Riflescope Sunshade Yes or No?

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Jan 3, 2019
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TX
Anyone find that a sunshade inhibits light gathering in low light conditions?

No, you have to be careful how far forward you are blocking the light though. You want enough shade to get the glare off the objective lens and your eyes; but not so much shade so as to block the light path.

That said, I did find the honeycomb ARD was causing me just enough issues yesterday with my Nightforce SHV that I took it off. Once it was off I was comfortable at that pre-dawn shooting time with the scope. So thankfully the ARD can screw in/out of the scope cap.
 

hereinaz

WKR
Rokslide Sponsor
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Anyone find that a sunshade inhibits light gathering in low light conditions?
No issue really.

Scopes don’t “gather” light. The lenses magnify it, and actually always reduce the light because they aren’t perfectly clear.
 

Wildhorse

Lil-Rokslider
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Sep 29, 2023
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You gotta have a 5-25 with a 6" sun shade honey comb insert on the end then a mesh vail to drape over you and the whole rifle otherwise are you really that cool? On a serious note I tend to leave the sunshade on 24/7 as well as a mesh vail that I keep wrapped around my hat.
 

bjwiech

FNG
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Aug 7, 2024
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Down Under Outdoors also makes a cheap silicon one you can slip on your scope. It isn't very deep, but it's easy to slap on when you need it. Scope doesn't need to be threaded for a shade either.
 

BCD

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Jan 9, 2019
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Hudson, WI
No issue really.

Scopes don’t “gather” light. The lenses magnify it, and actually always reduce the light because they aren’t perfectly clear.
Interesting- I had a guide in Colorado tell me that sunshades had cost clients shots at low light and he suggested I remove mine. I did and shot an elk the next day. I took his word for fact. So they don't block light at all during dusk and dawn scenarios?
 
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Interesting- I had a guide in Colorado tell me that sunshades had cost clients shots at low light and he suggested I remove mine. I did and shot an elk the next day. I took his word for fact. So they don't block light at all during dusk and dawn scenarios?
They block light that is coming from things other than what the scope is pointed at. So functionally no, they do not impact anything negatively.

Guides are very good at finding animals, among some other things. Knowing how scopes, bullets, rifles, etc work is not one of them.
 
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br459

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Jan 29, 2021
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On my hunting rig I don’t run one. I hunt mostly thick woods and don’t need one but my PRC I run one because like it was snipers do lol
 
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