Leupold Alumina lens covers: Is the magnetic latch secure in heavy cover?

[Chuck Dye]

Oregon hunting often includes precipitation (the youngster next door used to say "It's participating!" It does that, too. :D) so I need to add lens covers to my scope. Does anyone use the Leupold Alumina Flip-up covers? Do your lenses stay covered even when plowing through heavy brush? I am a little concerned about the reliability of that magnetic latch.

On another note, am I making an error by not going for see through covers?

[JohnKSa]

On another note, am I making an error by not going for see through covers?In my opinion the only reason not to go with see-through covers is stealth.

Otherwise they're a no-lose proposition. If you can look through them you can eliminate all possibility of getting gunk from getting on your lenses or of scratching/damaging them. If you can't, you just flip them up and you're as good off as if you had the opaque models.

[Fremmer]

I've used see-through covers before, and they worked fine.

John, could you explain how the use of see-through covers would preclude stealth, or perhaps you mean that they should be used as an aid to stealth? Sorry, I stayed out too late last night, so I'm a little tired and foggy today....:D

[Chuck Dye]

John may be thinking of tell tale reflections, easily dealt with by the honeycomb inserts (http://www.eabco.com/Gadget01.htm) for the Butler Creek covers.

Hmmmm, paid a purchase price penalty when I bought that 50mm objective and have paid the weight and size penalty on every hunt. Do I really want to give away the brightness benefit by sticking that honeycomb in the light path? Oooooh, that's right, it's a FLIP-UP and you started this thread with a question about opaque covers! Grrrrr!

[JohnKSa]

John may be thinking of tell tale reflections...Exactly. Not that it's a big issue, it's just the only negative I could think of.

I didn't know that there were anti-reflective inserts for transparant flip-ups--that's pretty neat!

[Chuck Dye]

Oh, grunt!

I decided to buy the Leupold covers, only to find that they only drop in to scopes built in 2004 or later. A call to Leupold customer service revealed that some older scopes, mine included, can be modified to accept the Lumina covers for $60 and shipping costs.

However dandy they may be, I cannot justify spending over $140 for lens covers.

Thanks for the assist, guys.

Anyone have a better alternative than Butler Creek?

[AncientMariner]

I have a Leupold 1 X 4 with an aluminum cover on the rear and a see through Butler Creek on the front. I just finished deer and elk season here in southwest WA and had no problem with the aluminum cover coming open. Your country shouldn't be much different from here so I'd go for it.