Guys, what scope do you use on a rainy day? I was out hunting the other morning and it was raining and my scope was getting wet and my scope was blurred so bad I couldn't see through it I usually put rubbing alcohol on my scope to keep the fog off my lens early in the morning but would Rain X work to keep my scope lens waterproof and visible?
Shooting in the rain and wet optics
- Thread starter nebkusp9
- Start date
mallardsx2
Veteran member
- Jul 8, 2015
- 3,816
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Scope Caps until its go time...then I just deal with it.
I dont put anything on my lenses that will damage the coatings.
Scope caps can cause your scope to fog up if you keep your rifle on a sling close to your body so keep that in mind.
Carry your rifle parallel to the ground the best you can in the rain.
I dont put anything on my lenses that will damage the coatings.
Scope caps can cause your scope to fog up if you keep your rifle on a sling close to your body so keep that in mind.
Carry your rifle parallel to the ground the best you can in the rain.
JimP
Administrator
I have never had a problem with my lens fogging up. I have had a load of snow on the lens block my view a couple of times.
A couple of ways to keep the lens from fogging up are, store your rifle is the same temperature as you plan on shooting it. Don't take it into the cabin or nice warm tent but leave it in your truck where the temperature is the same as it is outside. As for rain getting onto the lens, that is a problem that you just need to deal with.
I was up in British Colombia where it rained every day, I lived in my rain gear and in the 10 days that I was up there I never did have a problem looking through my scope due to condensation on the lens or rain on it.
A couple of ways to keep the lens from fogging up are, store your rifle is the same temperature as you plan on shooting it. Don't take it into the cabin or nice warm tent but leave it in your truck where the temperature is the same as it is outside. As for rain getting onto the lens, that is a problem that you just need to deal with.
I was up in British Colombia where it rained every day, I lived in my rain gear and in the 10 days that I was up there I never did have a problem looking through my scope due to condensation on the lens or rain on it.
Colorado Cowboy
Super Moderator
I used to have a set of the spring loader flip up caps, but the springs kept sticking at inopertune times, so I got rid of them. Like JimP, I just deal with it.
I really like the elastic-corded see-through caps which give you the option of taking a quick shot without fussing with regular caps, but can still be removed if they get dirty or you have time to make a longer shot. That said, last year I happened to be out while it was snowing and had lost my caps (I'm hard on my gear - I think I tore one of the elastic cords working my way through some dense brush). I was getting a lot of snow built up on the scope and it was hard to keep it clean. Since then I've taken to carrying a gallon ziploc bag and a rubber band. Simple, cheap, lightweight, I can throw it on only when I'm actually in weather to justify it, and there are a dozen other uses for a ziploc in the field too.
tim
Veteran member
bikini scope covers are the only covers that actually work. not quick taking off, but they work.
Winchester
Veteran member
I've been using flip up covers for awhile and they work well.
They keep the rain out and are easy/quick to flip open.
They keep the rain out and are easy/quick to flip open.
tim
Veteran member
winchester
in the jungles of north idaho, the flip up ones, allow to much water in. Arid areas, they might work ok, But in really wet areas, the flip ups are worthless, they only seem to work for dust, dirt ect, not pouring down rain for days. And you don't take them off until you are ready to shoot.
in the jungles of north idaho, the flip up ones, allow to much water in. Arid areas, they might work ok, But in really wet areas, the flip ups are worthless, they only seem to work for dust, dirt ect, not pouring down rain for days. And you don't take them off until you are ready to shoot.
Winchester
Veteran member
Tim,
Good to know, Thanks.
They work fine here in Colorado but it doesn't normally "pour down rain for days" here either.
Good to know, Thanks.
They work fine here in Colorado but it doesn't normally "pour down rain for days" here either.
JimP
Administrator
One of the best that I have ever seen were what we made out of old truck inner tubes that we would pick up at the tire shop. We would cut then across the tube to make one big elastic band. You would then slip in onto your scope and if you needed it off in a hurry all you needed to do was to flip one end off with your thumb and it would shoot off.
The problem came trying to find it after you shot it off of the scope.
The problem came trying to find it after you shot it off of the scope.
Winchester
Veteran member
^^Yeah, I used to have a couple of those too.
They're lost somewhere now but they worked pretty well.
They're lost somewhere now but they worked pretty well.
dan maule
Very Active Member
The bikini are the only thing that I have found that really work for the hunting I do in Michigan. Trudging through cedar swamps not only makes it difficult to keep the water and snow off, but all sorts of dirt and bark. It is a bit of a pain getting them off in a hurry, I think I am going to try inner tube idea posted by Jim P. Can't believe we never thought of that.
JimP
Administrator
The problem now days is finding a big inner tube that you can cut apart. Even a lot of the OTR semi truck run tubeless.
dan maule
Very Active Member
I am almost positive that my wife's family still have a collection of old inner tubes at their farm.
Thanks for the idea, if I find the inner tubes I would be more than happy to send some to you if you want.
JimP
Administrator
I actually just looked and there are more of them out there than I thought.
But buying a new one just to cut up, I don't know. We just went down to the tire shop and picked up a few out of their rubbish pile after asking.
Thanks for the offer but I am turning into a fair weather hunter. I don't mind snow so much but if it is raining I head for drier ground and over the years I have learned how to keep my scope dry along with checking it often if it is a wet day.
But buying a new one just to cut up, I don't know. We just went down to the tire shop and picked up a few out of their rubbish pile after asking.
Thanks for the offer but I am turning into a fair weather hunter. I don't mind snow so much but if it is raining I head for drier ground and over the years I have learned how to keep my scope dry along with checking it often if it is a wet day.
I had both the elastic see thru caps and bikini caps in Alaska on my moose hunt. Bikini were what I used after day 1. Nothing else seals it well enough for that level of wet.
I like a lower power scope in rain too. The 3-12x Huskemaw I used is about all the low end magnification I’d want in rain. I feel like the water droplets are less of a bother to look through on low power.
I like a lower power scope in rain too. The 3-12x Huskemaw I used is about all the low end magnification I’d want in rain. I feel like the water droplets are less of a bother to look through on low power.
Aldapow
New Member
I use a Lupold LP110797-BRK VX-2 3-9x40mm waterproof & fog proof. It gives me precise shots and increases the shooting range.
Here is why I use the waterproof scope on a rainy day and I think you should also use a good scope that would be waterproof.
Here is why I use the waterproof scope on a rainy day and I think you should also use a good scope that would be waterproof.
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Winchester
Veteran member
I agree good scopes are fairly waterproof these days (although nothing is completely water/fog proof) but even the good ones are still a little difficult to see through if the lens is covered with rain drops.
I have a great scope but I still use scope caps on it.
I have a great scope but I still use scope caps on it.
Hilltop
Veteran member
Bikini, period. They are cheap and extremely effective. I also use a small section of a thin sandwich bag on the end of my barrel taped on. Black tape over the end has worked fine but I like as little plugging the end as possible. I also keep the action tucked into my body to limit the amount of water into the magazine and trigger. Most of the time when it is raining where I hunt, it comes down in the form of sleet/snow. Pretty rare day I'm carrying a rifle in the rain.