Introduction
If you want your scopes to serve you longer, you need to keep them in good condition. One way how to clean your scope’s lenses so they don’t get damaged and give you a good view of the targets you want to shoot. Remember, dirty lenses affect image quality. So, learn how to clean your scope’s lenses so you can shoot with accuracy and precision. Even though the scope lenses are very hard and durable, they still need to be carefully handled. During cleaning, you might end up damaging them if you aren’t careful.
The following essential elements you will require to clean your lenses
Cleaning Your Scopes Lenses
Before we go to the actual steps of cleaning the lenses, here are some dos and don’ts you need to keep in mind:
- Avoid touching the lenses, if you do so, your fingerprint will remain on the lens and make them blurry
- Do not use compressed air
- Don’t blow the lenses with your mouth, some moisture will get onto the lenses
- Never use acetone to clean the lenses, neither should you use any household window cleaner
- Instead of blowing, use air blaster
- Cover the lenses with the caps whenever you aren’t using them
To clean your scope lens, be cautious. Although modern scopes have scratch-proof hard-anodized bodies, you need to treat their lenses as you would treat the camera lenses.
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Cleaning Dirt and Dust
Removing dust inside rifle scope is a very easy step, but you need to be careful. Use a soft brush for this job. If your scope never came with a soft brush, you can buy one online. Clean the lens gently with the brush to remove the dust particles, especially the large ones.
Once you have removed the large particles, you can use a microfiber to wipe the lens gently to remove the fine dust particle. You should move the microfiber in a circular motion to ensure the lens is thoroughly cleaned.
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How to Fix a Cloudy Scope
How to clean your scope’s lenses when it is cloudy or foggy? If your scope lens is cloudy on the outer part, it could be because of some dry water spots. High-quality scopes usually come with a water-repellent coating, and they rarely become cloudy.
Dampen the microfiber cloth, then use it to clean the lens in a circular motion. Do this gently, then use dry fabric or a blower to dry the lens. That’s how to fix a cloudy scope.
How to Clean the Inside of a Rifle Scope?
Cleaning the inside of a rifle scope would require you to disassemble it. However, doing this won’t solve the problem because you’ll be adding more dirt to it. In most cases, it is cheap rifles that get dirty on the inside. To avoid this problem, you can buy better rifles that cost a little higher.
If you have Vortex, Nikon, or Leupold, don’t even think about disassembling them. These modern rifle scopes get purged with nitrogen and then sealed. The nitrogen prevents them from fogging. That’s why opening them isn’t the best solution.
In case your rifle scope gets dirty on the inside, take it back to the manufacturer. They are the people who know how to clean Leupold scope lenses and that of other brands. They will solve the problem for you. In any case, most of these rifles come with a lifetime warranty.
How to Clean Oil or Smudges from the Scope Lens
How to clean your scopes lenses when there is oil in it ? Well, Cleaning scope lens with alcohol may be necessary if there are smudges or oils on the rifle scope lens. Don’t use water, saliva or windex on rifle scope. Just dip a cotton swab in alcohol and then use it to clean the lens gently. Ensure you remove all the oil or smudges then use a dry pieces of cloth to wipe the lens.
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Use of a Blower
A blower is very necessary for rifle scope maintenance. It can remove most of the grass, leaves, debris, and dust from the scope. It is one of the best way to clean a scope lens because it doesn’t leave any fingerprint on the lens. If the blower fails to remove all the dirt. You can either use a brush or alcohol to remove them. Using an air blaster is a good option too.
Conclusion
After reading the cleaning methods above, I hope you now know how to clean your scopes lenses. Your scope lens is bound to get dirty are you use your rifle. Cleaning it is the only way you can be assured of continued shooting accuracy and precision. Whenever your rifle gets dirty, choose the above best way to clean a scope lens. The above method of cleaning you can also apply in binocular, camera or any other scope cleaning.