Does anyone have any tricks they like to use to protect lenses while hunting in foul weather? Sometimes I will cuff my scope under my arm and point it downward to keep weather off the lenses.

Are the bushnell Elites as good at repeling water as they are supposed to be? I read an article that suggests keeping covers on until ready to shoot, Mine come off when I leave camp. What about scope dope? Does it work?

I use Butler Creek scope covers. They work alright. A friend of mine uses a piece of tire inner tube. Like a big rubberband that he slings over the ends of his scope. I like his Idea especially for a sheep or goat rifle. For the rubber protects the scope to certain degree as well from rocks on steep inclines.

Daryl

The Blizzard covers as sold at WalMart and Dicks are good. They hinge open without a lot of noise where as the Butler's rear cover makes too much noise.

The Blizzards also have glass lenses in them and yes you can see and shoot with them closed.

Overall they are the best I have seen so far.

Measure the OD's of each end of your scope before you go to the store. There is a chart on the back of each package with the sizes. The #4 fit's both the front and rear of a Leu VX1 2-7.

The blizzard lens caps are made by butler creek.I prefer the standard non see through butler creeks as they seem to seal better.If you know how they can be opened very quietly.

I have been down the road of the Butler Creek scope covers and I just want to say that if you are not real careful, it can cost you a shot or opportunity to shoot an elk or whatever your hunting in the mountains.

I had such an occurrence happen to me twice, with the lense caps twisting while bringing the rifle out of that saddle scabard quickly ( after spotting elk ) and then trying to operate the bolt with those scope caps still in place, which will not close all the way if that cap somehow gets turned or twisted on the scope, then "blocking the bolt on my model 70 Winchester from closing properly. Thus it won't fire.

I Do NOT worry about covering up my scope lenses in rain, sleet or snow anymore. I carry a brush teathered to my jacket pocket. I simply brush away any snow or sleet, don't bother with the rain.

[ 12-24-2002, 22:11: Message edited by: Chigger ]

I cannot see how the Blizzard does not seal well enough. It only keeps out snow, rain and stuff. I don't think we are discussing scuba gear here.

The Blizzard has two tabs for opening the cap that are opposite the hindge and the bottom tab can catch on a bolt handle. I cut one of them off with a clipper. You only need one anyway.

The see thru glass on the Blizzard makes a lot of sense. You can keep the rear one closed to take that first wet breath that will smoke up a rear lense when you forget and breathe on it by mistake.

Finally I don't care who makes them!

When I said that the blizzards don't seal as well I meant that they didn't stay sealed as well.They seem to accidentally come open more easily than the standard butler creeks and the lenses then get exposed to the elements.As far as the see through design I don't buy a quality scope with high quality lenses to look through a cheap piece of plastic.

Rain-X.

Lens covers only work when they're down. As soon as they're up, if it's raining and/or humid, your lens covers won't help you a bit.

Russ

Wstrnhunter,

I think you would be better served trying a truck/bus tube, at least that is what I use. Cut across the tube, so you end up with a big rubber band wide enough to cover the ocular and objectives. You can taper toward middle if you like. Great use for old tubes, I have made some passable cartridge carriers aswell.

HBH

If you don't want to fool with a innertube there is a product on the market called the Scope Bikini Cover. It's made of soft rubber and stretches over the scope and it very effectively seals out water and dust. I've used these for several years and they work even while traveling on an atv in inclement weather. The Butler Creek covers don't seal as well.

I've had trouble with Butler Creek covers. One was my fault. I creeped up on the stock and the plastic part that you push to open the rear cover sliced me across the nose! Lots of blood!
I've also found that when you open them and then close them while it's bad weather, the lens still fogs.
I was wondering about rain-x but I'm afraid that it could ruin the coatings.

Bob257

Scope Bikinis are great for keeping out water and dust but are no good for use while hunting.

For use while hunting, I just got some defog stuff called Klear-Vu and it seems to work pretty well. Leupold refered the the stuff to me so it must not damage the lenes. Works well on eyeglasses too, my glasses tend to fog when I wear a facemask.

Keep plenty of lens tissue or lens cloth on hand to wipe of your lenes when its raining.

Don't forget the see-throughs act as mirrors when open. I orient mine so when they are open they are at a downward angle. There's less chance they'll flash at game that way.

I had the same trouble Chigger did - covers blocking movement of the bolthandle. I curiously arrived at the same solution too! Since I usually hunt in snow not rain, I found a small brush that came with an electric razor works perfectly for brushing away snow. No, I don't SCRUB the lenses so I'm not worried about damaging them, really. One of those LensPen thingies oughta work the same.

HTH

Redial

Tried the Blizzards but found that because the body is a soft rubber the hinge section tore off too easily. Went bak to the standard Butler Creek.

Russ,

What is Rain X? is it meant for optics or is it the stuff that goes on auto windscreens?

Griz,

Who sells that defogger? is it aimed at the scuba market or something?

Regards,

Pete

Fella's I believe that a scope cover is a good thing for protection of your scope lense. Now in a hunting situation, I just take them off right away. I put on a solution sold at Wally Mart that will help in keeping the lenses from doing any fogging up, even if you should happen to breath on it while having the rifle to your shoulder.

This has worked well for me in the past, I also now use it on my glasses as well to keep them from fogging up.......what a nightmare for someone who were's glasses and suddenly have them fog up as your about to take a shot at a trophy animal. I use the stuff on my Bino's also. A good thing to make note of before your next hunting trip!

[ 12-24-2002, 22:22: Message edited by: Chigger ]

I blew it on one big bull moose on a fly in and two decent mulies because of wet and foggy scopes. Since I moved to scope covers, I can't blame anything else that blew my chances but myself. I think the pro's outweigh the cons.

I use a cheapy polar cover that comes off in a tick and can go in a pocket. I also carry a little plastic bag full of pre torn tissue that I can quickly use to access.

The older style Swarovski bikini covers can be cable tied to the scope.

Great topic ths one! I have used them all over the last 4 decades and have several sets of the Butler Creek caps as well as at least a dozen sets of the Uncle Mikes scope covers. I have also tried many home made scope covers made of innertubes and water proof materials. I wish the Butler Creek scope covers would not inadvertantly open while carrying or slinging my Rifles! I would use them exclusively if not for this flaw! I think the best lense covering system for Hunting is still the Uncle Mikes Ka-Ram-Ba lens caps the type with the rubber bands connecting the two caps. The secret to these is the old style (20 years old at least) of mounting the lense caps onto the Rifle. To mount these caps the most efficient and quiet way one needs the additional bands. These bands twenty years ago used to be provided with the caps. These bands stretch to one side of the scope or the other (attaching on a ring base) and with a simple single flick of the thumb the caps torque immediately to the side of the scope and are restrained there immediately beside the scope and not dangling below the rifle - adding sway to your scopes image! These old style Ka-Ram-Ba covers accidently deploy much less often than the Butler Creek type - at least for me in the way I Big Game Hunt. I never Hunt from a tree stand and usually still Hunt with a day pack walking 5 to 8 miles in a day. I still use the Butler Creek flip caps on many of my Varmint Rifles where noise is not critical and the extra few seconds to flip two caps instead of one is not a problem. But for my style Big Game Hunting I use the old style Michaels of Oregon Ka-Ram-Ba caps and the extra bands set up.
Lots of room for innovation and a new design in this regard - a better scope lens cover system could make someone rich! One that is quick, quiet, unloseable (permanently attached to the Rifle), doesn't open accidently and a system that does not get in the way or add sway to the sight image would be a blessing.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Pete E,
The stuff is called Kleer Vu. I used it this weekend in the fog and had no problems.

Let me see if I can print their address....

http://www.kleervu.com/index.html

Put me down as a butler creek fan. I've tried a bunch of others, and to me you really only need covers when it is raining or snowing, but then they need to be on the lenses until you are aiming. Also, unless it is raining hard I leave the objective open with the muzzle pointed down, so I only have one cap to pop open.