Essential Tips for Cleaning and Caring Your Riflescope For Superior Performance
Caring and cleaning rifle scopes like a pro doesn’t have to be hard. Ask any seasoned hunter who uses high end equipment like Vortex rifle scopes. They will tell you how cleaning riflescopes is like a ritual. One needs to do it every now and then to keep things flawless and ensure longevity.
To make life easy, we’ve put together a handy guide with golden tips on how to clean a rifle scope lens. But first, let’s understand why cleaning and maintaining rifle scopes matter.
The Benefits of A Clean Riflescope
Rookie or seasoned, every hunter needs a clear vision to get a perfect shot. And the only way to get one is a well-maintained riflescope. You see, it’s not just another accessory to the rifle. It’s an important investment that demands regular care and attention for a handful of benefits.
- Unmatched accuracy: Dirt, debris, and moisture buildup can drastically affect optical clarity and reticle alignment of a riflescope. Regular cleaning will ensure accurate timing when you hit the mark.
- Great savings: A rifle has several critical components like coatings, lenses, and other adjustment mechanisms. Maintaining your riflescope checks the boxes for durability and also saves you from spending heavily on repairs.
- High resale value: If you ever want to sell or upgrade your swarovski rifle scope, maintenance and regular care will fetch you a high market value.
Now, let’s get on with the basics of cleaning and caring for your riflescope for top notch performance.
Tip 1: Get the Right Cleaning Supplies
Almost like cooking, where you need the right utensils and ingredients, cleaning a rifle scope begins with selecting the right supplies. Here’s what you need.
- A blower
- A soft brush
- A high-quality microfiber cleaning cloth (never use paper towels)
- A dedicated lens cleaning solution (don’t use harsh detergent or liquid soaps)
- A lubricant to clean the moving parts
Tip 2: Nice And Easy Does It
Whether you use a vortex or a swarovski riflescope, they are always a delicate piece of equipment. So, careful handling is a must. Don’t touch the lens with bare hands, as the natural oils from your skin can leave unwanted smudges.
Tip 3: Don’t Let the Dust and Debris Sit Too Long
Everytime you come back from outdoors, immediately start cleaning up the dirt and residue build up. If you wait too long, the debris will settle down and be a lot harder to remove. Use an air blower to loosen the tiny dust particles. Make sure you follow up with a soft head brush to avoid scratches.
Tip 4: Cleaning the Lens Right
Treat the lens of a rifle scope like a newborn baby everytime you clean it. Use a microfiber cloth, moisten it and then dip it in a dedicated lens cleaning solution.
Pro tip: Always wipe from the center to the outside for best results. Never resort to cleaning scope lenses with alcohol. It does more harm than good.
Tip 5: Pay Attention to The Crevices
The body part of a rifle scope has multiple crevices where it’s easy for dirt and debris to settle. This could potentially lead to malfunctioning when you’re outdoors. So, always take time to clean the crevices using a toothpick and a soft cloth.
Tip 6: Don’t Forget To Lubricate the Moving Parts
Turrets and adjustment rings are essential moving parts of any riflescope. So, it’s necessary to lubricate them for smooth functioning. Nano oils, silicone-grease, and teflon-based lubricants are best options. But hey, fair warning! Don’t over lubricate things, as it can loosen them affecting the firing accuracy.
Tip 7: Always Store It Right
As a thumb rule for keeping your rifles, you should unload them and keep them pointed in a safe direction when not in use. For riflescopes, it’s recommended to detach them and store them in a clean, dry environment to prevent moisture build up.
Tip 8: Leave Room For Daily Inspection
Caring and maintaining a rifle scope follows the old adage-prevention is better than cure. So, check your rifle scopes for early signs of scratches, corrosion, and possibly loose parts. Get them fixed ASAP!
Tip 9: Seek Expert Help When Needed
We know how much hunters love DIY stuff. But if your Swarovski riflescope shows internal fogging, it’s a serious issue that needs professional intervention. As a safety measure, you might want to use a lens cover or any protective accessory.
The Bottom Line
As hunters, it makes sense to uphold the value of a well-maintained riflescope. Serious pieces of equipment like Vortex rifle scopes are pricey, and no matter what, demands extra care and attention to perform as desired. Now that you have a handy guide to refer to, you should be able to make the right mark everytime you hit the outdoors. Happy hunting, folks!
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