hitting a hornet's nest but...

[BarrelNuts]

Im trying to remember the last time me or my gun fell out of a tree. Or screwed up my scope while crawling up on a deer.
Im still on board for an occaisional 1 man deer drive however.

I do a lot of hunting from elevated tree stands... rather than climbing up the ladder or tree spikes always climb up and pull the rifle up after me; safer that way. I have had a rifle get about 13 feet off the ground then knot comes undone, or sling swivel breaks, etc... Also had a friend fall asleep in a tree stand and drop his rifle (dumb and extremely irresponsible but, it happened).

[LongRange]

I have 2 Vortex Viper PST 6-24x50. Haven't had a problem with either of them. Never had to use the warranty either.

you will...i can think of 6 guys off the top of my head that have had issues with them....BUT...they do stand behind their products.

[BarrelNuts]

you will...i can think of 6 guys off the top of my head that have had issues with them....BUT...they do stand behind their products.

Are these recent (past 6 months to a year) or older? I've read/seen a lot where Vortex has improved quality and consistency over the past few years. Despite the reputation I've talked to quite a few on here who actually swear by their PSTs, said they have never had problems with them (newer models), and highly recommend them. They offer a military/LEO discount that would put a PST not just well within the budget but at about half of what everything else I'm interested in costs; in other words even with the folks who say they are prone to break (because they stand by their warranty) I'm still seriously considering giving them a shot.

[psharon97]

you will...i can think of 6 guys off the top of my head that have had issues with them....BUT...they do stand behind their products.

I got my first one June of 2012 and never had any issues with it. Got my second one September of last year, same story on that one. This isn't a Nightforce, or Schmidt & Bender or US Optics, or any number of scopes in that price range. I wouldn't want to take this scope to Afghanistan nor would I mount it to a Law Enforcement precision rifle. If that were the case, then yes, I would spend as much money on optics as my armorer could afford. Unfortunately, I simply cannot afford that kind of scope and most people can't. For the price and features, the PST is a great value.

[noisewaterphd]

I have 2 Vipers (HSLR FFP, PST SFP), 1 NF (SHV), 1 Sightron (SIII), and 3 Nikon's (2 Monarchs, 1 Prostaff).

So, speaking from firsthand experience, I can honestly say that I prefer Vortex glass over any other that I own.

I can also say that I have yet to have any issues with the Vortex scopes. And, they have not been treated nicely, one is on a pack rifle, the other on my varmint. They both get very used and abused.

Having said that, I trust the NF more overall, and the repeatability is the best of the bunch. This is a bench gun, and is treated better than my first born child. I have not actually tested the ruggedness. It definitely gives you that feeling though.

The Sightron is pretty great too if I'm being honest.

The Nikon's were all purchased on sale, and every rifle needs a scope...they really look darn good for the $$

Optics have come a long way in the past few years. Pick one that is on sale, and meets your criteria. Don't get too hung up with brand names.

If money is no object, or if ultimate reliabilty/dependability is paramount, I think I would recommend the NightForce out of any that I have first hand experience with.

[stomp442]

How many of you guys are using the turrets to dial for long range shooting? I will admit that the Vortex glass is very nice but I use more than nice glass for my kind of shooting. I dial for range anywhere from 200 to 1200 yards and the Vortex just doesn't hold up and are not repeatable. In my experiences with them over the last two years once you have them zeroed they seem to hold zero fine but once you go cranking on the turret they will not come back in to the same point.

Here is the latest experience I had with a Vortex Viper HS-T 6-24X50 just last deer season. I had helped a buddy of mine build a sweet Coues deer rig, A short action savage with a 24" light Varmint Criterion barrel chambered in .260 Remington in a Boyds Thumbhole stock. Despite my best efforts to sway him to something else he buys the above mentioned scope because he also could get it for a steal with law enforcement discount. We mount the scope in Burris signature Zee Rings and head to the rifle range to work out our come ups out to 1000 yards. Range session went fine and everything worked as it should. Fast forward a couple weeks and we are at the range again for practice as the hunt was nearly approaching. We check zero at 200 and things are fine, then dial out to the 800 yard steel, make a hit there and move to 600 steel miss low move to 400 steel miss low. Back to 200 to check zero again and miss about a foot low. Re zero the scope at 200 then dial out to 800 steel again miss low. Dial back to 200 miss low by a foot or more again. Give him a quick I told you so and get the scope in the mail. Warranty turn around was quick but not quick enough to make the hunt. Luckily he had a back up .308 to take. I have seen this same scenario play out multiple times with my own scopes as well as other friends of mine and I have come to see a pattern. Those that do not dial for range don't seem to have a bit of trouble with Vortex Optics and those of us that do end up with tracking issues.

[missed]

My PST scopes track very well. I dial in almost all the time rather than hold over.

[yobuck]

I do a lot of hunting from elevated tree stands... rather than climbing up the ladder or tree spikes always climb up and pull the rifle up after me; safer that way. I have had a rifle get about 13 feet off the ground then knot comes undone, or sling swivel breaks, etc... Also had a friend fall asleep in a tree stand and drop his rifle (dumb and extremely irresponsible but, it happened).

Well i was joking of coarse. (Except for the one man drive thing.) I have heard of these type things happening.
And im sure its happened more often than weve heard about.

[Newsshooter]

I have a PST 6-24 that I use for shooting monthly tactical matches both long range out to 1K and steel to 500 meters. Mine tracks just fine, needed some warranty work after a buddy overtightened the rings when I loaned him the scope for a couple months. Vortex fixed it for free and turned it around in a week, actually they shipped it out the day after receiving it. I dial for elevation and wind.

[Matno]

Tracking issues with PST scopes is definitely not the norm. Also very rare to need the warranty twice on the same scope.

[BarrelNuts]

Thanks for the information everyone... Going to pull the trigger on the PST. With the discount program they have for mil/leo I can't get anywhere near the scope for the price anywhere else. If it turns out to be a bum they have a great warranty... and if I have to use the warranty I have another rifle I can use.

[LongRange]

Are these recent (past 6 months to a year) or older? I've read/seen a lot where Vortex has improved quality and consistency over the past few years. Despite the reputation I've talked to quite a few on here who actually swear by their PSTs, said they have never had problems with them (newer models), and highly recommend them. They offer a military/LEO discount that would put a PST not just well within the budget but at about half of what everything else I'm interested in costs; in other words even with the folks who say they are prone to break (because they stand by their warranty) I'm still seriously considering giving them a shot.

ive seen 2 vortexs go south this year(tracking issues)...one was on my buddies 204 second time out with it...and 4 through last year.

sorry for the late reply.

[Berger.Fan222]

If you like the Leupold stick with the leupold. I recently put one of the VXIII 8.5-25x50s on my match gun and that was the best money I have ever spent.

Agreed. Never regretted buying a Leupold. The VXIII 8.5-25x50s is solid for long range.

[SparkyLB]

I've never been a long distance shooter; either for hunting or target, so take this with a grain of salt. I'm not super familiar with the needs a long distance shooter has when it comes to MOA clicks, or even if any scope I'll mention fits your needs, but here goes. At one time the Leupold VariX III in 6-20 x 44 with a single dot reticle was the nicest scope I ever used. On my 22-250 I could reach out and hit prairie dogs at 400 yards with good clarity. Then I got a Zeiss 4-12 x 40. That was super crystal clear and spectacular in the field. I could see the eyelashes on whitetail at 100 yards, and talk about crisp. . . I now have a Swarovski 4-18 x 50 Habicht, and I have no words to describe how magnificent it is. When I put a 1" blaze orange round decal on a target set at 200 yds; the reticle breaks that 1" bright orange dot into 4 distinct quadrants like it was 10 feet away. The advertisers have words to describe optics like this; but I can't. You just have to look through this tube to see what you've been missing all your life.

I know nothing about the many of the scopes listed above my post, never heard of some of those brands. They might be the holy grail for all I know; but glass by Leupold, Swarovski, Zeiss and Leica (in my world) are in a world of their own. A picture really is worth 1,000 words. (A sight-picture, that is.)

Good luck in your search.