Vortex Viper 6x24x50 HS

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roc1

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Will this particular scope with only 42moa of adjustment work for 1000 yards? I got it on sale at Cabelas I have same scope on 6.5 Creedmoor works great at 500 yards but would like to go to 1000 if I can find a range to shoot that far. I know can get 20 moa EGW base but curious if scope would work ok or need to move up to Viper HST with 65moa
Thanks
Roc1
 
Probably not without a long range base.

Running a quick trajectory calc with a 142 Sierra running at 2700 fps, the drop from a 100 yd. zero is about 32 MOA. In theory, if your mounts allowed you to zero at the bottom of the elevation range, you would have enough room to come up that much. You wouldn't know until you tried.
 
Probably not without a long range base.

Running a quick trajectory calc with a 142 Sierra running at 2700 fps, the drop from a 100 yd. zero is about 32 MOA. In theory, if your mounts allowed you to zero at the bottom of the elevation range, you would have enough room to come up that much. You wouldn't know until you tried.
This is most likely the case; with "flat" mounts, you'll run out of adjustment at just about 1000 yards, and for any range further than that, you'll have to hold over. You'll completely run out of scope by 1300 or so yards. The guys I was shooting with were using .308's with 178 AMAX. One had the same scope we have, and he ran out of scope at 1250, also using a flat mount.

I base this on my experience using the 6-24x50 HS-T scope on my 6.5 Grendel. I had to hold over 4 MOA at 900 yards shooting 123 AMAX, 14 MOA at 1000 yards, and ran out of scope at 1125 yards, so the improved performance of the Creedmoor and the better BC of the 142 should extend those numbers several hundred yards. I have since put a 20 MOA mount on my rifle. I haven't had the opportunity to try it at long range yet, but to show how much difference it makes, consider that from the bottom of my adjustment with a flat mount, my 100 yard zero required 3-1/2 turns (42 MOA). With the 20 MOA mount, my 100 yard zero is only 1/2 turn from the bottom (6 MOA). Theoretically, I should have enough adjustment past my 100 yard zero to carry me to 1500 yards without hold-over, using the ballistic table created when I was at Bangsteel last month. The Creedmoor should go even farther.

If you get an elevated mount, I recommend the one from Warne. That's the one I put on my AR; it's solid. DSC_0375.JPG
 
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Which "HS" do you have? The HSLR FFP is 42MOA windage, but is 65MOA elevation. The only downside is the 1/2MOA instead of 1/4MOA elevation adjustments, but it does save a lot of time if you're dialing on the clock. Going to the SFP HS would be a big downgrade in my book.

The Viper and Razor are the only Vortex's which I have kept out of their line up; I have the HSLR FFP 6-24x50mm on a 6.5 Grendel and another on a 243win pistol. My only complaint is it's a MOA/MOA optic, and everything else I work with is mrad/mrad, and I'm still getting used to the idea of 1/2MOA adjustments - clicking 5" at 1,000 vs. 2.5" sure feels weird - a guy has to keep that feature at front of mind when making adjustments to be sure to compensate with hold over or under.
 
Which "HS" do you have? The HSLR FFP is 42MOA windage, but is 65MOA elevation. The only downside is the 1/2MOA instead of 1/4MOA elevation adjustments, but it does save a lot of time if you're dialing on the clock. Going to the SFP HS would be a big downgrade in my book.

The Viper and Razor are the only Vortex's which I have kept out of their line up; I have the HSLR FFP 6-24x50mm on a 6.5 Grendel and another on a 243win pistol. My only complaint is it's a MOA/MOA optic, and everything else I work with is mrad/mrad, and I'm still getting used to the idea of 1/2MOA adjustments - clicking 5" at 1,000 vs. 2.5" sure feels weird - a guy has to keep that feature at front of mind when making adjustments to be sure to compensate with hold over or under.
Mine is a SFP scope with 1/4MOA adjustment, and as long as you understand the subtension is only accurate at one magnification, there's no issue that it isn't a FFP. I'd just as soon have bought a fixed-power scope rather than a zoom, because I just leave mine at 18X, which is where my reticle is accurate. I can see the complaint of having to readjust yourself to MOA if all your other scopes are milrad. How come you didn't get the Vortex with milrad calibration; they are available. I wonder why the FFP scope uses 1/2MOA clicks instead of 1/4MOA. That makes a fair amount of difference at longer ranges (5 inches @ 1000 yards vs. 2.5 inches), and when you pay all that extra $$$ for FFP, you'd think they'd give you the finest adjustment possible.
 
...there's no issue that it isn't a FFP.

...I wonder why the FFP scope uses 1/2MOA clicks instead of 1/4MOA. That makes a fair amount of difference at longer ranges (5 inches @ 1000 yards vs. 2.5 inches), and when you pay all that extra $$$ for FFP, you'd think they'd give you the finest adjustment possible.

Speed and versatility.

Staying at 18x works for you. It doesn't for everyone. I don't really care to debate the advantages of either focal plane - both obviously work, it just depends on your application. I've used both long enough to have sussed out the differences in my real world, and having an FFP works better for me. I have a few dozen SFP scopes, and only a handful of FFP's, I'd rather have all FFP's.

The disadvantage of a 1/2MOA adjustment is mostly a mental comfort issue, moreso than any practical implication. 1/4MOA is 2.5" at 1,000, 1/20mrad is 3.6", 1/2moa is 5" - pretty few folks can really tell the difference in a 2.5" shift on their groups at 1,000yrds, and those who can are able to hold over or under as needed just as effectively with any of the 3 above. I've wasted money on 1/8MOA scopes in the past, and quickly realized the difference is almost purely academic. I have to remind myself of that fact frequently, because it does SEEM like a disadvantage. Some guys claim 1/2MOA clicks are faster, and I'm sure they are for some folks, but I usually adjust looking at my graduations, not by counting clicks, so it's just as fast either way.

Regarding price: I (and you) get the FFP Viper HSLR cheaper than market price for the SFP version, and that particular model is about as cheap as it gets for the combination of features, magnification, glass quality, and FFP compared to other brands. So it's pretty easy to justify cost. I paid less for the 6-24x50 Viper HSLR's than I have for 4.5-14x50mm VX3i's SFP's (that gold ring is expensive!), less than the 4-16x44 and 6-24x50 Sig Tango4, less than the 4-14x50 Nightforce SHV F1, less than the 5-25x50 Burris XTR II, less than I paid for the 3.5-21x Bushnell Elite Tactical ERS FFP.... Let alone talking about the NF BEAST and ATACR, Tango6, Razor, S&B, Kahles, etc... I'm not aware of an FFP optic with magnification over 20x, or even 16x, which is cheaper than the Viper HSLR FFP - if there is one, I'd probably be shooting it instead for these few "less expensive" rigs.

My preference is for a scope with 1/10mrad, and frankly, I'd prefer have a scope which didn't say Vortex on the side at all, but for the feature set, the HSLR FFP has most of the features I want at a lower cost than other models. For budget builds, it has worked well enough, and better than most scopes in its price class. Glass isn't as good as the NF SHV or the Bushnell, about on par with the XTR - which tracks better than the Vortex - and on par with the Sig - which is illuminated - but for $100-400 less, I'd buy it again for another lower priced rig.
 
For me it is the glass. To my eyes there are other scope brands with better glass in the same price range. I've found eye relief to be too short also. Vortex has a great warranty and from what I've seen it has to be used more often than it should. None of my comments apply to the Razor line.
 
Vortex has a great warranty and from what I've seen it has to be used more often than it should.

Agreed. Vortex are Ok until they aren't. Better clarity from Bushnell, better tracking from Burris, better all of the above from NF and S&B. But in its niche, the 6-24x Viper HSLR FFP is Ok.
 
I thought we were just talking about 2 Vortex scopes not Ford Chevy comparison. I like Leupold for my hunting scopes but was only asking about Hs Hst no others.
Thanks
Roc1
 
Good catch of my fat finger - not sure why, but it won't let me go back and edit my post to correct the mistake now - any idea what's up with that?
 
iu
 
I have 2 safes full of Leupold scopes and ONE 6-24X Vortex. It works. My issue with it is the criticality of the eye relief. It's just not very forgiving. Your head (actually your eye) has to be at exactly the right place to see the full field of view. The Leupolds seem much more flexible. The Vortex is on a bench rifle that doesn't get used much though, so I just deal with it. It's also not as bright and clear as any of the Leupolds. Pretty subjective comment though, I know.
 
I have 2 safes full of Leupold scopes and ONE 6-24X Vortex. It works. My issue with it is the criticality of the eye relief. It's just not very forgiving. Your head (actually your eye) has to be at exactly the right place to see the full field of view. The Leupolds seem much more flexible. The Vortex is on a bench rifle that doesn't get used much though, so I just deal with it. It's also not as bright and clear as any of the Leupolds. Pretty subjective comment though, I know.

The eye relief is bad on Vipers. It is off the charts bad on Crossfires IME.
 
I have 8 Leupolds and 6 Vortex eye relief is no better on Leupold to me in fact HST has 4 inches which is more than any of my Leupolds . Which are all VX2 except one 3 and old model 1 and forgot one 4x oldie but still good. Both brands are top notch in my book.
 
I have 8 Leupolds and 6 Vortex eye relief is no better on Leupold to me in fact HST has 4 inches which is more than any of my Leupolds . Which are all VX2 except one 3 and old model 1 and forgot one 4x oldie but still good. Both brands are top notch in my book.

I should clarify my statement about eye relief in the Vortex Vipers. The length is sufficient, but they're incredibly critical and variant for magnification. It's not a problem when a guy shoots from the same position and at the same magnification most of the time, but can be frustrating when you're shooting from improvised field positions and swinging that throw lever. Just takes a little sliding around on the stock when I shoulder into the rifle, which doesn't have to happen with some other scopes. I've had worse, as well - the Burris XTR II and Nikon Monarch's come to mind.
 
I am new to Vortex. I got one a month ago:
Vortex RZR-1558 Razor HD LH 2-10 x 40 Riflescope with HSR-4 ~$800

At the same time I got a Weaver grand slam 3-10 x 40 with Ballistic-X Reticle ~$150, they are usually $350

Looking through the scopes at the telephone poles.... weaver is a better scope.
 
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