Soon I'll be putting 230 yards to the test with a texan.308 and at some point, i can find 400 yards if 300 works out. .308 Texan 150gr BARS slugs @ 990fps. 140 was easy.
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Are glass optics becoming obsolete?
- Thread starter Henry Hunter .223
- Start date
several long-range shooting competitions in August 2025 are well-suited for digital scopes, and some even encourage their use. These events combine distance, precision, and tech-friendly formats that let smart optics shine.
Upcoming Long-Range Matches Ideal for Digital Scopes
| Event | Dates | Location | Tech-Friendly Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Long Range Matches | Aug 4–9 | Camp Perry, OH | Fired on electronic targets—perfect for scopes with HUDs and ballistic calculators |
| NRA National F-Class Championship | Aug 2–9 | Lodi, WI | Precision-focused match with 1,000-yard stages; digital scopes can help with wind calls |
| Southeastern Shooter’s Challenge | Aug 30 | Finger, TN | PRS Regional match with targets from 50–1,000 yards; includes reactive and moving targets |
| TRT Sniper Challenge | Aug 1 | Montana | Rugged terrain and long-range engagements; ideal for scopes with rangefinders and AR overlays |
These matches are especially friendly to shooters using smart optics like the Burris XTR Pro or ATN X-Sight, which offer real-time ballistic data, customizable reticles, and environmental sensors.
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@357cal
after reading several screenfuls of your posts
strongly favoring, constantly defending, tirelessly promoting digital scopes —
may I
ask if you just so happen to work for the digital scope industry?
Sorry, really couldn't help myself asking.
Matthias
PS:
If you've seen some of my Specs Tables, you could easily accuse me of working for the
▪ glass scope industry
▪ silencer industry
▪ the pellet & slug industry
What a great hobby we have!!!
after reading several screenfuls of your posts
strongly favoring, constantly defending, tirelessly promoting digital scopes —
may I
ask if you just so happen to work for the digital scope industry?
Sorry, really couldn't help myself asking.
Matthias
PS:
If you've seen some of my Specs Tables, you could easily accuse me of working for the
▪ glass scope industry
▪ silencer industry
▪ the pellet & slug industry
What a great hobby we have!!!
Upvote 0
@357cal
after reading several screenfuls of your posts
strongly favoring, constantly defending, tirelessly promoting digital scopes —
may I
ask if you just so happen to work for the digital scope industry?
Sorry, really couldn't help myself asking.
Matthias
PS:
If you've seen some of my Specs Tables, you could easily accuse me of working for the
▪ glass scope industry
▪ silencer industry
▪ the pellet & slug industry
What a great hobby we have!!!
Just to clarify—I don't work for any optics company. I defend digital scopes like the Zulus because they’ve proven their worth in the field, I speak up for gear that performs because I test and tune everything myself—often beyond what most users would try. This isn't brand loyalty. It's field-earned trust. If something fails, I’ll say so. If something holds up and solves real problems, I’ll defend it.Upvote 0
Then a question, I have an older zulus, non RF. It has a serious contrast issue in shady/bright areas, making it useless, glass of course doesn't have that issue. So the question, are the new ones any better?
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A thought just hit me. I don’t get the pile of love for digital optics yet the majority want nothing to do with electronic guns? I can tell you in that realm the positives of electronic guns are very strong in my opinion. Always say…we are strange creatures. 
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4inch target at 100 yards STARVIS 2 sensor and tuned OLED display, you get vivid contrast—even when scanning from open field to shaded brush. It doesn’t flatten highlights or crush shadows the way some budget digital optics do. Instead, it balances light levels so your target stands out, not blends in.
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There is a issue with digital and wide dynamic range of luminance. I seen this as well not only in daytime but at night time where the target was too dark because a porch light was on at the side but the target was shielded from that light source. The IR lights were too dim to compete with the porch light. So I had to turn that light off.
Here is info on human's range of dark to light. I doubt any small electronic displays can match this range, even if we use the lowest est of 10 stops.
AI Overview
The human visual system possesses a remarkably wide luminance dynamic range, capable of perceiving a vast spectrum of light intensities, from the dimmest starlight to the brightest sunlight. While the eye can adapt to different lighting conditions, at any given moment, it operates within a much smaller f-stop range, effectively shifting its sensitivity to match the prevailing light levels.
Here's a breakdown:
A digital scope (such as a digital riflescope or digital imaging system) cannot match the dynamic range of an optical scope due to fundamental limitations in sensor technology and display systems. Here's why:
Dynamic range refers to the ratio between the brightest and darkest parts of an image that a system can capture or display. In optics, it's the ability to see detail in both shadows and highlights simultaneously.
So while digital scopes offer features like night vision, rangefinding, and recording, they sacrifice dynamic range compared to the raw clarity and contrast of optical scopes.
Here is info on human's range of dark to light. I doubt any small electronic displays can match this range, even if we use the lowest est of 10 stops.
AI Overview
The human visual system possesses a remarkably wide luminance dynamic range, capable of perceiving a vast spectrum of light intensities, from the dimmest starlight to the brightest sunlight. While the eye can adapt to different lighting conditions, at any given moment, it operates within a much smaller f-stop range, effectively shifting its sensitivity to match the prevailing light levels.
Here's a breakdown:
- Overall Range:
Human vision can perceive a luminance range of roughly 14 log units, or about 46.5 f-stops, according to ScienceDirect.com.
- Instantaneous Range:
At any given moment, the eye can only perceive a smaller subset of this range, typically around 10 to 20 stops, according to wolfcrow.
A digital scope (such as a digital riflescope or digital imaging system) cannot match the dynamic range of an optical scope due to fundamental limitations in sensor technology and display systems. Here's why:
What Is Dynamic Range?
Dynamic range refers to the ratio between the brightest and darkest parts of an image that a system can capture or display. In optics, it's the ability to see detail in both shadows and highlights simultaneously.
Optical Scope Advantages
- Analog Light Transmission: Optical scopes transmit light directly through lenses to your eye, preserving the full intensity and contrast of the scene.
- Human Eye Adaptation: Your eye can adapt dynamically to lighting conditions, perceiving a much wider range of brightness than most sensors.
- No Quantization: Optical scopes don’t digitize the image, so there's no loss due to bit-depth or sampling.
Digital Scope Limitations
- Sensor Constraints:
- Digital scopes rely on CMOS or CCD sensors, which have limited dynamic range—typically 60–80 dB.
- Bright areas can saturate, and dark areas may be noisy or clipped.
- High dynamic range sensors exist, but they’re expensive and still fall short of analog optics.
- Bit Depth:
- Most digital scopes use 8-bit or 10-bit image processing, meaning they can represent only 256 to 1024 levels of brightness.
- This quantization limits subtle gradations in light intensity.
- Display Technology:
- LCD or OLED screens have limited contrast ratios and brightness levels.
- Even if the sensor captures more detail, the display may not be able to show it.
- Image Processing:
- Digital scopes often apply auto-exposure, contrast enhancement, or gamma correction, which can compress dynamic range or obscure fine detail.
Summary
| Feature | Optical Scope | Digital Scope |
|---|---|---|
| Light Transmission | Direct, full-spectrum | Sensor-limited |
| Dynamic Range | Extremely high (eye-limited) | Limited by sensor and display |
| Adaptability | Eye adapts naturally | Fixed exposure/gain |
| Image Fidelity | Pure analog | Digitized, processed |
So while digital scopes offer features like night vision, rangefinding, and recording, they sacrifice dynamic range compared to the raw clarity and contrast of optical scopes.
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Let's compare the glass in total darkness.There is a issue with digital and wide dynamic range of luminance. I seen this as well not only in daytime but at night time where the target was too dark because a porch light was on at the side but the target was shielded from that light source. The IR lights were too dim to compete with the porch light. So I had to turn that light off.
Here is info on human's range of dark to light. I doubt any small electronic displays can match this range, even if we use the lowest est of 10 stops.
AI Overview
View attachment 583729
The human visual system possesses a remarkably wide luminance dynamic range, capable of perceiving a vast spectrum of light intensities, from the dimmest starlight to the brightest sunlight. While the eye can adapt to different lighting conditions, at any given moment, it operates within a much smaller f-stop range, effectively shifting its sensitivity to match the prevailing light levels.
Here's a breakdown:
Above was my answer below is that from AI
- Overall Range:
Human vision can perceive a luminance range of roughly 14 log units, or about 46.5 f-stops, according to ScienceDirect.com.
- Instantaneous Range:
At any given moment, the eye can only perceive a smaller subset of this range, typically around 10 to 20 stops, according to wolfcrow.
A digital scope (such as a digital riflescope or digital imaging system) cannot match the dynamic range of an optical scope due to fundamental limitations in sensor technology and display systems. Here's why:
Dynamic range refers to the ratio between the brightest and darkest parts of an image that a system can capture or display. In optics, it's the ability to see detail in both shadows and highlights simultaneously.
- Analog Light Transmission: Optical scopes transmit light directly through lenses to your eye, preserving the full intensity and contrast of the scene.
- Human Eye Adaptation: Your eye can adapt dynamically to lighting conditions, perceiving a much wider range of brightness than most sensors.
- No Quantization: Optical scopes don’t digitize the image, so there's no loss due to bit-depth or sampling.
- Sensor Constraints:
- Digital scopes rely on CMOS or CCD sensors, which have limited dynamic range—typically 60–80 dB.
- Bright areas can saturate, and dark areas may be noisy or clipped.
- High dynamic range sensors exist, but they’re expensive and still fall short of analog optics.
- Bit Depth:
- Most digital scopes use 8-bit or 10-bit image processing, meaning they can represent only 256 to 1024 levels of brightness.
- This quantization limits subtle gradations in light intensity.
- Display Technology:
- LCD or OLED screens have limited contrast ratios and brightness levels.
- Even if the sensor captures more detail, the display may not be able to show it.
- Image Processing:
- Digital scopes often apply auto-exposure, contrast enhancement, or gamma correction, which can compress dynamic range or obscure fine detail.
Feature Optical Scope Digital Scope Light Transmission Direct, full-spectrum Sensor-limited Dynamic Range Extremely high (eye-limited) Limited by sensor and display Adaptability Eye adapts naturally Fixed exposure/gain Image Fidelity Pure analog Digitized, processed
So while digital scopes offer features like night vision, rangefinding, and recording, they sacrifice dynamic range compared to the raw clarity and contrast of optical scopes.
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Everyone’s out there comparing the ZULUS HD to regular glass scopes in broad daylight. And yeah, I get it—daylight’s clean, predictable, and easy to film. But come on… if that’s all you’re testing, you’re missing the whole point.
You toss a standard scope into total darkness, and you’ve basically got a black tube. Doesn’t matter how big the objective is or how fancy the coatings are—if there’s no light, you’re blind unless you throw an IR torch on it. And that’s loud, risky, and the kind of thing that makes game vanish before you even get settled.
Now the ZULUS? It’s built for pitch black. The STARVIS 2 sensor takes moonless, foggy, zero-ambient conditions and turns them into something you can actually work with. Between the OLED screen, onboard IR, and the way it handles contrast and digital zoom, it’s not just night-capable—it’s night-dominant. You’re spotting, ID’ing, recording, and staying stealthy. Try that with a glass scope.
So yeah, daylight clarity’s nice to see, but I care about what happens when the sun’s long gone and I’m in the field. That’s where the ZULUS earns its keep.
You toss a standard scope into total darkness, and you’ve basically got a black tube. Doesn’t matter how big the objective is or how fancy the coatings are—if there’s no light, you’re blind unless you throw an IR torch on it. And that’s loud, risky, and the kind of thing that makes game vanish before you even get settled.
Now the ZULUS? It’s built for pitch black. The STARVIS 2 sensor takes moonless, foggy, zero-ambient conditions and turns them into something you can actually work with. Between the OLED screen, onboard IR, and the way it handles contrast and digital zoom, it’s not just night-capable—it’s night-dominant. You’re spotting, ID’ing, recording, and staying stealthy. Try that with a glass scope.
So yeah, daylight clarity’s nice to see, but I care about what happens when the sun’s long gone and I’m in the field. That’s where the ZULUS earns its keep.
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Oh, good, then it seems like you are in agreement with the majority of posters on this thread.
➊
The OP asked if there is a place for glass scopes, after the digital scopes have appeared — or if optical will be/ should be replaced by digital.
Most posters see that digital scopes have some shortcomings in daylight so that they cannot replace glass scopes (unless, of course, they overcome those shortcomings).
➋
And you emphasize that digital scopes totally replace optical scopes in darkness — in fact, optical scopes are utterly useless in darkness.
You are right.
➠ Two similar, but different questions....
I'm glad I have both digital and glass scopes — gives me the versatility I desire in many areas of life.
Matthias
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That's what I wanted to see, thanks. I've done a wee bit of film photography and another wee bit of digital photography before all off these modern electronics, even back when it wasn't too bad but the new stuff is scary good.
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but, can your glass scope do this, the Zulus HD 5-20 x has a ballistic compensator. put the info in the scope and press the range finder button and the cross hairs adjust to that yardage in seconds, fast enough to kill coyotes. 1st vid is at 140 yards and the 2nd at 54 yards, can be shot in sec with a press of the range finder. Dope card, not needed.Oh, good, then it seems like you are in agreement with the majority of posters on this thread.
➊
The OP asked if there is a place for glass scopes, after the digital scopes have appeared — or if optical will be/ should be replaced by digital.
Most posters see that digital scopes have some shortcomings in daylight so that they cannot replace glass scopes (unless, of course, they overcome those shortcomings).
➋
And you emphasize that digital scopes totally replace optical scopes in darkness — in fact, optica scopes are utterly useless in darkness.
You are right.
➠ Two similar, but different questions.
I'm glad I have both digital and glass — gives me the versatility I desire in many areas of life.
Matthias
Upvote 0
The point was, the digital offers much more the just a day scope of just a night scope and for under $ 700. https://tacticon.com/tactical-products-know-how/a-deep-dive-into-smart-rifle-scopes/Oh, good, then it seems like you are in agreement with the majority of posters on this thread.
➊
The OP asked if there is a place for glass scopes, after the digital scopes have appeared — or if optical will be/ should be replaced by digital.
Most posters see that digital scopes have some shortcomings in daylight so that they cannot replace glass scopes (unless, of course, they overcome those shortcomings).
➋
And you emphasize that digital scopes totally replace optical scopes in darkness — in fact, optica scopes are utterly useless in darkness.
You are right.
➠ Two similar, but different questions.
I'm glad I have both digital and glass — gives me the versatility I desire in many areas of life.
Matthias
Upvote 0