I know if you don't have enough eye relief with your scope on a high caliber you can browse if not hit your eyebrows or forehead. Now would 3"'s of eye relief be enough for a .223 and 308? This is important cause the scope I'm interested in for these two calibers has only 3 inches of it, so I want to make sure I'm okay before spending.
Minimum eye relief?
- Thread starter inukshuk
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3" of eye relief should be more than adequate for the 223 and should also be adequate for the 308 as long as you pay attention.
Typical eye relief for most scopes is between 3" and beyond 4" and this eye relief is adequate for most magnum calibers. For example, most Nightforce scopes have an eye relief of 3" and these are high end scopes designed for a wide range of calibers.
Duke1
Typical eye relief for most scopes is between 3" and beyond 4" and this eye relief is adequate for most magnum calibers. For example, most Nightforce scopes have an eye relief of 3" and these are high end scopes designed for a wide range of calibers.
Duke1
Eye relief is one of those overstated things that everyone clings to like gospel; the thinking is that more is better. Actually, this isn't the case, the closer your eye is to the scope, the better the picture will be. Less stray light enters the eye, and the picture takes up more real estate on your retina, allowing you to resolve more detail (if the glass is capable of providing it). These factors together add up to a brigher more detailed picture. Ideally, the best scope to go with is the one that is made of the highest quality glass and has the shortest eye relief you can get away with. For a 223, this is virtually nil as there's no recoil to speak of. Depending on the exact 308 used, you may need more; but I *wouldn't* go and buy the scope with the longest eye relief you can find.
If longer was better, all scopes would have long eye relief. It's NOT an indication of quality: it doesn't cost anything more to provide for longer eye relief. You could just as easily find a crappy 'leapers' LER scope that's utter crap for $40 as you could an $800 Leupold.
If longer was better, all scopes would have long eye relief. It's NOT an indication of quality: it doesn't cost anything more to provide for longer eye relief. You could just as easily find a crappy 'leapers' LER scope that's utter crap for $40 as you could an $800 Leupold.
Longer eye relief does provide the user the option and ability to set their optic further away from the bolt knob(if you use a bolt action) and facilitate greater movement for operation. With lots of eye relief you have the option of moving in closer if you so choose. You can't move away from a scope with short eye relief.
TDC
TDC
A lot of 'getting smacked' has to do with you too. My dad, a shooter of many years, managed to give himself scope eye with a leupie he's had for ages that has very generous eye relief just because he got a little sloppy at the bench.
Just pay attention
Just pay attention
I think 3" is on the short side of eye relief and wouldn't put it on a .308 if you ever happen to be going deer hunting with it. I prefer 3.5" up to 4" of non-critical eye relief.
I have a Tasco World Class 3 x 9 x 40mm scope that has what I call 3" of "critical" eye relief. If you are not almost exactly in it's destined 3" distance the scope goes black or blurry. I bought it at the time because it was a nice, clear bright wide angle scope and still is. My .30-06 was extremely accurate with it. I still changed it because I found this scope a handicap for deer hunting.
The Bushnell I have now is far better and remains in focus between 3 and 4 inches with none of the critical distance problems... so fast target acquisition is much better.
I have a Tasco World Class 3 x 9 x 40mm scope that has what I call 3" of "critical" eye relief. If you are not almost exactly in it's destined 3" distance the scope goes black or blurry. I bought it at the time because it was a nice, clear bright wide angle scope and still is. My .30-06 was extremely accurate with it. I still changed it because I found this scope a handicap for deer hunting.
The Bushnell I have now is far better and remains in focus between 3 and 4 inches with none of the critical distance problems... so fast target acquisition is much better.
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What is the rifle going to be used for? If you are looking for a long range/high magnification scope, you have to watch as the eye relief diminishes as the magnification increases. A good quality scope will still provide you with a decent safe eye relief when set on high power. It is never a good investment to cheap out on a scope, but neither is there anything wrong with finding the best value for your dollar. You must decide where that balance lies.
On the other hand, if the scope is to be used as a big game scope within the terminal limitations of the .308 Winchester, high magnification is not required, and a low powered scope set further away from the eye allows you to shoot with both eyes open, creating the benefit of seeing the cross hair suspended in the air, rather than with the sense of looking through a tube with it's restricted field of view. The quality if the scope is measured by neither eye relief nor magnification, but rather by it's ability to seal out moisture, repeatable adjustments, the quality of it's lens coatings, and it's optical clarity. Beyond that, you must simply choose the scope which best suits your requirements.
On the other hand, if the scope is to be used as a big game scope within the terminal limitations of the .308 Winchester, high magnification is not required, and a low powered scope set further away from the eye allows you to shoot with both eyes open, creating the benefit of seeing the cross hair suspended in the air, rather than with the sense of looking through a tube with it's restricted field of view. The quality if the scope is measured by neither eye relief nor magnification, but rather by it's ability to seal out moisture, repeatable adjustments, the quality of it's lens coatings, and it's optical clarity. Beyond that, you must simply choose the scope which best suits your requirements.
