vortex viper .......are they really unbreakable?
- Thread starter bigdeer
- Start date
notsorichguy
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- The city that rhymes with fun
Vortex is a very good value for dollar spent, and they have a warranty that is pretty much the best in the biz.....
But.
About 50% of the guys I know who have actually purchased and used vortex scopes have had to utilize the warranty.... They always make good in relatively short time frames (6 weeks was the average).
That said, I recently bought a viper PST 6-24x50 EBR-2. But I haven't actually mounted let alone fired it yet..... I'm hoping I get lucky!
But.
About 50% of the guys I know who have actually purchased and used vortex scopes have had to utilize the warranty.... They always make good in relatively short time frames (6 weeks was the average).
That said, I recently bought a viper PST 6-24x50 EBR-2. But I haven't actually mounted let alone fired it yet..... I'm hoping I get lucky!
To the OP, no scope is unbreakable.
SN: From where did you get this information? I have a bottom end Vortex Crossfire and nary an issue. But I am looking to upgrade to a Vortex Viper or Sightron SII.
Doesn't sound like they will be in business much longer at a 50% failure rate. Are you talking about bottom end Crossfire or top end Razor? How many guys is 50% ? Just asking because I don't want to waste my cash.
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Read the forums, constant failures with Vortex. Canted reticles, failed illumination, poor tracking, debris on the glass, etc etc. Many people having had sent the same scope back multiple times and have it fail time and again. Thats where I got that info from. If you don't want to believe it that's not my problem. I stopped buying Vortex after being disappointed with every purchase, finding better value in the price range and similar quality from less expensive options. But I'm big into reliability and performance so I don't put up with cheap stuff like some people can. Its6your money and your guns. My money doesn't go to Vortex and Vortex doesn't go on my guns.
Okay, so what did you end up buying?
For red dots I much prefer the Aimpoint PRO and H1. As for LR optics I use Nightforce and this year I started using the Bushnell DMR 3.5-21X50. The only reasons for the transition from NF to Bushy for me was the reticle/turret combination (mil/mil vs mil/moa on the NF) and wanting to get into FFP with a reticle better suited to FFP use than the mildot my NF used. The new high end Bushnells are doing very well with PRS shooters with a few aspects comparing well with NF and clearly taking a beating that PRS matches are known for. I was not disappointed as I find the glass comparable, tracking has been excellent and the G2DMR reticle is working well for me. I bought it on sale for about the price of a Vortex FFP scope but typical retail is closer to NF prices of a few years ago.
So how does the Votex Razor line compare to the Bushnell DMR 3.5-21X50? There appears to be some issues with the lower end Vortex scopes but what about the Vipers & Razor line?
I've never used a Razor scope, just a Razor red dot. It's besides the point but I was not impressed for the price which was more than an Aimpoint Pro and similar to an H1, both vastly outperformed it. The Razor scopes seem to do well and at their price point they damn well better. You don't get to make junk and price it along side top shelf gear and expect to maintain sales when top competitors start reporting major deficiencies or flat out failures. Vortex's lower end lines fit in a high sales volume portion of the market and keep sales steady with good marketing and their VIP warranty. They pull in a ton of new shooters and do very well catering to those looking for a feature packed "value" optic and seal it with the VIP warranty. How can a guy go wrong with that? For most it fits the budget and gets replaced if it breaks. Good enough. For me, when I drive an hour or more back into the bush and hike an hour into the back country I don't have time for stuff that does not stand up. When I dial 3.4 mil up I expect POI to move 3.4 mil up. When I get behind the optic I don't want to see what a budget price point got me in clarity and resolution. I want to see a quality image. I want an eye box that doesn't require I be perfectly lined up to maintain a proper sight picture. I demand quality in my optics and I pay for it.
Ar180shooter
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Ottawa, ON
In reality it's closer to a 10% failure rate on the lower end Crossfire and Diamondback lines. The Viper lines are much lower in terms of failures. It's also fair to note that a portion of those failures (i.e. fogging issues) are due to scope rings being tightened beyond manufacturers specs of 15-18 in/lbs (I'm guilty of doing this once or twice too). I'll also mention that I've seen issues with reticules being canted in one batch of Spitfire 3x prismatic scopes, but that was quickly resolved by Vortex, and I haven't seen issues in later units.
As for the Viper PST line, between myself and a few friends, we have a good half dozen of these scopes, and zero issues with any of them. IMHO they are definitely competitive in the $1000 price range.
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notsorichguy
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- The city that rhymes with fun
6 people and 9 (now 10) scopes. All purchased loacally, from 4 different vendors. I don't know the actual models, but the PST I just bought was probably the most expensive at $1200..... 2 of the 9 were sparcs, and they had no issues.
1 recticale "fell" (disappeared from the viewing area). 2 illumination failures and 1 the magnification adjustment stopped working. So 4 out of 7(now 8) rifle scopes had failures.....
I've looked through a few Vortex and one design trait drives me nuts. If you move the erector tube through the full range of travel via the turrets, you get an unconcentric distortion of the image, the illuminated part has unequal black around it. I ended up with a Meuller scope on a rifle I bought and it does the same thing, it's like looking in a funhouse mirror. I don't see this in Bushnell, Leupold or S&B.
I have the following Vortex products:
Viper PST 6-24x50 FFP EBR-1 MRAD on a Savage Model 10 in .308
Viper PST 2.5-10x44 SFP EBR-1 MRAD on a Savage Mk II in .22
Viper PST 1-4x24 SFP TMCQ MOA on a Daniel Defense DDM4V5 in .223
Strikefire Red Dot on an AR in .223 and a AR in .22
No problem with any of these scopes. I shoot 3 gun and CQB style shoots so the red dots gets banged around. When I take the non restricted to the range they just get tossed in the back of the truck so they do get banged around a bit with other gear. I have knocked my rifles over a couple of times so the scope have definitely been bumped. I plan to take the Bushnell I have on a Remington 700 in .308 and replace it with the 6-24x50 I have on my Savage because the reticle on the FFP scope is too course at higher power for longer range. I plan to buy 6-24x50 SFP to put on my Savage Model 10. I just purchased a Savage Model 12 in .223 and ordered a 6-24x50 SFP for it.
The only issue I had with a Vortex product was a Sparc red dot mounted on a Remington 870. Seemed to work fine with birdshot but when I used rifled slugs something went wrong and it wouldn't turn off anymore. Turned it in to the local gun store, they sent it back. I think it was 8 to 10 days later I picked up a new Sparc II red dot. It's still in the box and I don't plan to put it on the shotgun only because I find the ghost ring sights more suitable. The Sparc went on original just to try it out since it was just sitting in the spare parts bin.
I wouldn't hesitate to purchase more Vortex products. Several members I shot benchrest with this year use them and they have been happy except for one who had a Viper 6-24x50 SFP where the ring to adjust the power on the scope was extremely hard to turn. They still liked the scope.
I have never had a chance to use a Nightforce or other high end scope so I can't make a comparison.
Viper PST 6-24x50 FFP EBR-1 MRAD on a Savage Model 10 in .308
Viper PST 2.5-10x44 SFP EBR-1 MRAD on a Savage Mk II in .22
Viper PST 1-4x24 SFP TMCQ MOA on a Daniel Defense DDM4V5 in .223
Strikefire Red Dot on an AR in .223 and a AR in .22
No problem with any of these scopes. I shoot 3 gun and CQB style shoots so the red dots gets banged around. When I take the non restricted to the range they just get tossed in the back of the truck so they do get banged around a bit with other gear. I have knocked my rifles over a couple of times so the scope have definitely been bumped. I plan to take the Bushnell I have on a Remington 700 in .308 and replace it with the 6-24x50 I have on my Savage because the reticle on the FFP scope is too course at higher power for longer range. I plan to buy 6-24x50 SFP to put on my Savage Model 10. I just purchased a Savage Model 12 in .223 and ordered a 6-24x50 SFP for it.
The only issue I had with a Vortex product was a Sparc red dot mounted on a Remington 870. Seemed to work fine with birdshot but when I used rifled slugs something went wrong and it wouldn't turn off anymore. Turned it in to the local gun store, they sent it back. I think it was 8 to 10 days later I picked up a new Sparc II red dot. It's still in the box and I don't plan to put it on the shotgun only because I find the ghost ring sights more suitable. The Sparc went on original just to try it out since it was just sitting in the spare parts bin.
I wouldn't hesitate to purchase more Vortex products. Several members I shot benchrest with this year use them and they have been happy except for one who had a Viper 6-24x50 SFP where the ring to adjust the power on the scope was extremely hard to turn. They still liked the scope.
I have never had a chance to use a Nightforce or other high end scope so I can't make a comparison.
Some food for thought. The US boards as a whole speak very favourable of the Viper line, especially given the US price point which is always be higher in Canada. But that goes for any scope, not just Vortex. I've also been looking at Sightron which also have three levels of product line that are just a little more dollar wise than comparable Vortex. Maybe I'll keep my eye out for a used Night Force or S&B. On the possible downside to that, no legacy warranty.
