Rifle Scopes Reflection inside scope reticle?

[demolitionman]

While shooting groundhogs today with my 22lr, I spent some time behind my SWFA 3x15-42 sfp scope. I've put probably 500 rounds through it at paper and it tracks like a hound dog, and other than some tunneling from 3x to 5power I have really enjoyed this scope. Today unfortunately I noticed something very distracting that I had never noticed before in any scope; I kept getting a glint of mirror reflecting from inside the scope along the left edge of the reticle, a clear picture of the background behind me! I could see the trees and leaves and field behind me along with the sight picture infront of me. If I had to quantify it I'd say it was roughly 3mills tall by 2 mills wide at the shooters very left edge of the sight picture. I own 5 other SWFA scopes and have never experienced this. Does anyone else understand what I'm describing?

It was very very distracting as I would have my perfect sight picture for my POA and at the very edge an entirely different picture of my background. . . .

 

[demolitionman]

It was very very distracting as I would have my perfect sight picture for my POA and at the very edge an entirely different picture of my background. . . .

 

[lash]

U hmmm... Twilight Zone?

But, no. I've never experienced that, though I can totally understand how distracting that could be.

As I am trying to imagine how that would occur, I have to ask; when sighting in and using this scope prior to now, did you get a clear solid sight picture with no shadowing or shading? I guess that I am wondering if you are centered in the scope when on the cheek piece, or if maybe your eye is less than centered on the ocular lense.

Maybe try lowering the cheek piece or moving it right if adjustable side-to-side.

 

[Griz44Mag]

Any piece of glass under the right conditions can act like a mirror. Even a perfectly clear pane of glass will can carry a reflection bright enough that you can't see through it under the right conditions. It's not a problem with the scope, or operator or anything else. It's purely physics. The image behind you was brighter than the image from the other end of the scope and your position on the scope did not block out the light from behind you. I have seen operators of long range optical recording equipment wear hats with wide brims to block out reflections from behind. Don't sweat it.

Griz