Need your expert opinions!!!

[WannaBuild]

Hello everyone!

I need some help picking a scope for my 6.5x284. I am looking at the Vortex Viper HST 6x24x50. Has anyone used this optic before and if so I would like the pros and cons on it. Should I not waist my time? I only have about $1000 to spend. I would really appreciate any of your thoughts. This is my one and probably only ever custom rifle?

Thank you!

 

[MudRunner2005]

I have 4 of them...All identical. HST 6-24x50 VMR-1 MRAD. Great scopes, especially for the money. I also recommend using an EGW HD 20 MOA base, and Seekins Precision low 30mm rings. That's the setup I use on all of mine.

 

[Clucknmoan]

Have a Athlon Ares on mine. Love it.

 

[WannaBuild]

I have 4 of them...All identical. HST 6-24x50 VMR-1 MRAD. Great scopes, especially for the money. I also recommend using an EGW HD 20 MOA base, and Seekins Precision low 30mm rings. That's the setup I use on all of mine.

Thank you for your reply! I just need to pick everyone's brain because I don't want to get into a scope just to figure out that I waisted my time and money. What rifles do you have them on? I heard somewhere that Seekins builds the rings for Vortex?

 

[WannaBuild]

Have a Athlon Ares on mine. Love it.

I have not heard of them? I will look into them! Thank you!

 

[Schnyd112]

Thank you for your reply! I just need to pick everyone's brain because I don't want to get into a scope just to figure out that I waisted my time and money. What rifles do you have them on? I heard somewhere that Seekins builds the rings for Vortex?

The vortex precision matched rings are made by seekins. I do now know about any of the others.
I had a viper hst on my .220 and then .260 for 4 years. I changed to a swfa to try ffp and mils. I honestly couldn't find a noticeably better scope for less than $1000 and only picked the swfa up because I got a smoking deal on it.

 

[WildRose]

Out of 5 Vortex Vipers I bought 3 would not hold zero right out of the box and had to be sent back in. Turnaround time was only 7-10 days which was great but it soured me on them forever.

If you're in a budget squeeze I'd say go look for a used VX-3, VX-5, or VX-6 with the 50 or 52mm objective. I have several of the VX-6 3-18x50 and 2 of the 4-24x52's and have found them to be well worth every dime.

In doing a quick glance over at Ebay I'm seeing several of the new VX5 HD's in 3-15x56 listed for under a thousand.

 

[WeiserBucks]

My 6.5x284 wears a NF SHV , I bought the scope used with rings for less than $1K . The Vortex scopes are good , but consider a used scope of higher quality to maximize your dollar.

 

[MudRunner2005]

Thank you for your reply! I just need to pick everyone's brain because I don't want to get into a scope just to figure out that I waisted my time and money. What rifles do you have them on? I heard somewhere that Seekins builds the rings for Vortex?

What kind of rifles... Well, They're sitting on a .308 Win, .30-06 AI, 7mm STW, and a .300 Ackley Magnum. And I have another Viper HS sitting another 7mm STW.

And yes, like was stated, Seekins does build the high-end Vortex branded rings. The Seekins branded rings are slightly cheaper.

Like one of the other guys, I also own several SWFA SS scopes. And for they money, they are very hard to beat, as well. Only problem I have with them, is that they never offered the non-HD models in a 50mm objective. But other than that, they're built like a tank.

 

[Rich Coyle]

WannaBuild,


WildRose Hit the nail on the head. Buy a used VX-5. I have yet to see a Vortex I would purchase. Too many have to go back and none have glass I like.

I bought a Leupold VX-5 3-15X56. What a scope! The glass is certainly on a par with its big brother the VX-6 4-24X52 and beat it in the low light test by six minutes. The test is 13" wide deer antlers in the woods 130 yards away. At the point I would not shoot I mark the time. The Swarovski z8i2.3-18X56 beat it by fourteen minutes if you can afford $3,200. A friend of mine brought his over for a little comparison. I wonder how good a Schmidt & Bender would be.

 

[MudRunner2005]

The last S&B's I looked through were garbage. Had a yellow tint, and the glass was grainy and nasty. Looked through 4-6 of the same model at the local store, and they were all bad. I might have considered $1K for the lot of them, then had to send them immediately back to S&B to be completely reconstructed with new glass, and everything. Then maybe turn around and flip them for a profit.

Not sure if it was just a bad batch or what, but they all looked worse than an 80's model Tasco.

 

[WannaBuild]

Holy crap boys!

Now you realy sent me into a tail spin! Haha, I really appreciate all of the input! I have a place that I can get a 15% discount on Leuplod and 40% discount on Vortex, I didn't say that in the beginning because I didn't want to taint the waters on everyone's opinion. I really like the Leupold Mark 4 LR/T 6.5x20x50 but my pockets are not that deep. I spent most of it on my rifle hehehe!

 

[lancetkenyon]

Bad S&Bs? Mine are all absolutely, hands down, unbelievable. PMII 5-25×56 DT and PMII 3-20×50 MTC LT.
The only other scope I have owned that are even close are my Premier Heritages. My Kahles is amazing, but still not a Premier or S&B.

In my opinion, there are only 2 models or Vortex worth owning, and I sold both of mine to upgrade. The Razor Gen II (3-18×50 or 4.5-27×56) and the Razor AMG 6-24×50. Maybe the Razor Gen I 5-20×50 in the cheapest price range. But too many issues with every other model.

Before I bought a Vortex Viper HS, I would look at other options, new or used.
SWFA SS 5-20×50 HD
Vortex Razor Gen I 5-20×50
Leupold VX-5 3-15×44 HD (even though they are not MY cup of tea)
Burris XTR II 3-15×50, 4-20×50
Sightron SIII
Swarovski Z3 4-12×50
Bushnell 3-12×44 LRS
Sig Sauer Whisky5 3-15×56

 

[MudRunner2005]

Holy crap boys!

Now you realy sent me into a tail spin! Haha, I really appreciate all of the input! I have a place that I can get a 15% discount on Leuplod and 40% discount on Vortex, I didn't say that in the beginning because I didn't want to taint the waters on everyone's opinion. I really like the Leupold Mark 4 LR/T 6.5x20x50 but my pockets are not that deep. I spent most of it on my rifle hehehe!

40% on Vortex, you say? Well, sounds like we should be best friends.

I love Vortex optics. Over the last 5 years, I've bought a ton of their stuff. I think so far I'm up to 4 HS-T's, 1 Viper HS, 2 Spitfire 3x scopes, a Solo R/T monocular, Ranger 1000, and a Diamondback 20-60x80 spotter.

That's just the Vortex collection, got Zeiss, Kahles, SWFA, EOTech, and others, too...

Wish they would either put me on the pro staff or just send me a couple freebee's...