I asked in optics and didn't get many hits. I think you have rainy parts in Alaska so I am asking here. What scope and brand do you like for rainy weather? Is Bushnell 3200&4200 with rainguard the ticket? Is Leupold OK without their raincote lenses or are they a must and how does the Zeiss Conquest hold up in the rain? Thanks for any help.

I've been using a Leupold Vari-X II in 2x7x32 since 1989. I put Butler Creek caps on it and i've never had any issues with it. Same with my Vari-X III 3.5x10x40.

I've always had leupy vari-xIII and vari-xII scopes on my rifles. wife has a VXI on hers. never had a problem.

Right now I did mount a burris signature on my 30-06, but it hasnt seen any hard use yet, first sign of issues and off it goes and I will get a leupy.

Never tried the zeiss, or had a need to.

leupy with flip up caps works very well. A good set of irons help if its REALLY coming down.

I would very much like to try a Bushnell with rain guard ......I clean my lenses with a lens cleaner/defogger ,and it does about as good ...I like to make sure the lenses are good before I start out and keep the lenses covered until I,m ready to shoot ..........I also really like the see thru caps .....But I,ve been known to use a bicycle inner tube ..

quote:

Originally posted by Leo M:
I asked in optics and didn't get many hits. I think you have rainy parts in Alaska so I am asking here. What scope and brand do you like for rainy weather? Is Bushnell 3200&4200 with rainguard the ticket? Is Leupold OK without their raincote lenses or are they a must and how does the Zeiss Conquest hold up in the rain? Thanks for any help.

I only have Leupold

It rains a little around here. I actually don't know anyone who runs anything other than Leupold...

DN

3 Euro's failed on me and Leupold scopes have NEVER given me any problems whatsoever!

...Leupolds are great but this year 2 of them stopped working on me .......

I bet the fixed them leupys though. I've only had to send one back and that was because I broek it in half falling down a mountain. Try that kind of service with the other ones. Leupolds are generally lighter, and more compact than any comparable brand and thier durability is right up there with the best of them. The only scope I would say is tougher is the nightforce scopes. You could just about pound nails with them without problem. That durability comes at a price, weight. All my scopes have a gold ring!

It rains about six feet per year here and I have never had a problem with any Leupold scope.

Keep the lenses clean with a defogger. I called Leupold years ago and I think the stuff they recommended is called "Clear Vue" or something like that. A bottle of the stuff will last you five lifetimes.

It's all Leupold's for me too. 1.5-5x on the ole' .338 Mag, 2-7x on both the .270 Win. and .270 WSM. Never had a problem with any of 'em.
Bear in Fairbanks

Whichever scope I have at the time, but it will be a Leupold...

I have most of the big names. I pritty much like them all for differant reasons. I would say my favorites are Zeiss, Swarovsky and Leupold.
I like the older C and Z serias Zeiss better than the ones made today but of the half dosen Zeiss and 3 Swarovsky's I have I do have 16 Lepolds at last count.

I use nothing but Leupold scopes with B&C caps. Perfect combo.

Leupold.

K4

leupold here also. I have had a couple conquest scopes and loved them as well.

I use leopold almost exclusively, but keeping rain and fog off the lens has more to do with keeping good covers on the scope, i preferr see tru ones but they dont make any real good quality ones that dont fall apart , smearin antifog crap on lens dosent help optics when suns in your face if it aint rainin so if some covermaker is reading this why dont you invent a flip cover that has pins that dont walk out a clearglas with raingard lens that is not a piece of crap and a good seal to hold it shut. there is something that has yet to be invented is a good scope cover

The rifle that is currently my favorite wears a weaver K-series 2.5x20mm with butler creek scope caps. I've literally hunted during hurricaines and tropical storms with that rifle and scope without a problem. I've never had a problem with any scope, even tascoe and simmons, that had the Butler Creek scope caps, as long as I kept them closed. I also always put a bit of grease around the joint wear the lid of the cap snaps shut periodically, don't know if it really made a difference or not. I started doing that in the very beginning, so I have no experience with them on their own.

originally, I had a set of horton scope caps on the scope but they didn't seal well at all, and the front cap kept coming open when I didn't want it to.

Vari-xIII, with the rain guards works great for me and also prevents any type of fogging, etc.

Leupolds are great scopes. Easy choice there. Now the harder part......

Problem #1: I've yet to figure out an infallible way to keep either my lenses or lens caps from fogging often. Especially when transitioning from the warmth of sleeping besides me in the tent.

Problem #2: Keeping the lens covers from stripping off the scope while ingress/egressing thick cover.

After too many times dealing with condensation between lens cover and scope lens, I actually gave up on covers. Have been carrying a chamois the size of four postage stamps in my breast pocket. Found I could swipe off wet scope lenses nearly as fast as I could open scope covers. For what it's worth, the microfiber cloths that clean so well when dry are pretty worthless for removing wet. Lots of smearing. Not so with the chamois.

My rainy day scope is iron sights.....but when I do use a scope, it's most always a VX-III 1.5-5.

Usually Leupolds, but this year in sunny Namibia I'm taking 1 Leupold VarX-II 3x9 and 2 Bushnell Elite 3200 2x7s w/firefly and rainguard.

quote:

Originally posted by Tumbleweed

My rainy day scope is iron sights.....but when I do use a scope, it's most always a VX-III 1.5-5.

I have to agree with Tumbleweed though when the rains are coming down in buckets and the brush is so thick that you can't see past 10 feet, then my preference are iron sights. My Marlin Guide Gun wears a ghostring sight and I don't have to worry about fogging or droplets of water obscuring my aim.

Namibiahunter

For the fogging up I use the little anti-fog cloth that comes in the armys pro-mask bag. I use it on my glasses, scuba mask, scope and bino lenses. Not sure were a person would find one short of being in or knowing someone in the military, thats how I got mine. The only time I've had a problem with a scope I used it on though is if I exhaled directly on the lense, but it would clear fast, or freeze and brush off, depending on the temperature.

Anti-fog treatments sold in scuba supply stores would probably work well also.

Try the Leupold Raincoats. They protect your lenses, as they are additional lens (like a uv filter on a camera) and really cut down the fogging and rain effects in bad weather. Worth the money just for the lens protection qualities alone.

quote:

Originally posted by EB:
Try the Leupold Raincoats. They protect your lenses, as they are additional lens (like a uv filter on a camera) and really cut down the fogging and rain effects in bad weather. Worth the money just for the lens protection qualities alone.

I just ordered one of the Leupold Raincoat sets yesterday for a Leupold 4x scope I use. Not cheap, but hopefully it will do the job.

Don