Eye Relief
Also called: eyecup, eyeglass friendly
How far your eye can be behind the eyepiece and still see the full view. It matters if you wear glasses, and for safety on rifle scopes.
- Type
- Specs & Terms
- Binoculars
- About 15 mm or more is good for glasses wearers
- Rifle scopes
- Often about 3 to 4 inches
- Eyecups
- Twist or fold down for glasses
- Used for
- Hunting, Stargazing, Birding & wildlife, Target shooting
Safety: Leave enough eye relief on a rifle scope that recoil cannot drive it into your face. A scope that touches the brow can cut you.
What it is good for
- Comfortable viewing with glasses.
- Avoiding scope bite from recoil.
- Quickly finding the full image.
Where it falls short
- Long eye relief can shrink the field of view at some powers.
- Scopes mounted too close to the eye can hit your brow.
- Specs vary by model.
Tips
- Slide a rifle scope in its rings until you see a full clear picture with your normal head position, and leave room for recoil.
Works well with
- Scope Rings and Mounts: set the position.
- Prism Sight: shorter eye relief.
Field notes
Too little eye relief makes you press into the optic; too much makes the image shrink into a tunnel.
Related guides
Specs here are typical, not guarantees; models differ, so check the maker's published numbers. Never look at the Sun through any optic without a certified solar filter, and zero or mount a scope with the firearm unloaded and pointed in a safe direction. Rules on optics, such as scopes on certain hunts or lasers and electronics, differ by state; our state resources directory links to each state's official regulations. Want a buying guide? Read Choosing Hunting Optics.