Vortex venom or viper on M&P 9L Pro CORE?

Which option did you end up going with??

I just acquired the S&W 9mm Pro Core, and I'm currently in the market for a red dot sight.
I've seen reviews on everything under the sun but still can't make a decision. :(

I've also read that some sights are big enough to allow you to co-witness with the factory sights.

Any suggestions would be helpful and much appreciated.
 
Which option did you end up going with??

I just acquired the S&W 9mm Pro Core, and I'm currently in the market for a red dot sight.
I've seen reviews on everything under the sun but still can't make a decision. :(

I've also read that some sights are big enough to allow you to co-witness with the factory sights.

Any suggestions would be helpful and much appreciated.

If you are going to use it for action shooting you will want a 6MOA dot. The Vortex Viper will co-witness with your CORE sights. The Vortex comes with an outstanding warranty. I highly recommend.

Take Care

Bob
 
I was the same with the reviews. I ended up going with the Vortex Viper 6 MOA. Two criticism are lock screws at the back are difficult or impossible to access when on the gun and battery is loaded from the bottom so sight has to be removed to replace battery. Some users don't even use the locks so I wasn't overly concerned. Also I won't be shooting a great deal so battery changes should be few and far between. The offsetting factor is that the battery is more commonly available. I also wanted the co-witnessing and I liked the way the viper sits slightly lower on the gun. I decided 6 MOA over 3 only at the very end of researching. My thinking was 6 MOA is 6 inches at 100 yards and I won't be shooting out more than 25 yards. After all of that I was still partially undecided but felt good after the decision and that is usually an indication the decision was the right one for me.
 
The need for co-witness you will find ends pretty quickly. The battery life is long for starters and with practice you won't be using your irons for anything anyway. I have only had the use of my Optic for the past three months and have about 1K rounds of practice time on the sights. At that level of practice I find I am still significantly faster using irons over the optic for IDPA. I expect this will change over time but for now I intend to use my irons early next month for a major match I like to shoot. When I return the optic will go back on the gun and I will resume my practice regimen with the sights.

The optic sight is a god sent for ageing eyes and may fill a niche in the LEO market. Time will tell if the hype for this style of sight is warranted on a pistol.

Take Care

Bob
 
The need for co-witness you will find ends pretty quickly. The battery life is long for starters and with practice you won't be using your irons for anything anyway. I have only had the use of my Optic for the past three months and have about 1K rounds of practice time on the sights. At that level of practice I find I am still significantly faster using irons over the optic for IDPA. I expect this will change over time but for now I intend to use my irons early next month for a major match I like to shoot. When I return the optic will go back on the gun and I will resume my practice regimen with the sights.

The optic sight is a god sent for ageing eyes and may fill a niche in the LEO market. Time will tell if the hype for this style of sight is warranted on a pistol.

Take Care

Bob

Thanks Bob, I wear progressive lenses and hope the red dot will help during timed shooting. When on the clock (and having minimal experience) I didn't sight as well as I felt I should have at a recent IPSC style match. I know it is a combination of experience, eye sight, and tons of practice but am hopeful. I was thinking the co-witnessing will become just a backup to the red-dot.
 
I found the transitions were quite a bit slower. I am in the same predicament you are with progressive lenses. One thing I did when I had my glasses adjusted this spring was to strengthen the middle of the right lens for use with irons. I know practice is the answer and speed will come. I know the optic is not a quick fix.

Take Care

Bob
 
I found the transitions were quite a bit slower. I am in the same predicament you are with progressive lenses. One thing I did when I had my glasses adjusted this spring was to strengthen the middle of the right lens for use with irons. I know practice is the answer and speed will come. I know the optic is not a quick fix.

Take Care

Bob

Another one suffering from transitions with progressive lenses. I am far sighted more than near. I see double dots as well as have trouble adjusting from close to far with my normal glasses.
My solution is to wear a fixed 1.5x corrected lens for shooting only. I sacrifice distance accuracy for a clear sight picture at arms length. I’m pretty good to about 10yds which is where most IDPA targets are set at my club. Between 10-18, I’m Stevie Wonder!
 
Not to self when Still Alive comes to Terrace for a shoot set most targets out to 10 - 18 yards. :>)

Chicanery lives in the minds of the aged.

Take Care


Bob
 
The need for co-witness you will find ends pretty quickly. The battery life is long for starters and with practice you won't be using your irons for anything anyway. I have only had the use of my Optic for the past three months and have about 1K rounds of practice time on the sights. At that level of practice I find I am still significantly faster using irons over the optic for IDPA. I expect this will change over time but for now I intend to use my irons early next month for a major match I like to shoot. When I return the optic will go back on the gun and I will resume my practice regimen with the sights.

The optic sight is a god sent for ageing eyes and may fill a niche in the LEO market. Time will tell if the hype for this style of sight is warranted on a pistol.

Take Care

Bob

Just to follow up. I received the 6 MOA viper and am very happy with it. The 6 MOA dot is perfect for me. Dot is bright and the range is suitable from dark indoors to bright sunlight. Plate #5 that came with the M&P PRO CORE was a perfect match and mounting it was a breeze. I did not realize the viper ships with the elevation and windage screws locked so had to remove it again before making adjustments. (I knew the rear sight would block the lock screws). My plan was to test, adjust, lock then re-test to make sure it hadn't gone out of adjustment. The one quality issue, which is minor and more of a nuisance than quality, is that the battery does not stay seated when you turn the sight over to install. A clip applies some pressure to the side of the battery but it isn't sufficient to hold it in place while you turn the sight over for installation. It is simple enough to hold it tight until you get it pressed against the mount but a nuisance none-the-less.

I agree about the co-witnessing. Having the sights visible is more of a distraction than an aid. Quickly picking up the dot is clearly going to take considerable practice but it feels like there is a lot of up-side potential there. It is definitely going to be a god-send with my eyes. (Plus it should help with the neck strain I get tilting my head back to focus through the progressives!)

Thanks for the earlier input.
 
You are moat welcome. Just so you know I have had my Optic on and off twice now and the Optic remained sighted in. Zero was maintained. Make sure ourfront sight does not have a red dot on it. I took my front sight off my PPQ Match after using the red dot front sight as my "Optic Red Dot" at an early match. As you I would expect I put two rounds high in the berm and scored a miss on the target. LOL

Take Care

Bob
 
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