramount in clear image from center to outside edges of the FOV. The coatings are also responsible for brightness. If you hunt long distance or at dusk and dawn, this becomes very important.. the quality of components in the scope are just as important. If you can't hold zero or dial in an MOA adjustment consistently, then glass quality means nothing. Compare your scopes by looking at something with writing on it at 200 yards. Look for the clarity and distortion. Then manipulate the windage and elevation. Are the adjustment crisp and consistent? Use other folks opinions and I think you will figure it out. I have looked through and used some scopes you mentioned. They are fine for 100 yard day scopes, but you may want to invest more for long range or hunting near dark, just my opinion
This also has nothing to do with this thread. Also two out of the three vortex's he has are razors, I haven't seen anyone argue the quality of the razor line.
Cost of: pickup $50-80,000, Mountain horse $3000, Horse trailer $4000, Quality tent $1000, Saddle & tack $2000, ATV $15000, ATV trailer $1500, Top grade binocs $1000, Range finder $700, Outfitted hunt $5-50000 ----- need I go on ?
People think I'm nuts to buy a $5000 Swaro ---- I'm laffin !
People think I'm nuts to buy a $5000 Swaro ---- I'm laffin !
I don't think your nuts, but it doesn't matter if its $10,000 scope or a $50 scope, I just want to know how you evaluate the glass in your scope. What do you look at through your scope? What do you look for? What time of day, conditions, distance etc...
If how much you spent is the only thing you look at, then that is all I need to know.
nksmfamjp
Well-Known Member
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Well, I think I meant....can you tell me what is bad, how to see it in the scope and how will it cause me to miss my target?
Thank you and the others who have posted answers like this! This is what I am looking for and trying to learn about.
John Polk
Well-Known Member
Remember there are 3 things that go into making the image you see looking through a rifle scope. The 1st is the glass, the 2nd is the coating on the glass and the 3rd is the mechanicals of the internals which are aligning the 1st to. Generally speaking you get what you pay for. Take your scopes out at dawn and at dusk and note what you can see at a distance.
