Vortex Viper 6-20 x 50mm

[300wbynut]

It's pretty simple. A lesser quality optic does not have the same quality parts or attention to detail or quality control an expensive one will. Some people get Lucky, and get one that just works. There are good ons and bad ones with everything. Vortex is ok, but why would they make their razor line if the cheaper viper line can track the same. My experience with 2 of this same scope on the same rifle is that they don't track well. And of the 2, one was no better than the other.

I've got a Viper PST with illuminated recital, its a nice scope but I DO agree with Tchardy you do get what you pay for !!! All my hunting rifles have Ziess optics and except for 2 that have 4200 elite Bushnells . The Vortec is on a target rifle its ok but to get the cross hairs to illuminate you gota tap the cap where the battery is to get it to make contact and work ( EVERY TIME :-(( ) , I also find at longer distances ( 300 yrds ) at our range its very hard to focous, and keep it focused . For the range its probably more than enough but in a competition or for the serious hunter I want something way more reliable. I've learnt that you might as well save up a bit more and get something real nice and reliable vs middle of the road or bottom of the barrel ! I've owned Sightron scopes as well and personally found them to be about the same quality as a Vortex. I personally wouldnt buy either 1 again.
Maybe thats why Vortex has the warranty that they do , it makes a great selling feature!!! Suckered me in LOL !!

 

[Matt_dal123]

What a ridiculous thing to say. I'm not saying that a cheapo tasco'll shoot as well or as reliably as a 2000 night force. But with a middle of the road scope especially Vortex, whose reputation is quite good, there is NO reason that it should not be reliable 100% of the time. If it isn't take it back and get them to give you a new one cause that one is probably a lemon.

Well said.

"I put a sightron/nightforce/Ziess on my rifle blah blah..."

Come on guys. The guy isn't asking for you to make him feel like he has a bad scope. I like the vortex scopes. Good value for money and they have good results I feel for what you pay. If you want something you can throw into the and dirt and crawl around with and let or freeze and drop and water submerge and so on and so forth. By all means, sell your house and buy a night force.

I would stick with what you have OP or at least get it looked at by a professional or returned for a new one. Lemon comes to mind. But could just be something your missing maybe.

Good luck

 

[marcoman]

This is going to upset some people but... Vortex = Junk.

They have done a great job marketing and promoting an inferior product and making people feel secure in buying with their "VIP" warranty.

How many threads similar to this one have been started where the owner has been dis-satisfied with the performance of their Vortex product only to justify their purchase,and compensate the products failure by refering to their fantastic warranty. Even if the product is replaced free of charge you still have a product of suspect quality and reliability.When it comes to optics there is no free lunch so to speak. This is not to say that you have to take out a second mortgage for a decent glass but you do get what you pay for.

That said, there are some good buys out there in mid-priced scopes, namely Sightron SIII's and the Bushnell Elite Tactical line. This is what I would consider to be the lower end of what is acceptable for someone who is serious about their shooting, time, and money.

The little bit of money saved at time of purchase on a Vortex can end up costing you signifigantly more in headache, lost shooting time, etc, than if a better optic was chosen in the begining. I personally have a few rifles in the safe waiting for scopes, but I will save and buy what I really want rather than putting something inferior on them.

Let the $h!t storm begin!

 

[F22_RaptoR]

This is going to upset some people but... Vortex = Junk.

They have done a great job marketing and promoting an inferior product and making people feel secure in buying with their "VIP" warranty.

How many threads similar to this one have been started where the owner has been dis-satisfied with the performance of their Vortex product only to justify their purchase,and compensate the products failure by refering to their fantastic warranty. Even if the product is replaced free of charge you still have a product of suspect quality and reliability.When it comes to optics there is no free lunch so to speak. This is not to say that you have to take out a second mortgage for a decent glass but you do get what you pay for.

That said, there are some good buys out there in mid-priced scopes, namely Sightron SIII's and the Bushnell Elite Tactical line. This is what I would consider to be the lower end of what is acceptable for someone who is serious about their shooting, time, and money.

The little bit of money saved at time of purchase on a Vortex can end up costing you signifigantly more in headache, lost shooting time, etc, than if a better optic was chosen in the begining. I personally have a few rifles in the safe waiting for scopes, but I will save and buy what I really want rather than putting something inferior on them.

Let the $h!t storm begin!

I've seen so many of those Bushnell Elites returned it isn't funny. We've had entire shelves stocked up with defective Bushnell stuff, and not just the lower end models.

Vortex isn't junk and I can say that with personal experience with them. Every manufacturer has stuff go wrong, but compared to how many I've seen go, and how many (or lack thereof) come back for any reason at all I have complete confidence in them. And yes if something goes wrong you WILL get it fixed - and in a timely manner, try having 3 full boxes of bushnell (about 50+ units) scopes sitting around for 3 MONTHS trying to get RA numbers for them while bushnell drags their heels.

If you want to get a scope that's been around for a lot longer the Leupold VX-II and VX-III's are nice but you pay a lot more for them and usually for far less features. The zeiss scopes are also nice, but again for a comparable scope you're literally paying twice or more for them. And guess what? Zeiss stuff comes back defective too, not very often but it still happens!

Now if you want to buy a REALLY rugged scope go with a Leupold VX-7 We had a guy come in with his after it dropped off a cliff. Ripped the PRW rings right off, snapped the stock in half and destroyed the alumina flip caps but the scope still worked

 

[agilent_one]

How big are the groups prior to making any adjustments? If the groups are OK (MOA-ish at 100y or better) - the problem is not likely with your rings/bases. It would likely be a mechanical adjustment problem.

 

[wheels]

My Vortex Viper is dead on accurate with it's adjustments (shot out past 750yds with it). It's also an older one.. bought it before 99% of the people even heard of the company and only a few places in Canada sold them. Makes me wonder if their QC hasn't slipped as of late. I've seen what the OP is talking about with a friend's Vortex Diamondback, adjustments all over the place.

 

[cbh560]

There is nothing wrong with the Vortex brand. Sounds like the OP may have got a lemon, but Vortex will stand behind their product and make it right. I love my PST and it works flawlessly. Many people seem to forget that people simply can't afford to buy a $1300-2500 scope. Sure everyone says just save a little longer, but what about the guys (and gals) out there that have a new baby on the way, or the transmission on the truck let go, or something else that require funds. I think that I am safe in saying that spending $2000 on a scope is simply not practical for the majority of shooters. Does that mean they shouldn't shoot? Sure I have a nightforce planned for my next rifle, but people should't be ostricized because they can only afford or simply choose to purchase a "middle-priced" scope.

My suggestion to the OP is to disassemble. Take the barreled action out of the stock, take the scope out of the rings, the mounts and rings off. Take all of these items and clean them thoroughly. Even a little bit of a crap can cause things to not seat right. Check all mating surfaces to make sure they mate flush, if not, maybe bedding the action or mounts is necessary. After that, take a torque driver and make sure EVERY screw is torqued to spec when reassembling. Re-mount your scope, and make sure that your x-hairs are exactly vertical/horizontal. If things still aren't working correctly, take the issue back to Vortex and they will take care of you. Good luck.

 

[F22_RaptoR]

There is nothing wrong with the Vortex brand. Sounds like the OP may have got a lemon, but Vortex will stand behind their product and make it right. I love my PST and it works flawlessly. Many people seem to forget that people simply can't afford to buy a $1300-2500 scope. Sure everyone says just save a little longer, but what about the guys (and gals) out there that have a new baby on the way, or the transmission on the truck let go, or something else that require funds. I think that I am safe in saying that spending $2000 on a scope is simply not practical for the majority of shooters. Does that mean they shouldn't shoot? Sure I have a nightforce planned for my next rifle, but people should't be ostricized because they can only afford or simply choose to purchase a "middle-priced" scope.

My suggestion to the OP is to disassemble. Take the barreled action out of the stock, take the scope out of the rings, the mounts and rings off. Take all of these items and clean them thoroughly. Even a little bit of a crap can cause things to not seat right. Check all mating surfaces to make sure they mate flush, if not, maybe bedding the action or mounts is necessary. After that, take a torque driver and make sure EVERY screw is torqued to spec when reassembling. Re-mount your scope, and make sure that your x-hairs are exactly vertical/horizontal. If things still aren't working correctly, take the issue back to Vortex and they will take care of you. Good luck.

Yep, this hit the nail on the head. Depending on the rings (weaver type bases or leupold standard or DD) you can have some improper lockup. Especially the Leupold standard style the rear windage setup sometimes needs to be tweaked, or with the dual dovetails you almost need to get perfect alignment before you put the scope in or they will torque the scope tube (and in some cases "settle" in and move you POI, or even damage the scope)

Weaver bases are probably the easiest but if you put the scope in the bases you can rotate it and see if there is any undue friction which could mean the bases or rings are not on square. The scope should rotate nice and freely in the rings without biting in at all.


Otherwise as said before, give Vortex a call and they WILL sort it out for you!

 

[Tchardy]

I've seen so many of those Bushnell Elites returned it isn't funny. We've had entire shelves stocked up with defective Bushnell stuff, and not just the lower end models.

Vortex isn't junk and I can say that with personal experience with them. Every manufacturer has stuff go wrong, but compared to how many I've seen go, and how many (or lack thereof) come back for any reason at all I have complete confidence in them. And yes if something goes wrong you WILL get it fixed - and in a timely manner, try having 3 full boxes of bushnell (about 50+ units) scopes sitting around for 3 MONTHS trying to get RA numbers for them while bushnell drags their heels.

If you want to get a scope that's been around for a lot longer the Leupold VX-II and VX-III's are nice but you pay a lot more for them and usually for far less features. The zeiss scopes are also nice, but again for a comparable scope you're literally paying twice or more for them. And guess what? Zeiss stuff comes back defective too, not very often but it still happens!

Now if you want to buy a REALLY rugged scope go with a Leupold VX-7 We had a guy come in with his after it dropped off a cliff. Ripped the PRW rings right off, snapped the stock in half and destroyed the alumina flip caps but the scope still worked

Vortex does not make a scope that is comparable to a leupold or Zeiss. These are in a different league altogether. Saying you pay twice as much for a similar scope is complete b.s. My previous posts are my experience with the vortex product. I have had similar luck with various Burris scopes as well. I spent A LOT of time and more importantly hard earned money trying to find a scope that would do what I wanted. I went through 4-5 low end scopes($300-$500) that were all sold at a substantial loss. If I had all that money back I could've had a nightforce. For the guys shooting at moderate range (out to 300yards) those vortex should be fine. But the guy that is serious about the long range game they just don't cut it. That's why you don't see them on the line at matches.

 

[9x19p]

"223 powder is Varget, I've tried 75gr 80gr and 90 gr bullets out of my 1:9 twist barrel, gun is a savage model 12"

I think your problem is at the very least shared with your bullet selection. 1:9 should stabalize 75gr, but 80s & 90s, no way.
Shooting 80 or 90gr bullets through a 1:9 shows you're a gambling man. Gamble $30 on a box of 60 or 70gr bullets and see what happens.

 

[F22_RaptoR]

Vortex does not make a scope that is comparable to a leupold or Zeiss. These are in a different league altogether. Saying you pay twice as much for a similar scope is complete b.s. My previous posts are my experience with the vortex product. I have had similar luck with various Burris scopes as well. I spent A LOT of time and more importantly hard earned money trying to find a scope that would do what I wanted. I went through 4-5 low end scopes($300-$500) that were all sold at a substantial loss. If I had all that money back I could've had a nightforce. For the guys shooting at moderate range (out to 300yards) those vortex should be fine. But the guy that is serious about the long range game they just don't cut it. That's why you don't see them on the line at matches.

Similar in features and magnification range, not quality. Figured that would have been a given

Obviously the glass Zeiss uses is much nicer, but again you pay for it. But actually the Razor HD is above them in some ways, of course that's another price point altogether.


Also, Vortex is still a new company and they will become more popular, my 4-16 PST has been doing very well although we don't have many ranges past 400 yards here with the longer ranges at CHAS still shut down, but I have NO doubts it will do great things at 500 or 600 yards. If I wanted to go further than that I would have gotten the 6-24. The glass in them is still good glass (as is all the vipers) NOT as bright as the leupolds or Zeiss but from my friends 8-25 Leupold Mark 4 (which he replaced with a Razor HD just recently , he was going right out to the 900 yard CHAS range back when it was still open) I'd say the QUALITY of image is just as good, just not as bright.


I can understand if you had a poor experience with a Vortex scope (or even several) and dislike them. But saying they are "junk" is just a pure fallacy, plain and simple. No they are not in the same league as some but you a good solid scope with features many scopes higher in price DO NOT have, and you get it for a good price. Vortex doesn't offer their warranty because they expect their product to fail, they offer it because they are confident it will LAST. If someone has an issue it's a manufacturing mistake, like ALL companies make (look at Remington!) and they WILL fix it. Simple as that.

 

[Jordan Smith]

Vortex does not make a scope that is comparable to a leupold or Zeiss. These are in a different league altogether. Saying you pay twice as much for a similar scope is complete b.s. My previous posts are my experience with the vortex product. I have had similar luck with various Burris scopes as well. I spent A LOT of time and more importantly hard earned money trying to find a scope that would do what I wanted. I went through 4-5 low end scopes($300-$500) that were all sold at a substantial loss. If I had all that money back I could've had a nightforce. For the guys shooting at moderate range (out to 300yards) those vortex should be fine. But the guy that is serious about the long range game they just don't cut it. That's why you don't see them on the line at matches.

LOL! That's ridiculous. But I've actually owned all three, so I guess I should keep my observations to myself. Laughing!

FWIW, I've done an optical comparison between the Viper 3-9x40, Conquest 3-9x40, Burris FFII Tactical 3-9x40, and Leupold FX3 6x42 (one of the brightest Leup's you can buy). VERY little optical difference between all 4 scopes, although the Burris was the observable underdog in terms of optical quality. Build quality between the Conquest, Viper, and Leup is very similar. The PST is better than many Leups and comparable to the Zeiss Conquest and the mid to upper end Leup's (VX3 and up).

Target is 8" across. There are 5 shots in the upper group at 722 yards with my .243AI, Viper PST 6-24 MOA FFP, and 105AM. The bottom two hits on the lower right are from the .223 and 75AM. We've got plates set out at 638 yards, 722, 812, 906, and 1000 yards. More to come at 1000+. The PST tracks very reliably and accurately. Just dial, hold wind, and shoot. I guess those Vortex scopes don't cut it at LR at all...

 

[F22_RaptoR]

LOL! That's ridiculous. But I've actually owned all three, so I guess I should keep my observations to myself. Laughing!

FWIW, I've done an optical comparison between the Viper 3-9x40, Conquest 3-9x40, Burris FFII Tactical 3-9x40, and Leupold FX3 6x42 (one of the brightest Leup's you can buy). VERY little optical difference between all 4 scopes, although the Burris was the observable underdog in terms of optical quality. Build quality between the Conquest, Viper, and Leup is very similar. The PST is better than many Leups and comparable to the Zeiss Conquest and the mid to upper end Leup's (VX3 and up).

Target is 8" across. There are 5 shots in the upper group at 722 yards with my .243AI, Viper PST 6-24 MOA FFP, and 105AM. The bottom two hits on the lower right are from the .223 and 75AM. We've got plates set out at 638 yards, 722, 812, 906, and 1000 yards. More to come at 1000+. The PST tracks very reliably and accurately. Just dial, hold wind, and shoot. I guess those Vortex scopes don't cut it at LR at all...

Nice shooting!

I'd love to be able to shoot out to the longer ranges but CHAS/Genesee is still trying to get the berms built up big enough to appease the CFO.

 

[flyerhawk19]

I had the same prob with the illuminated reticle I just made a little shim and stuck it under the cap to push the battery against the contacts and now it works perfect. Will only have to open it up to change the battery.