Vortex Viper 6.5-20-Thoughts?

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Axis II

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Thinking about buying a Viper 30mm in 6.5-20 for my 223rem bolt gun for target and woodchuck shooting. Anyone use this scope? Would it be a good upgrade from a Crossfire 6-18 and do the turrets track true?
 
https://vortexoptics.com/vortex-viper-6-5-20x44-pa-riflescope.html

That one? Seems to be a little less than the 300 bucks I'm seeing them for online. I've never played with the 44mm version just the 50.... actually now that I've looked it wasn't that model of viper either. I'm pretty sure what I used at the range was a HSLR.
Yep. Right now I leave the turret caps off my crossfire and twist the turrets from 100-300yards but I am afraid its going to goof something up one day continuously doing so. Would this be the case for this viper?
 
Yep. Right now I leave the turret caps off my crossfire and twist the turrets from 100-300yards but I am afraid its going to goof something up one day continuously doing so. Would this be the case for this viper?
That one, I don't know honestly. I've never used the turrets on any of the "hunting" specific Vortex scopes I've messed with beyond zeroing.
Quite honestly if I had to guess with that scope I'd say they probably upgraded the glass and left the turrets pretty much the same.... If you're planning on doing a lot of turret twisting I would suggest getting up into the $400-500 range.
If you want to stick with Vortex I think they have a few offerings that would probably be better options.
 
That one, I don't know honestly. I've never used the turrets on any of the "hunting" specific Vortex scopes I've messed with beyond zeroing.
Quite honestly if I had to guess with that scope I'd say they probably upgraded the glass and left the turrets pretty much the same.... If you're planning on doing a lot of turret twisting I would suggest getting up into the $400-500 range.
If you want to stick with Vortex I think they have a few offerings that would probably be better options.
Thanks, just wanted to be sure before buying. I have taken woodchucks out past 300yards and as close as 50yards on one sit, so lots of turret twisting. Surprisingly the crossfire never misses a beat.
 
Thanks, just wanted to be sure before buying. I have taken woodchucks out past 300yards and as close as 50yards on one sit, so lots of turret twisting. Surprisingly the crossfire never misses a beat.
My experience is most modern scopes are actually pretty decent little machines, and generally do what they are intended.
Eventually tho they all ware out, and cheaper ones with softer components are likely to ware out faster. If your only making corrections a few times a day your probably not putting a ton of stress on the mechanism, even if they are large corrections. Especially if your staying fairly close to optical center the whole time, and 300yds would be what 4moa up?
 
Thinking about buying a Viper 30mm in 6.5-20 for my 223rem bolt gun for target and woodchuck shooting. Anyone use this scope? Would it be a good upgrade from a Crossfire 6-18 and do the turrets track true?
I have a Viper HS 6-24x50mm on my 270 Winchester Mossberg Patriot and it is more than adequate for my needs, and with my astigmatism/vision in general being super bad( I'm only 25!), I don't think I would be able to tell the difference in anything more expensive...
 
I have one with the BDC reticle. I have it on a AR-10 with a SS 20 inch barrel..and shoot 168 MK. Zeroed at 100 yards...the BDC is PERFECT all the way to 500 yards. Nail a 10 round steel plate from 100 to 500...all day long.

I did have a problem with it out of the box...it went wonky after 10 shots, sent it back to Vortex and had in back in 5 days...in PERFECT working order.

While it was disappointing to have it bad almost out if the box...Vortex service is best bar none!

I recommend that scope...its held up to 308 now for a long time...223 would be easy for it.
 
6.5-20 for my 223rem bolt gun for target and woodchuck shooting ... I leave the turret caps off my crossfire and twist the turrets from 100-300yards ... as close as 50yards ... but I am afraid its going to goof something up one day continuously doing so.
Would you consider Burris FF E1 6.5-20x50mm with Ballistic Plex reticle? https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...20x-50mm-169-9-shipping.893341/#post-12061424

Still under $200 shipped with "Forever. No questions asked" warranty - https://gun.deals/search/apachesolr_search/200341

index.php
 
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Great thing is Vortex has a great warranty. Bad thing is most of their scopes that aren't a Razor model will need that warranty at least once before you get rid of it.
When I worked the Cabela’s guncounter part time I dealt with Vortex frequently. The people at Vortex were super nice. I dealt with a lady named Doreen Fobes. I’ve been gone from Cabela’s a long time but I stored Doreen’s name just so I would never forget her name, because she was that good.

The caveat with Vortex is even though they humped to please, as a rule they weren’t as knowledgeable as the Leupold and Meopta reps I’ve dealt with.

I never kept count but it sure seems like we had more Vortex scopes returned as defective than any other brand, and I’m taking into consideration the fact we sold a bunch of Vortex.
 
When I worked the Cabela’s guncounter part time I dealt with Vortex frequently. The people at Vortex were super nice. I dealt with a lady named Doreen Fobes. I’ve been gone from Cabela’s a long time but I stored Doreen’s name just so I would never forget her name, because she was that good.

The caveat with Vortex is even though they humped to please, as a rule they weren’t as knowledgeable as the Leupold and Meopta reps I’ve dealt with.

I never kept count but it sure seems like we had more Vortex scopes returned as defective than any other brand, and I’m taking into consideration the fact we sold a bunch of Vortex.
When I sent mine back, I had a long talk with the Rep. I forget his name, but he was a heck of a nice guy. I learned more about the optics business from him in 30 minutes than I did over the previous lifetime.

He told me Vortex strives to get 100% of their products out defect free, like everyone no doubt, but the reality is about 92% is average per annual. If they get higher than that, they send people to the production plants (in the Philippines, Japan, and more recently China) to see what the heck is going on. The pandemic has hit everyone hard..restricted travel, production plants short staffed..etc..which included QC staff as well, and as a result, the QC at Vortex is worse the last 12 months (This was as of July this year), but they are doing their best.

That said, the repairs are done in the US for any return, and they did my repair and return in under a week..so they do make extra efforts to keep you happy.

To compare...I also sent a Redfield product back to Leupold on the same day I shipped the Vortex...Im still waiting for Leupold to send a replacement, as they told me mine couldn't be fixed, but the replacement is on backorder and they still have no idea (as of Oct) when they will be able to ship it to me....

So, yes, Vortex QC is clearly not as good as we, and I'm sure they, like, but you can't beat the service!
 
I’ve had a few vortex scopes over the years, one had to be sent back twice than on the third reoccurrence I suggested they keep it. A couple weeks later a check for my entire purchase was in my mailbox. I bought a swfa 3-15x42 that has NEVER had one single issue EVER. I now own a Vortex Golden Eagle for one of my LR rifles, it’s really quite good.
 
I’ve had a few vortex scopes over the years, one had to be sent back twice than on the third reoccurrence I suggested they keep it. A couple weeks later a check for my entire purchase was in my mailbox. I bought a swfa 3-15x42 that has NEVER had one single issue EVER. I now own a Vortex Golden Eagle for one of my LR rifles, it’s really quite good.
This was the first issue I've had with a Vortex (but I admit I only own two others), I have had issues with Nikon and Crimson Trace..(still waiting for my CT to return as I write this) but I have mostly Leupolds, and this is my first dealings with them...and I'm not impressed Im here to tell ya! lol.

But really one bad one (and it's a Redfield, not a Luepy) out of the 8 I own...aunt too bad really.
 
PXL_20211127_183250980.MP.jpg some of the scopes that I'm playing with that are similar to that vortex.....

I'll try getting my buddies PST which I think is a 4 to 16 or 6.5 to 20 or something like that and do a comparison.

But anyway, optically the burris 6.5-20 is just as good or better than the ones that cost $100 to $200 more.
Granted none of them hold a candle to this guy
PXL_20211127_185506915.MP.jpg

But still im always surprised with how good the lower cost scopes have gotten. And again optically i think the Philippines (havent used a Chinese) made burris are some of rhe best lower cost options.

The only reason I didn't suggest that is a direct alternative to that vortex posted earlier as I don't think the turrets are all that consistent. Of the 3 E1 I've had only one had really accurate tracking.
If the reticle works for you though in terms of cost I think they're one of the best options available. I've never had an issue with a burris, and that includes the half dozen used ones I bought over the years.
 
The first few years that Vortex was in business, all of their products were made pretty well. Then something changed, and their lower priced models really started having large failure rates.
If you're buying a scope brand for the warranty, then you must be planning on it to break or fail to begin with. Most brands of optics today have Lifetime Warranties, but just look at all the people that own Nikon and Weaver scopes. What good is that warranty when they no longer produce scopes?
 
Haven't owned a Vortex scope yet but I do have a Burris 4.5-14X44 E1 and it is a great scope but it has been replaced by an Athlon Argos Gen2 8-34X56 and honestly I can easily see 22cal bullet holes in paper at 200yds and that is at just 24X magnification..

Working at a 200-300yd rifle range a couple days every week I have had the chance to look thru many different scopes. Friday I was able to look through a Swarovski 5-25X56 and fell in Love!
 
The first few years that Vortex was in business, all of their products were made pretty well. Then something changed, and their lower priced models really started having large failure rates.
If you're buying a scope brand for the warranty, then you must be planning on it to break or fail to begin with. Most brands of optics today have Lifetime Warranties, but just look at all the people that own Nikon and Weaver scopes. What good is that warranty when they no longer produce scopes?
I sent in, and got back a Nikon for repair in the spring, the seal had worked out of the objective, and it fogged up and the lens rattled. They fixed it 100% but they do say, they will keep repairing the scopes until they run out if parts...after which they will give you vouchers for other Nikon products. They still make binos...but I have no interest in anything else they make..

That is until they go under completely, which may happen soon, as Nikon as a whole is in terrible shape.
 
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