How to Maintain a Rifle Scope

While the majority of rifle scopes these days are very robust instruments that are very difficult to damage, you will still need to perform some basic maintenance on them. By keeping your rifle scope clean and the lens protected from the elements, you should be able to enjoy it for a lifetime.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Properly-sized screwdrivers
• Carrying case for scopes
• Dry cloth
• Optical cleaning wipes

Maintain Your Rifle Scope

1. Make sure that you use screwdrivers that are properly sized for the alignment and mounting hardware on your rifle scope. It is common for the screws on many scopes to become damaged or stripped over time because the wrong size of screwdriver is being used, or other tools, such as knife blades, are improperly substituted.
2. Follow the manufacturer's recommendation for keeping your lenses clean and dust-free. Some rifle scope manufacturers insist that you use optical cleaning wipes, such as the kind that are offered for eyeglasses, to wipe the glass of the lens. Some, such as Zeiss, may include a cleaning kit that consists of brushes, fluids and cloth to maintain your scope. Others may suggest gently blowing on the lens to remove dust particles. Most of them agree, however, that you should never touch the glass with your bare fingertip, because the oils from your skin may be difficult, if not impossible, to remove completely.
3. Use the lens cap for your rifle scope whenever you are not actively using your rifle in the field. Not only will this reduce the amount of dust that will collect on your lens, but it will also keep it dry. Also, make sure that you periodically clean the lens caps so that it doesn't transfer dust to the lens whenever you use it.
4. Keep your scope in a protective carrying case, or in the original packaging, when not in use. Never store your rifle with the scope still attached, even if you have covered the lens with a cap, because the scope can become seriously misaligned.
5. Maintain your rifle scope by using a soft, clean terry cloth to keep it as dry as possible, especially when you are exposed to wet weather conditions. Excessive moisture can creep inside rifle scopes over time, creating rust, making rubber pieces dry and brittle and even distorting the lens.

Tips & Warnings

• The more serious rifle sportsmen always carry a spare scope with them in the field in case their primary scope is damaged. Many modern scopes have quick-detachable rings on them to allow for swift and quiet scope replacement.

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