Vortex Viper 4-12x40 Scope Review
By Troy Adams
Like most avid rifle hunters and gun aficionados, when it comes to certain equipment I can be very biased. The bias is formed through hands-on experience in the field. With that experience there are some things a guy just doesn't like to mess with once he has found a system that works. One of those things would definitely be the scopes I place upon my main hunting rifles.
Every now and then though, I get pleasantly surprised and find a piece of equipment that exceeds my expectations, and even more rarely, something that far exceeds my expectations. Such would be the case with my Vortex Viper 4-12x40 rifle scope.
Prior to testing this Vortex scope I knew very little about Vortex products. I was vaguely aware they existed. I had seen that a few places were advertising their products, but other than that I really didn't pay much attention. That is not until Len Backus, the owner of LongRangeHunting.com asked me if I would like to try one of their scopes and give it a good hard field test. Now before anyone thinks this was a freebie, let me assure you it was not. While I was able to get a little discount on the scope I still had to pay for it, and they are not overly cheap scopes. The suggested retail is $509.00. With that said I was really hoping it was money well spent and not hard earned cast wasted on a sub-par product.
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By Troy Adams
Like most avid rifle hunters and gun aficionados, when it comes to certain equipment I can be very biased. The bias is formed through hands-on experience in the field. With that experience there are some things a guy just doesn't like to mess with once he has found a system that works. One of those things would definitely be the scopes I place upon my main hunting rifles.
The LRH Store sells this item with free shipping right HERE.
I will admit I have been a die-hard Leupold fan for years. They may not be perfect for every situation, but there are usually acceptable under almost all circumstances. Mostly though, they have been very reliable for me. So needless to say I was somewhat hesitant to try a new or different scope. I mean if something isn't broke, then why fix it? However, I still try to give new products a fair chance every now and then. Most of the time I just re-learn what I already knew, and get reminded there was a reason I do not like to deviate very often.
Every now and then though, I get pleasantly surprised and find a piece of equipment that exceeds my expectations, and even more rarely, something that far exceeds my expectations. Such would be the case with my Vortex Viper 4-12x40 rifle scope.
Prior to testing this Vortex scope I knew very little about Vortex products. I was vaguely aware they existed. I had seen that a few places were advertising their products, but other than that I really didn't pay much attention. That is not until Len Backus, the owner of LongRangeHunting.com asked me if I would like to try one of their scopes and give it a good hard field test. Now before anyone thinks this was a freebie, let me assure you it was not. While I was able to get a little discount on the scope I still had to pay for it, and they are not overly cheap scopes. The suggested retail is $509.00. With that said I was really hoping it was money well spent and not hard earned cast wasted on a sub-par product.
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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
Vortex Viper 4-12x40 Scope Review - 3
Sighting in was easy, with only having to make a few minor adjustments. The rifle proved reliable once again by providing groups between 1/4" to 1/2" groups. If it weren't for shooter error, I am quite confidant that all the groups would be 1/4" or better. Once sighted in, I conducted the standard routine of spinning on the elevation and windage turrets to determine if the scope would track and maintain accuracy. It worked flawlessly with groups appearing around the target exactly where I expected them to be. Then on the final turret adjustment I returned to the original setting and the scope was dead on and centered once again.
One really can't ask for much more than that when testing the turrets. The adjustments are clearly marked and the clicks are snappy and clean, making it very easy to keep track of the changes in the MOA adjustments.
One other comment I would like to make about the scope while using it for the first time is that I really like the design of the magnification ring. It has the magnification numbers angled back towards the shooter so you can easily see what power you are on without having to fully remove your head from the rifle stock. There is also a fairly large bar attached to the ring that indicates what power setting you are on, and can be gripped and used to turn the power ring. The indication bar is an ideal size for finding with your fingers and is especially useful while wearing gloves. This is no small convenience up here is cold Montana. I like the positive feel of this bar as I have often used it in the field. It's great because I don't have to look down or away from my intended target to find it.
While coyote hunting I usually leave it turned down to 4X or 6X depending on the terrain and calling conditions. If the coyote comes in, but hangs up out a little further than I had anticipated it is easy to reach up and feel for the adjustment bar to turn up the magnification without looking away from the target. It requires minimal movement and that is very important while hunting animals with exceptionally good eyesight like coyotes. I can't say enough good about this feature. It is very user-friendly!
Enough about the specs and features. Let's get to the field. On my very first trip to the field to call coyotes, and on my first stand of the morning, my partner and I called in a pair. The coyotes came into about 30 yards and stopped. I dropped the nearest coyote and then its mate took off at warp speed. I was able to track him in the scope and sent two quick shots after him. The first shot missed, the second hit him, but did not slow him down. By this time he was getting out there a ways. I put the second hash mark right on him as he ran quartering away at near 300 yards and touched one last round off. It sent him tumbling. So with the scope's field debut I was able to get a double on the very first stand. Pretty hard to not be pleased with results like that!
Double killed first time out with the Vortex Scope. Temperature was right around -20 F.
I have now had the scope for nearly 9 months. I have used it in weather as cold as -25 to temperatures reaching the upper 90's. I have toted across dusty stubble fields and to the tops of mountains. It has been knocked around in my pickup, and even fell over once onto the hard wood floor in my bedroom. When it fell, the full weight the RRA rifle landed right on the scope. Through all this, the scope has performed without a hitch.
The scope has helped to contribute to the demise of many Montana coyotes. The outside of the scope no longer looks new, and has some scars to prove it. However, the optics are still as bright and clear as ever. Had anything gone wrong, I would not have been worried as the scope is covered by an unconditional lifetime warranty. I'm just glad I haven't had to use it, and I suspect that I will not need to anytime soon.
A pair of mountain coyotes, Vortex Viper scope, RRA AR-15, and Boggear Bog Pod.
It is very difficult to find anything to really fault with this scope. It reflects quality in about every aspect. The only thing that could be slightly improved is possibly the eye relief. I have it mounted on a .223 so the eye relief is not an issue, but if I had it on a magnum rifle another 1/2" of relief would be welcomed.
So am I ready to completely give up my Leupold scopes and only buy Vortex scopes? No, I have a long and secure relationship with Leupold, but for my next scope purchase I am planning on buying another Vortex Viper. It will go on my main "go-to" rifle for big game hunting. The way I look at it, it's nice to have options, and the Vortex Viper scopes are a great option. I can with a clear conscience recommend the Vortex Viper scopes to anyone looking for a quality mid-priced scope. It is a great value for the money!
An avid big game hunter, Troy Adams has been hunting big game for nearly 30 years. Combining hunting and photography has helped him preserve many great memories. When not hunting, photographing, writing, or spending time with his family, Troy is usually found working on his wildlife art drawings.
One really can't ask for much more than that when testing the turrets. The adjustments are clearly marked and the clicks are snappy and clean, making it very easy to keep track of the changes in the MOA adjustments.
One other comment I would like to make about the scope while using it for the first time is that I really like the design of the magnification ring. It has the magnification numbers angled back towards the shooter so you can easily see what power you are on without having to fully remove your head from the rifle stock. There is also a fairly large bar attached to the ring that indicates what power setting you are on, and can be gripped and used to turn the power ring. The indication bar is an ideal size for finding with your fingers and is especially useful while wearing gloves. This is no small convenience up here is cold Montana. I like the positive feel of this bar as I have often used it in the field. It's great because I don't have to look down or away from my intended target to find it.
While coyote hunting I usually leave it turned down to 4X or 6X depending on the terrain and calling conditions. If the coyote comes in, but hangs up out a little further than I had anticipated it is easy to reach up and feel for the adjustment bar to turn up the magnification without looking away from the target. It requires minimal movement and that is very important while hunting animals with exceptionally good eyesight like coyotes. I can't say enough good about this feature. It is very user-friendly!
Enough about the specs and features. Let's get to the field. On my very first trip to the field to call coyotes, and on my first stand of the morning, my partner and I called in a pair. The coyotes came into about 30 yards and stopped. I dropped the nearest coyote and then its mate took off at warp speed. I was able to track him in the scope and sent two quick shots after him. The first shot missed, the second hit him, but did not slow him down. By this time he was getting out there a ways. I put the second hash mark right on him as he ran quartering away at near 300 yards and touched one last round off. It sent him tumbling. So with the scope's field debut I was able to get a double on the very first stand. Pretty hard to not be pleased with results like that!
Double killed first time out with the Vortex Scope. Temperature was right around -20 F.
I have now had the scope for nearly 9 months. I have used it in weather as cold as -25 to temperatures reaching the upper 90's. I have toted across dusty stubble fields and to the tops of mountains. It has been knocked around in my pickup, and even fell over once onto the hard wood floor in my bedroom. When it fell, the full weight the RRA rifle landed right on the scope. Through all this, the scope has performed without a hitch.
The scope has helped to contribute to the demise of many Montana coyotes. The outside of the scope no longer looks new, and has some scars to prove it. However, the optics are still as bright and clear as ever. Had anything gone wrong, I would not have been worried as the scope is covered by an unconditional lifetime warranty. I'm just glad I haven't had to use it, and I suspect that I will not need to anytime soon.
A pair of mountain coyotes, Vortex Viper scope, RRA AR-15, and Boggear Bog Pod.
It is very difficult to find anything to really fault with this scope. It reflects quality in about every aspect. The only thing that could be slightly improved is possibly the eye relief. I have it mounted on a .223 so the eye relief is not an issue, but if I had it on a magnum rifle another 1/2" of relief would be welcomed.
So am I ready to completely give up my Leupold scopes and only buy Vortex scopes? No, I have a long and secure relationship with Leupold, but for my next scope purchase I am planning on buying another Vortex Viper. It will go on my main "go-to" rifle for big game hunting. The way I look at it, it's nice to have options, and the Vortex Viper scopes are a great option. I can with a clear conscience recommend the Vortex Viper scopes to anyone looking for a quality mid-priced scope. It is a great value for the money!
An avid big game hunter, Troy Adams has been hunting big game for nearly 30 years. Combining hunting and photography has helped him preserve many great memories. When not hunting, photographing, writing, or spending time with his family, Troy is usually found working on his wildlife art drawings.
