Give Me RELIEF from My Scope! – Because I’m Severely Confused about Eye Relief!

[JungleShooter]

Please, give me relief from my scope! – Because I’m severely confused about scope eye relief!

On an UTG Hunter 8-24x50, the tolerance of the eye relief is a small fraction of an inch.
Which means, when I move my head just a tad more out of the tolerance zone, the picture turns BLACK! (NO, that black is not the bulls’ eye at 3 yards distance, recently I’m trying to get my springer to group at 69 yards...)

So, if I want to buy a new scope, how do I know that the eye relief tolerance is any better than on my current scope?

Somehow, the manufacturers and vendors aren’t telling....
Maybe because it’s bad for business (just like the pellet makers don’t show real photographs of their pellets, but artist renderings, beautified and all!).


What I need is a larger tolerance where I can still see the scope image and it does not turn dark. I call this the the eye relief tolerance.

Maybe GTA’s members have a data sheet, or own one of the following scopes and can chime in about the eye relief tolerance?
I would be very grateful, before spending $$.

Specifically, I’ve been looking at the following options (in alphabetical order):
My requirements are:
Focus down to 10y.
Minimum magni:  6, or less (5, 4)
Maximum magni:  20, more (24, 30)
Tube 30mm
Side parallax turret
Objective lens 50mm or more


Aztec
(1)  5.5-25x50

Hawke
(2)  Airmax 30 SF 6-24x56 / 30mm
(3)  Airmax 30 SF 6-24x50 / 30mm


MTC Optics
(4)  Viper Pro 5-30x50
(5)  Viper Pro Tactical 5-30x50
(6)  Mamba Pro Tactical 5-30x50


Nikko Stirling
(7) C-More  |  3-30x56, 30mm  |  Code: NSCM33056
(8 ) Diamond Long Range 30mm  |  6-24x50  |  Code: NDSI62450LRHF 
(9)  Diamond FFP 30mm  |  6-24x50  |  Code: NSFFP62450HMD
(10)  Target Master 30mm  |  5-20x50  |  Code: NSTT3052050
(11)  Target Master 30mm  |  6-24x56  |  Code: NSTT3062456


Sightron
(12)  S-TAC 4-20x50


Sun Optics
(13)  First Focal Plane Variable Series   |  6-24x50  |  No. CS41-62450
(14)  Varmint Seeker 30mm Rifle Scope  |  6-24x50   |   No. KS-AP62450


UTG
(15)  6-24X56, 30mm


Vortex
(16)  Diamondback Tactical 6-24x50 FFP

[mobilehomer]

The higher the magnification, the smaller the exit pupil. The smaller the exit pupil, the less tolerance in eye relief. Exit pupil is objective diameter divided by the power. Your UTG 8-24X50 for example, 50mm/24 = 2.08mm. 50mm/8 = 6.25mm. The human eye pupil is from 2mm - 4mm in bright light and 4mm - 8mm in low light. What you need is larger objective(at least 56mm) or less magnification. The only way around your problem. On the other hand, a very small eye box may help achieve a more consistent cheek weld and placement.

[JungleShooter]

Thank you for that explanation, mobilehomer! 

Would someone else chime in -- maybe you have one of the scopes listed and can tell me if the eye relief tolerance is tight    = scope picture turns easily black if you move your head only very little)  –– 
or if the tolerance is wide    = the eye relief has a wider range where you can still see through the scope fine.

[tjsimmon]

moblehomer gave a great explanation on your dilemma. Once you get over that 16-18x the "eye box" is very tight on most any Optic just nature of the beast. I had a Sig Tango 6 and even that had a very tight eye box for sure. Out of the scopes you listed I personally feel that AZtec, MTC and Hawke seem to be a tad more forgiving but that's just my opinion. I have A Vortex Tactical coming and I will see how that stacks up on this issue. IMHO Leupold has the most consistent eye relief through all power ranges but still at High magnification it is still tight. As mobilehomer said, that tight eye box would help you keep a very consistent cheek weld which will help you be more accurate. Hopefully this helps more then confuse.

[Yogi]

Jungleshooter,

Turn the magnification on the scope down!

Always place your head in the same spot on the cheek rest!  How can you shoot straight if your head is in the different place each time?

Seem like you did not set up your scope properly to begin with.  Try taking if off you gun and out of it's mount and remount it.  Plenty of U-Tube videos to show you how.

Maybe it is user error!

-Y

[Gear_Junkie]

#1 has decent eye relief that is somewhat on/off, which I like in a scope as it ensures consistent cheek weld. 

#3 & #12 have very generous eye relief. 

#16 has very finicky eye relief past 16X. 

[JungleShooter]

#1 has decent eye relief that is somewhat on/off, which I like in a scope as it ensures consistent cheek weld. 

#3 & #12 have very generous eye relief. 

#16 has very finicky eye relief past 16X.

THANK YOU, Gear_Junkie,
I have copied your comments into my scope wish list.
It's people like you make it so much easier to decide what scope is right -- you have the experience AND you are willing to SHARE it with the rest of us!