Lisa J Thompson
The rifle scope is a significant investment, so it is essential to protect it with a cover. Here you will find the ultimate guide on how to make a rifle scope cover.
A rifle scope cover
Riflescopes are expensive, but they can easily get scratched or damaged by external elements. So, it’s better to equip them with a protection cover. You can follow the steps below to make a rifle scope sleeve.
- Prepare materials
- Make some measurements
- Cut the fabric
- Stitch to form a cover
- Cut and stitch the elastic
- Finish and try the cover on
Now, let’s get right into the details of each step!
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How To Make A Rifle Scope Cover
You can easily find covers for scopes with various types and models on the market, but it’s not too complex to make one yourself. Here is the detailed guide for a DIY gunsight sleeve.
Step 1. Prepare materials
The best material for making a sleeve for your telescopic sight is a soft and light fabric with two sides silicone-coated.
This fabric can protect the optic from dust, scratches, and water. It is available in garment stores or e-commerce websites. You can pick any fabric color you like, but we recommend a matching color with your rifle.
In addition to the fabric, the following items are also necessary:
- A cutter or scissors
- A sewing machine
- Some elastic
- Some sewing thread
- A cutting mat or ruler
- A tube of seam sealer
Prepare materials
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Step 2. Make some measurements
The next step is defining the dimensions of your riflescope and the material. You need to measure the length and diameter of the gunsight to calculate measurements for the fabric.
You can search for the exact size of your scope on the manufacturer’s website. After that, add 4 inches to the length and 3 inches to the area of the lens. The results are the length and width of the material.
For instance, assume that your scope is 12 inches long and the lens diameter is 40mm. So, the needed fabric will be 8 inches wide and 16 inches long.
Step 3. Cut the fabric
Now it’s time to do some cutting. First, cut a piece of material for the body of the sleeve with the length and width calculated in the previous step.
Then, take two pieces with a length about 2 inches shorter than the width of the body piece. This missing part is for sewing elastic into the cover.
Step 4. Stitch to form a cover
Stitch these two pieces onto the two ends of the body piece. In this step, you need to know how to use the sewing machine.
If you have never used this garment equipment before, you can see detailed instructions in this video:
Once you’ve sewed these two pieces, fold the body piece in half and sew the ends closed to shape the cover.
Sew to form a cover
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Step 5. Cut and stitch the elastic
In the next step, you will cut two pieces of elastic. Because this material is stretchy, you need to calculate a suitable length as follows.
- Keep one end of the elastic and one end of the body piece
- Stretch the elastic to its full length
- Mark the length of the elastic when stretched equal to the width of the body piece.
- Cut the elastic about 2 inches longer than the marked length.
After you’ve done some cuttings, sew the elastic to the body piece as follows:
- Fixed one end of the elastic piece to one end of the body piece
- Fold the edge of the body piece to a distance equal to the width of the elastic
- Stretch the elastic while sewing along the edge of the cover to the end
- Repeat this process with the other elastic and edge of the cover.
Now we have completed the sewing of a cover for your scope.
The sleeve after sewing the elastic
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Step 6. Finish and try the cover on
In the last step, you use scissors to remove the lint or excessive thread. Then, heat the inner edges of the fabric with a small lighter. This step prevents lint or excess thread from getting stuck at the scope lens or rings.
Next, apply a layer of seam sealer gel to the seams. This gel will fill all the holes created by stitches.
After the sealer is dry, your cover will be completely waterproof. Turn the sleeve inside out and put on the gunsight to see if it fits perfectly.
Put the sleeve on the riflescope
Some Tips To Prevent Your Riflescope Lenses From Scratches
The lens is the most vulnerable part of the scope as it can easily get scratched or damaged. In addition to covering your telescopic sight with a sleeve, you should pay more attention to storing and cleaning the lenses.
It’s better to follow the tips below to keep your lenses always clear and intact.
- Keep your lenses in the best lens caps you can get. High-quality caps will prevent external elements from impacting your lenses when transporting or moving.
- Only clean your lenses with a lens brush and other specialized lens products. You should also choose a good lens brush to remove dirt from the lenses without harming their coating. Remember to clean your lenses with a brush before using any cloth to wipe them.
- It would be best if you used a cloth only for cleaning lenses. It’s better to use a microfiber cloth designed especially for lenses. These clothes are available in most firearm shops or photography stores.
- Avoid applying any chemical glass detergent to your scope. These detergents may cause unwanted damages to the seals or the O-rings of your gunsight.
Final Words
Covers will protect and minimize the damages caused by elements on your riflescopes. We hope you can make a sleeve for your gunsight via this article.
It’s better to care for scopes with more attention than getting them repaired or remanufactured. Thank you for following this post!
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