Vortex Viper 4-12x40 Scope Review - 2
Upon the scope's arrival I wasted no time in mounting it on my hyper-accurate Rock River Arms Predator Pursuit AR-15. This rifle has a known level of accuracy so I figured it would be ideal for testing a new scope. Once the scope was mounted it was off to the range to sight it in.
The first thing I noticed was the very good clarity of the scope and the ease of using the side focus for fine tune focus adjustments. It turned very smoothly and was a pleasure to use. The next nice surprise occurred when I removed the scope caps to use the windage and elevation turrets. They are very simple to use low profile, hand-turn adjustments, with very precise ¼ MOA clicks. (The target model comes with tall turrets.) While it is easy to use one of its key features is the ease in setting the turrets to zero. Absolutely no tools are required. One just has to simply lift up on the turret and turn it back to zero, and then pop it back down. Lifting the turret is sort of like putting your vehicle in neutral. Popping it back down is like putting it back in gear. It works exceptionally well and I personally wish it were a standard feature on more rifle scopes. For riflemen that like to spin on their turrets I think they will especially like this feature, no more allen wrenches, or itty bitty screw drivers to mess with.
As I sat down at the bench to get serious about sighting in the rifle I noted the unique reticle Vortex refers as the Dead-Hold BDC reticle. Again, like many things about this scope, it is a simple and practical design. Unlike many other scopes I have looked through with all kinds of hash marks or mildots the Vortex only has 3 hash marks on the vertical line, plus the center crosshair, and one hash mark on either side of the center horizontal line. When looking through the scope the marks are small and non-obtrusive. Edge to edge clarity is very good with virtually no blurring near the edges. The optics were also very bright and sharp.
Later, and just for kicks, I decided to compare this scope on 6 power to a Leupold Vari XII and a Vari XIII all set to 6 power. To my chagrin, the Vortex provided a clearer more detailed sight picture and provided more light than either Leupold. In Leupold's defense the Vari XII is quite old, and while the Vari XIII is not, it is not their very latest VX3 model.
In this review I will touch on most of the highlights, but rather than spend a lot of time going over all the specs for the Vortex Viper or their other product line, I would recommend visiting their very informative website:
www.vortexoptics.com
The first thing I noticed was the very good clarity of the scope and the ease of using the side focus for fine tune focus adjustments. It turned very smoothly and was a pleasure to use. The next nice surprise occurred when I removed the scope caps to use the windage and elevation turrets. They are very simple to use low profile, hand-turn adjustments, with very precise ¼ MOA clicks. (The target model comes with tall turrets.) While it is easy to use one of its key features is the ease in setting the turrets to zero. Absolutely no tools are required. One just has to simply lift up on the turret and turn it back to zero, and then pop it back down. Lifting the turret is sort of like putting your vehicle in neutral. Popping it back down is like putting it back in gear. It works exceptionally well and I personally wish it were a standard feature on more rifle scopes. For riflemen that like to spin on their turrets I think they will especially like this feature, no more allen wrenches, or itty bitty screw drivers to mess with.
As I sat down at the bench to get serious about sighting in the rifle I noted the unique reticle Vortex refers as the Dead-Hold BDC reticle. Again, like many things about this scope, it is a simple and practical design. Unlike many other scopes I have looked through with all kinds of hash marks or mildots the Vortex only has 3 hash marks on the vertical line, plus the center crosshair, and one hash mark on either side of the center horizontal line. When looking through the scope the marks are small and non-obtrusive. Edge to edge clarity is very good with virtually no blurring near the edges. The optics were also very bright and sharp.
Later, and just for kicks, I decided to compare this scope on 6 power to a Leupold Vari XII and a Vari XIII all set to 6 power. To my chagrin, the Vortex provided a clearer more detailed sight picture and provided more light than either Leupold. In Leupold's defense the Vari XII is quite old, and while the Vari XIII is not, it is not their very latest VX3 model.
In this review I will touch on most of the highlights, but rather than spend a lot of time going over all the specs for the Vortex Viper or their other product line, I would recommend visiting their very informative website:
www.vortexoptics.com
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