Caps or flip ups?
- Thread starter Czarface
- Start date
not using red dots but im using what i found no specific name sorry.
I have the old hard hard cap bikini and made some out of leather. A flip of the thumb and it’s off to shoot. I absolutely hate flip ups , good for a range rifle but seems like something to snag up and get broken in the bush. All my rifles travel in scabbards so I’d have to take them off every time. Neoprene on a shock cord would be better second choice.
Homesteader
CGN Regular
- Location
- In a Wallow West of Edmonton.
These days I prefer nothing, especially on a hunting rifle. Neoprene is nice in the safe
Oh and available @ Amazondotca too.
I have used the Butler Creek flip up caps for decades with good results. Gripes are that they do not fit all scopes well (e.g., Swarovskis), and do not fold flat out of the way when open and can interfere with your vision for both eyes open (for us lefties on left handed rifles) and get caught on brush and break easily then (more so in the cold weather hunts and/or thick brush hunts).
I do prefer the Leupold Alumina caps as they fold over flat out of the way for use in the field and are less likely to interfere with vision (again a thing for us lefties with left handed bolt actions) or get caught on brush. Yes they are more expensive, but are a great value in terms of service and protection to your optics. They are still less expensive than the Swarovski caps!
They are great and quick to get into action when needed when out hunting in the rain or snow, or thick brush where all sorts of things rain down and get caught in your objective lense when walking with your rifle slung over your shoulder...that will obscure your vision through your optics when you need it most.
The neoprene covers are nice for in the safe and for travel...but I do not use while hunting as they can easily get lost or forgotten when you take them off to shoot (or get blown away in the wind). Never cared for the bikini style covers for the same reasons.
I do prefer the Leupold Alumina caps as they fold over flat out of the way for use in the field and are less likely to interfere with vision (again a thing for us lefties with left handed bolt actions) or get caught on brush. Yes they are more expensive, but are a great value in terms of service and protection to your optics. They are still less expensive than the Swarovski caps!
They are great and quick to get into action when needed when out hunting in the rain or snow, or thick brush where all sorts of things rain down and get caught in your objective lense when walking with your rifle slung over your shoulder...that will obscure your vision through your optics when you need it most.
The neoprene covers are nice for in the safe and for travel...but I do not use while hunting as they can easily get lost or forgotten when you take them off to shoot (or get blown away in the wind). Never cared for the bikini style covers for the same reasons.
objective end only, alumina flips on leupolds or butler creeks for everything, mount them somewhat cockeyed so the tab lines up naturally with your thumb when you go to open it in a hurried hunting situation, easy to set up, just close your eyes and pretend you need to find it immediately because you forgot to open it and are trying to find the buck of your life in a black scope lol, some placements will have you ripping your thumbnail off especially with the leupold alumina's but they are such a nice flip, the butlers don't have that issue but you don't want to be reaching for the tab and missing it without looking first, you want thumb to hit it naturally
for lots of field use and weather like backpack overnight type hunting I like them, but for the more truck based day stuff I don't like them and generally keep them off until I'm packing in somewhere, I tend to carry rifle nose up either over shoulder or in kifaru gun bearer on pack, the eye piece end flip caps just slow you down and aren't really necessary to keep weather and debris of that small piece of glass that's usually hanging downward giving natural protection
for lots of field use and weather like backpack overnight type hunting I like them, but for the more truck based day stuff I don't like them and generally keep them off until I'm packing in somewhere, I tend to carry rifle nose up either over shoulder or in kifaru gun bearer on pack, the eye piece end flip caps just slow you down and aren't really necessary to keep weather and debris of that small piece of glass that's usually hanging downward giving natural protection
NinjaSayWhat?!
CGN Regular
- Location
- BC Lower Mainland
Flip-ups mounted so they open to the 1:30 position.
And then neoprene when they go in the safe.
And then neoprene when they go in the safe.
I use neoprene covers. I have broken off too many butler creeks when the flip open inadvertently. My dogging or still hunt rifles sport irons or red dot anyway. If I’m sitting with a scoped rifle It will have a neoprene cover and I’ll likely have the 10 seconds to spare to remove it.
