Few things test your patience like lining up on a deer or coyote and watching your scope fog up right before the shot. It happens fast — a breath, a change in temperature, or a light drizzle, and suddenly your optics turn to milk. The worst part is that some scopes are far more prone to it than others.
Poor sealing, cheap gas purging, or flimsy lens coatings make them nearly useless in real hunting conditions. A lot of budget optics look good in the store but fail miserably in cold mornings or damp timber. Once you’ve experienced that gray haze creeping across your field of view, you never forget it.
These are the scopes that remind you why waterproofing, gas purging, and quality glass matter — because when a hunt depends on one shot, you can’t afford fog.
Bushnell Banner Dusk & Dawn
The Bushnell Banner line has been around forever, and while it’s affordable and bright in clear weather, fog resistance isn’t its strong suit. The older versions, especially those without full nitrogen purging, are notorious for internal fogging when the temperature drops or humidity spikes. Take it from anyone who’s hunted a cold morning in November — it doesn’t take long before your view turns cloudy.
Even newer models with improved sealing can struggle in heavy moisture. The problem isn’t the design so much as cost-cutting on lens coatings and O-ring quality. For dry-weather shooters, the Banner is fine, but if you hunt in real weather, it’s a gamble. The glass may give you great dawn light, but one damp morning can ruin your confidence for good.
Simmons 8-Point
The Simmons 8-Point looks like a solid deal for the price, but you quickly find its limits once weather turns against you. The scope lacks effective gas purging and doesn’t always seal well around the turrets or ocular lens. That makes it vulnerable to condensation inside the tube — especially after a cold walk followed by a warm truck ride.
You’ll get fogged internal lenses that can’t be wiped clean, which means you’re done until conditions stabilize. The scope performs okay in fair weather, but the second you face moisture or temperature swings, it’s a liability. Simmons has improved newer models slightly, but the 8-Point remains an example of why you can’t trust a $60 optic in real hunting conditions.
Tasco World Class
Tasco’s World Class scopes earned a loyal following for their affordability, but anyone who’s hunted in rain or fog knows how vulnerable they are to internal moisture. Older models especially were never properly sealed or gas purged, so once humid air gets trapped inside, it’s game over. You can wipe the outside all you want — the inside will stay foggy for hours.
For target practice in dry climates, they’re fine, but a mountain hunt or a frosty morning will expose their weakness immediately. Some shooters even report the lenses frosting internally after exposure to cold weather. Tasco scopes prove that clear glass means nothing when it clouds up the moment you need it most.
BSA Sweet 22
The BSA Sweet 22 is a fun rimfire scope when you’re plinking on a sunny day, but it’s not meant for hard hunting conditions. Its seals and gas purging are minimal, which makes it prone to both external and internal fogging. Bring it out on a humid morning or in light rain, and you’ll notice the lenses haze up within minutes.
Because it’s designed for the .22 crowd, it’s built to a price — and that means moisture resistance takes a back seat. Even with careful handling, moisture creeps in around the turrets or focus ring. You can keep one on a range rifle, but it’s not the kind of scope you trust when weather turns. The Sweet 22 looks good for the cost, but you’ll regret it when your target fades behind a fogged lens.
Nikon ProStaff Rimfire (early models)
Nikon’s older ProStaff Rimfire scopes were sharp and affordable, but not all of them were truly fogproof. The early versions used basic nitrogen purging and single O-ring seals, which worked fine until age or temperature changes weakened them. Once that happened, internal fogging became a recurring issue.
Hunters in wet or freezing environments quickly learned to baby their Nikon scopes — keeping them in climate-controlled storage or using covers religiously. Newer ProStaffs improved the sealing dramatically, but those older models still show up on rifles today. If you’ve ever seen a once-clear Nikon turn hazy after a sunrise temperature swing, you know exactly how frustrating that can be.
Leupold Rifleman
Leupold makes outstanding optics overall, but the Rifleman line was built to hit a lower price point — and that meant cutting corners. The Rifleman’s water and fog resistance are limited compared to Leupold’s higher-end VX series. It’s not that the glass is bad, it’s that the sealing isn’t as bulletproof.
In cold-to-warm transitions, these scopes have been known to develop temporary internal fogging, especially when used in heavy moisture. They’re light and bright, but hunters in wet or freezing climates have reported the view turning cloudy when conditions shift quickly. Leupold stands behind their warranty, but this model reminds you that even great brands can miss the mark when cost savings trump durability.
Burris Fullfield II (older runs)
The Burris Fullfield II was once one of the best mid-range scopes you could buy, but early production runs had issues with lens sealing. Some users noticed internal fogging when moving from cold air into a warmer truck or cabin. Burris fixed the problem in later production, but the reputation stuck.
When it’s clear, the Fullfield II is an excellent optic with great glass and tracking. But those older ones — especially those built before Burris improved their nitrogen purge process — can fog internally and take hours to clear. If you’ve ever been sitting on a ridge with a great buck in your scope and watched it fog before you could squeeze the trigger, you remember it forever.
Vortex Crossfire (Gen 1)
Before Vortex built their stellar reputation, the original Crossfire line had issues that showed how critical QC is. The first generation wasn’t fully argon-purged, and many of those scopes developed condensation inside after moderate use in humidity or rain. The newer Crossfire II fixed it, but those early ones could fog from nothing more than your breath on a cold morning.
For all its promise, that first-gen Crossfire taught shooters an important lesson — marketing doesn’t guarantee durability. It’s a reminder that even respected brands have growing pains. If you find one used, skip it unless you only plan to shoot indoors. The name might say “fogproof,” but the field says otherwise.
Primary Arms SLx (first production years)
Primary Arms made waves by offering feature-rich scopes at budget prices, but the early SLx series had some fogging complaints from hunters in high-humidity regions. The nitrogen purging was inconsistent between batches, and a few units let moisture slip in through turret seals. Once it fogged, you couldn’t fix it without sending it back.
The company’s customer service is excellent and addressed it quickly in later models, but the early scopes were a clear example of how tough field environments expose weak sealing. The SLx line today is solid, but anyone who owned an early one remembers how a great morning hunt turned into a blurry mess in seconds.
Weaver Kaspa
The Weaver Kaspa promised big-brand performance on a budget, but waterproofing and fog resistance were never its strengths. Hunters noticed lens fogging after carrying it through damp woods or storing it in a humid truck overnight. Even with anti-fog coatings, the internal sealing wasn’t tight enough to keep moisture out.
Weaver eventually discontinued the line, likely because it couldn’t compete with modern, better-sealed optics. The Kaspa’s biggest flaw was inconsistency — some worked fine, others fogged constantly. For hunters who had one go cloudy during the shot of a lifetime, the memory stuck. It’s a classic example of a good idea spoiled by weak execution.
Barska Huntmaster Pro
The Barska Huntmaster Pro might look like a rugged hunting scope, but it’s one of the most fog-prone optics you’ll ever use in real-world conditions. It’s rarely fully sealed, and the nitrogen purging process is hit or miss. The lenses fog internally at the first sign of cold or humidity, and once they do, there’s no wiping it away.
Barska scopes are affordable, but they’re built for light range use, not unpredictable weather. A morning mist or quick temperature swing will ruin your clarity faster than you can line up a shot. It’s a reminder that durability isn’t optional when glass meets the outdoors. You might save money up front, but the first fogged lens in front of a trophy buck will make you wish you hadn’t.
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*This article was developed with AI-powered tools and has been carefully reviewed by our editors.
