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Dang, my first dead Vortex
#7028346
01/07/18 06:38 PM
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Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 15,708
603Country
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Well, not exactly dead, but major vertical stringing. The scope is a Vortex Viper 6-24 PST ffp. I was already set up to load, so I decided to catch up on my 223 40 gr BT loads - about 100 of them. It’s an old favorite load and shoots nice little groups. I loaded them up and thought i’d shoot a few. But, first cold bore shot was 2 inches low. That’s odd. So I shot a few groups and would get 3 out of 5 pretty much right on the money, but 2 would be straight down an inch or two. Started worrying about the scope, but NAHH, can’t be. Shot a few more groups, alternating between one 40 gr Nosler and one 65 gr Sierra. Vertical tracking is not working in a predictable manner. Well, I had that ‘available’ Leupold Var-XIII 4.5-14, so I put that on there. And we are back to tiny little groups with the 40’s and the 65’s.
Never have sent one back to Vortex, so I’ll box it up on Monday. Just to say it, that is the third scope (Nikon Monarch 4-16, Leupold VX2 6-18, and now the vortex) that has had a wandering POI after time on that Ruger Hawkeye 223. Only ‘scope killer’ rifle I have. Geez. I’ve been saying nice things about Vortex.
Not my monkeys, not my circus...
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Re: Dang, my first dead Vortex
[Re: 603Country]
#7028358
01/07/18 06:58 PM
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Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 41,173
J.G.
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I hate that for you. But it does not surprise me.
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Re: Dang, my first dead Vortex
[Re: 603Country]
#7028365
01/07/18 07:13 PM
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Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 9,523
RiverRider
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Just to say it, that is the third scope (Nikon Monarch 4-16, Leupold VX2 6-18, and now the vortex) that has had a wandering POI after time on that Ruger Hawkeye 223. Only ‘scope killer’ rifle I have. THAT is kinda weird. Lotsa "why" swirling in my mind, and I'm inspired to ask whether the rings on that rifle were ever lapped. I just can't accept the idea of .223 being a scope killer.
"Arguing with you always makes me thirsty." -Augustus McRae
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Re: Dang, my first dead Vortex
[Re: 603Country]
#7028429
01/07/18 08:14 PM
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Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 15,708
603Country
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RiverRider, i’m going with it just being coincidence, for now. The first two scopes were set and forget type, and didn’t get adjusted much. The Vortex actually got used, turretwise, with most being up/down. That’s why I shot alternately with the two bullet weights, since the heavier bullet POI needed adjustment upward, to see if the adjustment actually adjusted. And it didn’t.
I think i’m coming around to the logic of buying more expensive bulletproof scopes, though I don’t work scopes hard enough that I should have to spend the big bucks. Oh, well. Get the Vortex fixed, put it back on the ‘scope killer’, and send the Leupold to get it “CDS’d”, and then put it on the rifle I don’t have.
Not my monkeys, not my circus...
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Re: Dang, my first dead Vortex
[Re: 603Country]
#7028494
01/07/18 09:20 PM
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Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 9,523
RiverRider
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Maybe it IS all just coincidence. Who knows...but maybe twisting that turret as much as you did was just enough to bring on the failure. Sounds good to me.
"Arguing with you always makes me thirsty." -Augustus McRae
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Re: Dang, my first dead Vortex
[Re: 603Country]
#7028871
01/08/18 01:33 AM
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Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 267
AZ_Hunter_2000
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I heard nothing but glowing reviews of Vortex's customer service for years. Last year I had three opportunities to experience their customer service. They did replace one Diamondback but that took them two times to get it right. For my Viper HS and Viper HS LR, they told me they were fine but my rifles were jacked up. No issues with those "jacked up" rifles when using other scopes with the same bases and rings.
With the exception of their Razor line (even that is now coming into question), I'm no longer looking at Vortex products based upon my experience with their customer service.
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Re: Dang, my first dead Vortex
[Re: 603Country]
#7028902
01/08/18 02:06 AM
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Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 41,173
J.G.
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Re: Dang, my first dead Vortex
[Re: 603Country]
#7028925
01/08/18 02:25 AM
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Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 29,608
Sneaky
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The fact that so many people can testify to their warranty being so outstanding says a lot about more than just their warranty. In the field, I depend a whole lot more on my scope not failing than I do a warranty.
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Re: Dang, my first dead Vortex
[Re: 603Country]
#7028994
01/08/18 03:06 AM
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Joined: Jul 2012
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603Country
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Well, I guess i’m next up in the rotation to deal with Vortex customer service. I’ll call them tomorrow. I’ll let you know if it doesn’t go well. And I’ll ship the scope off in a day or so. And, I need to ship off an old fixed 6 Leupold, so I can do a running comparison of how it goes with the both of them. My dealings so far with Leupold have been terrific - friendly helpful people and rapid turnaround time.
Not my monkeys, not my circus...
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Re: Dang, my first dead Vortex
[Re: Sneaky]
#7028998
01/08/18 03:07 AM
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Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 41,173
J.G.
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The fact that so many people can testify to their warranty being so outstanding says a lot about more than just their warranty. In the field, I depend a whole lot more on my scope not failing than I do a warranty. =Night Force for me.
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Re: Dang, my first dead Vortex
[Re: 603Country]
#7029017
01/08/18 03:19 AM
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Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 29,608
Sneaky
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Well, I guess i’m next up in the rotation to deal with Vortex customer service. I’ll call them tomorrow. I’ll let you know if it doesn’t go well. And I’ll ship the scope off in a day or so. And, I need to ship off an old fixed 6 Leupold, so I can do a running comparison of how it goes with the both of them. My dealings so far with Leupold have been terrific - friendly helpful people and rapid turnaround time. I’ll be in line right behind you.
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Re: Dang, my first dead Vortex
[Re: J.G.]
#7029022
01/08/18 03:22 AM
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Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 29,608
Sneaky
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The fact that so many people can testify to their warranty being so outstanding says a lot about more than just their warranty. In the field, I depend a whole lot more on my scope not failing than I do a warranty. =Night Force for me. I only bought that Vortex because you told me to. Nightforce is like the Tundra of the optic world. I’m leaning that way more and more. That Tangent Theta sure looks nice, though. Any idea how tough they are? I’ve looked and looked and can’t find any reviews referencing that. Given my bad habit of tearing stuff up, bulletproof is a quality very near the top of things I require in a scope.
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Re: Dang, my first dead Vortex
[Re: 603Country]
#7029037
01/08/18 03:33 AM
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Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 41,173
J.G.
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If I told you to, you had a budget, and I try to not exceed people's budget.
Only guy I know with a Tangent Theda is "Red Snake".
Not bashing Tangent Theda, but they dont have a decades old tract record of toughness, some of which was earned on the battle field.
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Re: Dang, my first dead Vortex
[Re: 603Country]
#7029114
01/08/18 04:53 AM
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Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 29,608
Sneaky
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I did have a budget. Next time I won’t. It’s actually not a bad scope. My confidence in its reliability has just faded.
That’s my biggest hang up. It doesn’t have the track record. I still have time. Maybe some light will be shed in the mean time. If not, I know what to expect in the ATACR.
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Re: Dang, my first dead Vortex
[Re: Sneaky]
#7029301
01/08/18 01:55 PM
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Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 41,173
J.G.
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I know what to expect in the ATACR. All I cook with is Cast iron skillets. What does Lodge say? "You have a friend for life". So far, I am looking at NF that way.
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Re: Dang, my first dead Vortex
[Re: 603Country]
#7029312
01/08/18 02:01 PM
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Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 29,608
Sneaky
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The more I look into that F1, the more I like it. They’ve added some really nice touches since I’ve used the original ATACR.
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Re: Dang, my first dead Vortex
[Re: 603Country]
#7029467
01/08/18 03:35 PM
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Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 15,645
QuitShootinYoungBucks
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603, I think you tend to shoot rifles one at a time. You could consider what FJG does, and share one scope on multiple rifles.
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Re: Dang, my first dead Vortex
[Re: QuitShootinYoungBucks]
#7029476
01/08/18 03:41 PM
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Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 4,564
patriot07
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603, I think you tend to shoot rifles one at a time. You could consider what FJG does, and share one scope on multiple rifles. I tried to do that. It works fine if you have a range to yourself where you can verify zero. If you have to pay a range fee to double-check every time you switch, it becomes a bit more hassle and expense. However, I was always within .2 mils and nearly always within .1 mils or exactly right when I moved from one rifle to the other. So it absolutely can be done, but it was more hassle than I wanted to fool with. If I was going to keep both rifles, I probably would have bought a fixed-power 12x42 SWFA for the 223. I ended up selling my 223 and keeping my 6.5 and I have one bolt gun and one scope and it works much more stress-free.
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Re: Dang, my first dead Vortex
[Re: 603Country]
#7029510
01/08/18 04:03 PM
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Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 15,708
603Country
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Quitshootin, I hadn’t really thought about it, but I guess I do shoot one rifle at a time, but I think i’ll stick with one scope per rifle, though I will admit to having more scopes than rifles. When the Vortex went wonky, I put the Leupold on the 223, and that Leupold had previously been on that rifle prior to the Vortex. Hardly any adjustment needed to get it back to dead on.
Not my monkeys, not my circus...
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Re: Dang, my first dead Vortex
[Re: 603Country]
#7030724
01/09/18 03:55 AM
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Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 672
Midwaytmm
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Has something changed in vortex? Seems like I either had really good luck, or things have gone downhill?? Seems like I hear more and more folks saying they have had problems. Honest question. I don’t hunt much in daylight anymore, so I’m out of the know I guess
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Re: Dang, my first dead Vortex
[Re: 603Country]
#7030821
01/09/18 04:56 AM
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Joined: Jul 2012
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603Country
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My ‘sick’ Vortex is one of two that I have. No problems with the other one. Today I mailed a Leupold and the Vortex off to their respective repair shops. Scopes these days are more actively used than the set and forget ones I grew up with (and still have several of). It makes sense to me that if you want a seriously problem free scope, you are going to have to spend serious money. And from what I read, even spending the big bucks doesn’t automatically get you a trouble free turreted scope. On another forum, a knowledgeable guy said that the toughest of the tough was “Nightforce mil-spec”.
If I buy another scope for a center fire rifle, I don’t know what it will be.
Not my monkeys, not my circus...
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Re: Dang, my first dead Vortex
[Re: Midwaytmm]
#7030922
01/09/18 09:56 AM
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Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 2,394
booradley
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I think you had good luck.
Don’t roll those bloodshot eyes at me.
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Re: Dang, my first dead Vortex
[Re: J.G.]
#7031329
01/09/18 05:04 PM
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Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 6,219
dee
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Not bashing Tangent Theda, but they dont have a decades old tract record of toughness, some of which was earned on the battle field.
Tangent is an upgraded premier and Premiers have a stellar track record. They have issues if rings are over tightened but so do other scopes.
"A vote is like a rifle; it's usefulness depends on the character of the user" Theodore Roosevelt
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Re: Dang, my first dead Vortex
[Re: dee]
#7031351
01/09/18 05:20 PM
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Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 41,173
J.G.
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Not bashing Tangent Theda, but they dont have a decades old tract record of toughness, some of which was earned on the battle field.
Tangent is an upgraded premier and Premiers have a stellar track record. They have issues if rings are over tightened but so do other scopes. Got a little sick to my stomache for what I paid for my ATACR. I'm just not in the mode to spend more on a Tangent or a S & B. Those that do, more power to ya!
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Re: Dang, my first dead Vortex
[Re: Midwaytmm]
#7033475
01/11/18 12:27 AM
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Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 2,394
booradley
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Has something changed in vortex? Seems like I either had really good luck, or things have gone downhill?? Seems like I hear more and more folks saying they have had problems. Honest question. I don’t hunt much in daylight anymore, so I’m out of the know I guess I think you had really good luck.
Don’t roll those bloodshot eyes at me.
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