Scope objective bell to barrel space

[Member 53867]

Just do what Leupold did with their scopes when they wouldn't fit right... smack it with a ball peen!



J/K. Don't do that (unless you record it and post to YouTube!)

 

[Spitpatch]

Scope covers.

Lots of talk here about scope clearance allowing for some sort of gadgety, hinged, flip-up, fragile, mechanical piece of crap attached to a big game hunting rifle's sighting equipment.

If you have your own TV show, and spend your "hunting" time in a tree stand awaiting some hapless Whitetail to come by your feeder for a snack, okay, fine.

No flip-up hinged cap would last a full day attached to any big game rifle carried and used where and how I hunt. I would never trust the release mechanism to operate properly in freezing weather, not to mention two steps are necessary to gain optics.

Scabbard carry for horseback or ATV becomes extremely problematic. With the cap open while hunting, breakage is inevitable.

For big game hunting, a "Bikini" style cover is best. There when you need it, gone when you don't. Protection of the objective lens can be accomplished with a good seal without the cup fully under the bell.

The poor man's version is a section of car inner tube (like a wide rubber band), and works perfectly, costing nothing.

Flippy caps look cool and are just as much fun as a Jack-in-the-Box to operate. Useless on a rugged field rifle meant for fast business.

 

[orygun]

Scope gets high enough and you need to switch from cheek weld to chin weld, so . . .

And that isn't as easy to be consistent. I pretty much have had to do that with most of my rifles. But when I bought the Boyds stock for my Ruger that issue went away. First time I've ever had a rifle fit me perfectly.

Scope covers.

Lots of talk here about scope clearance allowing for some sort of gadgety, hinged, flip-up, fragile, mechanical piece of crap attached to a big game hunting rifle's sighting equipment.

If you have your own TV show, and spend your "hunting" time in a tree stand awaiting some hapless Whitetail to come by your feeder for a snack, okay, fine.

No flip-up hinged cap would last a full day attached to any big game rifle carried and used where and how I hunt. I would never trust the release mechanism to operate properly in freezing weather, not to mention two steps are necessary to gain optics.

Scabbard carry for horseback or ATV becomes extremely problematic. With the cap open while hunting, breakage is inevitable.

For big game hunting, a "Bikini" style cover is best. There when you need it, gone when you don't. Protection of the objective lens can be accomplished with a good seal without the cup fully under the bell.

The poor man's version is a section of car inner tube (like a wide rubber band), and works perfectly, costing nothing.

Flippy caps look cool and are just as much fun as a Jack-in-the-Box to operate. Useless on a rugged field rifle meant for fast business.

I used to use scope covers, the flippy kind with the window in them. I decided it was easier to see around the drops on the lens than the fog that happened when the cap was closed.
These days I have a great use for those caps. I put them on the objective lens to keep dust from settling when the rifle is stored barrel up.

 

[Bobbygun]

Scope covers.

Lots of talk here about scope clearance allowing for some sort of gadgety, hinged, flip-up, fragile, mechanical piece of crap attached to a big game hunting rifle's sighting equipment.

If you have your own TV show, and spend your "hunting" time in a tree stand awaiting some hapless Whitetail to come by your feeder for a snack, okay, fine.

No flip-up hinged cap would last a full day attached to any big game rifle carried and used where and how I hunt. I would never trust the release mechanism to operate properly in freezing weather, not to mention two steps are necessary to gain optics.

Scabbard carry for horseback or ATV becomes extremely problematic. With the cap open while hunting, breakage is inevitable.

For big game hunting, a "Bikini" style cover is best. There when you need it, gone when you don't. Protection of the objective lens can be accomplished with a good seal without the cup fully under the bell.

The poor man's version is a section of car inner tube (like a wide rubber band), and works perfectly, costing nothing.

Flippy caps look cool and are just as much fun as a Jack-in-the-Box to operate. Useless on a rugged field rifle meant for fast business.

Pretty much in agreement with this. Especially, as you mentioned, for big game. I'm not against the flipper caps when I'm sitting, waiting for a coyote to come running to the call on a morning where my breath wants to fog the scope. I'm not a fan of the bikini covers either, except to protect the lenses while my rifle is in the pickup or gun safe. Life happens fast sometimes, especially when you're hunting. I had the equivalent of a bikini cover for protecting my sight pins on my bow a few years back. A walk out using my headlamp after dark through some thick brush and blowdowns while elk hunting enthused me to use said cover. The next morning, I happened upon a solid buck (back before just about every unit was a draw unit, so you could hunt elk and deer at the same time) and came to full draw. The buck spooked before I could take careful aim. I did notice however, that it really wouldn't have mattered since I had forgotten to remove the pin cover.

Ya live and learn.

 

[orygun]

Just do what Leupold did with their scopes when they wouldn't fit right... smack it with a ball peen!

View attachment 2005547

J/K. Don't do that (unless you record it and post to YouTube!)

I looked long and hard at those scopes. Two things kept me from buying one. Price was one. Then I read about objective lens size vs. power vs. what exit pupil size is and decided it wasn't the "thing" for me. If I was dead set on a 56MM objective lens, this would have been the one as the dent really knocked a lot of scope height out of the installation. I look at all of the new rifles coming with Pic rails and wonder how people can tolerate the scope height with those setups.
One of the things I LOVE about my Rugers is the scope ring attachment style. I just wish they would make Low rings in 30mm. As you can see in this pic, in Medium rings my scope is higher than I'd like. There's plenty of room for a 50mm objective. Wish it wasn't that tall, but I had no other choice of rings, at least that I could find. It's also the reason the new stock was ordered with a cheekrest.

 

[Rifleman777]

And that isn't as easy to be consistent. I pretty much have had to do that with most of my rifles. But when I bought the Boyds stock for my Ruger that issue went away. First time I've ever had a rifle fit me perfectly.

I used to use scope covers, the flippy kind with the window in them. I decided it was easier to see around the drops on the lens than the fog that happened when the cap was closed.
These days I have a great use for those caps. I put them on the objective lens to keep dust from settling when the rifle is stored barrel up.

Yeah, the dust factor in the house while stored barrel up. Drives me crazy.

 

[Xaevian]

Scope covers.

Lots of talk here about scope clearance allowing for some sort of gadgety, hinged, flip-up, fragile, mechanical piece of crap attached to a big game hunting rifle's sighting equipment.

If you have your own TV show, and spend your "hunting" time in a tree stand awaiting some hapless Whitetail to come by your feeder for a snack, okay, fine.

No flip-up hinged cap would last a full day attached to any big game rifle carried and used where and how I hunt. I would never trust the release mechanism to operate properly in freezing weather, not to mention two steps are necessary to gain optics.

Flippy caps look cool and are just as much fun as a Jack-in-the-Box to operate. Useless on a rugged field rifle meant for fast business.

Not really. I put over 50 miles hiking over several weekends this year, with over a thousand foot elevation changes per day, in snow, rain, freezing weather, with flip up caps. Have done so many times over the years. But you do you. It is okay to just say you don't like them.

 

[eightyeight mag]

Tenebraex and aadland engineering are the way for scope caps. Bikini covers are obnoxious. Flopping around, falls on the ground, and overall annoying.

I suppose you could break a set of aadlands if you attach a bayonet and charge a deer through the brush. But luckily they have a lifetime warranty.

 

[Bobbygun]

Not really. I put over 50 miles hiking over several weekends this year, with over a thousand foot elevation changes per day, in snow, rain, freezing weather, with flip up caps. Have done so many times over the years. But you do you. It is okay to just say you don't like them.

I've never had any quality flip caps. I think mine were Butler Creek or such. Those things flipped open all the time when going through brush. I do wonder what a set of Leupold caps might be like, but I'm probably too cheap to buy them. Especially since I mainly bow hunt these days.

 

[Koda]

I've never had any quality flip caps. I think mine were Butler Creek or such. Those things flipped open all the time when going through brush. I do wonder what a set of Leupold caps might be like, but I'm probably too cheap to buy them. Especially since I mainly bow hunt these days.

Many years ago I bought some Butler Creek flip caps and threw them away...
I have two Leupolds that came with their "Alumina" metal screw on flip caps and they have been working, mostly. I hike to hunt like Xaevian describes, so I always have a pack on. If the rifle is slung Ive had the Alumina caps get flipped open. Once had a lens full of rain/snow that I had to carefully dry out before I could resume hunting. Had any opportunity came along I would have been screwed but it worked out. Even just carrying the rifle in hand occasionally brush or something can flip a cap open, though not as much.
Ive learned if Im careful and observant the Alumina caps work fine but Im on the fence on going back to an old classic bikini style because Id rather put my energy towards glassing than regularly checking on the flip caps.

A note about quickly deploying cheap bikini scope covers. If you rig two rubber bands to the left "leg" (opposite the ejection port) band of the bikini cover, when you pull the ocular cover tab to remove it the whole bikini cover flips off to the left side out of the way but stays with the rifle for quick deployment.

 

[DizzyJ]

Normally I'd say it's fine but I've seen slow motion video of flex in a rifle upon firing and I'm not so sure anymore.

If it were me I'd go up on the mount height one more spot.

No idea if or how much the scope flexes upon firing but I'd like to see if on a larger caliber rifle if it's out there.

 

[DizzyJ]

If you slow down the playback speed you can see both the scope and the barrel wobble under recoil. Im surprised at how much the scope wobbles under recoil.

View: https://youtu.be/5ANfXPQUMZ4?si=G0GOL_bsrWF2UEDV&t=6

Well I guess this answers my previous question.

 

[Certaindeaf]

View: https://youtu.be/hU5-0qKEklc?feature=shared

 

[Spitpatch]

Many years ago I bought some Butler Creek flip caps and threw them away...
I have two Leupolds that came with their "Alumina" metal screw on flip caps and they have been working, mostly. I hike to hunt like Xaevian describes, so I always have a pack on. If the rifle is slung Ive had the Alumina caps get flipped open. Once had a lens full of rain/snow that I had to carefully dry out before I could resume hunting. Had any opportunity came along I would have been screwed but it worked out. Even just carrying the rifle in hand occasionally brush or something can flip a cap open, though not as much.
Ive learned if Im careful and observant the Alumina caps work fine but Im on the fence on going back to an old classic bikini style because Id rather put my energy towards glassing than regularly checking on the flip caps.

A note about quickly deploying cheap bikini scope covers. If you rig two rubber bands to the left "leg" (opposite the ejection port) band of the bikini cover, when you pull the ocular cover tab to remove it the whole bikini cover flips off to the left side out of the way but stays with the rifle for quick deployment.

View attachment 2005776

I don't attach a bikini cover to the gun. One more thing to think about when there's no time to think. (Snag on brush, snag on rest, etc.) It goes in a pocket when not in use

Again: there when you need it, gone when you don't. (Most often, you don't.)

 

[Koda]

I don't attach a bikini cover to the gun. One more thing to think about when there's no time to think. (Snag on brush, snag on rest, etc.) It goes in a pocket when not in use

Again: there when you need it, gone when you don't. (Most often, you don't.)

I dont use scope covers on nice days, when actually on foot rifle in hand hunting. But when its raining or snowing I dont see how anyone can not use scope covers to keep the lens's free of rain or snow?

 

[Spitpatch]

I dont use scope covers on nice days, when actually on foot rifle in hand hunting. But when its raining or snowing I dont see how anyone can not use scope covers to keep the lens's free of rain or snow?

Agreed. They do become necessary, but I would never expect to deal with scope covers in the course of a sudden shot opportunity. Even in snow and rain it is possible to cradle the rifle for short periods of time (approaching likely game cover, etc.) while protecting the lenses. Eyepiece under the armpit/bicep, objective facing down.

Never will I be seen with a rifle on a sling on my shoulder when actually hunting. That's for traveling, and one of the hardest things to break a novice hunter of.

It serves as a solid indicator of little experience.

 

[Koda]

Agreed. They do become necessary, but I would never expect to deal with scope covers in the course of a sudden shot opportunity. Even in snow and rain it is possible to cradle the rifle for short periods of time (approaching likely game cover, etc.) while protecting the lenses. Eyepiece under the armpit/bicep, objective facing down.

Never will I be seen with a rifle on a sling on my shoulder when actually hunting. That's for traveling, and one of the hardest things to break a novice hunter of.

It serves as a solid indicator of little experience.

Ah then we do the same thing. Mostly... In some weather the rain is too much and in many of the dense "dark timber" creek draws in the coast range where a shot can present itself suddenly yet at the same time you can still hunt or glass in there all day and see nothing, you never know when it will happen. I cant keep the covers off all day long like that. The method I came up with bikini covers is very quick and virtually silent.

 

[Certaindeaf]

I don't attach a bikini cover to the gun..

So a rch?

 

[monks]

I've migrated toward the neoprene scope covers myself. I haven't used them much hunting yet but they do protect the scope while packing a rifle around and from damage in a full safe. They also come off fast when needed.

 

[orygun]

I dont use scope covers on nice days, when actually on foot rifle in hand hunting. But when its raining or snowing I dont see how anyone can not use scope covers to keep the lens's free of rain or snow?

Ever have the lens behind the cover fog? I used several types of no fog, cat crap, whatever. I couldn't get the lens to stay clear. I'd rather fight the raindrops.

Well, actually I'd rather sit in my treestand on a dry day and have a monster blacktail saunter on by at 25 yards.

Anyone have a good recommendation for a "no fog" treatment?