Vortex Viper 4-16x50 for Tikka CTR?

Crazy Chaingun

Crazy Chaingun

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Hello all,

Recently picked up a Tikka T3x CTR in .308. Very excited to get this set up as a target/tactical rig.
I'm currently on the hunt for a scope for my new Finnish beauty, and I was looking at a Vortex Viper HS 4-16x50, with the Dead-Hold BDC reticle. It seemed like a nice piece of glass, and I've been very happy with the lower-end Vortex scopes I've purchased. Anyone have experience with these (or alternate recommendations)?
 
I would also consider the Bushnell Elite 6500 series. The G2 reticle is excellent and they come in FFP / Mil / Mil. Lots come up on the EE for reasonable prices.
 
I had a Vortex PST on my rifle and I sold it to buy a Sightron S III. In my opinion, for the little extra that you would pay for the Sightron, it is a very noticeable step up. There is a huge jump in value. After that, scopes such as Nightforce, S&B and Tangent Theta are on a whole other level (but it costs to be on that level).

IMHO, Sightron offers the best bang for the buck for scopes. Contact Jerry at Mystic Precision and he will be able to help you out.
 
I have a new ctr as well and have a sightron optic on it. Vortex is good but sightron is better IMO. I used to be a vortex fanboy.
 
First, bdc reticles suck. You want a mil based reticle with mil turrets.
Second, the vortex hs/pst second focal plane scopes have poor glass. I had a pst 4-16, it was horrible at resolving. They were an okay value at one time, but with the recent price increases it just doesn't make sense to opt for one over a burris xtr2, nightforce shv f1, bushnell 3.5-21, etc.
 
I don't think the glass on a viper PST sfp sucks. I would stay away from a bullet drop compensator reticle and go with either a mil or moa hash reticle, whichever you prefer.
 
Thanks all for the input, I have some more research to do apparently.

An additional decision I'm going to have to make is between a 44mm and 50mm objective lens. From my understanding, the difference between the two is pretty marginal, and only noticeable in low-light conditions (at the expense of having the scope mounted higher). Anyone have input on this?
 
Crazy Chaingun said:
Thanks all for the input, I have some more research to do apparently.

An additional decision I'm going to have to make is between a 44mm and 50mm objective lens. From my understanding, the difference between the two is pretty marginal, and only noticeable in low-light conditions (at the expense of having the scope mounted higher). Anyone have input on this?
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Up to you, its not really much of a difference, but if having the scope as close to the barrel as possible is important to you, then I would go with the 44mm. Nothing wrong with it at all IMO. I run 50mm mostly just because it is more common, and 44mm isn't available in every scope series. Unless you are shooting at dawn or dusk you would not even notice a difference, and it would be a marginal difference anyways (if comparing two scopes of the same model just with different objective diameters).
 
Crazy Chaingun said:
Thanks all for the input, I have some more research to do apparently.

An additional decision I'm going to have to make is between a 44mm and 50mm objective lens. From my understanding, the difference between the two is pretty marginal, and only noticeable in low-light conditions (at the expense of having the scope mounted higher). Anyone have input on this?
Click to expand...

You will notice a difference when using max magnification on overcast days and during low light hours.
 
ntm said:
Have you had any time with anything better ?
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yes. Zeiss, Leica, Leupold mk iv, SB pmII to name a few. by no means am i saying a PST is as good as some higher end. i just dont think the glass is poor quality for what you pay for in my opinion. i have not looked through a Sightron SIII to compare, but i like the glass on my PST better than my leupold vx3 or elite 6500. comparing a pst to a pmII is not quite a fair comparison.
 
If your planning on doing any serious shooting at all, you'll likely want something with the easier adjustability of external turrets. Turning caps on and off gets old rather quickly, and the visibility of confirming your dial is easy by just looking at the side of the turret vs breaking your weld and looking down to confirm your dial.

The HS LR or the HST would be an option, and they are offered in first and second focal planes. On a budget, and if you're not ranging with it, a second focal plane will be fine. The glass and coatings across the entire Viper line are the same. Plain Viper, HS, PST, all same if my memory is correct. And you'll want a EBR type reticle, a BDC is completely useless for any sort of distance shooting.

Everyone complains about this and that. Sure there is better, a lot better, for more money. How far down the rabbit hole do you want to go? I shot with a PST for quite a while before I upgraded to a decent scope. Most of those who complain don't give it a chance through warranty, they just bash it, trade up and move on. I had a very small issue with one, in and back in record time, better than new. Any massed produced item can have issues, and once you realize that and understand only whiners complain, you'll be fine.

Above all else, have fun.
 
And please, for the love of God, spent a little extra on a quality set of rings and bases/rail. Buy/beg/borrow an inch pound torque wrench, and follow instructions. Save headaches down the road.
 
TXS said:
And please, for the love of God, spent a little extra on a quality set of rings and bases/rail. Buy/beg/borrow an inch pound torque wrench, and follow instructions. Save headaches down the road.
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That I've got covered. Wheeler Fat Wrench is sitting ready in it's case. There's a ring lapping kit at work I should be able to borrow as well. Any recommendations for rings/mounts? I've had good luck with Burris P.E.P.R. mounts, and the Vortex Tactical rings seem well-made.

The Vortex scope is particularly appealing to me because I work for a Vortex retailer, and will probably be able to save about $200 after taxes. I'm trying to keep the price around $700 or less on this scope right now. I can always upgrade to something else in a few years, and stick the Vortex on another gun. Nightforce is going to be one of those "after-I'm-done-my-degree" purchases.
 
Lots of the better rings don't require lapping, and even in the instructions they advise not to, vortex viper rings advise not to, their precision rings are very nice and no lapping, ATRS rings same, NF rings, the Vortex tactical rings are actually lower end rings FYI.
 
Crazy Chaingun said:
Hello all,

Recently picked up a Tikka T3x CTR in .308. Very excited to get this set up as a target/tactical rig.
I'm currently on the hunt for a scope for my new Finnish beauty, and I was looking at a Vortex Viper HS 4-16x50, with the Dead-Hold BDC reticle. It seemed like a nice piece of glass, and I've been very happy with the lower-end Vortex scopes I've purchased. Anyone have experience with these (or alternate recommendations)?
Click to expand...

The vortex viper is the dodge caravan of tactical scopes. It will get the job done until you outgrow it or can afford something better.

that said, there are some weirdos who think the minivan is the best thing ever and will never drive anything else. Lol once you own one it won't take long to figure out if you're one of those people šŸ˜‰
 
I love the 4x-16x (50mm) scoped, great magnification and lots of light in that large objective lense for a bright crisp image, 30mm tube even better than a 1" tube.

I love the NightForce 56mm and Leupold M4 Tactical scopes. .....if money is tight, Bushnell ELITE is perfectly fine, all the scopes I've ever owned were Bushnells ELITE's 2 Tacticals and a 4-16x (50mm).


Reticles....love the plain ol Duplex (heavy crosshairs with fine centre) and MilDot or TMR for long range estimation.

Man I miss my Remington M700 Police .308Win with Jewel 2 lbs trigger, bedded action and custom camo HS Precision stock.....a collection isn't complete without a precision bolt action rig, sporting high performance optics. If I had 1,000's of yards in my backyard I'd drop 6K on a Barrett M99 either in .50 BMG or even better... the laser flat shooting .416 Barrett :)

A Remington M24 in .300 Win Mag or Remington 700 Sendero SF11 in .300 Win Mag would also join the lineup of precision rigs.



Cheers ;)
 
I own a vortex viper PST 4-16 50mm FFP in mildot Mrad

I bought it when they were new and still under $1000

I have been very happy with it, its a rock solid scope. everything runs true. It been on multiple platforms .22, .223, .303 .338 LM without issue. its now on my XCR-m


but these days, I would say vortex isn't the "optic to beat" anymore.
I've seen a lowering of standards a lot more issues with production quality. the prices have gone up 1/3 to 1/2 original value... and that's not taking into account our crap dollar.

I've personally had some issues with new diamondback optics I've bought from them (dials ####ing up)... and so have a few of my friends. Ive even seen a viper with a radical tube bouncing on a .308 so buddy was trying to "chase the zero".

2-3 years ago... I would say you're crazy if you were after a sub $1000 optic and didn't buy a vortex. now... not so much

I haven't personally dealt with sightron... but my next scope might very well be one.

I will however stick to my guns and say bushnell is crap, they have been crap for years. There scopes are dark, the dials are often mushy, and some of the $100-$500 ones I've looked through have prism break observable in them (distortion near the edge of the lens; were a straight line suddenly screws at an angle, kinda like if you were looking at a pole you stuck into water) which is completely unacceptable.
 
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