Hello,

At the gunstore I bought a couple flip open lens covers for my .22's 'scope.

All they hand in the size I needed were ones with clear lenses.

Ok, I went ahead and got them. I figure that I can flip them open if I need more clarity or if they get dirty with snow or dirt.

I don't understand, though, if they were made to flip open, why do they even make clear ones?

I was very close to just coloring mine in with a black permanent marker, but decided against it.

What's the point of clear flip-up 'scope covers? I don't get it.

Thanks,

Josh <><

I think the idea is in case you got a surprise shot and didn't have time to flip the covers open.
I don't know. I guess it could happen.

The thing is, they are (or were) plastic and get scratched up pretty easy, so you may not be able to see through them very well after some use anyway. But, I guess you can't see through solid ones at all.

I use them to keep the glass clean and dry (obviously..)
I have used the clear caps on when hunting in the rain
can't hurt to have em clear, so why not?

I've several scopes with furnished scope covers that have plastic clear or yellow clear lens's covers and some that are black plastic. When I'm hunting they come off so it doesn't make any difference if their clear or not. They make great dust covers when the guns are sitting in the safe.

You could always put Silicone (Rain-x) on the scope covers for not so nice days. I use yellow w/ rain-x covers on most rifles. They work great!! For North East winters or North west anytime it helps. Jim

The original butler creek flip open caps were solid. also had little latch levers making them specific to front & rear...the newer ones are see through w/ 'pop to open' tabs on both sides making them ambidexterous...yet my front diameter came w/ a yellow tint...

I find I use them closed when it is raining & I have killed a deer w/ them closed...

well if ur like me and forget to flip them open on a pop shot, u shoot deer through them, keep them clean just as u would ur scope and they can protect against the elements, if ur sticking ur gun out of a tree shanty and the snow or rain is blowin u can leave the cap down and still scope things out, and then dont flip it up until ur ready to shoot and u have crystal clear lenses, even ater uve been watching a corner of a field through ur scope for half an hour

I've always thought they were clear to provide a quick shot if necessary. This thread got me to thinking about the lens covers I've been losing for the telephoto extender I have on my camera. I lost one detachable cover while crossing the Duneden River in BC 3 years ago on horseback in the middle of a hunt and carried the camera in a plastic bag for the rest of the hunt to protect the lens. I measured the lens diameter against a catalog size guide for telescope lens caps and found the size 11 is a good fit. I just put a see-through flip open cover on the lens and will see if I can take reasonable pictures through it. Even if I can't get decent pictures through it, at least I shouldn't lose the lens cap again