Vortex Viper PST 1-4 or Leatherwood Hi-Lux CMR? HELP PLEASE!

cr5 said:
Not everyone wants to or can afford to spend $1000+ on a 1-4 scope, especially for a range only AR, the Hi-Lux CMR is a great scope for the money and fills big a gap in the market. I don't notice fish eye with mine.
If money was no object I would probably go with a Nightforce or Trijicon but I actually like the reticle on the CMR better than all the other options available. Yes there are better scopes out there but not for under $1000.
I prefer to spend the big dollars on my long range optics, for under 300yds it isn't as critical to have the best glass available.
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cr5 you are the person who recomended me the Hilux when i bought my first XCR-M... I agree there are very good and i now use many of them... Thanks. JP.
 
caramel said:
cr5 you are the person who recomended me the Hilux when i bought my first XCR-M... I agree there are very good and i now use many of them... Thanks. JP.
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Glad to help,
For the money I don't think they can be beat. There is nothing out there with the features these have for less than $1000. The only thing I wish they had done was make them a true 1 power instead of the 1.2 or 1.3 whatever they are.
 
The CMR is a good choice.

There are more expensive choices. Has anyone compared the Burris XTR 1-4 to the Hilux?

There is also the point of diminishing return.
At what point will the ability of your eye get no further advantage from better quality glass.
If I can't see an object using the Hubble telescope, then a Nightforce may not solve my eyesight problem either.
There has to be a nicely paired match between quality of the scope and the ability of the eyeball, as well as the wallet.
 
rivetc78 said:
That is what we are talking about. The quality of the Vortex is Not superior and Not worth the extra price.
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And they don't have a BDC reticle as far as I know. I looked at Vortex before I bought my Hi-lux and the glass is nice but it just didn't have the other features I was looking for like the easy to use zero-stop turrets and a calibrated reticle.
When looking at the reticle (and nothing else) I actually prefer the Hi-lux to my Elcan Specter DR and my ACOG, they have better glass and are built tougher but I love the reticle in the CMR.
I just traded my 223 CMR for a 762 CMR for use on my 9.75" 300 blackout and it has an even better reticle in my opinion. I can't wait to get to the range to zero it and test it out.
If I was determined to spend $1000 I think I would go with a trijicon 1-4 over the Vortex given they are very similar price and the Trijicon has no batteries. Trijicon glass isn't as bright as Nightforce but your looking at another $500 to step up to their 1-4 which is getting pretty pricey for a scope you probably won't use beyond 300yds.
 
having owned both I now have 2 1/4 PST scopes and one 2.5/10 ,I for one am not a fan of BDC reticles due to the fact the rarely match the true flight of a bullet/gun combo

what I do is learn my holds in Mils and I don't Dial my turrets ( on my comp guns)I also believe that a good zero is a must to get the most out of your gun/optic combo

now if I had a do over I would not have bought the target turret model but the capped version cheaper, and could have bought an other ADM mount.
 
rivetc78 said:
That is what we are talking about. The quality of the Vortex is Not superior and Not worth the extra price.
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That's not what I was saying. I am saying that the quality of vortex is better and the price point with the warranty is better value. The features you get with a vortex compared to most others cannot be beat.
 
I've had very good luck with BDC retickes. The RapidZ 1000 on my 5R is dead on. The Ballistic drop on my Fullfield scopes has also worked very well. The spaces are usually in Mils as well so it's not much different except I prefer it over mil marks.

I liked the Vortex as well which I did check out in person before buying the CMR. Vortex makes some decent stuff but they aren't a bargain. I consider them today's version of the Bushnell elite 4200. Good quality but some compromises and you're paying full price. I always opted either for the rare bargain or just paid the bit extra for the next level up. For me Vortex seems to occupy that spot. The CMR is like the Fullfield II. A lot for the money not perfect but a good bargain. For better I'd go the next level up and bypass the Vortex. Once you're into the top of the Vortex line you're paying the same as the well known big name stuff.

Other forums referencing CMR or Vortex or Burris seem to be split. Those having the CMR and any of the other two seem to go about 50/50 on which one they kept or prefer. I've noticed with the popularity of the CMR that the Vortex PST price seems to have lowered a fair amount. When I was looking the price difference between the two was huge. Seems it's still a fair difference but nowhere near as much.
 
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Just thought of another to throw into the mix if your in the $1000 price range. Sightron S3 1-7 with mildot reticle would be my choice over any of the 1-4's, I have a Sightron S3 6-24x50 on my 308 (was on my 338 Lapua before I upgraded to Nightforce) and the glass on them is comparable to Nightforce, looking through both back to back it's hard to tell the difference other than the Nightforce has a slightly wider field of view.

Call Jerry at Mystic Precision for great service and quick shipping. Mine was at my door less than a week after I paid for it.
 
Hitzy said:
So how many times has it broken already? I mean....with the "wicked warranty"....it must have crapped out a few times for you to enjoy that? lol
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He said it has never failed. Wicked warranty means that if you have an issue they will replace it no questions asked. Unlike many companies half ass warranties that leave you stranded when you have an issue. It's also transferable too which is nice, and you don't need a box or receipt.
 
Matty308 said:
He said it has never failed. Wicked warranty means that if you have an issue they will replace it no questions asked. Unlike many companies half ass warranties that leave you stranded when you have an issue. It's also transferable too which is nice, and you don't need a box or receipt.
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The only way to know for sure is if it breaks. You can't really claim it's good if you haven't had to use it. Word of mouth might be good, but you never truly know until you go to use it.

I actually like buying products where the warranty isn't a factor. I always get nervous when the best sales feature is they have a fantastic warranty. I buy something in the hopes that it doesn't break. The warranty is frankly the consolation prize. It's still a pain even if it's "a really good" warranty. If I ever need to use that warranty I'm probably going to look at another product next time around.

I have no idea how good the warranty is on my current scopes. I hope to keep it that way.
 
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The best warranty is more than often the dealer, it was my experience my dealer took it back, gave me a new one and took care of the rest by hymself, that's why i am a high fidelity customer with 3 or 4 great dealers... JP.
 
caramel said:
The best warranty is more than often the dealer, it was my experience my dealer took it back, gave me a new one and took care of the rest by hymself, that's why i am a high fidelity customer with 3 or 4 great dealers... JP.
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I agree.

I had that once actually with a brand new Conquest. It had a spec in it. They replaced it there on the spot. Frankly if they didn't I wouldn't have dealt with them again. They were always good to me and I returned. I agree with you I trust a good store more than the big company for making things right. That has less to do with the product warranty and more to do with where you buy from.
 
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