scope

2 crows 54

I need your opinion... I have a 6x18 Bushnell, I was out in 15' weather, when ever I got close to the scope it fogged over. will this happen to all scopes in those conditions or do I need a better scope?? Thanks.

Tailgunner1954

Fogging is when the inside of the scope gets cloudy due to condinsation INSIDE the scope.
What your discribing is condinsation on the outside, due to the moisture in your breath, and is perfectly normal on a cold glass surface.
There may be a product that you can apply to the glass, but at the risk of damaging the optical coating and distorting the image (snowmobilers use a product called "Cat Scat" on their visers).
Personaly I find it much easier to learn to not breath on the lense

sigarmsp226

I have found that a lint free rag and Windex ( not a off brand ) helps reduce the fogging considerably......A guy at works told me about a product made by RainX that is called - NoFog I think that he uses on his scopes...I would be concerned about strong chemical based products on sensitive optics..Not sure what type of scope he has but I think his is Tasco.....Mark

JustC

cheaper scopes offer very little lense coatings (some of the more expensive parts of a scope). The higher end you go, you will find less and less fogging troubles.

Okie743

What you mention is normal!
I use the same anti-fog product on my scopes that I use on my eyeglasses to REDUCE (not eliminate) fogging such as when going from warm to cold enviro and vice, versa!
The anti-fog CAREFULLY applied with a cotton ball after the lense has been carefully cleaned! I keep a heads up and I change the cotton ball with each lense so as to not be transferring grit and sanding a lens. Also in severe cold temps from one hunt to the next I leave my gun stored outside so as it will not be subjected to inside warm temp to outside cold temps when going hunting and this will reduce the condensate fogging of both the scope and the gun metal! (ice frost can also form INSIDE the barrel during such instances)I also keep a heads up and keep the scope away from my body when sitting, so as the tube does not start warming, etc! I carry some cotton balls in a small zip lock bag in my shirt pocket for carefully wiping a lens if needed during rain or cold temps! The cotton ball only gets used once on the lense and discarded! I also use the cotton balls real fine strand threads as wind indicators (wind current indicators) so they serve at least two purposes! They work real good to monitor wind swirls, etc, especially if hunting from a tree stand!
Like Tailgunner says, if you keep a heads up as to how you are treating the scope you will reduce your fogging! I also do not do any cleaning or fooling with the lenses cleaning unless absolutely necessary, due to scatching, etc! I also have seen few times when I had to leave both Butler Creek scope caps open to reduce the condensate fogging!

deadeye46

i have a Bushnell Elite 4200 with rainguard that you can breath on,let it get rained on or snowed on and you can still see through it,but this model is kind of pricey

oneoldsap

The Bushnell 3200 also has the Rainguard and is less expensive . they work great . What is 15 foot weather ??[;)]

shoff14

Putting anything on Mid to high end optics is asking for the coatings to come off.

Okie743

quote:Originally posted by oneoldsap
The Bushnell 3200 also has the Rainguard and is less expensive . they work great . What is 15 foot weather ??[;)]


You asked, What is 15 foot weather ??[;)]

Must be New Orleans type weather, maybe???

Okie743

quote:Originally posted by shoff14
Putting anything on Mid to high end optics is asking for the coatings to come off.


Very, very true! You can EASILY do more harm than good!

rsnyder55

If you're not worried about coatings, how about the solution used in scuba masks to keep them from fogging.