Another junk Vortex

[Mr.Snerdly]

I previously posted about my 243 Model 10 with the Vortex. It shot so well with the Redfield Revolution I thought it deserved a better, higher power scope. It shot way worse with the Viper Vortex 6.5-20 and I blamed everything and anything and finally put the Redfield back on and it shot a lot better. I have been fighting my Model 12 22-250 with the heavy barrel and was just not satisfied with it. It had the exact same model Vortex. I recently bought a Leupold Freedom 18 power variable, I think the low power is 6 or so and I just shot a group between .375 to .4 MOA. I am using a tape measure so I can't be exact but I know it is slightly less than .4 MOA

I am sure a lot of you would consider the Freedom scope a lower level scope and compared to what some have it is but it is really a very nice scope in my opinion and not terribly expensive.

I am finished with all Vortex products.

[celltech]

Come on...get caught up in the vortex and keep mailing it back to them. They will be happy to send you another!!!

[efm77]

I've come close to buying a Vortex a few times but never have. Don't get me wrong, I want a good warranty. But when all I seem to hear is how great their warranty is because something happened and they had to send it back. It's a little concerning when you hear about so many people praising their warranty because they had to send one back. I expect a bad lemon here and there with any manufacturer, but it sure seems to happen a lot with them. They have a lot of fans though it seems. For what a Viper costs, I'll just buy a Sightron for around the same amount of money and it's likely a far better scope. Nothing wrong with Leupold either.

[Mr.Snerdly]

I can't remember who said this but it is certainly true--A lifetime warranty can mean a product is so good it is rarely used or it could mean the product is so poorly made and cheap to produce the manufacturer can replace it a couple times and still be ahead. You may replace it a couple times, finally get smart and buy something quality. They most likely would be ahead if they had to replace it a couple more times. The old saying "You get what you pay for" is true most times.

[SageRat Shooter]

I've come close to buying a Vortex a few times but never have. Don't get me wrong, I want a good warranty. But when all I seem to hear is how great their warranty is because something happened and they had to send it back. It's a little concerning when you hear about so many people praising their warranty because they had to send one back. I expect a bad lemon here and there with any manufacturer, but it sure seems to happen a lot with them. They have a lot of fans though it seems. For what a Viper costs, I'll just buy a Sightron for around the same amount of money and it's likely a far better scope. Nothing wrong with Leupold either.

I can attest to the FACT that a Sightron was the better option for me... It was between the Sightron SIII 6-24x50 and the Vortex PST 6-24x50 and I went back and forth trying to figure out which way I wanted to go... Went with the Sightron and I have had absolutely zero regrets.

[stomp442]

Been saying this for years. Vortex Sucks! Unless you spend big money on one of their top tier scopes they are absolute junk. Even then, if I was going to spend that kind of money it wouldn't be for a Vortex. I have seen so many of their Viper line HST /PST go to garbage after very little use. Won't track wont repeat and sometimes literally just fall apart. I will never own another Vortex product and I cringe every time a client brings one in the shop to mount.

78607859

[efm77]

I can attest to the FACT that a Sightron was the better option for me... It was between the Sightron SIII 6-24x50 and the Vortex PST 6-24x50 and I went back and forth trying to figure out which way I wanted to go... Went with the Sightron and I have had absolutely zero regrets.

Same here. I have 3 SIII's and 2 S-Tac's. They all are superb and a good value.

[Txhillbilly]

To be fair, Vortex does make one series of scopes that are fantastic scopes. The Razor HD series is great if you want a very good scope, but they aren't cheap.
All of their other scopes have really lacked in the quality dept. for many years. It's almost like Vortex sucked everyone in by making quality optics for a couple years, and then cheapened the build quality in order to make a higher profit.

Sightron has always made high quality scopes. I have 4 Series III and 1 Series II Sightron's.

[JeepsAndGuns]

Wow, I have never seen so many negative reviews on vortex scopes in one place. I always thought they were supposed to be some of the best.
I have 4 of them, two viper pst 6-24x50 ffp, a viper pst gen 2 5-25x50 ffp, and a golden eagle 15-60x52. All have been great and have yet to have a issue with any of them. One of the gen 1 vipers I bought new, the other one I recently bought used for a really good deal. The used one zeroed with no problem and it just as good as the one I bought new.
Maybe I have got lucky and got good ones, or maybe I just have ticking time bombs. Who knows. But as of right now I have no problems with them and see zero reasons to replace any of them.

Now I do also have some sightron scopes and they are very good scopes too. I have a s3 10-50x60, two s3 8-32x56, and a s-tac 4-20x50.
I will say I really like the 8-32x56. It seems to edge out the 10-50x60 in clarity by a little bit. If I buy another stightron, it will be another 8-32x56. I have also grown quite fond of the moa-2 reticle for target shooting.

[celltech]

I had 2 PST G2's and got rid of them both. I had always heard they were the "it" scope in that $900 price range. Had to send one back because the erector would bind on the last MIL of travel. Beyond that I never thought the glass was as good as people made it out to be. And the controls...why are they soooo stiff? A throw lever is almost required to change the magnification. At least I did like the reticles....

I am done with Vortex...there are many other options that surpass them. I have been very happy with my Athlon TACs and Cronus, as well as Tract scopes.

[Mr.Snerdly]

^^^^I had the exact opposite problem on my Vortex with the magnification. It worked so easy it would change after you fired the rifle. I just wish I could find a sucker to unload the two POS vipers I foolishly purchased. Some people still seem to like them though and I guess once in a while you get lucky and get a good one but 2 defective ones are enough for me.

I have to say that so far, the Bushnell 6.5-24 I got on sale for $275 is doing well. It holds zero and is plenty clear enough for me but it isn't on a heavy recoil rifle, not that any of mine are. Biggest I have is a 243.

[Robinhood]

Amazing what happens when several outdoor shows have a certain brand of scope on their rifles. Suddenly they are the best there is. The emperor has new clothes.

[JeepsAndGuns]

I have been very happy with my Athlon TACs and Cronus, as well as Tract scopes.

Funny. I have one and only one athlon scope. I bought it because I kept hearing all the hype about them over the internet. It is the one scope I bought expecting good things and was disappointed. One of the turrets, the marks do not line up with the detents/clicks, and the quality of the glass is noticeably of lesser quality than my vortex and sightron scopes. Heck, even my cheap bushnell scopes give it a run for it's money on sharpness/clarity.
But it is on a rifle that I do not shoot very often, and it zeroed in and seems to hold zero, so I just left it be.

I guess time will tell if I have any issues with my vortex scopes. :noidea:

[geneackley]

I have said it for years now: The only way to own a Vortex is by having at least two of them: That way you always have one while the other one is being worked on under their "wonderful lifetime" warranty!!!

I personally love the very much UNDERHYPED SWFA scopes, out of Midlothian, Texas!!!. Never had an issue with mine; Japanese optics ( not chinese), US Government MIL SPEC design, 300 bucks (400 for the side paralax fixed 10x model), 30 mm tube... simple, strong, reliable. I have 8 of them and not once have I ever had to send one in for any kind "warranty work".
It aint broke, so I wont fix it.

[Gopher Killer]

I'm also a big SWFA fan, I own 3 of them. 3-15 on a savage 110 varmit, fixed 10 on a FNAR and a 5-20 that will be mounted on my custom 6BR as soon as the stock arrives. I own 2 Vortex Diamondback's but like the SWFA much better.

[8mm RUM]

Do you remember "Ginsu Knives" Just cheap imported junk but an out standing add campaign.
100% replacement if it ever got dull. Truth was it was cheaper to send another piece O crap then to quibble.
It cost more for return freight then to just buy a new one.
My Pillow is a brand doing the same thing, Oxi clean, Gorilla tape, and Liquid steel, and so on not better just "SOLD" better...

[geneackley]

Do you remember "Ginsu Knives" Just cheap imported junk but an out standing add campaign.
100% replacement if it ever got dull. Truth was it was cheaper to send another piece O crap then to quibble.
It cost more for return freight then to just buy a new one.
My Pillow is a brand doing the same thing, Oxi clean, Gorilla tape, and Liquid steel, and so on not better just "SOLD" better...

That's funny. "Vortex!!! The Ginsu knife of scopes!!!!"

Ha ha ha ha!!!! I love it. Sounds like we have ourselves an add campaign!!!!!

[geneackley]

I have always said "Vortex!!! So good you must have at least two of them, so you have one to shoot while the other is in the shop being worked on under their wonderful Lifetime Warranty!!!"

Or is it a lifetime in the shop under warranty? Not sure anymore!!!! Ha ha ha!!!!

I best behave. Vortex people have feelings too.... (Ha ha!).

[yobuck]

Actually we never really got to use the scope to determine wether we liked it for other reasons besides the one we had a problem with.
The rep i spoke with never questioned the rings we used and didnt recomend another brand either.
He simply said they were too tight and were preventing the scope from working properly.
He of coarse didnt mention the fact that the tubes were thinner either.
As for glass quality, how many scope makers actually make their own glass?
Id say about the same number as barrel makers who make their own barrel blanks.

[tomme boy]

I have a 6-20 gen 1 viper and has been on over 6 rifles since new and is perfect. Just bought a new 1-6 30mm Bushnell Ar Optics and it died after less than 100 rounds of cast bullet loads in 350 legend. The load was 9gr Unique under a 200gr bullet. A super fast speed of 1350. On a bolt action with a muzzle break. It has less recoil than a ar15 in 223

They all make junk. Heck I have a 44mag Simmons 6×20 with target turrets I would put up against most scopes made today for the glass.