Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Why the big hardon for Vortex ?

I am wondering why Vortex seems to have so much love in the optics market ? The company has no experience with optics mfr. and design, but
only to hire it done overseas, and now all in China.

My experience is extensive, and I have always found better choices with other more proven companies.

Might want to read a bit more before posting that. They have a facility in Wisconsin that makes some optics.

95% of anything Vortex is Chinese. Always something at least as good or better for the same or less money.

Assembly of a few scopes. Wowsa…

I don’t understand the vortex craze either. A Nikon is a better version of a vortex for the same $$$ and when you get into their “high end” stuff it makes Nightforce look light weight. I’ve always seemed to find better options.

Not sure if what you say is actually true. First, they seem to catch their share of crap here for their shortcomings, and I simply don't know about the sources of engineering, design, and manufacturing. IME, Asian makers, and not just Japanese ones, can make good stuff when they want to, maybe not Zeiss-good yet, but certainly serviceable, as shown with Burris and Hawke scopes I've had.

I have two of the Sparc 2 red dots. One has been mounted on several things, including a .357, and a .270, and now sits on a magnum springer airgun. The other crapped after about 10 shots on another .357, and was replaced with a new one, as yet unmounted. Took two weeks, round trip. A good bit of the positive stuff I see here concerns their CS. Have to agree about that.

I also have a Diamondback 10x42 binocular, which is pretty nice to my unsophisticated eyes. The first thing I noticed was the good color rendition. It was a gift, is used often, and serves me very well. Don't need anything better for my use.

No scopes as yet, and I've got pretty definite ideas about any of those I buy in the future, so that won't change.

Poured concrete at their facility today, they are doing another small expansion.

I suspect most of the success with Vortex on the retail side is the payments they make for product placement. A couple of observations, is that at the
Cabela's store in EGF, Vortex has paid for top shelf placement in the optics case. That takes cash to the optics mgr. in each store, or chain.

In Scheel's stores, it seems each store operates more independently. For example, in Fargo, they do sell lots of Swarovski which is fine, but they have placed
Vortex in the same showcase, as that means equality, and what a heresy. I found no Zeiss, or Nikon Monarch HD binoculars for sale, that is unfortunate as they are better choices, in the midrange.
This is too bad, as Fargo is supposed to be the showcase lead store. I am disappointed, as this store should include all top optics mfrs. they offer and educate
their sales force on their optics. I suppose they allow Vortex to come in with commission cash to the lackeys, for a sale. Scheel's is better than that.

If the Scheels stores had much optics knowledge, they would have more Zeiss, Nikon and Leica and Meopta in the showcases.
Bismarck does have Zeiss in the case, and as many should know the Conquest HD is better than any Vortex.

It seems it is pay to play, just like in a grocery store, the companies pay for product placement. I suppose if Vortex is making their binoculars cheap in China, they
have more room with their cheaper labor and cost cutting model.

vortex is garbage and I have zero brand biased FWIW. They are more of a marketing company than an optics company imho.

forgot to mention they also have very aggressive spifs for the counter staff. 1/2 off cards are given out like candy and a points system encouraging them to push products and rewarding them with free products. Or so I'm told

I've never really understood the Vortex hate. I own a lot of different optics, from Leupold to US Optics, Trijicon, Nikon, Burris, Sightron, Vortex, and quite a few others, and I have yet to find any scope in the same price point that I felt was "better". The original Gen 1 Viper PST's were one of the best deals going for a true mil/mil optic, with a very good reticle and plenty of adjustment. Same goes for the Razor HD 4.5-27, probably one of the best scopes you could find at any price (and Made in Japan). One of my favorite scopes is a Vortex Viper PST 1-4x, I have two of them on AR's. Eye relief is perfect, turrets are repeatable, and scope has been bulletproof. Plus, add in their customer service (which is as good as anyone in the business in my experience), and I don't see how you can go wrong with Vortex.

Good point, I believe you are right, Vortex has a cash commission for the counter people, that is something the other optics companies do not do.

So now you know why the dumb [bleep] at the optics counter, who does not hunt, a college kid, who does not know much about binoculars, steers you to Vortex.

Sounds like somebody is trying to do a hatchet job on Vortex to me. I have four of their binoculars, a rangefinder, and three scopes, and they have all performed at or above expectations at what I believe to be a fair price. I have never used their warranty, so I can't comment on that.

I have no skin in the game...and i didn't start the post. I think their optics are low quality and over priced. Their willingness to replace them on a whim kind of speaks to what they have into them ya know.

They are not the only company guilty of this...but they are the worst offender IMHO.

as always YMMV.

You have a good point, so tell us, do you have any experience with other optics ?

No hard on here. I think their stuff is junk. And worse yet resale is terrible because they phase out models and blow them out for cheap ruining resale

My Ruger 22/45 Lite equipped refurb Philippine made Vortex Venom for $110 seems to be fine with my first run out. I can't imagine a Ruger 22/45 beating it. We shall see. Their Razor, bought here used, seems to be fine on my Glock 40 with maybe 100 rounds down.

Which ones, specifically? Is this a generalized blanket statement of all Vortex products, or a certain line?



Leupold and Sightron do the exact same thing, do you hold them in the same regard?

Meat Eater probably...

I have a pair of Diamondbacks and a range finder. Both cheap, both work. Not much else to say.

No boner, if you’re wondering.

Ive owned both Razor binos (10x42) and a razor hd (1-4x24) scope. Didnt pay full price for any of them. Based on what folks actually pay...over priced and under quality. My warranty replacement binos were made in china fwiw. All hat and no saddle

second question...yes but not to the same level that vortex is.