I'm looking for an honest opinion of Vortex optics. Do they stand behind their products, optic quality for higher end models. I'm looking for all good and bad points.
Thanks for the help

I won't touch them with a 20' pole. I had one of their first Razor 12x50 razor bino's that I pre ordered when they were introduced.. I broke them, sent them in to see if they could be fixed. This was at the time they were coming out with the next generation of HD razors. I sent an Email asking if I could upgrade to the HD's and would be willing to pay for the upgrade. I was told that they would be sending me a replacement pair of original razors. I sent an email back to them reiterating that I would pay for an upgrade considering that Vortex was not making the original. I received a return email stating that they had some in the QA room that they used for testing. I had written the serial number of my binos down for my records. When I received my replacements I checked the serial number and it was an older serial number than I had sent in. At that point I put the binos up for sale, cancelled a order for several Vortex scopes that I had ordered, removed all my Vortex scopes that I had mounted on rifles, sold them, Sold my spotting scope. I no longer have anything that says Vortex on it. Bitter? you bet, I have no reason to do business with Vortex for any reason. Their life time warranty is nothing but a joke.

Just bought my first Vortex, the Razor LHT 3-15x42. It’s impressive but we’ll see how it holds up after the shine wears off. It can’t be any worse than a Leupold.

BluMtn, so you broke binos, sent them in, Vortex replaced them with same model (older serial # means absolutely nothing), and subsequently you “won’t touch them with a 20’ pole”. What did I miss?

I don't have any complaints. Seem like fair quality for the cost.

Razor 16-48x65 spotter
Viper 3-9x40 rifle scope
Diamondback 10x42 binos
Recon R/T 15x50 spotter
Solo 8x36 monocular

Isn't everything made in China now?

They stand behind them better than most. When companies start replacing every product that comes through the door it tells me what it cost to make or in their case import those products. They also give half off coupons out like toilette paper and run very aggressive free product spiff to the point of purchase people

Their higher end optics are nice but over priced for what they are.


I like many get half off...and wouldn’t own one. Not to be over critical but you asked

I’m glad people are happy with theirs

Because of their attitude toward me in asking to PAY for an upgrade and then they send me a pair of USED binos older than the set I sent in and mine were pro-order so they were some of the first ones to be out on the market. I have read many times from people who brag about Vortex upgrading a broken scope with a newer version without them even asking. Not to many things get me boiling, but just the mention of Vortex sets me on fire. I will walk 30 miles on broken glass to keep somebody from buying a vortex product. Besides it does not matter what I did. Vortex's warranty is life time no matter what.

I'm thinking of getting a viper HD ED 8x42 binocular. $400-500 on Amazon

Why would anyone knowingly buy Communist China Schit? Time to start looking at labels boys. Too much to choose from. Sure there is a lot made in Pacific Rim, doesn't mean just China. Time send a message.

Why? For $429.99 we'll send you a Meopta Meopro

That made me smile Doug

I’d rather have a meopro than ANYTHING imported by vortex

Seem like nice guys but when the number one selling point is how quickly they replace broken chit (and how often) - sit and think about that a bit.

Said it before, will again, the BEST CS is the CS you never use...

Amen teal

Same here and Meopta is good gear. Good CS as well.

I’ve been having this conversation a lot lately. Even if it’s “made in USA” it’s often with parts sourced from China. If the parts are made in the US it’s with raw materials sourced from China.

Notice how Leupolds say, “designed, engineered, machined, assembled” in USA? That doesn’t mean they’re not sourcing a ton of parts from foreign countries, China included.

So my 1 Vortex is made in Japan, but who knows how much of it started in China first.

I have some Viper HDs and they are just fine...but I'd take Doug up on his offer were I in your shoes and/or had a do-over myself.

Dave

Have an early spotter for the range. Entry-level and adequate. And some 6x32 bino’s from them; pretty good binos.

The hyper-marketing and incentivisation of retail employees is nauseating, if evidently effective for them. Know people who barely understand which end of a scope to look into, but have a vortex sticker on the truck and gush about how “awesome” anything vortex is. Add the ever-changing roulette of off-shore production sources as a business model combined with “here’s a new one, no we can’t fix anything” CS model and it’s just not drawing me in as a consumer.

I've only got one Vortex scope,..a 1X24. I like it very well.

But in my opinion, a discussion about disappointment in name brand rifle scopes could go on for a long time.

There's a couple of well known brands out there that I won't touch.

I hated to hear that Nikon had stopped making rifle scopes. They manufactured some very nice, moderately priced products.

I'm not sold on Vortex optics but I wanted to get some opinions of people with actual experience.
Thanks for the help.
Erich

I have had a couple Vortex products in the past. A pair of Diamondback binos and a PST scope. I thought for the price they were pretty competitive. My biggest issue with them is they lose there value faster than any other brand it seems. You buy the scope. A few months later scope is on sale for half what you paid for it.

Wrong, It can be a whole bunch worse !!!!!!!!

I wish Vortex would buy out Leupold's workers in Oregon and make 4X and 6X one piece fixed scopes again. They could also make both the compact and full size gold ring binoculars. Vortex has very good management and customer service. They are the elephant in the room because they are the biggest producer and seller of sport optics. I think that the product that is produced by leupold workers is probably better but quality control at Leupold sucks. Quality control at Vortex is much better. They look through and check every Chinese binocular that comes through their doors. That being said Leupold is going to try to make it up with making fine sunglasses. ????????


Sometime in the near future people are going to figure out that its better to keep stuff simple and work towards making the optical elements the very best.

Great customer service, how about not needing it? Vortex is basically a marketing company that private labels Asian optics. They sponsor every wanna be prs shooter. They give out tons of free product

Meateater uses Vortex scopes.

But he is kinda skinny.

Seems people care more about the company’s business model than the actual product. We’re a strange bunch.

My only experience was one I put on my grandson's 22-250. I did some side by side comparisons between it and a few other scopes in its price range. It didn't impress me any. My grandson likes it just fine.

Seriously though, could they have come up with a dumber company name? This is literally a vortex.

This

Damn, I've seen 3 year olds cry less when one of their toys break. I'm sure they are glad to no longer have you as a customer.

I bet he is paying full retail for their scopes, spotters, t-shirts, and hats he always has on.

I have had 4 Vortex products.One was a Viper spotting scope 65MM.When I opened the box it was in 2 pieces.I sent it back for a refund.I have a 4-16 HST and it is just ok.I had a 6-24 Viper that I could not focus to my eyes.I sent it back for a refund.I had a 2-7 that had tunnel vision.It actually focused quite well as long as it was left on 2 power.So I have kept one out of four I bought and people bitch about Leupolds.I have never sent a Leupold back for any reason except for the one my son dropped out of a tree stand.

I bought 2 4x16x44 vipers when midway had that special run. Both power rings all but locked up 3 months apart . Both times I called vortex and I got the same BS both times. 2 different techs told me to buy another companies power ring levers to make them easier to turn. I told them to where to shove it both times. They never offered to try to fix them. I buy vortex now at gunshows when they are cheap, but only to resell them. I will never use them again

You sent back a spotter because "it was in two pieces in the box?"

That is absolutely classic!

“I bought the cheapest Chinese Schitt I could find, then was surprised when it turned out to be cheap Chinese Schitt.”

Was looking at the fact they all come apart and in fact are shipped as two pieces...

You know they have built a factory in WI and then enlarged it just for making a scope that everything is manufactured on site, right? Well, except the reticle...

Art, instead of defending Vortex on every Vortex Optics thread, maybe you'd have time to ship Splatter's stock back to him? Just a thought.

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbt...er-in-my-opinion-is-a-thief#Post14690642

Careful there Uncle Rico, Maybe one time you would comment on something you actually know something about. As for commenting on Vortex, I suspect you have more anti-Vortex posts than I have in total.

1 of 50 products is alot. How much of the factory is shipping and receiving?

started out OK...now not so much....kind of going the way of Zen Ray....

The thing is the AMG is an expensive scope and they cannot keep up with demand. I have no idea how much of the new factory is used for shipping and receiving, but my WAG would be almost none. The original buildings are still in use AFAIK.

Rots of Ruck Vortex if you keep importing Chitt from China.

Have to move a chit load of product to pay for a new facility and employees

I guess factory is the wrong word. They probably receive, then ship a thousand products from their warehouse for every one scope manufactured and shipped from the U.S. factory.


Nothing wrong with having product made overseas, but don't pretend the backbone of the business USA manufacturing.

I’m curious what they “make” in Wisconsin. Import, re-sell and ship is probably a better description.

As long as you don't do business with the country that killed hundreds of thousands of people with their greed I am ok with that.

Go on...

https://vortexoptics.com/riflescopes/razor-hd-amg.html

Everything except the reticle is done in house.

😂

They are like almost every other optics company, some of their stuff is good, some isn't. Not hard to do 5 minutes of research and find out which products are which, and where they are made. Stick with the Japanese and USA made products and you'll have the odds in your favor.

They were, still get a Christmas card every year thanking me.

But you'll still have a scope named after the swirl in a toilet, and that's just silly.

Two pieces as in broken.

When I was selling firearms part-time from 2014-2016 we could buy six Vortex optics a year for 60% off MSRP. Dealing with Vortex from a retailer perspective was a pleasure. They do have a great warranty, as so many Vortex owners state. The warranty has to be used way too often, as so many Vortex detractors state but it is true. I admire Vortex’ marketing strategy from the standpoint that it has been very successful for them.

At least one Razor model is assembled in Wisconsin. I have a Razor Mini Red Dot I’m happy with. The Crossfire II, Diamondback, Strike Eagle and Viper scope lines leave me singularly underwhelmed.

My former employer was a Vortex dealer and I acquired razor binos and spotter for free as well as a tripod. All functioned well. I pretty much destroyed my spotter and tripod due to my own negligence. Both were replaced swiftly and w/out hassle. Say what you will about their products but they honor their warrenty.


mike r

PB for the Win! LOL!

Actually there warranty SUCKS

*their*

I read a lot of bad reviews about the Company, warranty. I was going to buy the vortex razor lll ended up buying the Kahlas K16i.

Don’t be “that guy”

I've been to the factory and while they have significant warehouse space, but they have allocated a really substantial portion of it to manufacturing and keep on growing it. Also keep in mind that they are going for some really interesting military projects and if they win the production will be mostly done in the US.

A fairly significant portion of the campus is R&D and other labs. They do a lot of design there in WIsconsin and test a lot of OEM'ed scopes there as well.

In a nutshell, anything that says "AMG" is made in the US. For now, that is two products: 6-24x50 precision crossover scope and UH-1 holographic sight. Both are excellent.

The rest of the Razor riflescopes are made in Japan with final assembly on some of the models done in the US.

Golden Eagle scopes are also made in Japan.

Razor spotters are Chinese, but they take them apart and realign them in the US.

Razor UHD and Kaibab HD binos are made in Japan. The rest are, I think, made in China.

Anything riflescopes that say Viper or PST are made in Phillipines.

Diamondback riflescopes are also from the Philliipines.

Diamondback Tactical, Strike Eagle, etc are all from China.

If you do not like that they make a significant portion of their products in China, buy their US/Japanese/Phillipine products. It is nice to theorize that you do not want Chinese made products, but Vortex lives in a very competitive world. If they stop making products in China, other companies who do will simply take over their market share.

Plenty of companies simply lie about where their products are from. Vortex does not. They are very clear where different things are made.

Like any other company, they respond to market demand. If people buy more of their non-Chinese products, they will do more of their manufacturing outside of China.

Average Joe consumer is all anti-China until it is time to open up their wallet. Then, things change really quickly.

ILya

I own one Vortex Viper scope that cost me around $450.

It has very poor optical quality, and I won't be buying any more of their scopes.

Fool me once......etc. etc.

What did Vortex offer to make it right with you?

Thank you Ilya, appreciate the information.

The End.

And why is that?

Wow!

I just personally can’t support a company that markets the way they do all the while selling 99% prc junk. It’s not even a made in USA thing. I’m fine with Japan, Germany, Czech, etc along with the US of course. I think of vortex as a marketing company that is currently marketing optics

I have no problems if others do. It’s their money...

I figured out that they were average to mediocre since every box store aggressively markets them in multiple price points and every noob just has to have one. Lifetime replacement reeks of “they are so cheap we’ll just send you another one.” But I’m sure some of their products are ok. Most optics consumers have no idea what really good glass is like until they use it. I didn’t.... Happy Trails

Oh, so you want opinions, do you???

My take is that Vortex kinda pioneered the business model that lots of others are now following. Spec a product (for anything they didn't actually design themselves), then have it built wherever the costs are least. Try to put in the best QC plan you can afford, given the price point you've targeted. Match Leupold's warranty. Go for the widest distribution you can.

Since they began, ZenRay, Athlon (a/k/a ex Bushnell guys), Maven, Toric (ex Nikon guys), GPO (ex Zeiss guy), Vanguard, et. al. have done roughly the same thing. China gets the bulk of the mfg. orders, based on price. They can make a great product, but one's gotta have a team of eagle-eyed staff on site looking over their shoulders, to ensure the product in the box meets the specs. It's my understanding that Chinese mfgrs won't cut corners until the very first possible instant they can.

The market is what it is. Vortex has gone to bigger tubes & christmas tree reticles & all the features I don't care about, because they'll make more $ doing it. Good for them. Athlon seems to chase those same products, at a discount. Toric & Maven seem to go after higher-end offerings, I believe utilizing most or nearly all Japanese products, & get their price advantage by selling direct.

10 years ago I talked to the owner of a local company that rebuilds Lyman and some other legacy scopes. He had a 10 month backlog. Given how strong business was, he said they'd gone a long way down the path of actually making their own straight 6x scope in their shop. However, that process stopped when they realized they'd need to retail the scopes for $1,500 to make it worthwhile. $1,500 scopes aint gonna sell any faster in 2020 than they did 10 years ago.

I don't foresee an imminent on-shoring of scope production anytime soon. If overseas scopes are what we'll be dealing with, the best one can hope for is US management that will support the customers. From my experience, Vortex does about as well as anybody.

And that's the opinion you asked for.

FC

The thing about Chinese qc is that a marketing firm like vortex knows what they are suposed to be getting in terms of glass quality,coatings etc but they have no idea what they are ACTUALLY getting...and neither does the end user.

Chink manufacturers cut corners at every single opportunity...it’s how they operate and why I won’t buy Chinese optics regardless of good they are speced to be

+1. I won't buy anything that props up an enemy regime that just purposely killed a few hundred thousand people . Because of their stupidity I have a 10% pay cut effective last paycheck . That will buy a whole lot of flugging optics. . Currently I count one Hawke spotter which is MIC. I have NF, S&B,Swarovski scopes and Zeiss Binos.


If Vortex makes products in any country but China I will look at them, if not sayonara. Athlon,Hawke and other direct Chinese importers are SOL in my eyes

Yeah, about that...




I, myself, have not been to the factory. I've only returned 3 scopes to them. All were tested in WI, and back in my hands in 3 days. After inspection, 2 had nothing wrong with them; the problem turned out to be cracked mounts. The 3rd had a bent tube, which wasn't their defect. They did replace it at no charge, however.

This is just my experience, which informs the opinion I offered to the OP. I'm no Vortex fan boy. There's not a single current-production product of theirs that interests me. When I needed to mount a scope on a Whelen last week, I went with a M8 3X.

In any case, US firms in lots of industries have outsourced production to China for decades. There are well established methods for maintaining QC - think Apple products. It all comes down to how committed ($$$$) a firm is to maintaining those standards. If the QC choices fell to me, I'd probably dedicate more QC funds for the $1,000+ Razor scopes, than I would for the Crossfire II that retails at $100.

China's schidt in their mess kit, for sure. People won't forget the Covid BS anytime soon. Still, I'm not counting on legions of hunters/shooters who've frequented WalMart for the past 20 years, to suddenly give up on anything but $600+ scopes 'n binos.

FC

Here is the level of vortex qc...they shipped out a scope with a bent tube. No go ahead and tell me they are confident in the quality of the glass and lens coatings. This is the inherent problem with China and it’s not a just a cortex problem. I won’t buy Chinese Nikon either.

Maybe I’m off base...but I’ve dealt with Chinese manufactures at the OEM level in the past and know better than to think you are getting what they are telling you you’re getting

In this particular case, the tube was bent by my buddy's overzealous tightening of a windage screw on a Leupold mount.

I've personally never had an out-of-the-box product failure with several specimens of 2 brands that source from China. I have had such a failure with the last (ostensibly) US-made scope I purchased. Maybe if I bought thousands of scopes, I could offer statistically significant figures. 'Til then, that's just what's happened to me.

In the end, the marketplace will efficiently, and probably cruelly, discern which companies meet the expectations of enough customers to keep them afloat. It'll be interesting to see which ones are still around in another 10 years.

FC

Well...my poor assumption but ill stand behind the rest of my concern.

The market ultimately decides I agree but the issue with optics is that they are being sold for the most part to people who wouldnt know good optics If they fell out of the sky landed in their face and started to wiggle.

Lots of cheap optical combines out there and they all have their place...but it rubs people the wrong way they present themselves as premium and basically bribe their retailers to sell it as such

Very few know better...but some do

I own 2 Vortex binos and 4 scopes. I own models that are made in the Philippines or Japan.

I’ve found Vortex optics are very competitive wuslity wise within their price point. The Japanese made/assembled optics are just plain good.

I’ve used Vortex frequently during hunting season and I’ve never had them fail me.

The company seems solid and they are very pro-veteran and pro-2A.

Agree about most Japanese optics but guess what? PRC these days for vortex...shifted to china

I had a somewhat similar experience with Leupold, except.....
When I offered to pay the difference for the upgrade they said "sure, no problem." I got the updated model at no charge.
Love Leupold's customer service.

I’m pretty much in the same boat as everyone else I’ve sent one back no problem on the replacement. Own a cheap crossfire 4-12 on daughter’s target 243 & a viper on my 22-250 both are ok not great but perfectly functional.

I think that I have purchased my last Chinese optic - I think those 2 are all I’ve had & the viper might be Philippines anyway. In fact I’m going to go out of my way to avoid Chinese products.

There’s a lot better out there for the same price. Vortex is a marketing company that happens to sell optics. Primarily to flat brim hat wearing fanboys.

My 1st new rifle & scope in about 30 years, I got one of these Vortex 4-12x abominations on a rifle in a package deal. Really not impressed even a little. I realize it's a budget level scope but their coatings suck & it's just not very clear even on a good day. The eye relief window is really small & it's very unforgiving side to side as well even on 4x. Ancient Vari-X IIs were much nicer back in the '80s than this piece of junk. After seeing something this poor it's doubtful I would buy anything else they make. The rifle kinda sucks too, so methinks the whole mess is going DTFR. It'll shoot 1/2 MOdeer as long as the sun is behind me, so someone else may love it.

Poorly Made in China: An Insider's Account of the China Production Game

by Paul Midler

"An insider reveals what can—and does—go wrong when companies shift production to China

In this entertaining behind-the-scenes account, Paul Midler tells us all that is wrong with our effort to shift manufacturing to China. Now updated and expanded, Poorly Made in China reveals industry secrets, including the dangerous practice of quality fade—the deliberate and secret habit of Chinese manufacturers to widen profit margins through the reduction of quality inputs. U.S. importers don’t stand a chance,

Midler explains, against savvy Chinese suppliers who feel they have little to lose by placing consumer safety at risk for the sake of greater profit. This is a lively and impassioned personal account, a collection of true stories, told by an American who has worked in the country for close to two decades.

Poorly Made in China touches on a number of issues that affect us all."

"Made in China." That is the most nauseating, prideless, Anti-American statement you'll ever find on a product you paid good money for.

Some of these elite granola companies like Outdoor Research, sure are proud of their Chinese trash.

Suave marketing, inferior craftsmanship and materials, Made in China. It's everywhere.

If going for a budget model scope, it's hard to beat a Made in the USA Redfield.

$169 for a new Redfield 2-7. Take that China!

This! Why support communists?

Ask Leupold, Bushnell, Burris, Redfield, Sightron if there are any Chinese parts in their American-made scopes. I’m not justifying doing business with China, merely pointing out that it’s near impossible not to.

I don’t (currently) own any “made in China” scopes, but I do have Chinese red dot sights because you can’t get a red dot that doesn’t have Chinese electronics in it (maybe Aimpoint, but not likely). I’ll bet money there’s Chinese parts in the American made Trijicon MRO I own as well.

It would be great if Vortex didn’t make any optics in China but that doesn’t poison every other optic they touch.

Here’s what themadeinamericamovememt.com has to say about “Made in USA” labeling. Why don’t Reupold scopes say “Made in USA?” (I’ve attached a picture for reference.)

Made in USA
The product is assembled in the U.S. Most parts or materials are Made in USA. For a product to be called Made in USA, it must be “all or virtually all” made in the United States. This includes the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories. “All or virtually all” means that all significant parts and processing must be of U.S. origin. The product should contain no — or negligible — foreign content.

Made in USA with Foreign & Domestic Components
Some materials or parts are Made in USA

Assembled in USA
Imported parts put together in the USA

Packaging displays U.S.A. Flag, U.S.A. Map, the words “U.S.A.” or “American” are part of the brand name
This is an implied statement of American origin. Look for the fine print to see where the product was actually made. Without such a statement it is questionable at best.

I brought the scope back to the retailer, and let them know my thoughts.

The retailer said (essentially) that "nothing is broken", and sending it back to Vortex would not likely fix anything for me, other than to waste my time.

I wrote-that-one-off as a poor decision on my part to purchase it, and simply won't be buying more.

True, a lot of items have components from China. Buying a product from China means you have no quality control of the components. Buying components from China, then inspecting and assembling in the USA gives greater control of the finished product. I’ll guarantee those Chinese scopes don’t use Japanese or German glass.

I own several mid level Vortex scopes. They are a good value on their half price sales. Vortex scopes are not worth their full sticker price, there is always a better optic at that price point.

I have never owned or used a Vortex optic. That said, I believe we are being a little too hard on Vortex.

As long as they make a product that you are happy with and are willing to repair or replace it, then the guys who can't afford better may be happy with them.

I personally rather buy American first and German second if I can find the item I want.

I currently have eight, I think, Vortex products here: one from US, three from Japan, one from the Phillipines and three from China. I think they do really well against their competition in their price ranges.

ILya

Good info, ILya. Thanks for the summary.

I'm not a big fan of Vortex, but have owned a few of their riflescopes and a Stokes Sandpiper.

I'm usually not interested in Vortex products, but am really impressed with the UHD binos, based on a quick look. Have you had a chance to try them?

Jason

"that guy".

"that guy."




https://www.grammarly.com/blog/quotation-marks/

Dammit!

Like all companies certain models are great and some are not whether it is outboards or optics.

I like the Vortex Viper 2 x 7 which has been discontinued & the 3 X 9 Viper. Have a set of Razor 10 X binocs have been great so far.

what’s the correct way to call someone a douchebag?

I havn't had a chance to look at them too much yet. I glanced at them at SHOT and they looked good, but that is not much of a test. Flare was really well controlled.

ILya

After reading this, I need to just go back to open sites.... and hope for the best...

or hunt at 50 yds or under...

OK, thanks.

Jason