Rifle Scopes which Vortex?

[Bear24]

I have an FN SPR A1 that I am wanting to upgrade glass on. I have it narrowed down to 3 choices but keep going back and forth.I want an MOA reticle, FFP, and 6-24x 0r 5-20x.

This will mainly be used to shoot paper and steel from 400-1760yards but don't want it to be unusable for 100-400yard shots on coyotes or deer at dawn or dusk. I chose 308 bc I want it to be challenging and I figure if I learn on a 308, later on when I upgrade to a 260, 284 or 338 it should be a piece of cake.

1. Viper HS with XLR FFP 6-24x

Pros:
Great reticle
lower cost leaving room for other upgrades

Cons:
no Illumination
capped windage turret

Does anyone have experiance using this scope in a lowlight (dusk or dawn) hunting situation? I need to be able to see the reticle at 6x in this situation.

2.Viper PST EBR-1 FFP 6-24x

Pros:
exposed windage and elev. turrets
Illuminated
lower cost leaving room for other upgrades

Cons:
decent reticle, but leaves me wanting more


3. Razor HD EBR-2B FFP 5-20x

Pros:
Great reticle!!
illuminated
Great turrets
built like a tank

Cons:
almost double the price
pretty heavy


It pretty much boils down to, do I buck up and drain my firearm funds for a while or go with a lesser scope in order to do other upgrades to the rifle like bedding, atlas bipod etc.???

 

[backyardsniper]

Re: which Vortex?

The vipers are very well liked on here, as is the razor. When you start talking about the 1mile kind of shots the question really should probably be razor, or nightforce, or S&B. I'm a nighforce F1 fan if 15x is enough mag for you. I just bought a used one which you can get for less than a new razor. They are all good when you get to this level of glass, and the ins and outs can be debated forever. Do you drive a Ford or a Chevy, you know what I'm saying. Pick one and go with it, just make sure you get what you want or you will be buying another on. It is truly cheaper to just buy the good shit once

 

[Genin]

Re: which Vortex?

2.Viper PST EBR-1 FFP 6-24x

That's the one I'd choose so that I have the funds to get the other upgrades I want. This scope will perform and get the job done. It'll hold value well and you can sell it later to get funds to upgrade the scope, which you may decide you don't have to.

 

[CEL317]

Re: which Vortex?

I love my Viper PST EBR-1 FFP 6-24x and it performs great in low light situations too.

 

[RFtinkerer]

Re: which Vortex?

I have a 6-24 PST... you need illum reticle, IMO. 6x is too much for close deer, so much so I'm considering a diag mount for a fastfire to acquire. At 1000+ yards target I notice mirage more than optics quality.

 

[42769vette]

Re: which Vortex?

For 1 mile shots with a 308 you will need the razors internal travel.

 

[Bear24]

Re: which Vortex?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 42769vette</div><div class="ubbcode-body">For 1 mile shots with a 308 you will need the razors internal travel.</div></div>

It will be mounted on a 20 MOA base and with the EBR-1 I can hold over an additional 30 MOA, I figured I could get there with all of that added together ever with the PST. I may be wrong

 

[42769vette]

Re: which Vortex?

hypothetically in a perfect world you will have 52.5 moa of internal travel after you mount the scope. Im not sure what a 308 drops ar 1760 but I bet its every bit of that and then some.

With holdover you might be able to get it, but with the razor and a 20moa base in a perfect world you would have 82.5 moa. You also have to keep in mind that scopes preform best in the optical center.

If it were me I would go with the razor to be safe. 1 mile with a 308 is a poke

 

[Dylan in AZ]

Re: which Vortex?

I've actually been debating this very issue with myself in the last week. It's time for me to move on from my fixed 10 power and I want FFP. So for me it's down to a 4-16x/6-24x PST or the Razor HD 5-20. I wasn't sure if I wanted to spend twice the money on the Razor... but I handled both today and let me tell you, the clicks are VERY nice on the Razor. The PST is a lot more spaced out and much more "mushy", although still much better than most others in that price range. The optical quality on the razor also seemed a bit better to me. A bit less color distortion and sharper image, but only slightly. I'm sure a field test with both would have revealed a lot more differences between the two but from what I could tell from handling both in the store was that the Razor HD just seems like a hell of a lot more solid in your hands. It is heavy and pretty big though, so if weight is an issue (hunting rifle), then keep that in mind. All that being said, what I'm going to do is pick up a PST or the HS for the time being, save up some money, and then sell that and my current scope to upgrade to the Razor. You may just want to jump straight to the Razor if you can afford to do it. When I handled them both in the store today, it became clear to me that I want the Razor.

 

[Bear24]

Re: which Vortex?

This is a really hard decision for me, 2k for a piece of glass is a pretty big chunk of change but on the other hand I know I will be happy with it.

Or I could go with the PST, I may like it more than I expected and not feel the need to upgrade at the moment.

I would be all over a PST with the XLR or EBR-2B reticle

 

[Tack425]

Re: which Vortex?

I have been VERY happy with my PST. So much so I now have 2 of the same. I have one on my 20" .308 and another on my M1A. I went with the same scope because of the value for the price point, same ergonomics and the VIP warranty. You would get the warranty with any scope you have named though. You will be happy with the PST and use the extra cash for a new upper or more ammo

 

[capreppy]

Re: which Vortex?

I am going with a PST. This allows me to get 2. One for my long range comp gun (260 Rem) and my trainer (223 Rem, cheap practice). This allows me to switch back and forth without having to retrain myself between guns. They will also be configured the same (eventually) with the same stock.

 

[bunsen27]

Re: which Vortex?

I've had a 6-24x FFP PST since March 2011 mounted on my DMPS LR308. I have sent many rounds downrange with it from 100-1200yds. Great scope my only quibble has been the thickness of the crosshair.

I was fortunate enough to get my hands on a 6-24x FFP HS w/XLR when they first released. Although I don't have as many rounds downrange with this scope (it's essentially a non-illuminated PST) I will be converting my PST EBR-1 to an XLR reticule when Vortex get's caught up enough to offer this service.

Between the three you can't really go wrong IMO. However, I'd look VERY seriously at the HS w/ XLR as it is a better reticule than an EBR-1 and noticably thinner to allow more precise aiming.

 

[kurt]

Re: which Vortex?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Bunsen</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I've had a 6-24x FFP PST since March 2011 mounted on my DMPS LR308. I have sent many rounds downrange with it from 100-1200yds. Great scope my only quibble has been the thickness of the crosshair.

I was fortunate enough to get my hands on a 6-24x FFP HS w/XLR when they first released. Although I don't have as many rounds downrange with this scope (it's essentially a non-illuminated PST) I will be converting my PST EBR-1 to an XLR reticule when Vortex get's caught up enough to offer this service.

Between the three you can't really go wrong IMO. However, I'd look VERY seriously at the HS w/ XLR as it is a better reticule than an EBR-1 and noticably thinner to allow more precise aiming. </div></div>

i have the hs on order and cant wait for it to come. How to do you like the 1/2 moa turrets

 

[bunsen27]

Re: which Vortex?

Personally, I don't mind the 1/2 MOA per click and REALLY like being able to get 24MOA with one complete turn of the knob. Here's a thread with a lot of additional info if you haven't seen it already:

http://www.snipershide.com/forum/ubbthre...080#Post3743080

 

[RFtinkerer]

Re: which Vortex?

Hmm. I wouldn't like 0.5 moa clicks; I have 0.1 mil and I can't get exact zero due to a very accurate rifle and 0.36" steps at 100. Better off with ~0.25".

 

[Flying Goose]

Re: which Vortex?

With a .308 the PST is going to suit you just fine. Leave that extra money in the bank for more upgrades or another project. I would agree that your going to get some healthy mirage at 1000 but my experience is you get that no matter what your looking through.


someone threw out the idea of the 1 mile shot... ON A 308!? I'd like to see that! At 1700 yds your talking about almost 1500 inches in drop!

 

[GhostFace]

Re: which Vortex?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Bear24</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
I would be all over a PST with the XLR or EBR-2B reticle </div></div>

Email Vortex telling them you wan this made, they said if they get enough requests they will do a reticle upgrade and or produce this scope. With that being said I am working on a bolt gun build and I will need glass for it and I am leaning heavily toward the XLR simply because of the reticle even though I want illumination and uncovered turrets....

 

[rescueswimmer]

Re: which Vortex?

I love my 6/24 PST. I find it tracks well, Glass is great and the features you get at the price point are hard to beat. Not sure how hard they are to find right now, I got a notification yesterday that 3 Rivers Had some PST's in stock.

Hope this helps. If you have any other questions. I have a few PST's and a Razor and I'm happy with all of them.

RS