Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics How well do Vortex Vipers compare to VX3s and Conquests?

To my eyes I would take a Viper over a VX II or VXIII. I have owned several of both, I like Vipers better.

I've owned a couple of the 6.5-20 and 4-16 Vipers and liked most everything except the glass/coatings. Seemed quite a ways behind VXIII or VX3, Conquest.
Older I get the more I want bright and sharp optics!

One thing to remember - inferior optics are harder to detect in lower powers...above 12X and it's easier to distinguish...

Dave

I bought some Viper 2-7X's for my children when they were on close out. I like the scopes. They are small and light and track perfectly. They seem rugged. The optics are very good. I think they are comparable to a VX2, perhaps a little better. I don't think that they are quite as good as a comparable VX3.

On the other hand, I compared my VX3 2.5-8 with my Kahles CL 3-9x42 the other evening. Reading fine print and comparing low light performance at identical magnification I could find no significant difference.

I realize that others have differing opinions. This has been my experience. Other than the Viper 2-7 (no longer available), I find the Viper scopes to be too bulky and heavy for my tastes. I really do like some of the Vortex products. I needed their customer service on some low end porro prism binoculars I bought for my kids, and I was very satisfied.

In a hunting scope I wouldn't hesitate to carry a few extra ounces for a Conquest over the Leupy, but there isn't much the Leupy won't easily handle. In a heavy tactical I would opt for a Weaver tactical that will out track either one and has awesome glass to boot. The weaver will definitely stomp the vortex pst optically.

Best

I would too. But the VX-II and VX-III were discontinued years ago and replaced with far better scopes. A current production VX-1 will have you throwing rocks at your old VX-III's. The new VX-2's are a darn good scope coming very close to Zeiss for a lot less $$$.

Have you compared them both side-by-side?

Shot my Vortex HS-T 4-16x44 side by side with my Conquest 4.5-14x44 a couple days ago for the first time.
At 500 yards at max power with the light fading the Zeiss had a bit better resolution but not by much, brightness about the same.

My thoughts on optics in a nutshell.

I own them.

I have a number scopes, Leupold , Bushnells, Vipers , Doctors Optics, Nikons , Zeiss, Burris, Lyman, Hawke, one Center Point and in my opinion the best scope for the money is the Zeiss Conquest.

Optically for the money I totally agree as far as a hunting scope goes. As far as a target scope my vote would have to go to the
Weaver Tactical for the money. Optics almost on par with the Conquest with 30 mm tube and plenty of adjustment. They track as well as anything I have ever tested. As good as my Nightforce so far. I wish the conquest came in a 30mm tube though for the same money that would be awesome.

I have the Conquest 4.5-14x50 and the Viper 6.5-20x44 and to my eyes the Conquest is much clearer. To me, the Viper just isn't as sharp as Conquest,especially at magnifications above 10x