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Scope caps - Why flip up rather than to right?

Onewolf42

Onewolf42

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Nov 14, 2012
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East Central Florida
www.onewolf.org
It said stupid questions, so here goes....

Why do people mount scope caps so they flip up rather than to the right (for right handed rifle) ?

I find that caps flipped vertically block more peripheral vision down range than when flipped 'right'. When I'm not looking through the scope my head/eyes tends to favor the left side of the rifle/scope so I don't even see the scope caps when they are opened to the right side of the rifle.

I'm sure I'm doing it all wrong. :)
 
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As said, you can. But won’t it block your view of windage turret?
 
Also, I hunt a lot from within a deer blind. Sometimes the windows are small and rectangular. If the rectangle is longer up and down, I will flip the cap up. If the rectangle is longer side to side, I will flip the cap to whatever side I find works best for my situation.

Bottom line, I don't flip my caps up just because. I flip them where I need to depending on what my situation calls for.
 
I do a mix of both. Front cap flips to the right. Rear cap flips up. I agree with Baron23, so the rear cap won't block windage turret that is on the right (could be different if windage is in different location).
 
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Onewolf42 said:
I only use a front cap so there's no problem with rear cap blocking view of windage turret. I guess that's a whole other discussion.....
Click to expand...
I plan on removing my rear cap too. Its in the way of magnification changes when trying to change quickly
 
XLR308 said:
Some caps will fold down flat so that's another option to look for if concerned about view being obstructed.
Click to expand...
This is why I started buying Vortex caps. With the Vortex, I flip up. Butler Creek, the front flips to the right. I would do the rear, but with the BC, the release button is in a weird spot.
 
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This may be done because of the way the rifle/scope is set up and what caps are being used. I find that if my ocular cap flips to the right it can interfere with the bolt manipulation on two of my rifles. One one of them, opening the objective to the side won’t work because of the NV bridge on the MPA chassis. Those all use Vortex caps so they fold flat anyways. No view obstruction.

It’s not necessarily not knowing any better, it may be what is necessary.
 
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Eustice said:
This may be done because of the way the rifle/scope is set up and what caps are being used. I find that if my ocular cap flips to the right it can interfere with the bolt manipulation on two of my rifles. One one of them, opening the objective to the side won’t work because of the NV bridge on the MPA chassis. Those all use Vortex caps so they fold flat anyways. No view obstruction.

It’s not necessarily not knowing any better, it may be what is necessary.
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This! With the height I have my scope mounted, the cap would interfere with my bolt or my hand if it was flipped to the right.
 
This is my setup, to the left and down, clear of bolt, turrets, dope, and LOS.

20190831_095949.jpg
 
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Scope caps have never been in the way of my vision. Weird. Caps pointed up are less likely to get raked off or broken by narrow shooting ports. A port too low to push a cap through is probably too low to push the scope through anyway, so a different solution is needed. Different strokes for different folks.
 
I have my rear scope cap flip to the left. It’s a vortex defender cap with my dope inside it and can be folded back out of my way. I have run my front cap where it flips down before laying across the top rail of my rifle. “Blocks mirage and all that lol”
 
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I've never had the caps being flipped up be a problem or in my way. I had someone comment on why I didn't have my caps on properly at a match and didn't understand how they are in the way.
 
Do you open both eyes while shooting, your brain will mix the images from both eyes?

The less you have in your left eyes their of view, the less you brain will be doing as you focus on breaking the shot.
 
I shot with both open and it doesn't affect anything.
 
I started to use them flipping to the right then when I went to matches I learned that they are super annoying when shooting weak side. Now all mine go up and I take my back caps off because they're annoying when running the zoom a lot, especially on scopes with a fast focus eyepiece.
 
If they aren't staying closed and doing their job, give vortex a call. I got one that did the same thing recently, brand new, and it didn't work like all the others I have. They sent out a new one.
Onewolf42 said:
I have two of the Vortex Defenders caps and they tend to not want to stay closed very well. Give them a stern look and 'pop' they open prematurely.
Click to expand...
 
A lot of times, the little knobs on the objective cap won't clear the barrel if it swings open sideways. I use defender caps on most of my rifles, that fold flat anyways, so straight back is pleasant to my eye. Most of my eyepiece caps swing at some sort of angle depending on bolt throw or whether I use a dope disk in the cap that I need to view.
 
Just flip them down.....then you dont ha e to worry about it.....

Doc
 
Mine is at 1:30. Left eye unobstructed, can see both turrets, can still fold it flat if needed. Dope in flip cap.
 
If weather requires caps then I flip straight up. I shoot both eyes open strong and weak side. Don’t like the idea of anything on the side obstructing view. Flipped up I can still keep my eye in the scope and not break position and run turret/dope with off eye.
 
Because that little red trigger thing on the butler creek ocular lens cap is optimally positioned to hit with my right thumb only when positioned to open up.
 
I flip mine to the left. If flipped right on my rifle I hit it when working the bolt. I don't thing there is a 'wrong way,' just whatever you find works well for you.
 
Tenebraex covers (very nice): front up, rear up then folded over. No problems with ball cap bill or seeing the windage knob.
 
I take them off because fuck they are annoying. And my front one usually falls off anyways after 20rds.
 
I’m getting the feeling that I’m all alone on the neoprene scope cover train...
 
Antares said:
I’m getting the feeling that I’m all alone on the neoprene scope cover train...
Click to expand...

No. I have Tenebraex covers, but they are on a shelf and I now uses a neoprene cover from Scope Coat. The flip ups are great, until conditions in the field get really nasty and you are busting brush so thick you cannot see your own feet.
 
Just got a honeycomb for my front and my rear folds flat at about 1 o clock.
 
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