Vortex Viper PST

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samoconnor123

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Hi all,
Im looking at getting a new scope for my varmint rifle.
I've been looking at lots of scopes and reviews and a stand out scope seems to be the Vortex Viper PST.
The only problem is, most of the reviews I've read are quite old and say that the scopes have a few teething problems.

Does anyone have any experience with these scopes?
And have they turned out to be what you expected?

Also, how do they compare to similar Bushnells, Nikons and Leupolds?
I'm not talking price wise so much, more glass quality and scope function.

Thanks,
Sam
 
That review is the Viper not the Viper PST. The Viper PST is one up the ladder from the standard Viper. I have 2 of the Vipers in 6.5-20x50 (1 x Mildot and 1 x BDC reticle). I just ordered a Viper PST 6-24x50 in FFP with the EBR-1 reticle a little over a week ago but they are on back order for a while, does anyone know where I can get on in stock (that will ship to Australia)? I got the standard Vipers to go on my kids rifles and for the price they are great. A good friend has the Viper PST on his rifle and it's a great scope (thats why I want one). How do they compare to the Bushnells, Nikons and Leupolds, they dont, for the money the Viper and Viper PST are much better and the warranty is every bit as good if not better then the Leupold. If I was going to get one in the SFP without an Illuminated Reticle I would probably look at the Zeiss Conquest only cause I have used them the most and for the money they are a great scope, but I want those features so I will go with the Viper PST. You only have to look and feel the Vipers as well as feel the weight to tell they are a very well built scope. Sorry I couldn't be more help
 
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Also, how do they compare to similar Bushnells, Nikons and Leupolds?
I'm not talking price wise so much, more glass quality and scope function

i like vortex scopes. i own a set of vortex binos and one vortex riflescope, but imo the pound for pound king is bushnell elite.... in other words best bang for the buck. thing is, everyone will have a different opinion on this... i really dont buy into huge objective lenses and light transmission mumbo jumbo... over sensitive eye relief is a huge issue to me though, but everyone has their own particulars on why they like one riflescope more than another. i highly advise going to a retailer and looking through the scopes that you are interested in before you buy. trust me, dont ever buy a scope online if you havent looked through first. ive been down that road and it can be pricey.:banghead:
 
Sky said:
http://www.opticsplanet.net/vortex-v...flescopes.html

I would call first to be sure they are in stock. 800-504-5897
Yes already tried them, everyone is out of stock for at least a month to two months. This happens everytime I want to buy a Vortex scope.
 
nra-for-life said:
i like vortex scopes. i own a set of vortex binos and one vortex riflescope, but imo the pound for pound king is bushnell elite.... in other words best bang for the buck. thing is, everyone will have a different opinion on this... i really dont buy into huge objective lenses and light transmission mumbo jumbo... over sensitive eye relief is a huge issue to me though, but everyone has their own particulars on why they like one riflescope more than another. i highly advise going to a retailer and looking through the scopes that you are interested in before you buy. trust me, dont ever buy a scope online if you havent looked through first. ive been down that road and it can be pricey.

Do you honestly believe (dollar for dollar) the Bushnells are a better scope then the Vortex (I'm not being condescending) and I know everyone is entitled to their opinion, you just dont hear that at all with people who have used both brands. Over the years I have owned a number Bushnell scopes (had a few fail as well) as well as other optics they make (Bino's, Rangefinder) and IMHO dollar for dollar they don't hold a candle to Vortex's glass, build quality and most importantly warranty and after sales service. IMHO about on par with Vortex would have to be Sightron (I would probably take a Sightron over a Vortex if the scopes I wanted had the same features). Again IMHO you can't go wrong with Zeiss, Sightron and Vortex. I will totally agree that (if possible) you should look at the scopes you are intrested in side by side.
 
I've had the 4-16 X 50 mil mil FFP on a .308 for a few months now. I love it!

Pro: very clear glass, tracks perfectly, fantastic reticle. clicks are easily felt and heard, the rudimentary zero stop function on the elevation turret works as advertised, Illumination has "off" positions between settings. Fantastic warranty and customer service. Best combination of features I have seen for the price.

Con: illumination is for low light only. It is not daylight visible
 
Do you honestly believe (dollar for dollar) the Bushnells are a better scope then the Vortex (I'm not being condescending) and I know everyone is entitled to their opinion, you just dont hear that at all with people who have used both brands. Over the years I have owned a number Bushnell scopes (had a few fail as well) as well as other optics they make (Bino's, Rangefinder) and IMHO dollar for dollar they don't hold a candle to Vortex's glass, build quality and most importantly warranty and after sales service. IMHO about on par with Vortex would have to be Sightron (I would probably take a Sightron over a Vortex if the scopes I wanted had the same features). Again IMHO you can't go wrong with Zeiss, Sightron and Vortex. I will totally agree that (if possible) you should look at the scopes you are intrested in side by side.


in short, yes, but im not a vortex expert. i only own one, and i have probably the whole bushnell lineup practically. lol. everything from a banner right on up to the 6500. i have 5 elite 4200's (which are my favorite bushnells) although i think they were discontinued or maybe they just call them elite now?????

anyways in the last couple years vortex hype has been through the roof! and rightly so, it is pretty good glass. and ive watched their prices continue to climb with newer more expensive models. dollar for dollar bushnell is tough to beat. you may be right though, i really havent really examened a lot of the newer models of vortex, so ill have to check that out and maybe i will change my mind after all these years..!
 
You can't go wrong with vortex, so long as you stick with the mid to upper line of scopes.
Their customer service is top notch, based out of Madison WI.
Warranty is great.

Purchase with confidence
 
I have a diamondback scope on my savage and got my dad diamondback binos as well and the service/quality for the price is top notch. You cannot go wrong, like it was said: buy with confidence - especially anything from the viper line.
 
As I stated I own A Viper PST. I also own a Nightforce NSX 2.5-10.

While the PST is a great scope for the money at MSRP and a downright steal at the discounts that are available, it ain't no Nightforce. Never claimed to be won't ever be mistaken for one if held side by side. You might get that level of build and optical quality with a Vortex Razor, maybe.

The PST line offers: EBR-1 reticle that comes either mil mil or MOA MOA FFP or SFP (very user friendly and night illuminated), Solid construction, very nice glass, totally repeatable adjustments, strong turrets with a kind of zero stop on the elevation knob, just the right amount of tension on the adjustment knobs with audible & tactile clicks. Super warranty and CS and very nice rings and bases as well.

From what I've read, the PST line is assembled in the Philippines using premium Japanese glass and components.

Vortex is very customer oriented and quite active on several boards such as Snipershide.com They listen to their customers and develop what is asked for. When the PST line first came out there were a few complaints that the turrets were a bit mushy and too easy to turn but well within what was expected at that price point. Vortex pulled the entire line for almost a year, redesigned and re manufactured the whole lot replacing all of the sold gen 1s that had been purchased as well.

They earned my $$.
 
+1 steven58
I like my Viper (mounted on AR-15 and my Sparc and Strikefire for the price) and think they are a great company with great customer service. I do have a friend who purchased one and mounted it on a .308? that had problems....Kinda hurt my feelings when he did; guess I need to toughen up or get new friends!!
 
Sky,

Sorry to hear of your friends misfortune.

My Viper is on a Savage precision rifle in .308 Win. I have only 500 or so rounds through mine but so far it's working perfectly What kind of problems did your friend have? did he contact Vortex? I'm sure if it's anything even remotely product related Vortex will make it right.
 
I had a Vortex PST 6-24X50, I believe it was. It had good glass, but I didn't like the turrets. The knurling on the caps was really sharp. If you give it any sort of chance to snag on something, it will. The detents for the adjustments were too fine too. I don't mean that the distance traveled by the knob when dialing was too small, but that it seemed like the used too small a stop for the detent. The knobs are pretty easy to turn and that in conjunction with the knobs' propensity to snag meant always having to double check where you are before you shoot. My gripes are mostly subjective and are based on the ergonomics, though. I didn't have any gripes about the scope, except having to send it in twice.

Make no mistake, it is not the equal of a Nightforce. I'm not talking about the glass. I think that the glass is pretty much a toss up. They're both better than they need to be to get the job done without any eye strain. The Nightforce does have better turrets and a robust build.

If you are getting this scope for varminting, how small are the varmints that you're going to be shooting at? I know that a lot of guys into the whole tactical thing like the FFP reticles for their ranging capabilities at any magnification level; but if you're going to be shooting at small things, you may want to consider the SFP model and save yourself some money. The reticle of the SFP model at max magnification covers a lot less of the target than the FFP model does at max magnification.

Personally, I've never had much need for an illuminated reticle. I can't remember the last time that I used one. I don't even think that any of my NF scopes even have a battery in them. The PST is more than good enough that you can see through the scope in low light; and if you can't, odds are that using a lit reticle will only allow you to see the reticle.

Be sure to at least compare the models offered by Sightron as well. Just stick with the SII Big Sky and SIII models and you won't be disappointed.

Just watch getting a tactical scope for varminting. All of the tactical scopes that I've seen have pretty heavy reticles, especially the FFP models.
 
Do you honestly believe (dollar for dollar) the Bushnells are a better scope then the Vortex (I'm not being condescending) and I know everyone is entitled to their opinion, you just dont hear that at all with people who have used both brands.

Having used both brands of scope extensively I expand on this and will push the ante to possibly be construed as condescending.

The Viper PST (and HS, in 1-4x flavor) takes a square and solid dump on any Bushnell that has ever been on the market. The quality of the Vortex PST glass is outstanding period; even more so when you consider the $ value. Not even in the same league.

I think where some people get confused is that they don't understand the Viper and Viper-PST(to include capped turret HS in 1-4x) are totally different scopes; the PST line being way above the average "Viper".

The key thing to remember is that Vortex produces scopes for all budgets...its not a brand that you can easily categorize as all cheap, or all expensive.
 
TonyAngle said:

Make no mistake, it is not the equal of a Nightforce. I'm not talking about the glass. I think that the glass is pretty much a toss up. They're both better than they need to be to get the job done without any eye strain. The Nightforce does have better turrets and a robust build.

did he contact Vortex? I'm sure if it's anything even remotely product related Vortex will make it right.

Yep he spoke! Again I did not pay more money for a Nightforce....not required in my mission parameters ( popping pigs ) but I certainly respect others views and their requirements. Tony is not a keyboard commando IMO and his requirements or taste differ slightly from mine. We are both happy with what we have or we would "change that sucka out"!

For me, the Vortex is one of the best values for the dollar on the market but that is just my opinion based upon my needs.

The little Nikon 223 scope is a great scope too but I think I paid about as much for it as I did the Viper and it is only 4x. Might be wrong on that it has been awhile.
 
TonyAngle, Is there a noticable difference in reticle size between SFP and FFP?
I am also trying to toss up between which one to get, its a hard decision.
But if the reticle is noticeably larger in the FFP, that might be enough to put me onto a SFP.

I don't really think I'd make much use of the FFP, but theres always the odd time that comes up that I will wish I had it.

What do people think of the Bushnell tactical mildot reticles? They seem very large and bulky, and look as though they would obscure a lot of the target, opposed to the very fine etched PST reticle.
 
I've ran a Bushnell Elite 4200 6-24x50 FFP mil-mil on my Savage 10 FCP HS-Precision. It was the first scope I bought for it.

Recently, I switched over to a Viper PST 4-16x50 FFP mil-mil. I won't be switching back. :) The 4200 was retired to a Remington .223 bolt gun.

As for reticle illumination, neither provides enough "glow" to be used in normal daytime shooting scenarios. Early morning or late evening....you can see it. The PST offers an off position between each of stepped on positions. The 4200 has an off position with a variable on position. Since I don't use the illuminated reticle, it makes no difference to me, but it may to some folks.

I find the tracking on the PST to be more precise than the 4200. As for the turret detents and too sharp knobs, I did not find those issues as mentioned above, albeit I don't have but about 100 rounds with it. Compared to the 4200, the PST turrets were one of the first thing I noticed and very much liked. Besides....at least Vortex isn't stupid enough to mark their black turrets with dark green lettering.....what the heck was Bushnell thinking on that one? I also like how the PST allows me to set the zero stop for the elevation turret. Nice touch.

I've not found the FFP reticle to be an issue regarding how much of the target it covers. I use a 3/4" stick on orange dot for a bullseye. At 100 yds, I have no problem dividing the 3/4" circle into evenly segmented quadrants. In other words, I can see 4 pieces of orange surrounding the crosshairs. For my needs, that is more than adequate.

I've got a precision rifle course coming up in a couple of months and it will my first time to push my shots out to 1000 yds. Looking forward to doing it with the PST.
 
Sam, if I remember right, the SFP reticle cover .06 MOA and the FFP covers .18 MOA at maximum magnification. Relatively speaking, the FFP cover three times more of the target. Will this be a big deal to you? It depends on what you'll be shooting at.

Since mine was relegated to rimfire duty, it made a difference to me. I tend to shoot at really small stuff with a rimfire, like 1/2" targets, so it made a difference to me, especially in a timed event.

What it comes down to is whether you need the finest reticle possible and whether you need to have a FFP reticle for ranging purposes. I know that I am in the minority, but I prefer a SFP reticle. I like having the size of the reticle stay constant and since I usually shoot in places where I know the ranges of my targets, I don't need to range much. When I do need to, I don't have any problems doing it with a SFP reticle. The Vortex PST even comes with the mag levels labeled with the subtension adjustments to range at the chosen power.

If it is within your means, I'd suggest either checking them both out or ording them both and returning the one that you like the least.
 
Steven58-

I have the same model as you and the 7-9 setting is visible in daylight.
The lower end is for use with night optics. The mid range is for dusk.

Might be a problem with the illumination control. I'd call Vortex.
 
Thanks Hay I'll check with them.

The high settings are visible on an extremely overcast day but not in full daylight. The rest of the settings are as you describe.
 
i have to agree with the earlier thread the bushnell elites are best bang for the buck. now when you get bushy banners and the new scope chiefs i can understand others points. just my opnion
 
You're welcome, Steven.

Just thought of something else. Earlier models had a problem with discharging the battery even when it was off. I believe they've fixed that but it's something else to ask them about.
 
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