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Today I got a package from Brownell's, and was flabbergasted when I opened it up. The packing material, invoice and a few advertisements were in there... Everything except for the part that I had ordered!

I called them up and explained. The fellow I talked to apologized and said the part would go out by priority mail.

I guess the guys in the shipping department slipped up somehow. At any rate, my wife and I thought it was funny. - She regretted not being there when I opened the package.

I've been working with Brownell's for thirty years I guess, and this was their first mistake. Fortunately it wasn't anything that I can't afford to wait a bit for, it was for my gun and not a customer's. - So no harm was done.

What I ordered was a "SoftEye", a rubber accordion-like affair with an eyepiece that attaches to the objective on a rifle scope.

http://www.brownells.com/search/index.h ... &ksubmit=y



It's supposed to give you a better sight picture, and protect you from scope eyebrow... I just thought it looked neat and wanted to give it a try. It reminds me of something I once saw in a picture of a German naval ack-ack gun from WWII.

I'm looking forward to trying it out. It surprises me that I haven't seen one of these before on tactical rifles, it's a real official-looking gadget for sure.

Plus you can pull it off your scope and put your hand over one end and your palm over the other, then in the field you can have a make-shift duck call.

R,
Bullseye

I hadn't thought of that, but it's a valid point. In times of war or civil insurrection, everybody is generally hungry most of the time.

The sound of a duck might cause the enemy to become unwary and come out of concealment, trying to figure out where the duck is.

There is some historical precedent of this tactic. During WWI, Sergeant Alvin York imitated the sound of a turkey gobble... This caused German soldiers to peek out above the top of trenches to see where the turkey was, whereupon Sergeant York would be standing by, ready to shoot them.

I've been thinking of contacting the SoftEye folks and explain that they have their marketing all wrong. - The thing really ought to be called "Tactical Eye", and presented with a picture of a guy in camo shooting an AR15 with one of them, and another picture of a guy in black using one on a bolt action rifle that had been spray-painted flat black.

They would simultaneously sell at least twice as many of their product - and be able to double the price as well. - Profits would soar!

They could explain the duck-call stratagem and include the story of Sergeant York in the ad copy, so purchasers would know that the option of so using the "Tactical Eye" would be in line with the most revered traditions of the U.S. Army.

My "SoftEye" showed up today, and the size that I ordered was a perfect fit for my Nikon Monarch 4-16x42:

Click Image to see it larger







Now that I've had a chance to look at it, I realize that not only would it serve as a makeshift duck call, but it could also serve for field repair of a busted radiator hose.

I haven't tried using it for its intended purpose yet, but by playing around with it in the shop I discovered that the scope image really does look brighter. This is the rainy season in West Texas and it has rained every day for a week now, but tomorrow is supposed to be clear. I'm hoping to give it a range test then. - Nothing stays wet for long, here in the high desert.

Looks like one of those "bendable" drinking straws, or perhaps even one of those "Whammo" toys you'd swing around in a circle and it makes a 'howling' sound.

I hope it works for you. Too bad I can't be there to sneak a little lamp black around the eye cup before you test fire it.

R,
Bullseye

It would have been nice to have the first time I fired a rifle with a scope.

I saw a few first time .300 Win Mag shooters get 'smiley' face scars from cozying up too close to the scope.

R,
Bullseye

Only takes about one round to figure out that you shouldn't have your eye right on the scope.

Haha the first gun I've ever fired with a scope was a Springfield 30-06, I remember going to school with that big bruiser aww man I wish I had one of these, Hey bud where did you order it from? and about how much was it? I need one of these for my .243 it seems like it would cut out outside distractions alot

I got it at Brownells.com it's called "SoftEye" and costs about 12 bucks. Only thing is the shipping is 7-something so it ends up being almost twenty bucks by the time its shipped to you.

You have to measure the back of your scope in millimeters, then order the one that fits.

It kind of whacked me in the eye (no damage tho) when I tried it with my 7mm-08. Since then I have taken the 7mm-08 barrel off and put on a heavy 24" .243 barrel. The gun weighs ten pounds now, so recoil is almost nonexistent.

Will be trying to unload some of my guns at a gun-show this week-end, if all goes well I intend to order a heavy .222 or .223 Remington barrel after the show. - It will use half the powder and punch holes in paper just as good as the .243, all I ever do is shoot paper these days anyway, the hunts out here in West Texas start at 2,000 bucks for three days hunting mule deer and aoudad sheep.

Elk hunts start at 3,000 and it cost another two to get the head mounted, etc..