Scope Covers

RJ · 10-11-2001, 05:55 PM

bait-0 I had the same problem i have been using the old michaels of oregon since i started hunting and cannot find replacement parts i even had my cousin up in beavertown try and locate some end caps i personally have tried the flip up and i hate them but again thats my opinion so if ya come across a gold mine of old caps and bands think of me please.Butler creek did for a short time make some covers that basically looked like the old michaels scope covers but they discontinued them as well.o and hey Zen sometimes the stuff from the fifties is better than the **** they make now nuff said

[ 10-11-2001: Message edited by: RJ ]

Snapset · 10-11-2001, 07:54 PM

I have used them all, and any more I don't bother with them at all. Whenever I am hunting wetside elk, I get so ******** hot and wet that condensation from body heat, or even just a breath on the glass will fog the rear objective, so I let it get wet. I would rather have a few big raindrops on my scope than to have it all steamed up. I remember one time I tried to cross the Yachats river on a slippery log after a big rain and of course I fell into neck deep water, so here I was with my gun over my head, bouncing along on my tiptoes, and I can just barely hear the ocean in the distance. I made it out after a couple hundred yards, and found a nice geode in the process. Luckily it was a pretty warm day, but I am certain I was no wetter when I was in the river than before I fell in. I tend to get wet when I hunt. Anyway, to make a short story long, my scope was fogged and pretty dim when I went in the river but Crystal clear when I came out of the river. (Except for a few big drops.) Better yet, although I haven't made the transition totally, is no scope at all, unless I am going to be hunting the big clearcuts. I prefer the jungle.

Mr. Fisherman · 10-11-2001, 08:31 PM

Roy,

When I was a young buck I couldn't afford fancy scope covers and only had a scope because my grandpa left me one. Anyway I had to make due and used a piece of innertube with a button and a button hole. It worked pretty well after I got used to flipping it open with my thumb.

An old divers trick is to spit on the glass of your mask and rinse it off with water. I've had decent results with this technique on scopes too but you have to reapply often. There are also anti fogging compounds out there for skiing that might work like "Cat C-r-a-p " (Had to put the dashes in or the sensor would edit it) sounds bad but it works and dosen't stink. Hey if it did stink your rifle might smell like your boat [img]images/icons/shocked.gif[/img] Sorry Roy, I just couldn't resist.

Hope this helps...

Ray

[ 10-11-2001: Message edited by: Mr. Fisherman ]

jet · 10-11-2001, 08:36 PM

Ray your right about Roys boat, we fished next to him earlier this year and it had the sweet smell of success.

Jet~~~

Bait O' Eggs · 10-11-2001, 09:44 PM

Mr F and Jet you can both go suck an egg,... my boat smells like fresh baby rose pedals on a soft dewy morning [img]images/icons/shocked.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img]

RJ - I agree, I really like the Michael scope covers. I guess it is all a matter of preferrence. (gun cabinet dust covers [img]images/icons/rolleyes.gif[/img] ) I got $15 into these goofy looking flip doors, I guess they get a try. At least I can shoot thru them without opening them if they dont fog up to bad before I open them.

I hope I get the gun to my shoulder firmly, I hate to cut my eye brow on that hatch door sticking out in the way.

Might be time to develop and market a better set-up [img]images/icons/confused.gif[/img]

Bait O' Eggs · 10-11-2001, 11:44 PM

I have always used the Michaels scope covers that have a couple round rubber end caps with a big rubber band tieing them together wrapping around the scope. I cannot say they are the best but they have worked OK. Last weekend the rubber band broke on my scope covers [img]images/icons/frown.gif[/img] I have been to several stores trying to find a replacement and have discovered they no longer sell this style. [img]images/icons/frown.gif[/img]

I can find 2 styles of scopecovers, one is a bikini scope cover that is kind of the same principle as what I had, the other are these rubber cups that slide over the end of the scope with flip up end caps.

I cannot say I really like either of them. The bikinis look to be kind of wimpy and wouldnt hold up to much brush bustin. The flip up ones looked like a pain trying to get open in a hurry.

I bought the flip up style last night, due to lack of other options. They came with either solid black flip up caps and ones with glass centers on the flip up doors. I chose the glass centers because you could shoot them without opening them if you had to. I can see flipping up these little hatch doors and finding the end of the scope "fogged" because water got inside of the hatch doors.

Any body got a better option, or do these things work better than I might guess? There must be a manufacturer of scope covers that knows how it rains at the coast during elk season.

I have a regular rubber band modified to work if it has to, on the original scope covers, if these new ones dont work out.

Zen Leecher aka Bill W · 10-11-2001, 11:49 PM

BOE,

I've used those flip-up covers you described for 30 years now. Never had a problem.. so don't worry about it.

What you need to do is configure the scope covers so that when you're holding the gun your thumbs are near the tabs. Hit the tabs with your thumbs when you're raising the gun and you'll be ready to shoot when the gun hits your shoulder.

Oh.. don't forget your safety too.. unless you don't use one.

Zen Leecher aka Bill W · 10-11-2001, 11:52 PM

P.S. Those ones you used to use are from the dark ages and only fit for keeping the dust off guns stored in gun safes.

I have the old set like you described, the bikini covers, the flip-ups and also one scope with screw on covers. The screw on cover scope is from the 50's, if you're curious.

Zen Leecher aka Bill W · 10-12-2001, 07:06 AM

how about another solution... and one from even before those rubber band scope covers.

How about a peep sight? You won't need a cover for that.

Dogfish · 10-12-2001, 07:58 AM

Three of my rifles wear peep sights, ALL have open sights, even my .300 win mag (Ruger M77 RS). I only have two that sport scopes all of the time, and both have the flip caps. I haven't had a problem with moisture in the scope caps, even after a four day hunt in the rain.

The open sights have been a hunt saver when I had a scope failure.

Andy

Zen Leecher aka Bill W · 10-12-2001, 08:40 AM

Andy,

I've never had a scope failure as I've always used Leupolds on my hunting guns. Are you saying you've had problems?

I've been on High Hunts where the weather was so sloppy, most hunters had problems with their scopes except two... and both of those were Leupolds.

Also, did you have to drill any of your guns to accept peep sights? It's been about 15 years since most gunmakers stopped pre-drilling the actions.

Bait O' Eggs · 10-12-2001, 12:26 PM

Zen - I totally agree if it isnt a Leupold it doesnt get bolted to one of my guns.

Hence my original concern, take a scope that doesnt fog up, and create a semi enclosed space between the scope and this flip up cover. I could see it fogging between the two, since it almost has the same seal as a cheap scope. I was hoping for a little more rain this weekend to test them out before my elk trip in a week. I guess we will test them in battle [img]images/icons/shocked.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/shocked.gif[/img]

Peep site [img]images/icons/rolleyes.gif[/img] not enough range for my taste [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img]

Zen Leecher aka Bill W · 10-12-2001, 01:11 PM

I generally don't do the "drag it outdoors... drag it indoors..." thing with my guns. When I'm hunting my gun stays in my truck overnight so I don't have to worry about temperature/moisture conditions.

I've been using the same type of scope covers since 1967 and never had a problem with fogging up. The rubber band style you used doesn't give as good of a seal as the spring loaded flip ups. The bikini types would probably be the best seal, but they're a little too slow to take off.

Most of my deer hunting is done in dry weather in Montana so condensation is the worst I'd see.

I've done some High Hunts here in WA state, from 1977 to 1996 and I'll say that a person doing that better have a good scope too.

I've seen most scope types fail except Leupold. I remember one guy who after an all day rain could only see shadows thru his scope. I got some varmint scopes that would fog up if I took them out in weather like that, but who hunts varmints in weather like that.

Bill

Firedog · 10-12-2001, 01:38 PM

I have hunted some of the worst rain country there is here in oregon and I cant really imagine getiing any wetter anywhere else. I have never had a problem with my scope Fogging up. I dont like scope covers and dont feel a need for them as long as you have a quality scope. I would rather look through a few rain drops then run the risk of fogging.

Dogfish · 10-12-2001, 02:04 PM

Hi Bill,

One of my rifles, the Ruger Deerfield in .44 mag, came stock with a peep. I took my deer last year with it at 152 yards, (yardage pro 500).

My Remington 740 in .30-06 that I inherited from my grampa had an inferior ramp site on it, so I added a Williams peep sight. Did the drilling and tapping myself, not a hard job with the right tools.

My T/C THunderhawk in .54 caliber has an aftermarket peep added to it, but it was already drilled and tapped for it.

My .300 and my .22 mag both wear scopes, but they still have open sights attached.

I have had two scope failures while hunting, on was the scope's fault, the other was mine.
The first failure was a Simmons whitetail scope that decided tolose it's waterproof abilities. It was on my .300, and an hour after I took off the scope, I took a nice 2 point with the open sights. Simmons replaced the scope, no questions asked, and that scope now sits on my .22 mag.

The second scope failure was an old Weaver K4 that came with my grampa's rifle. I slipped and broke my fall with the scope. It was a 1950 vintage scope, so I didn't see where I had any grounds to send it back to Weaver for a replacement.

My .300 win mag now wears a Leupold vari x3 in 3-9x40. Good scope. I have another 2.5-10x50 Simmons that I won at a raffle. I have only played around with it on my Deerfield on two occasions, but have not had time to shoot it from a bench.

Andy