I am thinking of getting this scope for my Tikka t3 270 Winchester for deer and elk hunting in eastern oregon, can anyone tell me how good they are and what they compare to, i looked through one a few weeks ago at a gun show and was really impressed by the quality of the optics, they were very clean and clear on any power.
Vortex Viper
- Thread starter theallcineyes
- Start date
jepp2
Gold $$ Contributor
Which Vortex Viper?
HS
PST FFP or SFP
PST Gen II FFP or SFP
HS-T
PA
HS LR
Lots of Vortex Vipers out there to choose from
The PST Gen II FFP
I bought the ffp and sent it back for a sfp. The reticle was just to thin on low power for morning coyotes.
jepp2
Gold $$ Contributor
I purchased one last month from Midway; a 4 x 16 / 44mm with their "V" plex reticle that was on sale. This is the first time I ever purchased a scope on the internet without having the benefit of examining it first and will be the last time but I couldn't resist the price, $329 (retails for $490). Most shops in my area don't stock high end scopes any more so you can't examine before they order it.
I heard a lot of good things about Vortex and have no doubt those remarks are all true - I probably just happen to get one that isn't so good. The clarity above 12X is fuzzy. However:
+ I like the "V" Plex reticle for a hunting scope which is my intended purpose for this scope. The cross hairs won't become lost in the early evening. If you want it for target shooting the heavy plex may not work for you however.
+ I like that it came with a sunshade - nice feature.
+ I like the turrets - they're very easy to use and reset to zero. I did some testing on the turret accuracy for dial up. At 1 moa the adjustment error was -0.1", at 2 moa the error was -0.4" and at 3 moa the error was -0.1". In all fairness it was not the best day to test since the mirage was medium and the wind was 10 to 15 mph. Returned to zero error after testing was -0.1" Plan to retest in better conditions.
+ Accuracy wise I can't find any fault - I installedl it on one of my most accurate rifles and it shot on par with the scope it replaced.
Bottom Line - if you can tolerate the fuzzy image above 12X its a adequate scope for hunting applications. I was disappointed in the clarity. Not sure if I can return it or if Vortex can do anything about this but I might try.
I heard a lot of good things about Vortex and have no doubt those remarks are all true - I probably just happen to get one that isn't so good. The clarity above 12X is fuzzy. However:
+ I like the "V" Plex reticle for a hunting scope which is my intended purpose for this scope. The cross hairs won't become lost in the early evening. If you want it for target shooting the heavy plex may not work for you however.
+ I like that it came with a sunshade - nice feature.
+ I like the turrets - they're very easy to use and reset to zero. I did some testing on the turret accuracy for dial up. At 1 moa the adjustment error was -0.1", at 2 moa the error was -0.4" and at 3 moa the error was -0.1". In all fairness it was not the best day to test since the mirage was medium and the wind was 10 to 15 mph. Returned to zero error after testing was -0.1" Plan to retest in better conditions.
+ Accuracy wise I can't find any fault - I installedl it on one of my most accurate rifles and it shot on par with the scope it replaced.
Bottom Line - if you can tolerate the fuzzy image above 12X its a adequate scope for hunting applications. I was disappointed in the clarity. Not sure if I can return it or if Vortex can do anything about this but I might try.
Just bought a PST Gen 2 3-15x44 in SFP illuminated. Very bright and sharp. Now just need to decide which rifle it’s going on (Tikka T3X .223, Kidd 10/22 or a Tikka T1x 22). Not disappointed. But it will be hard to beat the Nightforce SHV 5-20x56 I now have on the T3X. The Kidd is the likely target.
STOMP442
Gold $$ Contributor
If you plan on doing any dialing with it forget it. It WILL FAIL you. I mount a ton of optics and tune a lot of rifles for clients and I have had so many bad experiences with the Vortex Viper series and their tracking or lack thereof. Within the last five years, I bet I have sent back close to twenty Vipers to have turrets and or tracking issues fixed. They are just unreliable and will not hold zero if doing a lot of dialing for range. Spend just a bit more money and get a Leupold, Sightron or Burris. You will be much happier in the long run. To be fair, the Vortex optics have very nice features for the price and decent glass. Their warranty and customer service is the best in the business but that's because they have lots of practice. I haven't had near the issues with any other major optic company. I bet I can count on one hand how many Nikon, Sightrons, Burris or Leupolds I have had to send back for any reason while the Vipers just keep piling up.
Yea, never had an issue with Leupolds - I got sucked in because of the bargain price and Vortex name - should have bit the bullet and went for a Leupold - my bad.
And it's was only Monday .I have one. It's never failed me, but in all honesty I don't dial it up and down much. Mine has a lit reticle and that feature works good. it is FFP and the reticle all but disappears on low power...good thing it's lit and lit brightly if set on "turbo blast".
Never been a fan of Asian glass, but the Vortex Razor HD LH {or is it LH HD??} is a heck of a very nice hunting scope, so much so that I bought two. I have, at one time or another, either owned them all or currently have them all...whatever you want to call "them all". What I'm tryin' ta say is that it takes a lot to get me to say "it's a great scope, you wont be disappointed". As far as the Razor HD LH goes...it's a great scope, you wont be disappointed!!!!!
They don't sit on the two nicest hunting rifles I own, but they do sit on the two rifles I use the most, FWIW.
Never been a fan of Asian glass, but the Vortex Razor HD LH {or is it LH HD??} is a heck of a very nice hunting scope, so much so that I bought two. I have, at one time or another, either owned them all or currently have them all...whatever you want to call "them all". What I'm tryin' ta say is that it takes a lot to get me to say "it's a great scope, you wont be disappointed". As far as the Razor HD LH goes...it's a great scope, you wont be disappointed!!!!!
They don't sit on the two nicest hunting rifles I own, but they do sit on the two rifles I use the most, FWIW.
Upgrades & Donations
This Forum's expenses are primarily paid by member contributions. You can upgrade your Forum membership in seconds. Gold and Silver members get unlimited FREE classifieds for one year. Gold members can upload custom avatars.
Click Upgrade Membership Button ABOVE to get Gold or Silver Status.
You can also donate any amount, large or small, with the button below. Include your Forum Name in the PayPal Notes field.
To DONATE by CHECK, or make a recurring donation, CLICK HERE to learn how.
Click Upgrade Membership Button ABOVE to get Gold or Silver Status.
You can also donate any amount, large or small, with the button below. Include your Forum Name in the PayPal Notes field.
To DONATE by CHECK, or make a recurring donation, CLICK HERE to learn how.