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Rifle Scopes Vortex Viper PST choice

O

ohbejuan

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Minuteman
Jun 25, 2013
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I know this has been discussed before and I've read through this forum and a couple others searching for my first scope buy. I have a new mid-range semi auto 308 that I need to buy an optic for and narrowed my search to a few features I'd like to have. MOA/illuminated reticle/ffp are the big three and also a < $1500 budget with mount, covers-caps and everything.

I went from leupold to night force to now the vortex viper pst which seems to have what I want. I checked them both out in store and both appear pretty sweet. I know its been said before but are there still glass clarity issues with the 4-16 vs the 6-24 or has that been resolved?

I was also thinking about a bubble level of some sort, caps of some type, and was thinking a larue qd mount to go with it also. I'll most likely be shooting for fun at 100-200 yd on a regular basis but if the opportunity arises I'd like the opportunity to go longer.

Any advice for a newbie or new opinions on the vortex?

The razor HD was beautiful just out of my price range for now!
 
I would also look at the ADM mount which is a equal if not greater mount for less. The 6-24 IMO would be overkill for 308 semi-auto.
 
The PST is well worth the money. With corrected vision I still have trouble seeing the reticle at 4X. If your eyes are young, go with FFP if not u might consider SFP. IMHO
 
ohbejuan said:
The razor HD was beautiful just out of my price range for now!
Click to expand...
Nope, you can often find a Razor used in the FS section for $1600 or less. IT IS WORTH THE EXTRA MONEY! My advise is to have a little patience, save up and get it. Another good option is Bushnell's 3-21, which is a rock solid tank with a 34mm tube, FFP, Horus or HDMR tactical reticle. You may also like the SWFA 5-20 HD; it's no frills but a good value. If you really want the PST, which is not a bad scope, be sure you get the 6-24 FFP/SFP version; that's the flagship of the PST line and a good value.
 
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I had heard the swfa ss was good but I believe it's only mil dot?
 
The SS's are great, they now have the mil-quad reticle which most guys really like (including me). If going for the PST, I'd probably tend to go with the 6-24x over the 4-16x as you only loose 2x on the bottom but gain quite abit on the top, which only is a negative if hunting up close. That and the 6-24's don't have very many complaints about clarity, the 4-16x is more spotty in that regard -- some have great reports, some don't. If zero stop and illumination are a non-factor, the SS (3-15x42) is probably a better value.
 
I have a 6-24 MOA PST on a 18 inch AR-10 and I love it. It sits in a 20 MOA ADM so I can reach out and touch those long range targets. With my middle age eyes I find I need more power than 14. I turn it up no more than 20...

ETA it's better to have more power and not need it than to want mire than you have...
 
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I had a 6-24 PST MRAD that I only sold to fund another project. However, I still have a 4-16 PST MRAD that is just as clear & sharp. The clarity issue may exist with an older line/generation of scopes as, I haven't noticed any variation whatsoever between the two. Plus, my eyes are a perfect 20/15 (thanks to Dr. Hines & Lasik) so, I trust them! Plus, it may be minuscule to some but, the 4-16 has a total of 21 MRADs of adjustment in both elevation & windage whereas the 6-24 has a total of 19 MRADs of adjustment for both elevation & windage (obviously 2 MRADs less).

my $0.02

AvsFan:cool:
 
LCDR JGB said:
Nope, you can often find a Razor used in the FS section for $1600 or less. IT IS WORTH THE EXTRA MONEY! My advise is to have a little patience, save up and get it. Another good option is Bushnell's 3-21, which is a rock solid tank with a 34mm tube, FFP, and illuminated tactical reticle (two different versions to choose from). You may also like the SWFA 5-20 HD; it's no frills but a good value. If you really want the PST, which is not a bad scope, be sure you get the 6-24 FFP/SFP version; that's the flagship of the PST line and a good value.
Click to expand...

No illuminated reticle option in the Bushnell unfortunately.

Joe
 
scudzuki said:
No illuminated reticle option in the Bushnell unfortunately.

Joe
Click to expand...
My bad. You're right. My buddy has one, and I've tried it out, but it's been a few months and I should've check before posting. It's still a great value scope for the money.
 
scudzuki said:
No illuminated reticle option in the Bushnell unfortunately.

Joe
Click to expand...

Frankly I don't think the illuminated reticle is a feature needed by most. Many States don't allow electronic devices for hunting, and as far as match shooting goes I can only think of maybe once a year that I've used it and even then I really didn't need it but it was simply an aid.
 
I have a Vortex PST 6-24 ffp that works great. It goes back to the factory this week for black specks on the lenses however I shot a match out to 1000 yards yesterday and am very pleased with how the scope performs. My performance was less than stellar but...I've been shooting this scope for two seasons now and tracking is always spot on and always returns to zero. I like the ffp so that I can use the mil marks for hold over at any range on any power. Haven't used it for ranging though. I don't think you can beat the Vortex PST scopes for the price and the reasons I went with the Vortex and especially the ffp is their warranty is great and if you desire to trade up to a Razor down the road the ffp scopes are easy to resale without losing your butt. Great buy.
 
I went back and looked at both again today. So hard to decide! The 4-16 has a beautiful low end and is much easier to see the entire fov but that reticle is huge at the high end!
 
Have a Viper PST 4-16 on my .308 and it's been great, awesome for the money. I have a USO ER 5-25 on my .50 and have compared the two for optical clarity. I spent a couple hours playing with both scopes one day looking at things 3000+ meters away and in comparing them several times back and forth the Vortex had just as much optical clarity on 16x as the USO did on 16ish power or even 20x for that matter. There is a reason I have my USO on a .50, but if you're talking about optical clarity you can't beat a PST for the money. Vortex definitely resolved any glass issues they were having, I just hope if I ever drop mine hard enough it still tracks fine, one thing to think about maybe.
 
ohbejuan said:
I went back and looked at both again today. So hard to decide! The 4-16 has a beautiful low end and is much easier to see the entire fov but that reticle is huge at the high end!
Click to expand...

I know several others want to beat the magnification to death and believe more is always better, but frankly I still stand behind you not needing more than 16x for a 308 semi-auto. You'd be surprised how rarely you'll ever even have it set at 16x unless of course you have bad eyes.
 
I run mine at 16x all the time unless im deer hunting... Then its at 4x while in my tree stand in wisconsin woods shooting deer at 75yards or less.. Illumination is a must during the start and end of the deer hunting day with a FFP scope.




_Nick_ said:
I know several others want to beat the magnification to death and believe more is always better, but frankly I still stand behind you not needing more than 16x for a 308 semi-auto. You'd be surprised how rarely you'll ever even have it set at 16x unless of course you have bad eyes.
Click to expand...
 
elfster1234 said:
I run mine at 16x all the time unless im deer hunting... Then its at 4x while in my tree stand in wisconsin woods shooting deer at 75yards or less.. Illumination is a must during the start and end of the deer hunting day with a FFP scope.
Click to expand...

Being dialed to the max all the time doesn't work well in most match scenarios nor in most hunting scenarios. And again, many States don't allow the use of electronic devices for hunting.
 
Lol, i know better than to disagree with you! (Hides behind JF rifle) ;)


_Nick_ said:
Being dialed to the max all the time doesn't work well in most match scenarios nor in most hunting scenarios. And again, many States don't allow the use of electronic devices for hunting.
Click to expand...
 
The VORTEX PST line would be great way yo go. If your looking at a mount like LaRue I assume you putting it on an AR platform rifle. If that the case I would look at ADM mounts I feel they have a better return to 0 and hold harder.

If we can be of help please feel free to let me know.


Mike CSTACTICAL
 
CSTactical said:
The VORTEX PST line would be great way yo go. If your looking at a mount like LaRue I assume you putting it on an AR platform rifle. If that the case I would look at ADM mounts I feel they have a better return to 0 and hold harder.

If we can be of help please feel free to let me know.


Mike CSTACTICAL
Click to expand...

I switched from Larue to ADM mounts. The ADM will lock tighter without marring up your rail. I had a LT104 that would move back and forth. Wasn't much movement but enough to be an issue holding zero. Yes I tightened it and that's where it would start digging into my rail. I've sold all my LT mounts and replaced them with ADM.


The 4-16x PST is a solid choice. SFP, FFP, MOA, MRAD whatever floats yor boat.
 
I'm leaning more towards the 4-16 but I do like my larue mounts quite a bit. Is a 20 moa cant mount necessary? I read one article where the person said the 6-24 with the 20 moa cant had the reticle looking donut shaped at 6x?
 
I have had all kinds of optics. Though feature rich the PST does not have the best glass for long range resolution. Better served by the SS or a used Razor which is excellent. Now if your just target shooting then it's not a big deal but if your trying to spot your .308 impacts at 1100 yards then the PST will fall short. So 100 to 200 yards then it's gonna be ok.

Get something used perhaps, look for glass quality. SSHD would be my choice for that budget.
 
ohbejuan said:
I'm leaning more towards the 4-16 but I do like my larue mounts quite a bit. Is a 20 moa cant mount necessary? I read one article where the person said the 6-24 with the 20 moa cant had the reticle looking donut shaped at 6x?
Click to expand...

for the most part you will not need a 20moa mount but I would recommend it so you can have more elevation and it will help put the Reticle in the center of the optic.

Mike @ CSTACTICAL
 
I think I've decided on the 6-24 with a 20 moa qd mount. Is there any specific/endorsed vendor you guys use? I was thinking cabelas solely based on the 2% cabelas club funds but the price seems equal everywhere otherwise. Amazon/optics planet/swfa/etc?
 
ohbejuan said:
I think I've decided on the 6-24 with a 20 moa qd mount. Is there any specific/endorsed vendor you guys use? I was thinking cabelas solely based on the 2% cabelas club funds but the price seems equal everywhere otherwise. Amazon/optics planet/swfa/etc?
Click to expand...

I've run this same scope on AR's to Precision bolt guns and love it... Great decision and you won't be disappointed.

Mike
 
Sport optics out of stock and no estimated availability date. Any others with good service/discounts?
 
kansas said:
I have a Vortex PST 6-24 ffp that works great. It goes back to the factory this week for black specks on the lenses however I shot a match out to 1000 yards yesterday and am very pleased with how the scope performs. My performance was less than stellar but...I've been shooting this scope for two seasons now and tracking is always spot on and always returns to zero. I like the ffp so that I can use the mil marks for hold over at any range on any power. Haven't used it for ranging though. I don't think you can beat the Vortex PST scopes for the price and the reasons I went with the Vortex and especially the ffp is their warranty is great and if you desire to trade up to a Razor down the road the ffp scopes are easy to resale without losing your butt. Great buy.
Click to expand...

Youy mean to say it goes back to Vortex for replacement. The 'factory' isn't in the United States. There is no 'factory'. The factory is in the Phillepenes (llook at the bottom of the erector housing) (and China on the less expensive lines). Not an issue with me, I have 4 Vortex rifle scopes. Just clarifying. The warranty is a mirror image of 99% of optics providers. It has to be because if it wasn't, thsy'd be out of business.

What will occur is you'll send in your scope and Vortex will replace it and either landfill yours or send it back to the Phillipenes at some later date.

If consumers only knew the markup on stuff (like optics), they'd faint.
 
Actually it did return to Vortex for repairs, not the factory that is correct. They have a repair facility in the states. However they did clean the lenses, purge it and give a check up then returned it in 8 days. And maybe the warranty is a "mirror image" of many however I did a lot of research of repair times before buying my Razor and there were few times when a scope was sent in to the other manufacturers that the turn around was anywhere near 8 days. Some would say that if you buy the best glass then you wouldn't have to worry about the warranty but...I read about many of the other scopes that had to go back to the factory for repairs, whether caused by a factory defect or owner abuse, were out for repairs for weeks or months. That would surely screw up a shooting season.
 
The cheaper line up has a country of origin in China, the PST's are Philipines, and the Razors are Japan. All scopes are repaired in Middleton, Wisconsin, not the Philippines. And if they are fixable they are repaired, if they are not fixable they are replaced.
 
Ordered the 6-24 today from sport optics! Trey got me hooked up as referenced by pinecone earlier. Not in stock at the moment but should be 10 days or so! Those guys were great, very professional and I can't wait for my first scope!
 
When I ordered mine, it was not in stock. I was not in a hurry. But it showed up about 3 weeks later.
 
I had the PST 6-24 in FFP, it was a great scope for the money, I ended up selling it and getting a NF ATACR, because I needed a little more light transmission at low light for hunting. For a tactical rifle, it was great! Wish I would have keep it for my AR 10!
 
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