What makes a scope heavy vs light?

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kingston73

kingston73

Member
Dec 9, 2017
178
3
MA, United States
I’ve spent a lot (possibly too much) time looking at scopes, I’m a little ocd when researching a product and always want the best possible thing for whatever price range I’m looking at. While looking at scope specs I started wondering what makes some scopes so much heavier or lighter than others? I currently have a vector marksman 4.5x18 that is 26 ounces while a Bushnell engage 4x12 is 10 ounces lighter and an athlon talos 4x16 is a couple ounces more. So my question is why?

I get that illuminated scopes have more pieces but why would seemingly similar scopes have about 1/2 pound difference?



While I’m here, what would your choice be given those 3 above scopes? For a lightweight pcp?
 
The same thing will go for camera lenses, telescopes, etc. 
For the most part, 'materials used' are what will set the differences between weights - just as those things can/will effect quality. 
Thinner vs. thicker / Lighter vs. heavier metals [tubes / turret housings / etc], thinner vs. thicker glass [lens materials], 
as well as the internal / external components used. [not to mention any extra features - bells and whistles that might be added]

I've done and do camera lens repairs, so I'm somewhat familiar with things like this.

As for the 3 scopes you mentioned above, I'm Not familiar with either of those, so, no comment.

Hopefully that info still helps a bit.

🙂👍 

Sam -
 
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The glass... More, thicker and heavier glass makes for a better optic, combined with coatings of course. Schott, Leica, Zeiss Swarovski, some Nikon and many others too are known for their quality glass which is dense and heavy. This is why European and some high end Japanese scopes are usually so heavy. Combine that with the outer tube thickness, brass, stainless and metal erectors and big, tall turrets, illumination like Dirty said and you have a heavy scope. Generally though, two similar sized scopes with one being much heavier, it’s usually because of the glass used.

Stoti
 
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For a start the turndown ratio of a 4.5-18 VS 4-12 IS 4/3 so there will be more elements in the 18X, mechanically and optically.

Secondly apart from the obvious ones like tube thickness and metal bezels etc. the securing elements play a big part in backlash and repeatablility, weight or mass also reduces the impact of thermal shift.

Nightforce NXS scopes were the first we saw that epoxied the lens elements in place to provide a super strong frame, bash them on a table top and there was no loss of zero.

Of course some manufacturers have gone a long way to produce high quality but light units, however I wouldn't want to expose them to certain conditions...
 
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Hi,,? #1 idk.I would agree with stoti. Brass inner-works,heavier,thicker tubing, Steel v Aluminum tubing, and thickness of the glass. ? #2 I have not had any exp any of the scopes BUT,lol, since it's a pcp and you want to keep it as light as possible I'd give the Bushnell a hard look. I was looking at the Engage 2-7X36. weight 11.4oz,length 13.4 inches,MOA reticle for my flashpup. I currently have a Hawke AirMax 2-7x32, 16.6oz, length 10.6 inches, on it now. I like the recticle that the AirMax series has.
 
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Stoti brought up brands.. 
As a photographer, I've always been a big fan of Nikon optics, and I have to agree there.. 
I also use Nikon scopes, and their glass is nice n' thick, they have great coatings, and the optical quality is fantastic!

Motorhead, I'm not familiar with the Leupolds [other than I know that they are amazing scopes] 
but if I had to guess . . . if they went with thick glass/lenses, they would save / offset weight by going thinner on metal thicknesses.. 
Sidewall thicknesses, and even removing metal in certain areas for the specific reason of lightening things.
That's a very common method in fabricating when weight-savings is a big factor.

🙂 

Sam -
 
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I love Leupold scopes and have many of them, old and new. I never said you can’t make a great scope without heavy glass. What I did say is that a major factor that affects the weight of a scope is when you add better and more glass like in Swarovski, Schmidt Bender, Nightforce, very high end Leupolds, Vortex as well as the others I mentioned....it adds weight, lots of weight. Same for most all of the very high end scopes from quality manufacturers around the world. I originally mentioned mainly European manufacturers because they are know for their quality glass and it helped illustrate my point. Most every manufacturer’s top of the line scopes are heavier than the rest of their line ups because they use more and better glass in their top tier optics.

Stoti 
 
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Of the 3 you mentioned, I have 2 Talos and recently checked out an Engage carefully. The Engage is better glass and function. Quite a bit smoother to operate and more crisp clicks.

Also if a scope is objective paralax vs side paralax the weight can be dramatically different. Front paralax are typically dramatically lighter. That's the main reason my wife and I have a difficult time moving to a new scope over our Elite 4200s. Everything seems so much heavier and really doesn't range any better .

Bob
 
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