My MAxZone scope is FUBAR!

DesertRat · Post by **DesertRat** » Sat Oct 14, 2006 6:43 pm

There is something wrong with my Excalibur MaxZone scope. At dusk or dawn, which happens to be the most important time in hunting, there is awlays a glare in my scope. Not a normal glare either. I have compared it to other Excalibur owners scopes and mine seems excessive. Is there anything I can do to change this? Is it a deffect, oddity, settting?

It doesn't seem to matter where the light is, behind, in front, left or right, it it always there. It is almost like a reflection that does not appear in anyone elses scope.

Maybe it is a ghost locked inside but I tell you it is a pain in the ass when you are trying to bear down on a critter in lowered light conditions.

Any advice would be helpful.

Grizzly Adam · Post by **Grizzly Adam** » Sat Oct 14, 2006 6:59 pm

Hmmm ...

Noticed a glare in mine the other night while on an Indiana deer hunt ... but was right inside a woods edge with the setting sun at my back, so I thought that was it.

It was the first time I was hunting in conditions like that, but I'll sure try it out in a variety of situations now and see what happens.

I do know from what I hear that if it is a problem with your individual scope, Bill Troubridge is good for it. He has very high service reviews from folks on this forum.

We'll see what happens with mine!

Grizz

DesertRat · Post by **DesertRat** » Sun Oct 15, 2006 1:40 pm

Mine doesn;t seem to matter where the sun is. When the light starts to decrease, I alwys get a wierd glare. So much so that I can see better with the naked eye than I can through the scope at dusk or dawn. Never seen that beforew ina scope. Usually vision is improved under those conditions with a scope.

Grizzly Adam · Post by **Grizzly Adam** » Sun Oct 15, 2006 8:46 pm

I haven't yet experimented further with my VariZone ... but I intend to.

I do know this: Quality scopes do not have glare problems. I have a Leupold Gold Ring on a Ruger M77 that I have killed scores of deer with, and never, ever, in any situation, have I had any sort of sighting trouble with that scope. It's crisp, clear and clean, ALL THE TIME, in all conditions.

Of course, that Leupold cost me five bills 10 years ago! I don't think the Varizone is even in the same class; couldn't be, for that price ... but it did seem like an OK scope to me upon examination.

Can't say yet, but I hope mine's not like that.

Hope you get satisfaction concerning yours.

Grizz

DrDan · Post by **DrDan** » Sun Oct 15, 2006 10:56 pm

Grizz
Gotta love them Leupolds. I have way to many of them and constantly hunt for old VariX-3's and 2's. I don't like the new scopes Leupold is making. Just making them chaper and not as good. When you need a scope at dawn or dusk Leopold never fails.

DrDan

Whelen Man · Post by **Whelen Man** » Mon Oct 16, 2006 11:58 am

I just had this same problem. Mine kept getting worse and worse. I discovered that the scope internal lenses had fogged from moisture. If you'll look into your scope with a flashlight it will illuminate the back surfaces of the lenses and you will see what I am talking about. The dealer just replaced mine this morning after I contacted the factory first and was referred back to them. The dealer said that they were good about replacing any defective products that they sent back to them. Only problem was the the new scope had a cross threaded windage cap from the factory. It was in an unopened box and took a great deal of effort to remove and won't screw all the way down. If it isn't one thing it's another. They have been good though.

LoneWolf · Post by **LoneWolf** » Wed Oct 18, 2006 10:47 am

Whelen Man wrote:I just had this same problem. Mine kept getting worse and worse. I discovered that the scope internal lenses had fogged from moisture. If you'll look into your scope with a flashlight it will illuminate the back surfaces of the lenses and you will see what I am talking about.

That would work!

DesertRat,

I don't know if this is the problem, or if this is gonna help any but you can also easily check a scope for leakage, and internal moisture potential by warming it for 30 seconds or so in a pan of clean water heated at no more than 135 degrees Farenhiet. As the air inside the tube expands, it will escape through any leaks and rise to the surface as bubbles. Small bubbles around the threads and joints that don't break free aren't caused by leaks, but the air trapped in the tiny fissures. A steady flow of bubbles, as from a punctured inner tube, could mean big trouble in the field.

To find out if a scope already has moisture in it's innards, warm it slightly above room temperature over a hot air vent or by using your wife's hair blower on low heat, then put it in the freezer of your fridge. Wait ten minutes, then check to see if beads of water have formed on the inside of the front/back lenses, or if it's fogging up on you.

Good luck with it.

Whelen Man · Post by **Whelen Man** » Sun Oct 22, 2006 8:50 pm

I mentioned the replacement scope with the cross-threaded cap in a previous post. It died also. The cap would not come off later that day and when I turned it a little harder (by hand only) the entire windage assembly came out of the scope. The dealer has already replaced one and I hate to take him this one too. I've had dozens of scopes and never had this many problems with one. The warranty says to send ten dollars for return postage and they will determine if it was a factory defect. At this point I wouldn't give the ten dollars and my own shipping costs for another one. I recently talked to a friend whose scope also fogged on the very first day he used it. His has been replaced and he is waiting to see what happens in the rain in the future. It rained opening day and it killed both of our scopes. Excalibur needs some better quality scope manufacturers or get out of the scope business. I guess I wasted the money I spent on the scope which was included in the full package.