Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Vortex quality question

I have a chance to pick up a Vortex Viper HS 30mm scope at a reasonable price. How do these rate for quality?

I had a Viper 6.5x20x50. I bought it on closeout at Academy for just over 200 bucks. After one range session with it, I pulled it off and sold it. It wasn't bright or sharp. It induced eye fatigue pretty quickly. It did behave pretty well getting it sighted in.

I have tried several times to like Vortex products - some upper end Razors and Vipers but they have always left me wanting. Multiple scopes and binos. I'm not a full on optics snob, I own some Leupolds, Burris and a Swarovski CL8x30 bino that I am satisfied with. The only Vortex that I still own is a 13-33X50 Viper Spotting scope. Mostly due to how handy it is.

I bought one $600 Vortex about 7 ish years ago! I took it back off the first week and sold it! I put a SWFA 6 back on my rifle and it shot little tiny groups again. I won't be buying another Vortex. My opinion is there a good scope but not a great scope

I have a Vortex Razor 1-6x24 on an AR-15 I shoot in competition. It's a good scope, but I don't have any experience with the lower end Vortex optics.

The Razor is the only good to go IMHO but the PST's can be hit or miss.

I don't know a thing about the more expensive Vortex scopes but two buddies of mine bought 3-9 Diamondbacks on sale last year and I've heard no complaints. Between them they killed 7 deer using those scopes last season so apparently they work OK. I myself bought a Vortex Crossfire II crossbow scope last year and so far it's worked great for me. I killed two deer with it last season.

I have an older viper on my 22-250 it has been very good below 17 power is clear & sharp higher a bit fuzzy but shoots quarter sized 10 shot.groups . Lower models not impressed with quality- had to send back a scope for a woman shooter they were sponsoring? Son in law put one of the newer PSTs on his 300 Weatherby & loves it.

They're fine for deer hunting. Since Nikon quit making scopes Vortex feels the niche for folks that don't want to spend huge $$$ on a scope. OTOH a cheaper Burris would be about the same. Both back They're warranties

Picked up a Vortex Diamondback 3-9x40 on sale last December for muzzleloader deer season. It sighted in easily and the adjustments were correct and crisp. We usually hunt thickish woods so 100 yards is a long shot more often than not. Early cloudy morning with visibility not the greatest, it had no problem picking up the first deer it saw at 80 yards against a tough background. DRT.

Had 2 vipers that power rings locked up and vortex would not fix them. I found a 6-24 really lost clarity after 20x. No more for me

They don’t impress me, easy pass.

You but anyone's scope that cheap you're rolling the dice

Something not yet mentioned is Vortex and where they are manufactured........some of their better scopes are made in the Philippines ........the dog schitt scopes are made in China.

I only own one Vortex scope and it is OK........was sighting in one of my friend's rifles for a prairie dog shoot last weekend, his rifle had a Vortex Diamondback tactical made in China on it , worst scope ever !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Only thing worth a [bleep] is the Razor line, that being said, they are hard to beat

LHT and Razor Gen 3 scopes are as good as ANTHING on the market. Not to mention their warranty is insane...........
Everything else Vortex is a Crap Shoot. Razor anything is bomber

I agree with this statement. My PST was a miss imo. It was not clear and sharp in the higher power range.

The one I had was a POS and was sold a day after buying it. A Nikon Prostaff had better optical qualities. IMO the ONLY Vortex scopes to even consider are Razors.

Stupid fu cks can keep falling for Vortex.

Most all cheap scopes suck. Most non-European scopes suck. Some of the Japanese stuff is good to go, to include the Razor. The rest of the Vortex line is mediocre at best. I currently have one non-Razor Vortex. Its a PST. It tracks and holds zero better than my Leupolds. Have I mentioned how terrible Leupolds are, too? Yeah stick with Euros.