Vortex Love

Damm impressive

https://vortexoptics.com/vortex-strike-eagle-5-25x56-ffp.html?vortex_reticle=1500
https://www.gunsamerica.com/l/DB636126-A0E1-44E5-A643-AB117BF9CCEC/b7RQy/20201214_BlogDigest_408.htm

Several will be here promptly, to critique you and/or vortex. Especially ladder climbers.

I've had nothing but good experience with them. Never used the warranty.

$800 for a scope with 'all the features', though, hmmmmmm....

Great for the precision .22 rifles which are all the rage now

I've had two, one's been back numerous times between me and the second owner. The other needs to go back, probably why i got a good deal on it. It's the 'Bro'-brand if there ever was one. None of my Bushnells nor Burris have had any issues. Never again.

ok, i'm back off VORTEX

But do you climb ladders?

No he’s a doctor professor dude if my memory serves from the OT.

Vortex scopes and impressive don't belong together.

I like their binoculars.

It does not, I'm JAG who like to hunt and shoot. I only climb ladders to trim trees or get in stands.

I was referencing JDK1985, not you. He has made enough controversial statements there that recognized his username.

Had I read better I would have saw that Jason was talking to you.

I don't care for their cheap scopes, but I don't care for cheap scopes from any manufacturer. The Razor scopes have all been great. And they should be, considering they're made in the same Japanese plant as other high-end scopes by Nightforce, Bushnell, SWFA, and others.

We’ve never had to go above Nikon or bushnell? I shot my doe for the year, the wife has shot a doe, a buck, and blew the top off of the skull out of a javelina. Rifle and scope under $400

High Roller

This is my take on them. Stay away from China and most of the stuff from the Philippines and you'll be fine. That applies to Vortex and others.

Where was the Gen 1 Razor spotter made?

I bought one after many great reviews here on THF. I have put that thing through heck and couldn’t be happier. Think it’s a Viper 6x20 that I bought on pre order for like $279. Best under $300 scope I have ever used.

It should say on the scope. I know the Razor binos are Phillipino. All my Razor riflescopes scopes are Japs.

I still have one Vortex scope, a Viper PST 4-16 FFP, and I do like it. Shot plenty of deer while using it, and pigs and coyotes. The glass is Ok (to me), but as I’ve said before, the illuminated reticle is too bright and not useful.

I sold the Viper PST 6-24. It went to the doctor once while in my hands. It was an Ok scope. I had put the new VX5 on the 260, moved the Vortex 4-16 to the 223, and then moved the 6-24 to the box on the shelf. Didn’t have a gun for it, so I sold it.

And let’s be totally honest here. For the cost of a new Vortex Viper PST 6-24 FFP (gen 1), you could have a Leupold VX5 3-15 CDS with fire dot. They shouldn’t be in the same sentence. Of course, Vortex gen 2 might be a whole different deal. I don’t know.

Did you get it at The Walmart's?

My Vortex Viper 10x42 are made in Japan. They are about 5 years old. They are good binos.

Light optical Japan except the 11-30x50 It was China.

I’ve sent back
Zeiss
Swaro
Vortex
Leopold
Burris
Nikon

Vortex had best CS of all of them followed by Swaro, then Luppy, then Zeiss

With that said I don’t think Vortex has a product that competes in any price point any more. The only one that could be argued is the LHT due to weight

Camera Land.
And I would have to go back and look but I do believe you were on the Vortex bandwagon.

I've got 8 of their scopes currently, binos and I've had a range finder and spotter. I never had problems with anything except for the binos, they are the G1 Fury and they started acting funky regarding ranging after last season. Sent them in and this season they've been great...I think this is the 3rd or 4th season to use them. It's about time for an upgrade but I'm really not liking my options. We'll see where it ends up

Currently my Golden Eagle scopes I really like and I bought a Razor LHT this fall and I've been impressed with it but it's not been hunted with yet so jury is still out.

I've got one vortex scope. A viper 4-16 SFP. It has been back to vortex once and it didn't break. There was always something off with it from the get go, i believe something was out of alignment in side the scope. I had to use adjustable bases to zero it on the first rifle. On the second rifle a CZ I couldn't find adjustable bases so I sent it to vortex for service. They said there was nothing wrong with it, but disassembled it reassembled it and sent it back. The issue with zeroing it miraculously went away. It zeroed easily tracks fine and have been shooting it for two trouble free years since.

I probably do not put my scopes through the paces that some do, but it has held up fine for me.

Years ago.

Then I used two of them. One rifle scope and one spotting scope. The rifle scope got sent in my me, as well as two other people. The spotting scope has been sent in once, and needs to go again.

Also known as "experience".

I’ve got 4 scopes and 2 set’s of Razor HD bino’s and I’ve never had a problem, the bino’s get used all the time. I’m not doubting some may have problem’s but I’d have to ask how the heck so many people have problems and yet I’ve never had an issue. I’m not saying Vortex‘s are high end products but for what I use them for they’ve never let me down.
Having said that I won’t buy any more simply due to their reputation, I’ll stick to Swaro’s, and Leupold from here on out.

So you were singing the praises of a company you had no experience with at the time??? Odd!

I think I have had mine about 5 or 6 years (maybe more). My “experience” has been the polar opposite of yours. And God knows I have logged a ton of miles and shots with that thing in some of the harshest conditions and terrain that Texas has to offer. But I don’t hunt paper and steel so what do I know.

As long as there’s no problems, I think the new(er) Strike Eagle is probably the best scope for the .22 precision matches. Previously I have said the Athlon Midas TAC but the Strike Eagle surpasses it in internal travel and can usually work on top of a 50 MOA rail.

I was speaking good of Vortex until it crapped out on me. And, there are hundreds of rifles that have been on my range now. Vortex breaking down is not uncommon. You're talking about one scope that has worked for you. I'm talking about dozens I've either used, or been spotting for someone using one.

And I punch hide every month of the year. Paper and steel is to get ready for that. I don't understand how that is so damned hard for people to understand.

Well if you want to include scopes that other people own that I have been around (like you did) I know of at least 8-10 others that haven’t failed them either. So our experiences are still polar opposites of each other. But for some reason I am still wrong in your mind because my “experience” is different than yours.

All I can say is I’m glad I don’t have to punch steel and paper every month to “get ready”. Ammo be expensive and my scope might fall apart!

See, I never claimed you didn't have any experience. That's how you took it. I was saying I've got more experience with Vortex now, than I did then.

And, if you, and whomever else leave those scopes in the safe 10 months a year, yeah, they're probably not going to break. Those of us that use them 52 weeks a year, might have a different perspective.

How many one shot ethical kills have you made farther than 500 yards? (I already know the answer)

It's pretty serious business, and I don't take it lightly, so I prepare for it. And many times, I've been glad I did. Hogs and coyotes, sure. Unfortunately, I've had to do it on elk, whitetail, and this year a pronghorn at 689 yards. Unfortunately, because that's not what I prefer. But, I was ready for it. No one can buy that, it has to be learned and then practiced. Therefore, a significant amount of shooting happens.

Ammo, isn't expensive for me, I make it.

Yes we know you are the authority on long range shooting. You remind us every chance you get.

And to answer your question I have made a grand total of one kill over 500 yards. That’s the only one time I have needed to try that on an animal. Long range is your thing, not mine. Not sure what that has to do with Vortex but at least you got to toot your own horn again.

And no I don’t use my rifles 52 weeks a year but I bet you I spend more time in the woods from October to January than you do all 12 months combined. But once again it has nothing to do with Vortex and my experience with them.

We get it....you don’t like Vortex. But trying to one up everyone because they have had a different experience than you with Vortex makes you look silly.

I would love to sit here and argue with you all night but I have a pig to go retrieve with the ATV and trailer. For the record I was using a Bauch & Lomb scope.

I'm no authority.

My thing, yes. So I have to prepare for it, and practice it. Vortex holding zero, tracking properly, and keeping dust and water out of the scope is all problems I've seen. And I've seen it because I use scopes frequently. Just a reply to your statements.

In the woods? Sure you do. I hate staring at the same 1 acre all day. But, I get to cover 200 acre wheat fields this winter. Same 200 acre cotton fields during summer. Or wheat, or milo. Hay fields on my own land all year, which is now my front yard. But, no you probably do not hunt as many days a year as I do. I hunt where I live, and the neighbors I have that I pass on the way in and out to pavement almost 365 days a year. And a rifle beside me every one of them.

Again (I'm typing slow) I'm just replying to your accusations.

I know you'd love to argue, and that's fine. I've got a small list of haters and I don't give a chit. Reminder that you're on the list. I'm not conventional in your mind. You don't understand it, so you don't like it. That's on you, not me. Grow up.

Wow guys.

Look around on some other forums and see how well Vortex is talked up.
For some they are great, for others not so much.

Not the chosen scope for mountain hunting I can say that, based on many comments and discussions online and in person.
I admit their warranty is great, just used frequently.

Go on 24hourcampfire if you want some Leopold bashing.

And the Long Range Hunter crowd goes goo goo over them. About like election results, depending on where you look you can argue whichever side you want. I dropped a Luepy off a bench and scratched the piss out of it. It knocked it off but I rezeroed and it shot fine up until I took it off, it’s a back up scope right now. They all make bad scopes...we probably see more Vortex and Leupy scopes laying down because they sell more scopes...especially to the lower budget arena.

Nightforce, Khales, etc doesn’t make an entry level scope to have lay down...think about that for a moment.

NF SHV is closer to entry level. Not sure about how many have been sent in. Haven't heard...

I've used only three of them. Had several show up and got used all day. No problems thus far.

SHV is still a thousand dollar scope...that is entry level NF not entry level scopes. You can get a Vortex Cross something other for less than $150 and a vx1 for not much more. SHV is far from an entry level scope.

SHV is a good scope, not taking anything away from it but entry level it's not

Point is....I bet you could multiply NF sales (non government) by 10x and still wouldn't be what Leupy or Vortex sales...with those numbers, you're going to see and hear about more laying down.

Kinda like complaints on the F-150.

I'm around a lot of rifle scopes, and I've seen them all have issues; that includes March, NF, Khales, Vortex, etc. These are on rifles that usually see very high round counts, but a relatively comfortable life.

I've owned a bunch of them (lot of low end, and a lot of high end optics), and had issues myself.

That said, I probably wouldn't would trust any Vortex product other than a Razor/AMG if it was to be used on a rifle that needed to be 100% reliable all of the time. If forced to use a lower end Vortex, I would make damn sure I had my ring torque at 15in lbs and not any heavier.

A frozen high magnification scope and a scope checker is a valuable tool.

When you’re boujee and chasing that authority, $1,000 is “entry level” if you want to maintain your cred. I pity the fool who can only spend $500 on a functioning scope and thinks it’s good.

You might worry about cred, and status symbols. Other people worry about spending money on things that work, and not spending money on things that do not work. Never considering "cred".

And I've answered about a hundred rifle, ammo and scope questions for you in person, phone call, and text. You're not worth a damn.

Do you not have a sense of humor at all?

Good feedback

Here’s a tracking test that was done on a different site. It’s just a tracking test but the Razors did well on it.

What do the numbers represent? Is it % correct. Also is that multiple scopes of each? Like 12 Razor and 15 ATAC tested?

The chart is rewritten in a percentage of 100. A scope that tracked 99% moved the reticle 9.9 Mils when the optic was dialed to 10 Mils. A scope that tracks 101% moved the reticle 10.1 Mils when 10 Mils was dialed on. Scopes can vary in both directions.

Made in CHINA.....so wear your mask.

I honestly believe Vortex is a good scope for 99% of the population. They gained stardom with their “no questions asked” warranty and lower price points. Like Judd said, with the number of scopes sold by them, there is bound to be some duds. I’m sure NF, S&B, ZCO, Khales are all excellent scopes, as they should be for that price point, but 99% of shooters don’t need a scope that doubles as a battering ram.

Since I started rifle hunting about 25 years ago I have seen only 1 true scope failure. It was a Simmons 8 Point that I had on a Ruger 10/22. The crosshairs would rotate with each shot right out of the box. It is the cheapest scope I have ever used at $49.99. Got a refund on it the day after I bought it.

Then we have what I call a half failure. This particular scope will still hold zero but allowed moisture inside at some point and now I have moisture residue on at least one lens inside the scope. What scope you might ask??....Swarovski 6x18x50. It’s also the most expensive scope I have ever used at about $1300.
I still need to send that one back.

I have a Japanese Weatherby branded scope that the turrets seem too easy to turn but I have not tested it yet so we won’t count that one just yet. I have track tested it with a bore sighter and it seems fine but have not shot with it yet.

At one point I thought I had a Weaver V16 issue but it turned out to be the gun.

So out of the roughly 200’ish scopes I have sat behind over the years I have only seen 2 failures. That includes scopes I have owned, field tested, sighted in for others, etc. So roughly a 1% failure rate spanning all makes, models, and price points.

Based on my experience you could end up with a dud at any price point, but it’s highly likely you will end up with years of service out of your glass if you treat it right and don’t buy the lowest end stuff you can find.

I'm a 1%R.

I don't care for them. Way too many lines and models that overlap. They would have better quality if they took a more measured approach.

I took the Vortex for a spin this afternoon in honor of this thread. There is a dead pig under that feeder waaay over there just above the top of the rear ring.


A look through 10x binoculars with phone zoomed in all the way.

I think that makes 33 since the first week of October. Thanks Vortex!

I have maybe 2-3 Vortex scopes, no issues. All 4 plus years old

I shot a buck a few weeks ago at 300 w a 1985 model M77 wearing a correct era Redfield 3x9x40

Idk guys

My Gen2 Viper 5-25 have not had an issue but it has only been used on 22LR.

Razor Gen2 just got back from Vortex because it was dark and definitely not as clear as 2 more Razors on the shooting line. Of course I got it from Jeremy (imthereasonmodscreatedusernamelimits) I’m guess it’s something he did lol.

Just got a new Vortex Strike Eagle 1-8 on a 1/2 cert I won.

Bushnell ERS 3-21 before the Razor was bulletproof and I had no problems.

Even though I’ve had to send the Razor back I’m still a fan and CS was probably the best I’ve dealt with.

You could tell a difference. I bet they told you they removed some tint from that lens since midge either put tint on it or screwed it up so fit his short shooting style.

Think that oompalumpa spray painted the objective lens because he isn’t tall enough to see out of it.

Not caring for them is an opinion, as I stated it’s just fine for 99% of people that need a scope. The biggest problem I see, like you mentioned, is so many overlap with features and price points that they either can’t keep the quality up, or people buying a $300 Diamondback Tactical are expecting it to work like a $2,500 Razor or NF or any other scope in that price range, then when it doesn’t they shake it on the internet.

I'm sure when Vortex became popular, Chinese and Philippine manufactures were pimping their new scopes to Vortex to put their name on them and handle distribution.

I wonder how many of these optic companies actually engineer their scopes and product lines VS just slapping their logo on them. Especially the ones made in China.

I think I read somewhere that the Vatican Rifle Team uses Vortex scopes.