I have several scopes ranging from 1950's Weavers through to 2005-ish Leupolds. For Mule Deer - what do you recommend as the product(s) or procedure to clean scope lenses - dust, fingerprints, "stuff" in general that doesn't belong. Thank you.

Today's lens coatings are a lot tougher than they were a few decades ago--and in fact some of your old Weavers may not even be coated.

Plain water and clean cotton cloth work well, but a microfiber cloth is better yet, and paper made specifically for lens cleaning also works. Just make sure you wet the lenses before using the cloth.

Various "official" lens-cleaning liquids don't hurt, but aren't really necessary--and on older scopes may harm the lens mounts. The biggie is not to try to wipe off dry dust, or use paper towels, facial tissue, etc. instead of clean cloth, because they contain particles that can scratch lenses.

I have always used Kodak lens cleaning solution and tissue to clean all my optical goods. The small container of solution and book of lens tissue have lasted me for many years. I carry a small micro-fiber cloth clipped to my binocular strap for quick cleaning in the field.

I use a can of air to hit the lenses first to get rid of dust. Usually takes care of any issues.

I use a large-ish ladies makeup brush and hold the scope with the relevant lens down, this way when I use the brush from below all the dust drops in to the bristles and don't just get rubbed around the lens.

After that I either wipe with glass' cleaning wipes or spray some camera lens muck and wipe off, depending on whether I can sneak enough of the wipes away from my wife without her catching me.

If she catches me I find it best to grin like a big country lout and play dumb...that way I still get fed.

Soft lens brushes, alcohol lens cleaning solutions, lens tissues, and micro fiber cloths are all universally available at optical shops and photography supply stores. I purchase this stuff at Walmart and Shopko.

Some dust is little pieces of cloth. Other dust is little pieces of rock. I have seen many a camera lens with tiny circular scratches from people rubbing the rocks into their lens coating. Gently get all the dust off. Then go after any oil or fingerprints with lens cleaner and lens tissues. The cheap Costco lens cleaner used for eyeglasses is fine. Lens tissue is cheap, and well worth it to avoid accidentally cleaning your lens with a soft cloth that has picked up a hard piece of grit.

There was a time that I had to clean laser mirrors that were subject to a large amount of energy. Those have to be immaculate or they self-destruct. It sort of changed the way I treat lenses.

I use a lens pen and breath on the lens until moist, before applying the lens pen. Is that ok?

And what do you do when she catches you with the panties?

I use a Nikon Lens Cleaning Kit.Works Perfect.

I used to clean my scope lenses after each shooting session, but my zero kept changing, Now I only clean my scope when the groups start opening. OWW! I just bit the tongue that was in my cheek.

I clean the scope lenses like I clean my camera lenses:

a. Camera lens cleaning solution
b. Lens brush. Any lens brush, including but not limited to a Lens Pen (never touch the brush with your fingers. The brush must always be free of dirt, oil, moisture, and so on).
c. Lens cleaning microfiber cloth (must be kept clean and free of dustin a small ZipLock bag until needed)

1. If the lens only has surface dust: Brush the dust off with the lens cleaning brush. That's all the lens cleaning you will need to do.

2. Only if the lens has smudges and things like that: Brush-off any dust using the lens brush, moisten the microfiber cloth near one of the corners with a drop of lens cleaning solution, and gently wipe the lens in a circular pattern all around the lens surface with the cloth. Then remove all traces of lens cleaning solution by wrapping a portion of the dry and clean cloth around your index finger, and gently wiping the lens surface in a circular motion. Never press the microfiber cloth with force on the lens, just as gently as needed.

Whatever you do, never wipe the lens surface that is dusty. Dust should never be removed by wiping the lens.