Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Any Vortex scope worth owning as a hunting scope?

Mackay Sagebrush,

Schott has had a factory in China for several years now.

Doesn't Nikon make some of, if not the best camera lenses in the world? What about Kowa Prominar spotting scopes?

Formidilosus

Can you tell us what scopes you have seen perform them best in the following price ranges.

3-$500
5-$800
9-$1400
1500-2k

I mainly use Vortex, Leupold, and Zeiss Conquests, and all have held up well for me, but I haven't really put the scopes to the test. I would like to know if I should be spending my money on another brand, that will hold up to rigorous demands if needed. It would be nice to hear from someone that has used the various manufactures and put them to the test. Thanks

JMUPT,

What type of shooting/hunting do you do? What do you require of your optics, and in what order do you place-?

"Glass" (clarity, resolution, brightness)
Reliability
Durability
Tracking
Size
Weight

I don't get to play with other folks scopes much. But I do get to occasionally compare optics at the range. So far I have yet to compare any Vortex with glass as good as the glass in my VX-6.

So you are saying Schott went to Schitt..

That sucks.

I have noted that you burn a lot of powder in the LR game, and your observations mirror others in the game or that shoot in a pro capacity elsewhere. Thanks.

Formidilosus
I mainly hunt ranges from 0-500yds woods and fields., but I'm also interested in shooting long range out to a mile.
I guess my order would be

Durability / reliability
Tracking
Glass
Size
Weight

Taking all of these items into consideration, what is the best overall scope in each price range?

Formidilosus,
I am interested in your thoughts on this also. I am most interested in the last two ranges, the $900 to $1400 and up. I am looking to scope a Tikka CTR .30 for some long range work. I would like to spin turrets, might occasionally use it for hunting but that's not its primary purpose. I have been looking at Burris, Steiner, Zeiss, Nightforce, Bushnell LRHS. Thanks

I will throw in that I've used issued Leupolds, and have seen a number of them not track properly, after moderate to heavy use.

I personally own a few that do track great, but I have returned a number of them for repair as well.

Its a crapshoot with Leupold these days.

I do like the low power variables, such as the 1.5-5s, for use on carbines that I am not twisting turrets. They do fine in that role and hold zero very well.




However, on sniper systems like the M24 and M110 SASR, I've not been overly impressed with long term durability/tracking.



Its one of the reasons why some guys will zero at six hundred or so, then use mil holds for closer and more distant engagements, and not touch the elevation turret at all.


These days, if I am sinking big bucks into a precision rifle, I will keep saving until I have enough for a nightforce or USO. I have a few NFs and they each track very precisely. Same with the USO.

Given your criteria...


$300-$500- SWFA fixed powers (6x and 10x)

$500-$800- SWFA 3-9x42mm and 3-15x

$900-&1,400- Nightforce 2.5-10x32mm NXS, SWFA 5-20x50mm and Bushnell 3.5-21x50 DMR and Bushnell 3-12x LRHS.

$1,500-$2,000- 2.5-10x42mm, 3.5-15x and 5.5-22x Nightforce NXS's, Bushnell 3.5-21x50 HDMR.


It gets repetitive, I know. However, those are the companies that have the features of their scopes in the order that you stated.



Almost all of my hunting rifles have either a 2.5-10x Nightforce or a 6x or 3-9x42mm SWFA's on them, the others are mainly fixed 6x Leupold's, though there is a smattering of different ones on play toys. Dedicated long range guns get Nightforce F1's, Beast's, or Bushnell HDMR's.

Thanks, I appreciate the info.

As far as durability/zero retention goes-


Pulled a Nightforce 4-16x F1 ATACR off of one gun to mount on another as the scope it had mounted lost zero (again) from a drop onto soft grass of around 10-12 inches. Bore sighted, fired one round, adjusted and fired the five below-




Then tested zero retention-





The three from the video.




Zeroed and not too long after-

would you do that drop test you had in the video with the NF 2.5-10 x 42 and expect the same results???

Yes. Theoretically it should be more durable due to size/weight. The things I do and have seen done to the 2.5-10x24mm's and 32mm's is obscene.



I'm sure that you know this, however zero retention and fending taking abuse isn't all on the scope. You can have the best scope in the world lose zero if the mounting system gives.

The SWFA SS, Bushnell LRHS, and Nightforce NXS are indeed very good scopes. However, in regards to a hunting scope their reticles leave a lot to be desired IMHO. I don't need nor desire all them bugs on the windshield.

If they came equipped with a standard hunter type reticle (duplex, post & duplex, or a #4) I'd likely have several more.

All three of those scope brands/models are designed to be used passed MPBR. The "bugs" on the windshield help significantly with that and I haven't met a single person who knows what he's doing that would choose a plain duplex anymore for that. In any case, the middle is always the middle and I am unsure why some find it hard to look at the middle.

Jade Helm?




Travis

Great post!

There's the Walmart indoctrination center in the foreground.