# Lens w/o Clarifier



## ron w (Jan 5, 2013)

although I use a clarifier with a 4X FeatherVision, because of my eyesight. it is a general rule that 4 power is about as powerful as the average person can use without needing a clarifier. 6 power is hit and miss according to your eyesight and above that, you most likely will need a clarifier. as far as 6X goes, I really don't know anyone using a 6 power that doesn't have a clarifier, as well.


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## SonnyThomas (Sep 10, 2006)

I use a 4X for everything. One lens came with the scope, a Millennium Grande. Another has a Feather Vision lens. 
I do have a 6X glass that I can use quite well indoors without a clarifier. Outside and longer distances I need a clarifier. Don't know the brand, but think Tru something....


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## pastorjosh (Oct 17, 2014)

I shoot a Cartel x-pert scope with a 4x lens with no clarifier. Never had an issue.


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## ar1220 (May 18, 2014)

I use a 4x without a clarifier its a shrewd Zeiss lens. 6 in sight bar extended all the way out with 3/64 apeture in my peep


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## Mahly (Dec 18, 2002)

4x lenses both on short sights, as well as longer extension sights.
Just a small peep, and I'm good.


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## JF from VA (Dec 5, 2002)

4X. Above a 4X, I need a clarifier and/or a very small peep.


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## ILOVE3D (Feb 4, 2009)

Same here, 4x FeatherVision and a small peep keeps things pretty clear. In low light conditions a larger peep helps butt things are now quite as clear as with a smaller one. Experimentation is the key and you'll find something that works for you as your eyes are different than mine I'm sure. As far as 6X, I have a couple lenses for my different scopes but I seem have just a bit too much movement for my comfort level.


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## montigre (Oct 13, 2008)

I mostly use a 4x, but have also shot a 5x and 6x pretty comfortably without clarifiers. I am farsighted though, so it's pretty easy for me to clear things up with a peep size change. Most of my glass is Swarovski, but I do have a couple of Verde Plus lenses from FeatherVision that run a VERY close second to them. Scope size is 29mm.


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## Chris1ny (Oct 23, 2006)

4x lens with a 1/16" or 3/64" peep. 6x lens with #2 clarifier. 

Swarovski Black Eagle is the clearest, best glare free lens I've found, also most expensive.


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## Rick! (Aug 10, 2008)

4X and 6X by 1.66", made by squeakieslayer. I'll be shooting 6X indoors this season after seeing how well it works at a recent field shoot. I wear glasses and take them off for shooting with lenses.


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## ron w (Jan 5, 2013)

it really doesn't matter what other guys are using. if your eyes need a clarifier,...they need a clarifier, no matter what power your lens is. ne need to you ask someone else's opinion, if you need one, you need one. you might never realize you need on until you try one. generally speaking, the lower the power, the less likely you may need one,...but it still depends entirely on your own individual eyesight. that's why they are made in 3 different powers. 
100 guys can say they don't need one and you still might.....not everybody needs glasses either. questions about how they work, yes, I can understand,..... but asking someone else or a group of shooters, if you need one is useless, beyond advice about what the sight picture looks like when you need one, because the sight picture is what determines if you need one and everyone that needs one has generally, the same problem to some degree or another....thus the 3 different powers. as for which power you need, there are guidelines such
as lens power and peep size, but they are just guidelines,...it takes actually trying the different sizes and powers to decide what works best for you, according to what power lens you have and what size peep you want to use. don't be afraid to experiment once your clarifier is installed. moving the sight bar in and out makes huge differences in sharpness of the focused picture.
follow the general rule about peep size and scope diameter, install a #1 clarifier and move the scope in and out, until you find the best picture, then try a #2 clarifier, moving the scope in and out to see if you can find an even better picture and so on with a #3 clarifier. use the clarifier of least power that gives you a good picture. clarifiers tend to reduce magnification, so the least powerful one you can get away with, will result in the most magnification for the lens you use.
that's why "Super Peep" kits are so popular. they are sold in ranges of size and power, allowing some adjustability to find the best combination for your eyes and scope.
one caution here, sometimes a crystal clear, sharply focused picture can invoke some target panic picture. if this happens, opt for a combination that gives a slightly fuzzy, just barely out of focus target and a clear pin. it is easier to deal with, than a slightly fuzzy pin and a sharply focused target.
that said, everybody is slightly different. the main key, is to find the combination of peep size, clarifier power and lens power that is easy to look at and doesn't add tension to your aiming process.


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## loveha (Mar 11, 2014)

1.75" 4X Docs Choice extended out about eight inches. Peep 1/16" or 3/32" depending on light. Generally 3/32" though.


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## Gangster II (May 12, 2009)

ron w said:


> it really doesn't matter what other guys are using. if your eyes need a clarifier,...they need a clarifier, no matter what power your lens is. ne need to you ask someone else's opinion, if you need one, you need one. you might never realize you need on until you try one. generally speaking, the lower the power, the less likely you may need one,...but it still depends entirely on your own individual eyesight. that's why they are made in 3 different powers.
> 100 guys can say they don't need one and you still might.....not everybody needs glasses either. questions about how they work, yes, I can understand,..... but asking someone else or a group of shooters, if you need one is useless, beyond advice about what the sight picture looks like when you need one, because the sight picture is what determines if you need one and everyone that needs one has generally, the same problem to some degree or another....thus the 3 different powers. as for which power you need, there are guidelines such
> as lens power and peep size, but they are just guidelines,...it takes actually trying the different sizes and powers to decide what works best for you, according to what power lens you have and what size peep you want to use. don't be afraid to experiment once your clarifier is installed. moving the sight bar in and out makes huge differences in sharpness of the focused picture.
> follow the general rule about peep size and scope diameter, install a #1 clarifier and move the scope in and out, until you find the best picture, then try a #2 clarifier, moving the scope in and out to see if you can find an even better picture and so on with a #3 clarifier. use the clarifier of least power that gives you a good picture. clarifiers tend to reduce magnification, so the least powerful one you can get away with, will result in the most magnification for the lens you use.
> ...


Yeah. What he said.


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## jmclfrsh (Dec 23, 2014)

I tried a 4x indoors debating on buying it but it messed up my vision so much I passed. It made my eyesight freak out from one side being magnified and the other not magnified. 

So I tried a 2x and it did not give me those issues. I wear contact lenses and it just makes the target slightly bigger, which helps, and I can keep both eyes open. 

No clarifier. It is a Feather Vision also.


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## Lazarus (Sep 19, 2005)

This is a really good question. 

No clarifier here. I switch back and forth between 4x and 6x just depending on what I feel like shooting. I have settled on Doc's Choice Clear Target glass for both of my sights, I find them to be extremely clear and true. I use a small diameter peep that I drilled myself. 

I don't have particularly good eyesight anymore, although I am pretty satisfied with the clarity using the small peep the 6x at longer distances may seem a little fuzzy, especially when the sun is under cover. But I can still (usually) see arrow holes at 60 yards with it.

Having said all of that here is what I've found; I would much rather trade off just a little bit of clarity for the luxury of shooting without a clarifier. Maybe another topic, but I'm not sure that perfect clarity is really what some people need. I'm convinced that it might contribute to over-aiming. But that's just an opinion.


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## skiingcappy (May 17, 2013)

Brain's custom lenses. With anti glare, I shoot a 3x and 4x with small peep and it works great for me. Tried 5x and 6x power and they both exaggerated the bow and pin movement to much for me.


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## ron w (Jan 5, 2013)

Laz, .....I agree, 
there is an idea about having a slightly out of focus sight picture, to eliminate the annoying wandering eye, of looking at all the arrow holes in the wrong place. it's an advice that new shooters hear, when they start shooting with a lens, because there is a tendency to try and obtain the clearest, sharpest focused picture you can get, when you use a lens. some times, all you want is a larger bulls eye and not all that definition.
personally, I prefer to shoot that way, too. for a while, I was wanting as sharply focused a picture as I could get, but as I got older, I found it somewhat distracting, so I went back to a magnified, but slightly fuzzy sight picture.
the only way you can find out what works best for you, is to try different combinations and see which one gives you the most relaxed feeling while aiming. there's a huge difference in how the picture you see, allows you to produce a good shot.


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## shawn_in_MA (Dec 11, 2002)

Lazarus said:


> Having said all of that here is what I've found; I would much rather trade off just a little bit of clarity for the luxury of shooting without a clarifier. Maybe another topic, but I'm not sure that perfect clarity is really what some people need. I'm convinced that it might contribute to over-aiming. But that's just an opinion.


I agree with this. For indoor/outdoor target, field, or redding style shooting I see no benefit of clearing up the target to look like a rifle scope or binoculars. I shoot a dot that simply contrasts with the color of the spot. Center the dot in the spot and make a clean shot. I can see where there would be a benefit of clearing the target up for 3-D shooting though.


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## huteson2us2 (Jun 22, 2005)

For around 35 years, I used a 3/64" peep (no clarifier) with a 7X scope. No problem. Then when I hit 62, my eyes needed a #1 clarifier to clear the target. Recently I bought Brian's 6X scope and lens with a fibre pin. Problem now was that the clarifier cleared the lens but left the pin blurry.

Went to a popular indoor range with all the clarifiers, verifiers, and open aperatures I could borrow from friends to see if it was posible to clear the lens and pin at same time. Found the right clarifier that worked for me after spending 2 hours trying every aperature. 

Funny thing. A coach was giving private lessons to different individuals next to me. After 2 hours, he laughed and told me just to pick one and use it. He also said he had never met anyone try so many aperatures before.


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## grantmac (May 31, 2007)

I shoot 3X without a clarifier on a long extension outdoors. Anything higher power needs a clarifier and I dislike them outside.
I'll be trying a 7x with #1 clarifier on a short extension indoors this year. I want a similar amount of movement but better view of the target.
I'm far sighted, but don't need reading glasses.

Grant


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## ron w (Jan 5, 2013)

7 x with a #1 might be close in magnified size, but the movement will be exaggerated as if straight 7x. clarifiers organize light rays and you loos a bit of magnification, but movement will be perceived as the power of the scope lens.


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## grousegrove (Aug 8, 2013)

With a 6X lens, I find the target is too blurry for my liking, but when I switched to a smaller size super peep insert, it cleared up nicely. It's even clearer with the smallest size peep I have, but I find it's too dark, too hard to see my bubble, etc. i'm still learning, but I think I can appreciate why people use a clarifier.


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## ron w (Jan 5, 2013)

6x you could probably use a #2 and a little bigger peep orifice than what clears up with that small orifice. short bows don't help, in that their string angles move the peep farther from the eye making a bigger orifice necessary. the closer you can get the peep to your eye, the better a small orifice will work and the smaller an orifice you can use.


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## grantmac (May 31, 2007)

ron w said:


> 7 x with a #1 might be close in magnified size, but the movement will be exaggerated as if straight 7x. clarifiers organize light rays and you loos a bit of magnification, but movement will be perceived as the power of the scope lens.


Hence why I'm going with a shorter extension and slightly larger aperture along with the #1.
All theoretical anyway, I may try the lower power lens and long extension since I know that works well.

The benefit of being friends with a lab production optician is that I get lenses at cost, cut any way I want. I'm thinking of trying an engraved dot even.

Grant


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