Scope/Red-Dot Fogging

T

Tellinglikeitis

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Oct 22, 2022
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For those who live in colder climates, do you often experience fogging up of the scope or red dot lenses? If so, what temperatures and humidity levels would you say I should beware of this occuring?

I’m aware that there are preemptive methods to avoid this, however if a scope can’t be trusted in a self defense scenario in simple 30 or 40 degree weather, then I’ll forgo them altogether in favor of apertures. Even for general hunting use, I’m not fond of the idea of worrying about my breathe, eye relief distance and etc. with a $1500 product.

Thank you.
 
I haven't had a scope fog up internally since the 1970's. If the scope fogs up externally it is operator error. Don't blow hot breath on a cold scope. Rain, snow, ice, and dirt can mess up iron sights making them unusable too.

I haven't found a dot sight that I care for, but then again, I've not tried any of the high-end stuff. I've found a low powered conventional scope does everything better than dots or iron sights. Including being faster on target and more rugged than irons. I have used a few of those with red illuminated reticles. If you want that feature, I like it a lot better than a dot sight.

If you have a $1500 budget and want to spend that much, then do so. But there are a lot of scopes with a MSRP starting at $200 (they often actually sell for less) that are adequate. And I've never found the need to spend more than $500 to get the quality I need.

if a scope can’t be trusted in a self defense scenario in simple 30 or 40 degree weather, then I’ll forgo them altogether in favor of apertures.
Click to expand...

The military doesn't even use iron sights anymore. They trust optics to work in any condition. So do I.
 
I hate to sound snobbish, but your quality scopes don't fog unless damaged or abused.

Your Wal-mart specials, meh, you take your chances.
 
I've had more than one Simmons scope fog opaque. Then again every Penn spinfishing reel I have ever owned had a broken anti-reverse. "Special qualities" they are. Joe
 
jmr40 said:
If the scope fogs up externally it is operator error.
Click to expand...

I can't completely agree with this part but overall you are completely correct that quality modern optics don't have an issue fogging up, and that goes for both magnified and non magnified optics.

My disagreement comes from my personal experience in the humid part of the south. Just last week I had a Trijicon AccuPoint fog up on the outside when I stepped out of the house to take a quick shot at a coyote in the field, but that's just what naturally happens when you go from 65 degrees and 20ish% humidity to 80 degrees and 65% humidity. 30 seconds out side and a simple cloth wipe over the lens and you're good to go
 
It's usually freezing when I deer hunt. I use flip up scope covers to keep snow and rain off lenses. I am also careful to keep breath and hands away from lenses. The colder it is the more careful you have to be. It's not a big deal. Thousands of hunters hunt with scopes in cold weather. Just use a little common sense. You could have a soft cloth for emergency use. I have never had a scope fog internally. Squirrel hunting with a scoped 22 in freezing weather is good practice.
 
Key is to KNOW YOUR GUN.

If it has a weakness/susceptibility, you should know about it. And you should have a plan for dealing with it.

There is a solution to every problem,

Seems like the norm has become: Excuse for every failure. I'm not OK with that.
 
I've gone completely away from all flip-up lens-covers.

The flip-up things are way too fragile. I've broken my share.
And they get caught-up on personal gear and brush.
Often, they pop open when you don't want it, and it becomes a distraction.
I've deleted the flip-ups on all my guns.

I prefer the cloth/neoprene "bikini" covers. A couple pieces of string tied around the main tube, on each side of the turrets, will keep the bikini secured to the gun.
You can grab either end of the bikini and clear the field of view almost as quickly as the flip-ups.

Windage and elevation knobs are still easily accessible by pushing the bikini aside (remember going to the movies with your girlfriend in high school? :evil:)
Tied to the scope in two places, its not going to fall off. But, if you want it off the gun, you just untie the two strings, and shove it in the bottom of your pack.
The bikini can't be crushed or broken - either on the gun or off the gun.

Yeah, I know, the bikini isnt as "tactical" or stylish as the flip ups. You can't put smiley-stickers or 6-point-font dope-charts on a floppy bikini cover. As if that was ever a good idea anyway.

Unless, the bikini is one or two sizes too small, you could probably even tuck a small lens-cloth between the bikini and the scope tube.
 
zdc1775 said:
I can't completely agree with this part but overall you are completely correct that quality modern optics don't have an issue fogging up, and that goes for both magnified and non magnified optics.

My disagreement comes from my personal experience in the humid part of the south. Just last week I had a Trijicon AccuPoint fog up on the outside when I stepped out of the house to take a quick shot at a coyote in the field, but that's just what naturally happens when you go from 65 degrees and 20ish% humidity to 80 degrees and 65% humidity. 30 seconds out side and a simple cloth wipe over the lens and you're good to go
Click to expand...
Yes, if the lense is colder than the outside air condensation can occur even when it's warm out. One must consider condensation when you bring a cold gun indoors too. If you have warm moving air and the rifle can thoroughly dry it's ok to bring it in. If not better leave it out.
 
I've worn eyeglasses for years.

The ONLY times I've experienced temperature related fogging of my lenses is when I enter a warm, humid building from being outside in the cold or when exiting an air conditioned car/building on a warm, humid summer day.

Going from cold to warm & humid causes lenses to fog (condensation).

I've never had lenses fog when going from warm & humid to cold.
 
herrwalther, thanks. Wish I'd known about it during Covid, and those damned masks with my glasses.
Every camp I belonged to had an outdoor rifle rack, to avoid the temp change.
Moon
 
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