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

The fact is if your looking for validation that the scopes you have are just as good as top tier scopes you're not going to get it. If your looking for someone to tell you what you have is good enough, some guys here have done that. Unless you have a Hensoldt or Tangent Theta on your rifle that is probably always going to be the case. But scope snobs aside, there are tonnes of reviews and articles that cover this. One other thing to consider, do yourself a favor and check out some reviews and forums on scope failures and problems. Just a heads up they all have some, but by far Vortex has the most but that could be because they are so popular. Good luck.
 
The things I look for in a scope are aberrations which disrupt the clarity from the center point to the outside edges of the sight picture. I also look at how much clarity I get under low light conditions. The ability to adjust the parallax is critical as well and I prefer a center dial adjustment.
If you want to make something that will allow you to check the differences in your scopes, take a couple of large pieces of cardboard and on one place rows of dots 2 inches apart from left to right and top to bottom. On the other piece draw horizontal and vertical lines 4 inches apart from left to right and top to bottom. As you look through your scope at 300 yards notice if the lines on the outside blend and on the other one see if some of the dots are fuzzy looking. As you increase your scope's power it will show which one is better after getting to the highest power level and then backing it down in power.
 
Last edited:
Caveman0101 said:
The fact is if your looking for validation that the scopes you have are just as good as top tier scopes you're not going to get it. If your looking for someone to tell you what you have is good enough, some guys here have done that. Unless you have a Hensoldt or Tangent Theta on your rifle that is probably always going to be the case. But scope snobs aside, there are tonnes of reviews and articles that cover this. One other thing to consider, do yourself a favor and check out some reviews and forums on scope failures and problems. Just a heads up they all have some, but by far Vortex has the most but that could be because they are so popular. Good luck.
Click to expand...

Thanks, I have read many reviews on scopes. What brought me to this point is the back and forth disagreements from one person to the next one whats good and whats not. Simply put, I want to see for myself and not rely on reviews. I am not looking for any validation or brand recommendations but rather specifically what people look for to determine what is best for them.
 
Go here and scroll down to "scope testing targets". You can down load and print for free.
It might help you determine how good of glass you're looking through.


Free downloadable targets for 6mm BR Norma and 6BR benchrest and Long Distance shooting. Targets for 100 to 1000 yards and varmint hunting.

6mmBR.com offers free targets for precision benchrest and long-range shooting. Downloadable targets for 6mm BR Norma benchrest, varmint, and 6BR 1000 yard. PDF and Word format targets for accurate printing. 6mmBR.com is for 6mm BR Benchrest shooting, with 6BR FAQ, Reloading, Message Boards...
www.6mmbr.com
 
jd126 said:
Thanks, I have read many reviews on scopes. What brought me to this point is the back and forth disagreements from one person to the next one whats good and whats not. Simply put, I want to see for myself and not rely on reviews. I am not looking for any validation or brand recommendations but rather specifically what people look for to determine what is best for them.
Click to expand...

Youre not alone. Same boat. This is a great thread / topic to learn about the scientific and emperical testing on glass quality.
 
Rich Coyle said:
I have a laminated military chart 127 yards from my porch. I use it for determining which scope has better resolution. There 13" wide deer antlers in the woods 131 yards from the porch. I use it for low light comparisons. Before this I thought my Bushnell 6500 4 1/23-30X50 was as good as my Nightforce 12-42X56. In those days I used twigs and leaves on the trees about 125 yards away. What a wakeup. I discovered one does not get what one pays for but what one shops for if they want quality. This is based on my side by side with gobs of brands including Swarovski, Vortex, Schmidt & Bender. S&B have great glass.

If someone wants a copy of this chart I could try to email it. I'm not very computer savvy.
Click to expand...
I would appreciate a copy of the chart. email [email protected], Thanks
 
AlphaDogs said:
JDL may I assume you did not read this OR the linked articles ?

Riflescope Fundamentals » OpticsThoughts

opticsthoughts.com
Click to expand...

I just looked at the pictures. Seen the Sig Tango and Redfield and X'd out as I am taking your advice, which is only look for 4 specific brand names and the price tag. Done deal and no need to read any further. Now I have gained all of your knowledge ....That was simple;)
 
jd126 said:
I just looked at the pictures. Seen the Sig Tango and Redfield and X'd out as I am taking your advice, which is only look for 4 specific brand names and the price tag. Done deal and no need to read any further. Now I have gained all of your knowledge ....That was simple;)
Click to expand...

"Simple is as simple does."
 
The unfortunate part of scope glass evaluation is you really need to have a full week with it. You can't look through a SB next to a Razor, next to a 5hd in the Cabelas at 1 in the afternoon and see anything but crystal clear mounted heads at 73 yards. It is and individual process too. My wife sees some colors differently than I do. the real trick to evaluating glass is getting it your hands on it in an environment you can use. By the time you get a true evaluation it's too late, you already own it.
 
If it is from China toss in waste can. At one time bushnell had the best glass in the world using Bosch and lomb in the 70 -80 in the varix VI scopes from Japan . now they have junk from who knows where.. How on earth could a company with their reputation put out stuff that is not up to the old quality of the old Tascos. It like all the clothing in wal mart and cos co all junk. looks good will not fit, will not hold up, Junk Junk.
 

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