It is time for you to get a better lens for your rifle. And you are probably still wondering whether to get a bigger objective lens or not? Maybe you are not having an easy time seeing at night or getting the magnification you want is becoming a challenge. All you want is the best rimfire scope for your rifle, and you probably think that the best way to go is to get a larger objective lens for better shooting. Most people believe that the bigger the objective lens is the best for shooting. But, is this necessarily true when it comes to objective lenses? That is a question best answered after examining all the facts.
So how does the size of the objective lens affect shooting?
To answer this question, we must first begin by understanding the purpose of the objective lens and why the objective lens size may matter. So here goes. The Objective lens main purpose is light gathering. The main duty of the lens is to gather as much light as possible so as to assure that the images you see through your lens are bright and vivid.
Size comes into play here because the bigger the lens the more the light that is transmitted into through the scope and the better the view for shooting. But a question here arises. Does it necessarily mean that the bigger the objective lens the better your shooting will eventually be? For the answer to this query we absolutely must understand how the eye works. The eye detects light using the pupils; the pupils dilate and shrink depending on the intensity of light. The more the light the more the pupils shrink to control the amount of light into the eye.
Human eyes dilate to a maximum of 9mm and a minimum of 2mm. These are however the dimensions of a healthy eye. Averagely the eyes of most people in their middle ages dilate only between 4mm and 8mm. The less the light, the more the pupils dilate to allow as much light as possible into the eyes. So for maximum efficiency of the objective lens, the amount of light of the exit pupil should match the amount of light the one of your eye.
This means that the most important factor here is the exit pupil. The exit pupil simply put, is the round light the lens presents to your eye. It can be easily calculated by dividing the magnification level by the scopes diameter in millimeters. So, if for example, your pupil's exit scope differs from the dilation of your eyes' pupil your images will appear blurry or dim depending on the difference.
Benefits of choosing a larger objective lens
There are several advantages in choosing large sized objective lenses. Firstly, because they are best for use in long range and shooting this is because the bigger the lenses the more the light thus images appear sharper.
A bigger objective lens is also best for use for people who shoot in low light conditions. The lens will allow more light to come in to give clearer images. Typically, the more the lens magnification the poorer the image quality, however with the large objective lens the large amounts of light transmitted into the scope will allow for sharp images for longer even as light reduces.
Large objective lens also allows for you to get a wider field of view. This means that your eyes do not easily tire from straining. Meaning you are able to see more through your lens than you would if using a smaller objective lens. A large objective lens is also less rigid with a larger exit pupil. This kind of lens is very helpful for people with visual problems and problems with optical focus.
With all these benefits you may be thinking the larger objective lens should be your choice in ensuring you outshine all others at the range. Not necessarily so. The larger objective lens on the flip side makes your weapon heavier. They also affect your shooting as you may not be able to position your weapon optimally for the best shoot. This is because the bulk of the lens may negatively affect your cheek and weld methods.
Also, offhand shooting is a challenge because of the weight. So, bigger objective lenses are not practical for hunting. The lenses also require mounts that are taller. Proper alignment of the eye is also compromised when using the bigger objective lens. This is because the lenses are mounted higher and away from the barrel. To get an accurate cheek weld you may need a special adapter. The size of the larger objective lens also makes it more susceptible to collecting dust and dirt which may obscure your view.
The biggest drawback is that the lens comes costlier than the smaller objective lens. The smaller objectives lens apart from being lighter are mounted lower giving you a good alignment of the eye which is bound to make your shot better. You are able to better position the weapon for a better shot. Also, their smaller size makes it less probable that the weapon will reflect light and give away where you are hiding.
Final Words
When it comes down to selecting the objective lens with the best rimfire scope it really depends on how and where you would like to use your weapon and your eyesight. If you often use your rifle in dark areas or if your eyesight is lacking or problematic, then a larger objective lens will be useful to you. The lens will make up for the aforementioned shortages ensuring that you get better sharper images for shooting. However, they may hinder optimum performance as they are heavy. This may also be a challenge for petite and smaller persons. Smaller objective lenses are better for close range shooting and for low magnification shooting. So when deciding on the size of the lens, be aware of how well you want to shoot.
