Originally Posted by jimmyp
I currently have 4 30mm tubes and 1 34 mm tube, just traded one of my 30's off one of the cheap SWFA 1-4's so I have both 1" and larger tubes. Keep this in mind there shaky, the only reaction the light has with the sides of the tube is in the form of extraneous refractions that arise due to imperfections in the optics. Thus some light that enters the rifle scope is not focused as it is intended to be into the designed optical path. This extraneous or non focused light is simply not usable or detrimental and the tube is deliberately coated or baffles are inserted to absorb this optical noise.

At low illumination (before dawn and after dusk) there is an optimum scope magnification that produces an exit pupil size equal to the eye pupil. This optimum magnification increases with the objective diameter. A magnification below this value reduces the target size. A higher magnification reduces the pupil size, reducing image brightness and contrast. The size of the scope tube has nothing to do with image brightness.

http://www.highpoweroptics.com/optics-tutorial-i-55.html

but please don't be offended and keep up the good work as this place would not be the same without you and a few others like you. At times I am reminded of that movie "the burbs" here on the fire. On the other hand if your at all interested in a reasonable course of action then asking questions instead of asserting positions that you "feel" are right sometimes is wiser, but again you might be a democrat, so either way we cannot lose, comic relief or knowledgeable discussion both are worthwhile!


Again, a good article but nothing new in that and once again, does not prove that exit pupil size is somehow related to the light transmission.

We can argue here all year long but clearly, there are benefits to larger tubes otherwise companies like Zeiss would not use 36mm tubes (almost twice the size of a one-inch tube) for even close range 1-8 scopes as nobody needs a hundred inches of elevation in those scopes so clearly, working with bigger tubes (and more light inside the tube) has some benefits otherwise I'm sure Zeiss would make this scope with a much smaller tube to save weight and 50% of their expensive glass material becasue even one-inch tube can be made very durable.

So again, stick to your one-inch scopes because there are no benefits to anything bigger than that and you will be a fool to carry the extra weight around.