Scope Power Checker

Pete Roberson said:
A while back there was talk of a device that checked scope power, looking for the person that talked about it and where to find one?
If you`d rather e-mail me petemarg@nycap.rr.com
Thanks!
Pete
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I'd say check with Wilbur. I remember once where he told me he had the ones made he carried but I just do not remember. If you remember it was a clear card with etched circles on it that you could measure the exit pupil image in the eyepiece and could do it rather accurately.
 
Michael,
Thank You for the old posts, What I remember was that someone from Austrailia or some where over seas said they had one that they used but I`ve been unable to locate the post so far also.
Tim,
Thanks, maybe Wilbur will chime in here or send me an e-mail, I give him a couple days before I bug him!
Pete
 
Shine a light into the objective end and focus the exit on a flat surface. Measure the diameter of the focused circle of light and divide that into the diameter of the objective lens. The result is the power of the scope.

Some circles can be printed and measured to assist in the effort. For example, if your objective lens is 50mm and the rules won't allow greater than 6.5X, draw two marks 7.7mm apart and the focused circle can't be inside the marks (smaller).

Other than that, I didn't find anything else in the years I searched for such device.

Addendum - I actually printed some cards with various circles relating to typical objective lenses making the circles such that there was a bit of margin involved. This effort was in response to complaints regarding excessive scope power. Turns out that they didn't really want to check the scopes - just complain about it. And...the truth of the matter is that scope checking to this level is an uncomfortable intrusion at any gathering.
 
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I have another suggestion, although I would just read the power indicated on the scope and let it go if everything else looked reasonable. You could take take two pieces of black tape and cut one 6 1/2 inches long and the other 1 inch long and set them on a target at any distance that the scope would focus. Compare the two pieces of tape with both eyes at the same time while looking at the long piece of tape with the naked eye and the short piece with the eye through the scope. This would tell you if the scope is more or less than 6.5 power.

Note: I have not tried this method and it may call for some refinement. If this works for you, you can call method the "Wynne Check".

Concho Bill
 
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Thank You Wilbur, This for me was curiosity more than anything.
Thought if there was a gauge I might get one to have, Thanks for the last paragraph also!!
I`ll make up some cards!

Bill I`ll give that a try also!
Thank You!
Pete
 
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Wilbur,
Thanks for your input. I read all the formulas about objective diameter / exit pupil, but your method of determining the exit pupil puts the formulas into perspective.

Best,
Michael
 
Looking back....and I know this isn't the question....but there was/is always an ongoing issue concerning Sporter scopes. I submit that there are two solutions that will NOT solve the problem. One is to always react and the other is to never react. Unfortunately, those are the only two choices.
 
Wilbur said:
Looking back....and I know this isn't the question....but there was/is always an ongoing issue concerning Sporter scopes. I submit that there are two solutions that will NOT solve the problem. One is to always react and the other is to never react. Unfortunately, those are the only two choices.
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Wilbur this is not just to you it`s to anyone wishing to respond!
If you happen to be a referee (Hypothetical at the Nationals) and one of your jobs is to check scopes or there is a protest
of a competitors scope, How can you react, if there is no way to check it?

Pete
 
Pete Roberson said:
Wilbur this is not just to you it`s to anyone wishing to respond!
If you happen to be a referee (Hypothetical at the Nationals) and one of your jobs is to check scopes or there is a protest
of a competitors scope, How can you react, if there is no way to check it?

Pete
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IMO, you can't check anything other than the scope power printed on the scope and is a variable scope set at the legal power.
I've been to a bunch of IR50/50 and RBA Nationals (but not much in the last few years) and can't recall ever seeing a scope protested, but there may have been some I didn't know of.
 
Pete,
Just out of interest. What prompted you to raise this question?

Best,
Michael
 
Pete: The referees look through the scope and render a verdict. Referees are also shooters so should know what a 6X scope looks like on the target. I have never had nor seen a protest on a scope. Lots of friendly ribbing yes, but never a protest. bob
 
I don't that many shooters at a match could tell the difference between a 6 power scope and a 7 power scope or if it would matter.

All of us could tell the difference between a 6 and a 12.

Concho Bill
 
Wilbur's method...

...outlined above, works. When serving as a referee, I go down the line looking at the exit pupil size. When I come across one that is obviously too small, it has always turned out that it had a 40mm objective lens(most of them are 44mm). I haven't done the math, but this is just an illustration of how obvious a difference it makes. I don't know how many guys I passed up that were running a 50mm objective with a booster.:rolleyes:

Jim
 
mistermike said:
Pete,
Just out of interest. What prompted you to raise this question?

Best,
Michael
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Michael

I`ve owned and as a referee had the opportunity to look thru many, I`ve always wondered because no two scopes show the same picture, how would anyone be able to say yes or no that any scope is illegal without some way to test it ?!
If the scope says it`s a 6.5-20x42 or a 6x42 but have been boosted then what?

Pete
 
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I have had owned more than 25, 6X scopes over the past 15 years and I recall all of them seeming to be of a different power; all be them slightly different. The first Burris HBR scope I bought was so clear I could see the rings of an IBS Score target. I have not had another I could do it with.

I currently have 5 Burris 6 X scopes, 3 Sightron 6 X scopes and one Leupold HBR 6X scope. No two of them see to be the same power when looking through them. Can someone opine as to why this seems to be. Some of them seem to have more power than the others.
 
Pete Wass said:
I have had owned more than 25, 6X scopes over the past 15 years and I recall all of them seeming to be of a different power; all be them slightly different. The first Burris HBR scope I bought was so clear I could see the rings of an IBS Score target. I have not had another I could do it with.

I currently have 5 Burris 6 X scopes, 3 Sightron 6 X scopes and one Leupold HBR 6X scope. No two of them see to be the same power when looking through them. Can someone opine as to why this seems to be. Some of them seem to have more power than the others.
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The simple truth is that our eyes get older and they suggest different thing to us as we look through different grades of glass. I might also suggest parrralax issues. Power of 6x scopes is likely accurate. Get a leuy 4.5x14 lrt and be done with it. You will never look back.
 
Tim: how do you focus your recommended Leupold scope at 50 yards??? Specs say 75 yard minimum. Thanks. bob
 
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