Strange thing happening with my scope?????

[msinc]

Shooting off a bench yesterday testing some loads I noticed after firing a shot, reloading and getting back on target the scope would momentarily blur out. I have seen this before when shooting and I just attributed it to some smoke from the last round drifting past the field of view. I didn't see any smoke yesterday and I have not had any of my scopes do this for a long time...in fact, as stated, I have seen this before, but I really cannot remember the last time and I have shot way more than usual in the last year or so.
It's almost as if the scope, rifle or bench is vibrating very slight but very fast and then it all calms down in a few seconds and I can finally see razor sharp again. FWIW, I saw this thru both scopes I was shooting yesterday, a Nikon Monarch and a Leupold. I have several high end European scopes and really don't remember if I have ever had one of them do it. Any ideas as to what i am seeing here???? Thanks in advance for any info.

 

[Toolbreaker]

Was it pretty cold & still air? Could have been the heat from your face or breath momentarily fogging the ocular lens.

 

[Turbulent Turtle]

The common variable here is the shooter's eyes. What caliber are we talking about and how old is the shooter? Are eyeglasses involved?

 

[CharlieNC]

Probably eye strain. Between shots try looking down range. Are you keeping both eyes open?

 

[msinc]

Thanks for the replies fellas!!!! Sorry for the delay...3 days till X-Mas and wifey owns me. Well, she owns me pretty much all other times too, just sayin'...
Eyesight is pretty good. 55 years old and only need reading glasses {1.25+} and most of the time I don't use them. Maybe this is an eye thing, like strain, but it sure seemed like something going on with the scope like I said was more like a very fast vibration. Air was fairly cold and still, at least much more cold and still than I normally shoot. I was not shooting fast and it was pretty dry out so I wasn't seeing breath vapor. That doesn't mean there still wasn't an amount getting on the lens though.
I plan on doing some shooting tomorrow and conditions should be very close to yesterday as far as temp, wind and humidity. Next time to the range I will take both of these scopes and one of my euro's just to see if it does it too. Thanks again guys!!!

 

[dbduff]

Thanks for the replies fellas!!!! Sorry for the delay...3 days till X-Mas and wifey owns me. Well, she owns me pretty much all other times too, just sayin'...
Eyesight is pretty good. 55 years old and only need reading glasses {1.25+} and most of the time I don't use them. Maybe this is an eye thing, like strain, but it sure seemed like something going on with the scope like I said was more like a very fast vibration. Air was fairly cold and still, at least much more cold and still than I normally shoot. I was not shooting fast and it was pretty dry out so I wasn't seeing breath vapor. That doesn't mean there still wasn't an amount getting on the lens though.
I plan on doing some shooting tomorrow and conditions should be very close to yesterday as far as temp, wind and humidity. Next time to the range I will take both of these scopes and one of my euro's just to see if it does it too. Thanks again guys!!!

 

[dbduff]

Heat off the barrel? Looks momentarily like mirage and then goes away? Try a mirage shield over the barrel.. Borrow a leaf out of wife's Venetian blinds, never notice it's gone if you use the bottom most blind. Buddy told me that strategy, sort of.
D

 

[savagedasher]

Get your eyes checked for dry eyes .
Been there had the same problem .
Larry

 

[dkhunt14]

To me it sounds like heat mirage off the barrel. On a string in the summer you can really see it. Watch the heat Coming out the end of the barrel or real bad out the brake holes. I use a battery powered fan blowing over my barrel, especially towards the brake. I also have a mirage shield made out other vinyl siding. About 2 inches wide and attached with velcro tabs. Keep it back from brake about an inch or more. MATT

 

[newbieshooter]

This happened to me last week shooting in 29 degree weather. After shooting for a while - looking thru the scope, it was hard to get the target into focus. I would close my eyes and at times the target would come back into focus. Someone told me that could be the cold dry air - it dries out the exposed portion of the eye. Eye drops to moisten the eyes would help (in my case).

 

[John Russell]

When the rifle fires, it blows out a bubble of very hot air. The bubble rises (heat rises), in front of the scope's light path.
The view gets blurry for a moment as the bubble passes - I see it often, especially on calm air.

 

[bench]

I have had the same thing happen to me while sitting in my coyote blind and not even shooting,just looking thru the scope.
So I think the guys are correct when they say it might be dry eyes or something of that sort.
It sure as heck better not be my scope it is a March and cant be barrel heat because I was not shooting.

 

[msinc]

Heat off the barrel? Looks momentarily like mirage and then goes away? Try a mirage shield over the barrel.. Borrow a leaf out of wife's Venetian blinds, never notice it's gone if you use the bottom most blind. Buddy told me that strategy, sort of.
D

I'll give it a try, but for the record...I have never been able to "borrow" anything from my wife. In fact, everything I ever got from her I paid very dearly for...many times it was in blood!!!

Get your eyes checked for dry eyes .
Been there had the same problem .
Larry

i will try some eye drops at today's shooting session. Had a B-I-L that had a glass eye as the result of a plane crash...he complained a lot about dry eye and was constantly putting drops in it. Wouldn't "dry eye" be something you should be able to feel????

When the rifle fires, it blows out a bubble of very hot air. The bubble rises (heat rises), in front of the scope's light path.
The view gets blurry for a moment as the bubble passes - I see it often, especially on calm air.

This sure sounds like exactly what I might be seeing. If it is this then would it be correct to say that a barrel heat shield is not going to help much??? One thing about both of these rifles I just happened to think about...FWIW, both have a very low mounted scope with the objective almost touching the barrel.

Thanks again fellas for all the replies, I should be able to find out something today and let you guys know.

 

[Jay Christopherson]

I'll give it a try, but for the record...I have never been able to "borrow" anything from my wife. In fact, everything I ever got from her I paid very dearly for...many times it was in blood!!!



i will try some eye drops at today's shooting session. Had a B-I-L that had a glass eye as the result of a plane crash...he complained a lot about dry eye and was constantly putting drops in it. Wouldn't "dry eye" be something you should be able to feel????



This sure sounds like exactly what I might be seeing. If it is this then would it be correct to say that a barrel heat shield is not going to help much??? One thing about both of these rifles I just happened to think about...FWIW, both have a very low mounted scope with the objective almost touching the barrel.

Thanks again fellas for all the replies, I should be able to find out something today and let you guys know.

It's just mirage off your barrel as it warms up from shooting. On a still day, it'll be more noticeable. If there's a little breeze, it'll get blown off. Get a mirage shield for your barrel and that'll fix most of the issue.