Vortex Golden Eagle

[jawjaboy]

I am on the fence on replacing my Sightron SIII 10X50 with the Vortex GE??

I'd say the advice to get behind your options at a match to see what various scopes are like is sound. I didn't have that option. Don't think looking through scopes at the counter will suffice either.

 

[SierraCJ5]

I zeroed a new GE on my F tr rifle this past weekend and plan on shooting my first match with it this Sunday. Have used a 8-32x NF for the past ~1400 rounds on this rifle and it has worked well for me. I'm classified LR Expert and have put up strings of 98% and 99% over my last couple matches so I occasionally keep them centered up. We'll see how my scores fare with the GE. I'll report back once I get a feel for it. So far it seems nice.

 

[Ringostar]

I am on the fence on replacing my Sightron SIII 10X50 with the Vortex GE??

I have both. I was the first one to walk out of Vortex store with a Golden Eagle. I switch the Sightron to my seldom used midrange rifle, and mounted the Vortex on my longrange rifle. There is a very big difference. When the mirage starts to get blurry, I've always had to drop the Sightron to 30 power or less. With the Vortex I can keep it on 60 most of the time, occasionally dropped down to 50-55 power.

 

[SierraCJ5]

I zeroed a new GE on my F tr rifle this past weekend and plan on shooting my first match with it this Sunday. Have used a 8-32x NF for the past ~1400 rounds on this rifle and it has worked well for me. I'm classified LR Expert and have put up strings of 98% and 99% over my last couple matches so I occasionally keep them centered up. We'll see how my scores fare with the GE. I'll report back once I get a feel for it. So far it seems nice.

Here’s a follow up after my recent LR Palma match with the new Vortex Golden Eagle. I shoot F tr at a club that alternates monthly matches between Palma and 1000 yd. 2x20. The day was mild with some breeze and minimal mirage. Temps ranged from 50° to 65°. I ended the day with a 97.1% after making a few wind call errors. I have experience with the following optics: Sightron SIII, NF NXS and ATACR, Vortex GII Razor.

Optical clarity was better than my old 8-32 NXS, however I was not shocked by image quality. Not to say it was lacking, it just didn’t make a shocking impression. I was able to read the scoring ring values at all ranges and clearly make out the “F” printed on the target center. Image dimmed as magnification moved beyond ~45x. I rarely increased magnification beyond about 50x and shot most of the match at 40x; probably for no other reason than not being used to having so much magnification available. At one point the wind shifted and mirage changed drastically and became a boil; this shift was VERY noticeable with the GE. This is not anything new to our range and I’m familiar with the condition but I’ve never seen it so apparent in a rifle scope. I held shots and waited until breeze picked up again and realized this will be helpful for more precisely calling shots once I become accustomed to this new image.

The reticle subtensions are correct at 40x and I liked the thickness and dot size. This was helpful for making corrections after sighters at 800 & 900. I was able to hold shots with greater precision due to the very fine dot and hope this may translate into a few saved points once this becomes familiar. I really like the ECR reticle.

The ⅛ minute clicks will be a nice feature once I gain more experience and come to terms with that graduation. Clicks were positive and adjustments moved as expected with no lost points due to sighting corrections; all shots moved as expected after twisting knobs. The graduation markings on the turrets are very nicely done and helped me get used to the finer click values.

I noticed that the parallax was generous and easy to adjust while the ocular adjustment was stiff and required some fiddling to get just right. There was some eye fatigue at 900 yds. that I didn’t experience at the other ranges; however, throughout the day I tried different parallax/ocular adjustment settings and am content to chalk this up to not having everything set just right for the 900 yd. string. Eyebox was easy and generous for such a high magnification optic.

Overall the Vortex GE is a really nice optic and I’m happy with performance. As I become accustomed to the details I hope it saves me a few points and initial impressions make me think this is possible. An added bonus is that with the weight savings over my NXS I’ll be able to move up to a HV profile barrel versus my current heavy Palma.

 

[muleystalker]

Does the GE have zero stops?

 

[KTM525]

Does the GE have zero stops?

No

 

[muleystalker]

No

Thats for the reply.

 

[Raythemanroe]

I took the turret cap off and wiped the grease or whatever Vortex uses off. I have some all-purpose synthetic stuff I lightly applied around the O rings.. Turret clicks as good as any..


Ray

 

[CharlieNC]

For a quick zero stop, I use O-rings on the stationary turret body to get very close. When turning the turret to higher elevation the lower hash mark becomes visible above the O-ring. I also leave the objective aperature installed all the time, and am able to see the Ftr target rings in heavy mirage at higher mag. Pleased so far, especially since our range is open again following a major refurbishing and I can practice again.

 

[jamesdmock]

I am in the process of testing one now. The first thing that I do with a new scope is test the adjustments by "shooting the square". I have just started testing the scope, but am very impressed with the optical clarity and with the crisp accurate adjustments. James

 

[carlsbad]

Buy the GE. Shoot them both, pick one and sell the other. Or keep them both. --Jerry

 

[ranger3]

If money doesnt matter why not just buy the GE, it's a good scope.

 

[USMCDOC]

I just bought one used here on the site. I just got back from the range a bit ago, oh man do i like it.. Knobs were positive and clicked nicely, was able to use it at 50X at 50 yards and it was just clear as can be.. I even played with the ASR and i could see a difference. If i had it between the sunshade and the objective, the scope was a tad bit darker and i couldn't really tell any mirage like that. but if you placed it on the end of the sunshade, then yes.. but at 50 yards, i couldn't make it out well enough to use it (the mirage that is). Also, the brightness of the scope was constant to my eye's view whether the ASR was on the end of the sunshade or not.. to me, there was no difference, only thing was with the ASR, you could see more disturbance in the air.

 

[DBLNUT]

I took the turret cap off and wiped the grease or whatever Vortex uses off. I have some all-purpose synthetic stuff I lightly applied around the O rings.. Turret clicks as good as any..


Ray

I did the same to mine and it made a big difference.

 

[Trophy 2000]

Now that you have had time with your GE scope. Do you still have them and would you recommend I purchase one for myself for 50 yard shooting. Thank you for your consideration, Ron

 

[Willow]

Now that you have had time with your GE scope. Do you still have them and would you recommend I purchase one for myself for 50 yard shooting. Thank you for your consideration, Ron

I would recommend them for sure. I've got two, one in each reticle. Both sitting on F-Open guns, one being a 280AI and the other a 6BRAI. I've run from 50 metres out to 800 metres. No issue with tracking. Glass is good, not March HM good, but I didn't find the NF Comp any clearer and I got each Vortex for $700 cheaper than the NF, so they were great buys. I don't find the lack of a zero stop an issue given what I use the scopes for, and I find the GE to be a very easy to scope to get behind and find a clear sight picture. No mucking around with it, it just does its job. As always, I'd try and get some trigger time behind scopes you're interested in. I was tossing up between March and NF prior to the GE hitting the scene last year and I'm glad I waited as it's another solid offering for the target crowd.

 

[willbas]

Just pick one gong to zero tomorrow.

 

[willbas]

Just pick one gong to zero tomorrow.

up 25 moa and right 34 moa on a 30 moa scope base. Do I need more or less moa base?

 

[Raythemanroe]

up 25 moa and right 34 moa on a 30 moa scope base. Do I need more or less moa base?

Let us guess what your talking about?



Ray

 

[willbas]

Let us guess what your talking about?



Ray

I was zeroing my rifle with a 30 moa base at 100 yards place dot on center of target bullet hole low left. I started vertical at 10 moa up from bottom and windage 20 moa from all the way left. To center shoot on target I had to go up 15 more moa and add 14 more moa right so bullet hit center of the target at 100 yards. I have used 25 moa out of 55 moa vertical which leaves me with 30 moa vertical and I need 34 moa to hit 1000 yards. I have used 34 moa out of 45 moa of windage which leaves me with 11 right moa and 34 left moa.