Vortex Venom vs Burris Fastfire III dot question

[Walkalong]

Anyone have both? How do the dots look? Round? Starburst? Somewhere in between? How are the windows on them. All compared to each other if you have both. I am interested in the 6 or 8 MOA dots they have. Going to put one on an XDm OSP. I bought one today off of GB for $550.01 no CC fee no shipping.

Burris

Vortex

Thanks

 

[ColtPythonElite]

I don't have both, but have a couple of Fast Fires III's. I can attest to their durability. I have had them on for about 3 years and have not had the zero shift.

 

[Walkalong]

What about dot quality? I have a Fastfire II and it has been dependable as well, but the dot isn't anything to write home about. is the III better?

 

[ColtPythonElite]

Mine are 3" MOA. I think the dot is pretty crisp. I have no complaints.

 

[cdb1]

I have two FastFire III's and a Vortex Razor mini red dot. I wanted to buy a Venom last February to mount on a turkey shotgun. I was still able to buy optics through dealer programs and since the Venom was so new, Vortex wasn't making them available for the program yet but instead was making all Venoms available for retail sales. Was told the earliest I could get one was late fall. So I bought a second FastFire. 60% off MSRP on a FastFire was a lot better than paying full retail for a Venom.

I've looked through quite a few Venoms and can't tell a difference between them and my FastFires. I believe Vortex came out with the Venom to get market share from Burris. My Razor is noticeably better than the other two but obviously cost a good bit more.

No red dot looks perfectly round to me because of my astigmatism.

Why aren't you looking at the Viper Red Dot since it was designed and is marketed as a handgun optic?

 

[Torian]

I have the Burris, and it is an excellent little optic. The only thing I dislike is the pressure switch. It can be difficult to manipulate...and there is no feedback to tell you whether you've actually turned it off (you have to look through the lens).

 

[cdb1]

I have the Burris, and it is an excellent little optic. The only thing I dislike is the pressure switch. It can be difficult to manipulate...and there is no feedback to tell you whether you've actually turned it off (you have to look through the lens).

True.

 

[Fine Figure of a Man]

I have the FF III with 3MOA dot. On the brightest setting there is some starburst effect to the dot. It gets better on the lower settings. I have heard that eyeglasses will increase the starburst and cause some to see two dots.

 

[GarySTL]

I have both mounted on different 22 pistols. I have a slight preference for the Venom due to the intensity adjustment. The only thing I don't like about the Burris is that POS cover. There's got to be a better way guys.

 

[Walkalong]

Why aren't you looking at the Viper Red Dot since it was designed and is marketed as a handgun optic?

Well, untill I just started looking I wasn't aware of it. I knew they had the Venum and the Razor, but not the Viper. After reading about them I think I see what you are talking about as I was reading that the Viper dot is lower to "cowitness" with the sights. I have no need or desire for that, so assuming equal quality (Price is similar), I would lean towards the Venum with the higher dot for speed. I ordered the Venum. If I get to really liking the dot on the XDm and want more quality I can always upgrade to a higher priced unit like the Razor etc. I have a J Point on a .22 and it's really nice. I can always use another red dot, so upgrading wouldn't be a waste to me. In the long run, I may even get a small dot to swap out with the large dot for somewhat more precise shooting just playing around, although the 6 MOA should do fine. I may get a Fastfire III 8 MOA for my S&W 41 one of these days. It is a lot of fun to shoot the steel challenge with, but a larger dot would help me be faster with it.

Thanks everyone.

 

[cdb1]

Cool beans.

 

[Walkalong]

It seems no one has the 6 MOA Venum in stock (4 to 6 weeks out), so I am back at ground zero.

 

[greyling22]

Looks like joebob has it. https://www.joeboboutfitters.com/Vortex_Venom_Red_Dot_3_MOA_or_6_MOA_p/v-vmd.htm

 

[wally]

but have a couple of Fast Fires III's. I can attest to their durability. I have had them on for about 3 years and have not had the zero shift.

I can attest to the Burris "no BS" warranty. They have replaced two for me after the LEDs went out. No questions asked. Both worked great until LED suddenly went out and a battery change didn't get it back.

I'd of course prefer to not need to use the warranty, but its good to know its there. These were both frequently used pistols with high round counts after the optic was installed. Mine were closer to five years old, one was the original first generation, the other was early production FastFire III, they replaced the oldest with the newest FF3.

I do agree the original much smaller cover was more useful, although I think the new pushbutton switch is a large improvement over the original slide switch, but not to say there still isn't room for improvement.

 

[Walkalong]

Sorry, JoeBob has run out of stock of the Vortex Venom Red Dot 6 MOA!. NO backorders are allowed and this item has NO ETA. Please check back at a later date.

Thanks though.

 

[greyling22]

Aw man, it shows in stock and available ship within 24 hours on their web page. Sorry about that.

I can find 6 moa vipers and 3 moa venom but not a 6 moa venom. Christmas is ruined!

 

[Walkalong]

No worries. I may go with a J Point. I Iike the one I have. Pistol arrives today. I guess I could always put my FF II on it if need be. I need to order something though.

 

[Walkalong]

I ordered the Fastfire III from Optics Planet. They had a "lucky10" coupon for 10% off anything over $50 on certain items, and the Fastfire III was one of them.

I picked up the pistol. I like the sights, and will shoot it as is some before mounting the Red Dot. I need to make sure the irons are on anyway.

 

[Walkalong]

The FF III came yesterday. I like it. The dot is smaller than I expected, although I haven't looked at anything at 100 yards to judge what it covers at that distance. I'm sure glad I didn't go with the 3 MOA dot. It is nice and round and well defined. I like the simple control/on/off button. On push and it goes to auto brightness. It comes on at full bright and quickly adjusts. One more push is full brightness of the dot , another push is med brightness, another push is low brightness, and another push is off. The elevation and windage controls are both accessed from the top, and while it takes a CR1632 3V lithium battery, unlike the 3032 that is so common, and I buy in bulk because my other red dot sights use them, it is easily replaced from the top as well, which is nice. The installation of the battery that came with it was easy. The 1632 is pricier than the 3032, or I just haven't found a good place to buy them from yet.