The Truth About Riflescope light transmission

In complete darkness, we crept into the hyena blind to listen for the cackle of the scavengers. Professional Hunter Lindon Stanton, Zimbabwe’s Makuti Safari Area’s Hunter, gave a disapproval shake to his head. “Can you see the bait if they do come in?” I slowly brought the Winchester 70 to my shoulder and eased the muzzle into the small hole that the trackers had made in the grass wall. The scope was set to 6x magnification and I could clearly see the remnants of the buffalo rib cage. This had been thoroughly hammered in spite of the predawn lighting. I was enjoying the VX-5HD 2–10x42mm scope with the FireDot reticle mounted on top of my.300 H&H when the lionesses’ guttural roar made it clear that the hunt for hyenas was over. Massaro Media Group. There are many scope options on the market today. From the dangerous straight-tube game scopes that look like they have been cut off to the large objective lenses that appear to be capable of detecting life on other planets, to the more powerful and larger ones. What advantage will the largest objective lenses offer the shooter at first and last lights? Let’s examine the practical application of modern optics and the relationship between objective lens and the amount of light perceptible to the human eye. The exit pupil of a riflescope, binocular or scope determines the apparent brightness. This figure can be easily calculated by multiplying the objective lens diameter with the magnification. For example, a 2-10×42 Leupold in Zimbabwe would have an exit pupil measuring 4.2mm at maximum magnification (42mm divided 10mm equals 4.2mm) Our pupils can expand or contract depending on the light conditions. They can measure between 2mm to 7mm. The conformation of your riflescope will affect how much light is available. The shape of your riflescope will affect how much light is available. Massaro Media Group. Lowering your magnification can increase your perceived light to your eyes, as the equation quickly shows. Divide the objective lens diameter by a smaller number and the exit pupil value will increase. Your scope will appear brighter if your pupil expands from lower natural light. This can make a difference in situations where seconds matter. This is why you should choose a scope that has a larger objective lens. In theory, this means more light will be transmitted to your eyes. However, larger objective lenses can pose logistical problems when mounted on a rifle. Scopes with larger objective lenses must be mounted higher than scopes that have smaller bells to clear the barrel. This can cause serious problems. A rifle with a comb too low to ensure proper sight alignment will cause the shooter to be slapped during recoil. Instead of getting cheek weld (where the comb rests just below the shooter’s cheekbone), the comb will rest against the jaw or teeth. The comb will be pushed against the jaw or teeth, instead of being cheek welded (where the comb sits just below the shooter’s cheekbones), Massaro Media Group. I always aim to mount my scopes as low as possible to the bore to ensure that the rifle’s head is in the right place. A 42mm objective lens is the most common size for hunting rifles. A 42mm objective lens is the most common size for hunting rifles. Some polymer-stocked rifles have adjustable combs. The Savage AccuStock has risers that can be adjusted to different heights. Or the Browning X-Bolt Western Hunter Long Range has an over-comb that allows you to align your scope to your eye. Leupold attempted an unusual method of mounting a large diameter objective lens lower than the bore in their VX-3L series. The 56mm objective lens looked like it had had a bite cut out of the bottom to compensate for the barrel. It didn’t work. A scope mounted too high above its bore can cause scope cant to magnify, driving bullets to either the left or right at longer ranges depending on how much cant. Photo credit: Massaro Media Group. Long-range target scopes can have a 56mm bell. This can cause scope cant to be exaggerated, driving bullets to the left or right at longer ranges depending on how much. Massaro Media Group. Not all lenses are created equalLight transmission is not just a function exit pupil. Your riflescope’s quality lenses and overall construction will play a major role in how bright, crisp and clear your target will appear. Swarovski riflescopes are a great choice if you have ever shot through one. They aren’t cheap but they are incredibly crisp. The Swarovski Z5 scope is 3.5-18x44mm in length. Photo credit Massaro Media Group. Any scope that has high-quality lenses, with the right coatings, will be a game-changer, especially if they aren’t as good as the lower-quality ones. I believed that higher magnification was always more beneficial, even when my hunting budget was so small that it was almost impossible to afford. A European riflescope of high quality changed my mind. I now prefer a riflescope with a lower magnification to one of a higher quality. I am a huge fan of Leupold’s riflescopes and have been for decades. The HD series, which includes the VX-3HD VX-5HD and VX-6HD, are real winners. These scopes are brilliantly bright and have a stellar lens coating. I took a VX-5HD 1-5-2x24mm to coastal Alaska in spring for brown and black bear hunting. It was very bright and easy to see through. Massaro’s Bansner & Co. Custom.404 Jeffery is topped by a Leupold VX-5HD 1-5-2x24mm. This scope is perfect for bear hunting in Alaska’s coast. The scope transmits enough light to see the half-dark Alaskan spring. Massaro Media Group. The scope was a real eye-opener for the guides who were on the hunt. It can be cranked down to 1x to make it easy to see bears in thicket, but at 5x magnification the 200-250-yard shots were possible. The VX-5HD series and VX-6HD series are my favorite hunting scopes Leupold made. Zeiss has redesigned their Conquest line scopes with what I believe is a new lens coating. This Zeiss Conquest V4 4-16x44mm scope has great glass, but it is mounted too high for my liking. The Savage AccuStock’s comb can make a huge difference in the sight picture. Massaro Media Group. No lens can transmit 100 percent light, but they are getting closer each year. Any scope can be used under the midday sun. However, scopes that are coated with good lenses to highlight images in the fading light will be more valuable than those that have a smaller diameter objective lens. But tube diameter does not affect the scope’s field-of-view. A scope with a 30-mm main tube will have a wider field than one with a 1-inch tube, but that comes at the expense of extra weight. I’ve seen a shift in my opinion about scopes over the past decade. I no longer consider a scope an accessory to my rifle. Instead, I now consider it to be an essential part of the rifle. It’s a fact that if you don’t see the target, you won’t hit it. The quality of affordable rifles has improved greatly. This Leupold VX-3HD 4-14x40mm scope sits low to this Nosler Model 21 rifle’s bore and offers a sharp, bright image as well as an objective lens. Massaro Media Group. I have also chosen the highest quality scope that I can afford, even though the magnification level may be lower. If I were to shoot the whitetail of my lifetime in low-light conditions I would choose a premium scope with 8x-10x magnification. This is especially true when dealing with mirage. When I’m looking for a scope for a specific purpose, I consider the low-end magnification. This is because it will keep the image clearer in low light conditions. Next Step: Get your Storm Tactical printable target pack62 printable MOA targets with DOT drills – Rifle range in YARDS. This impressive target pack comes from Storm Tactical and contains 62 printable targets. Target grids and bullseye sizes can be downloaded in MOA. This is a great option for long-range shooting. Enter your email address below.