Killflash ARD and Sunshade questions

[Mixed Nuts]

I'm not a hardcore paramilitary type, although I was in the army reserves, but I do sometimes consider shooting equipment from a tactical perspective.

Lately, as reflected in my recent posts, I've been thinking about scopes. Maybe more than one scope now that I've gotten some HighRoad feedback.

Anyway, since coming out west from the east coast, I've been kinda amazed by how far one can see when hiking. And, from the foothills on the eastern edge of Albuquerque, I can see reflections off car windows in the south valley, nigh on 10 miles away!

So I've been thinking about optics and how - if conditions allowed - an objective lens might well signal my location for quite a long way.

Questions:

1. How come I cant seem to find ARDs for scopes with smaller objective lenses? 28mm and 35mm don't seem to exist.

2. Compatibility. If one company makes an ARD for a 40mm objective - will it fit most other 40mm objectives? Or are many scope threadings proprietary?

3. Do the ARDs reduce the brightness and clarity of a scope?

4. Can an ARD be used with a sunshade? Is this even a thing? Is it a redundancy?

Thanks for any responses. Feel free to post any thoughts or relevant experience with this stuff.

 

[JeffG]

1. How come I cant seem to find ARDs for scopes with smaller objective lenses? 28mm and 35mm don't seem to exist.

2. Compatibility. If one company makes an ARD for a 40mm objective - will it fit most other 40mm objectives? Or are many scope threadings proprietary?

3. Do the ARDs reduce the brightness and clarity of a scope?

4. Can an ARD be used with a sunshade? Is this even a thing? Is it a redundancy?

For the most part ARD threading is proprietary, and problematic. You usually have to buy the ARD with that scope, and of course shell out more $$. The way I handled it, was to buy a 40mm ARD, it was threaded, but it wasn't the correct thread. I filed off the threads, applied some rubber cement to take up the rattle, and let it dry. I gave it a matching camo paint job, and held it in place with a short section of bicycle inner tube. I can put it on the scope, or the sunshade.
Yes, you will get a degree of darkening or vignette, but it's supposed to be sunny, right? With my system you can just grab it off of the scope if it gets cloudy out. For me it solves the glare of shooting into a morning or evening sun.

I have had coyotes put a LOT of real estate between me and my position because of scope glare.

For smaller objectives, I would try cutting them out of honeycomb plastic sheet from hobby shops and paint them.

 

[LoonWulf]

Another option is cutting a small hole in a flip up lense cover. I'd never thought about it till someone here suggested it. I tried it on one of mine and it works pretty well for shading in place of a shade or ard.

I'd forgotten to add, that in a pinch you can also just put your hand over the objective lense and let light in thru your fingers.

 

[Mixed Nuts]

For the most part ARD threading is proprietary, and problematic. You usually have to buy the ARD with that scope, and of course shell out more $$. The way I handled it, was to buy a 40mm ARD, it was threaded, but it wasn't the correct thread. I filed off the threads, applied some rubber cement to take up the rattle, and let it dry. I gave it a matching camo paint job, and held it in place with a short section of bicycle inner tube. I can put it on the scope, or the sunshade.
Yes, you will get a degree of darkening or vignette, but it's supposed to be sunny, right? With my system you can just grab it off of the scope if it gets cloudy out. For me it solves the glare of shooting into a morning or evening sun.

I have had coyotes put a LOT of real estate between me and my position because of scope glare.

For smaller objectives, I would try cutting them out of honeycomb plastic sheet from hobby shops and paint them.

View attachment 786784

JeffG. Dude, this solution is awesome. Thank you.

 

[Mixed Nuts]

Thanks, LoonWulf. The fingers thing. Never would have thought of that.