Rifle Scopes How much abuse has your Vortex (or really any favourite scope) taken and survived?

[Martin Taylor]

Well, this is, like most of the other threads on here, someone searching for help buying a scope. So if you're sick of those, then I'm sorry, and maybe you shouldn't read this.

I'm a Leupold kinda guy, all I've ever used has been Leupolds and Redfields and none of them newer than the early 80s. And I've liked them, but I'm half-way through a new build and I'm buying new glass.

As far as use I knew what I needed and wanted and what works for where I live, an I was about to click "checkout" when I decided to swallow my pride and look at Vortex because really, if I like it, their showroom is less than an hour away from the gunsmith who has my rifle which is less than an hour away from Kreiger who currently has a barrel on order for me and well, it would be a pretty convenient shopping trip if I didn't have to leave WI to do an entire rifle.

Anyways, onto the point: I've never broken my 4x redfield and it's been through hell, swamps, -30 degree winters, and it still works fine. I've never broken the 3-9 leupold I've used and it's been through the same. And I know the military trusts leupold so they must be pretty solid. I was looking at a Nightforce because I know they're up to the task, but, like the SB that I want, they are far too expensive unless I buy the SHV which to me doesn't look any better than the Mk4 I want and if it's all the same I'll go with the leupold because it's a known quantity.

But I looked at the PST 4-16 and, well, it's everything and more, but I'm worried because I can buy a Leupold and know it will never quit on me, from first hand experience.

So, what kind of hell has your Vortex been through (and survived)? I'm not concerned about the warranty, what I really want is a scope that is robust enough to outlast the company that made it if I take care of it. Because that looks like a slick deal if it's true.

Thanks!

 

[sib1948]

My Vortex Razor HD has had no problems shooting 2-3X per week since last April on my DTA, even shooting 338LM. Just shooting at the range and no hunting and dragging it through the woods. No issues with continued great tracking. Hopes this helps, but I'm sure someone else will chime in.

 

[bkw1911]

The pst is not very robust. Neither are the leupolds if your talking impact. My uncle fell on his rifle with a pst this year on a hunt and broke it in half pretty easy. It's a decent scope but is no where near robust for impact. The razor on the other hand i beat the hell out of and did nothing but scratch it.

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[Fly_True]

I've been running a razor HD 5-20x on my 260 match rifle for over a year now... Temp ranges have been -7 to 104 degrees; sunny, blowing dust all the way through pissing rain, snow, freezing rain. I've literally beat the crap out of this glass on barricades and even had a buddy knock my rifle over from its bipod landing directly on the windage turret on my concrete garage floor, all with zero issues. My only complaint is the weight but it has been well worth the price paid for sure. And when I do finally break it I know vortex will stand behind it 100%.

Good luck!


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[LawnMM]

Haven't had my Razor but maybe 6-8 months but its been a great scope, I like the reticle better than what's in my Nightforce. That said my Nightforce has been in dust, dirt, rain, cold and has not batted an eye. Its even had the stupid 40mph Wyoming wind knock it sideways off of the bipod into a rock with the scope bell, just a scratch, didn't even lose the zero.

My experience with Vortex in the warranty arena was with a scope my father bought, used, and was the most hassle free experience of my life. They stand behind their product.

I'm probably going to buy another Vortex next and maybe a NF Beast next year.

 

[6brshooter]

Comparing a razor to a pst is like comparing a corvette to a cobalt. I have had a razor and it was tough as nails, but the illumination never worked good. I have, and personally known, 4 pst's & 1 hs that had issues. I have only owned/been around those. Failures ranged from lube on internal lenses, reticles that canted up to 10 degrees in the direction u turned the mag ring, poi change, and finally one that literally fell apart after 35 rds of 338 lm. I have had excellent luck with a couple 4-16 hs and 6.5-20x44 viper. I have never had to send back a leupold, bushnell tact, or Sightron s3. My pst 6-24 sfp that had the reticle canting in different directions had to go back twice. I explained very clearly what it was doing the first trip. When i got it back it was the usual don't overtorque, it was in seekins rings at 20 in/lbs.. I raised enough hell about it that Sam personally checked it out and there was a hole that was egg shaped instead of round. I still have one 4-16 hs on a spr build, but the other vortex have been traded off.

 

[OpticsPlanet]

I have the HS-T 4-16 and took it on a hunt in NE last year. Was getting my pack on after hoping out of the truck, handed my rifle off to our video guy and it slipped out of the hands and landed right on the scope. Scope has some nice looking character, but when I squeezed one off at just over 300 yards, it was still dead on.

I definitely didnt fall on it, but that drop on a frozed hard farm road didnt sound too good. However, I wouldnt hesitate taking it out again and again.

A good point to mention as well, Vortex customer service is arguably the best in the business. If you do something that detroys the scope, Vortex will take care of you.

Razor is a total different animal, very robust and just plain tough, but the Viper series, HS-T, PST, all pretty solid choices.

Trevor B.

 

[guncrazy72]

This is also something Ive been looking for as well. I just bought a 6-24x50 and have always ran NF so am a bit hesitant on the durability.

 

[blksno]

My NXS was mounted on my Armalite 300 SAUM AR10 and fell off the tail gate of the truck scope down in the gravel. Not a long drop at all, but the rifle weighs 17 lbs (total)

I didn't even bother to check anything or rezero and was banging steel at 1430 yds later that day. I was very impressed both with the optic and the AADMOUNT that it was locked into.
A year or so later, I took a 12-15' stumble down a snowy cliff while we were predator hunting. I don't really know what landed first or what hit hardest, but the only noticeable sign of wear was right on the scope cap at the eye piece. Once again...no change in POI at all.

 

[AvsFan]

I own Nightforce NXS, Bushnell Elite Tactical, Vortex PST, Weaver, and Primary Arms - all have been excellent & reliable. However, I take extreme care of my shit - I know that doesn't answer your question. But, this video is great demonstration of NF reliability.

my $0.02

AvsFan

 

[H.ARM]

Last April a buddy and I went out to South Dakota on a prairie dog hunt. While we were shooting, the left front tire on the diesel pick-up the ranch had loaned us went flat. As we were evaluating the situation, a small squeeking noise came from under the truck. We quickly realized that as the tire went slowly down, a tie rod on the front end had settled on top of a napping prairie dog, pinning him in the dirt. The real panic occurred when we tried to lift the truck with a Hi-Lift jack, only to discover the jack handle was missing! Luckily my buddy was an Eagle Scout, and his training kicked in. I had a Nightforce NXS 3.5-15 mounted to my rifle with (admittedly) some damn nice rings. We pulled the scope and used it as a jack handle, setting the poor creature free. Doing some quick math, we estimated it would take the newly liberated rodent approximately 103 seconds to to dash the 744 yards to his burrow. To bad for him, and thanks to the damn nice rings, in 101 seconds I had remounted the scope and thrown down on the bipod. Blew that little sucka's head off inches from his hole. Never even considered re-zeroing. Another time we sutured a nasty leg wound, using the vertical cross hair from the same scope as a needle, then later that day downed a decent antelope buck at 400ish yards with the re-assembled scope. But I'm sure Vortex makes a tough scope, too.

 

[mxjunky78]

Last April a buddy and I went out to South Dakota on a prairie dog hunt. While we were shooting, the left front tire on the diesel pick-up the ranch had loaned us went flat. As we were evaluating the situation, a small squeeking noise came from under the truck. We quickly realized that as the tire went slowly down, a tie rod on the front end had settled on top of a napping prairie dog, pinning him in the dirt. The real panic occurred when we tried to lift the truck with a Hi-Lift jack, only to discover the jack handle was missing! Luckily my buddy was an Eagle Scout, and his training kicked in. I had a Nightforce NXS 3.5-15 mounted to my rifle with (admittedly) some damn nice rings. We pulled the scope and used it as a jack handle, setting the poor creature free. Doing some quick math, we estimated it would take the newly liberated rodent approximately 103 seconds to to dash the 744 yards to his burrow. To bad for him, and thanks to the damn nice rings, in 101 seconds I had remounted the scope and thrown down on the bipod. Blew that little sucka's head off inches from his hole. Never even considered re-zeroing. Another time we sutured a nasty leg wound, using the vertical cross hair from the same scope as a needle, then later that day downed a decent antelope buck at 400ish yards with the re-assembled scope. But I'm sure Vortex makes a tough scope, too.

LOL nice......."he is............the most interesting man in the world"

 

[Martin Taylor]

Last April a buddy and I went out to South Dakota on a prairie dog hunt. While we were shooting, the left front tire on the diesel pick-up the ranch had loaned us went flat. As we were evaluating the situation, a small squeeking noise came from under the truck. We quickly realized that as the tire went slowly down, a tie rod on the front end had settled on top of a napping prairie dog, pinning him in the dirt. The real panic occurred when we tried to lift the truck with a Hi-Lift jack, only to discover the jack handle was missing! Luckily my buddy was an Eagle Scout, and his training kicked in. I had a Nightforce NXS 3.5-15 mounted to my rifle with (admittedly) some damn nice rings. We pulled the scope and used it as a jack handle, setting the poor creature free. Doing some quick math, we estimated it would take the newly liberated rodent approximately 103 seconds to to dash the 744 yards to his burrow. To bad for him, and thanks to the damn nice rings, in 101 seconds I had remounted the scope and thrown down on the bipod. Blew that little sucka's head off inches from his hole. Never even considered re-zeroing. Another time we sutured a nasty leg wound, using the vertical cross hair from the same scope as a needle, then later that day downed a decent antelope buck at 400ish yards with the re-assembled scope. But I'm sure Vortex makes a tough scope, too.

If I can scrape together enough money to buy an NXS compact I think, after this, I'm going to just so I can chuckle every time I look at it. Thank you sir, for making my day.

 

[H.ARM]

If I can scrape together enough money to buy an NXS compact I think, after this, I'm going to just so I can chuckle every time I look at it. Thank you sir, for making my day.

Good call on the Nightforce Compact. I bought 2.5-10X42 this winter for a 6.5 SAUM build, and was surprised when I found included in the scope box was a survival hatchet head that cleverly attaches to the eye piece, and an adapter that enables you to add the scope to the arm on a Rockchucker press. It is a bit tricky to install, but once in place, you can easily reform 7 Mag brass down to 22 Cheetah. I'm telling you, those Nightforce guys build one tough scope.