Do you use a sun shade on your scope ?

L

Lodgepole

New member
Just got the new Vortex scope and it has a sun shade for it, I have never had one of these shades. What are the pros and cons to using them ?
 
If you have a barrel that produces glare, it can help. It could help prevent a glint that may spook game (and I don't buy that too much myself)...otherwise they're a waste of weight and space. I have one on a rifle that has a smooth, stainless barrel...otherwise, none are used.
 
Let direct sunlight shine on your front lens, like looking west late in the day, and you will see the advantage of a sunshade. Even on bright days they help with glare. They also protect the glass from scratches, and rain.
 
Originally Posted By: ninehorsesLet direct sunlight shine on your front lens, like looking west late in the day, and you will see the advantage of a sunshade. Even on bright days they help with glare. They also protect the glass from scratches, and rain.

Yep.

Very useful .
I've got them on my bigger power scopes.
 
Originally Posted By: possumalIMO, there are way more pros than cons to having a good sunshade. They help a bunch with all glare.

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Add me to the "Use Them" club.

Two years ago in WY, facing the Black Hills, with a nice antelope buck standing 200 yards below the butte I was peeking over. I set up prone for the shot, just as the sun peaked over said Black Hills. With no sun shade, my Vortex Viper HST would have gone from viewing an antelope buck to a big ball of glowing haze. Fortunately between the sun and the antelope, there was an angle to shade enough of the front lens, that I could make the shot. Without that sun shade, that antelope would have walked.

For the ounce or so of weight, as a practice, if it comes with a sun shade, it goes on the scope. Since my range faces west, I need one anytime I am shooting near the end of the day.

Squeeze
 
A sunshade helps to reduce scattered ambient light from entering the scope. All that light may make the image seem brighter, but that light is just noise in the image.You only want the light coming from the target entering the scope. Personally, I have one on my heavy barrel gun, but wouldn't bother to run one on a sporter.
 
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I have mine on, last year I took it off because I thought it was not needed. Guess what day I couldn't see much due to glare off the lense? Haven't taken it off since, but honestly I carry a 10lb rifle around. What's a few ounces of clarity?
 
I use sunshades. Even in low light, I notice the crispness of the edges tends to be improved, even if it does darken the FOV a bit. I even have a few sunshades with ARD's (anti-reflection devices = honeycomb linearizers) also.

Will say I hate the look of Nikon Buckmasters with their round beveled objective bells as they transition into the straight shade bodies of smaller diameter...
 
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I have them on all of my Leupold scopes. One reason is the glare but I have found it also helps cut down on dust collecting on the front lens.
I also use neoprene scope covers while sitting in safe as well.
 
As annoying as they are AND as ugly as they are - I really like flip caps on my scopes.

Butler Creek flip caps make really cheap glare inhibitors too - cut a horizontal slit across the middle, or buy the clear lens kind and cover part with tape. Sun shades let in more light than these partial obscuring methods though.
 
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