Has Vortex become the “go-to” glass for America now?

[Tight Lines]

I have a number of optics...including:

- Nikons (numerous)
- Leupold (several)
- Swarovski (couple)
- Vortex (several)
- Simmons (one)
- Weaver (one)
- Burris (one)
- Trijicon (one)

For an average, all around optic, I don't think you could beat the now discontinued Nikons in the $400-600 range. I have more of those than I can count.

For a great optic, it is hard to beat my Swaros. Those things are money.

Comparable to them are my Leupold. Great optics. The Trijicon is well, Trijicon.

Heck, even my Burris, Weaver, and Simmons are decent scopes, all in the few hundred max range.

I have 3 Vortex and they are some serious glass. On par with any of my others though the Swaros edge them out. Granted they were all $1000-3000 each.

I have used the low end Vortex and didn't love them. Their low end big box models and discount store units are just inexpensive Asian or other made mediocre stuff. When you jump up to their mid and high end lines is when they really compete IMHO. If all they had were the low end, I'd have never switched anything to them.

Binos and red dots are Leupold, Vortex, Sig Sauer, and Trijicon. The Vortex are good in red dots, the cheap binos I have my son uses because his eyes are still awesome.

I'd buy more of their products...and I think they are an American brand that is here to stay...

 

[sleepr71]

Good low to mid tier optics for the money. If I was after high end..I’d spend the money on traditional high end names( Swarovski/Schmit & Bender/Zeiss/Nightforce).

 

[ILbowhntr]

IMO this is one place where you get what you pay for.
I have a Vortex rangefinder and it’s very nice. Love the green display, I’m color blind.
Most everything I have wears Leupold glass. A Nikon on a .556 upper, couple Burris on truck rifles and a couple Zeiss.
Most Leupolds are VX 3i and VX5HD on a couple Weatherbys. The 3i scopes are all clear to the edge and 30 minutes after sunset, I can still see through them. The VX5HD are better than the Zeiss glass I have.
For my money and the way I hunt, I like my Leupolds.
Also have a couple sets of Leupold binoculars.

 

[bfriendly]

I’m gonna say yes, yes it is! I’ve never been one to have a bunch of nice armory so I surely have no knowledge of fine glassware. But what I do have is a Simmons 22 mag scope on my 22 mag and it’s a tack driver to 100…..but I haven’t been able to stretch it out on a range. Under $50, 15 years old no complaints or reason to upgrade.
I went red dot on my AR 15 and have a crossfire 2. It’s very blurry to my eyes unless I co-witness with my hard sights……40-100+ yards I’m looking through both sights. I consistently put them in a 3” circle at 100 and I really like it. My son says the dot has sharp edges so I’ll take his word for it.
I finally bought binos and got Vortex crossfire HD and love them. I just don’t like wearing the harness, most hunting is close range so I seldom take them with me.
My only disappointment with the bino purchase is that it was a gift and the one she bought from didn’t include the hat……really wanted that hat
i do understand the hype of high end glass, but functionality wins for me and Vortex fits the bill in many ways.

 

[Jim Boyd]

Out of stock or back order everywhere I’ve checked. I’ve been running into that problem with most scopes I’ve been interested in.

Or less $$$

Vortex Diamondback 3.5-10x50

Msrp $379

Amazon $249

2 simple reticles available

Lifetime warranty

Rated 4.8 of 5 / for 2200+ Reviews

Very little risk here.

Or… if you are willing to go the other way ($500) the options simply explode.

 

[sea trout]

My brother has a vortex, it's the crossfire I'm very sure.
I target practiced a lot with that at the range from 50 to 400 yards in 2014 and 2015 and it was ok. I wasn't impressed, but for the 2 ta 3 hundred dollar range scope it was ok.
To me I have scopes for hunting, I'll either have the Nikon prostaff for 169.00 bucks or I'll take Swarovski at a grand and over. To me nothing beats Swarovski. And everything in the in between price range cant magically outdo the 169 dollar nikon prostaff.

 

[sea trout]

My only experience with vortex is with a crossfire II. Glass was ok and I killed a ton of hogs with it but the reticle inside couldn't handle the 308 it was on. It got worse at every shot. In low light I would turn on the illumination and it washed the whole lens out in red. I wont buy another.

Pretty sure this is the scope that I mentioned above, And it was on my brothers m70 308 so the same there too.
I noticed the reticle problem also over months of shooting it on Mondays.
It works for my bro though he's happy with it and kills elk and deer with it with no problem.

 

[Hunter922]

For me, yes.. never seen better customer service..

 

[HarryO45]

If you go into the world of serious action shooting, like three gun competitions you will see about 50% Vortex… ten years ago it was much higher, but today much more competition getting marketing and sponsorship$$$ drive of what the top (professional) shooters use. Granted these are top of the line vortex models.

I always recommend folks try lots of different scopes. Pick a reticle that feels most natural for you. Lots of different options… a retical that is most instinctive for you is better than perfectly clear glass at most practical ranges and most hunting situations.

 

[Jim Boyd]

If you go into the world of serious action shooting, like three gun competitions you will see about 50% Vortex… ten years ago it was much higher, but today much more competition getting marketing and sponsorship$$$ drive of what the top (professional) shooters use. Granted these are top of the line vortex models.

I always recommend folks try lots of different scopes. Pick a reticle that feels most natural for you. Lots of different options… a retical that is most instinctive for you is better than perfectly clear glass at most practical ranges and most hunting situations.

Which scopes took that market share away, sir?

 

[rattlesnake1]

Leupold is my preference
scopes and binoculars

 

[HarryO45]

Which scopes took that market share away, sir?

Off the top of my head, I seen nightforce, Leupold, trijicon, Sig, Schmidt and Bender… some other European stuff.

I am a recreational shooter, I am not sponsored or even very good compared to most of the big names at the matches that I shoot at. Besides hunting it is a sport that connects me and my son. I used to outshoot him but now he is outshooting me on every stage. We just do it to have fun and shoot a lot of ammo!

but back to Vortex. It is defiantly represented - in a community that will spend insane amounts of money on their sport. Vortex Razor is a favorite…. I use a vortex viper (1x6) which is a low end scope at a major match - I also hunt with the same model on my .450 Bushmaster.

 

[Jim Boyd]

Off the top of my head, I seen nightforce, Leupold, trijicon, Sig, Schmidt and Bender… some other European stuff.

I am a recreational shooter, I am not sponsored or even very good compared to most of the big names at the matches that I shoot at. Besides hunting it is a sport that connects me and my son. I used to outshoot him but now he is outshooting me on every stage. We just do it to have fun and shoot a lot of ammo!

but back to Vortex. It is defiantly represented - in a community that will spend insane amounts of money on their sport. Vortex Razor is a favorite…. I use a vortex viper (1x6) which is a low end scope at a major match - I also hunt with the same model on my .450 Bushmaster.

Great info and great scope brands!

Enjoy the matches and the time with your son!

Good report!

 

[gb1194]

I bought a 6x14 44mm Zeus’s from Red Hawk Rifles. Best money I ever spent an a scope.

 

[Pig Predator]

I bought a 6x14 44mm Zeus’s from Red Hawk Rifles. Best money I ever spent an a scope.

That's where I got mine. It was a demo but didn't look like it had ever been out of the box and I saved $400.

 

[ssramage]

I run a set of Vortex Viper binos that I have really enjoyed. Before that I had the Diamondbacks and they were good also.

I have 3 or 4 Vortex scopes on various rifles, although not my higher end guns. Those guns have either Leupold or Zeiss. For kids guns or budget guns, I find the Vortex glass to be sufficient.

 

[elfiii]

Just so everybody knows, shooting is 10% the glass and 90% the trigger puller.

 

[Hillbilly stalker]

Made the switch 5 minutes ago. It’s hard to take a Leupold off a Browning….but if you can’t see it you cant hit it. My eyes fault, nothing wrong with the glass. I can personally testify about the toughness of a Leupold, dropped mine while on ice onto a rock. It struck flat and never lost the zero, only scarred it. Hope Vortex is 1/2 that tough.

 

[natureman]

Check out this guys site. He is very knowledgeable.

C_DOES - YouTube

 

[Jim Thompson]

Just so everybody knows, shooting is 10% the glass and 90% the trigger puller.

Shush yo mouth!