Problems with Vortex Viper HS-T flaring out/whiting out

[1bamashooter]

I have a Vortex Viper HS-T 4-16x44 that is flaring or whiting out when in low light. At around dusk dark when you look through the scope everything is white, you cannot see anything, target, deer, crosshairs, nothing. The only thing that helps is setting the magnification at 4x and moving your head around behind the scope until you can get somewhat of a sight picture. Has anybody ever had this issue in a Vortex scope? Any suggestions on how to solve this issue?

I emailed Vortex and they are willing to do whatever it takes to resolve my issue but will swapping out my scope for another fix it or is this a problem with all the HS-T scopes? I'm happy with the scope except for this and Vortex is going out of their way to help me so no problem with them, I'm just curious if anybody had this problem and what fixed it.

 

[kcebcj]

I have a 4-16 HSLR and one day very hot and bright I noticed a faint white glare streaming upward off my 460 yard target. The target was 24X36 bright white printer paper. The sun was behind me over my right shoulder so it could get to the eye piece. Don't know what caused it. That day was the only time its ever happened.

I have never used the sun shade but that might help you even in the low light. Other than that incident the scope has performed well. The Vortex customer service is second to none in my opinion. Send it in and have them look at it. Could be a miss aligned lens or something.

 

[bruce_ventura]

...At around dusk dark when you look through the scope everything is white, you cannot see anything, target, deer, crosshairs, nothing. The only thing that helps is setting the magnification at 4x and moving your head around behind the scope until you can get somewhat of a sight picture. Has anybody ever had this issue in a Vortex scope? Any suggestions on how to solve this issue? I emailed Vortex and they are willing to do whatever it takes to resolve my issue but will swapping out my scope for another fix it or is this a problem with all the HS-T scopes?...

While the Vortex HS-T is not a high contrast scope, the glare you are seeing seems excessive. I would send it back to Vortex for repair. If the replacement scope has the same problem, I would sell it and get a higher contrast scope.

 

[Crashman1]

I have an HS-T 4-16 and have not experienced that problem with mine. I have it on a light weight walk about coyote rifle and it is one of my favourite role/scope combo because of the light weight and ability to take long shots. Awesome scope for the price, send it in, they WILL take care of you.

 

[Will Mathieson]

Had same problem, it's the lack of lens coatings. You get white out when looking towards sunset after dusk. Replacements will give same results. Anyone have Vipers walk off target several inches? Did this new and then after repair. Noticed a smear of I'm guessing glue in the tube by the internal lens. Glued in lenses are not good.
Very happy with Leupold now!!. Vortex finally replaced with same model once discontinued, must have a pallet full of em. I asked for current model and even offered to pay difference and was flatly Refused.

 

[catorres1]

I have the Viper HST 6-24x50. I suspect you are experiencing veiling flare, which I also get on my HST. Generally, it will occur right at the end of the day and appears to me to be worse on larger objective scopes. Had an Athlon that did it as well pretty badly, and my son's Nikon Prostaff was really bad about this too. Essentially, as I understand it, it has to do with the coatings used. Better scopes, while they can still experience it, will do so to a much lesser degree and under far fewer situations. I still have the HST, it's only on a target rifle that I generally don't use right at the end of the day. We replaced my son's Nikon with a Leupold Vx3i, and that worked great, he is now running a Sig BDX scope and that works fine too. I run a Leupold VX6 and a Zeiss HD5. They both do fine, I see some flair, but it's rare and well controlled so it's not an impediment.

 

[Will Mathieson]

I switched to Leupold and am very happy, Vortex in my experience was just a headache.

 

[FIGJAM]

I am sure Vortex took care of this sometime in the last 51/2 years.

 

[Bravo 4]

I am sure Vortex took care of this sometime in the last 51/2 years.

Nope, the 4 Viper HS I bought last year do it and my buddy's PST gen 2 is bad about it.
I did catch on that this is an old thread, I have a tendency to check dates.

 

[FIGJAM]

Nope, the 4 Viper HS I bought last year do it and my buddy's PST gen 2 is bad about it.
I did catch on that this is an old thread, I have a tendency to check dates.

Y'all tried the sunshade? I have a Gen 2 PST on a 260 I use for rangework and have never had a problem. I have two of the 4-16x44's with sunshades and have never had a problem...mine have all been purchased in the last 18 months.

Geez, I had a 4-16x44 hslr for a while on a hunting rifle and never had a problem either come to think of it.

 

[Bravo 4]

The sunshade helps but I don't think you should have to just run around with one on all the time. Set next to any of my scopes at the same time, though they all show some veiling glare, the Vortex are definitely the worst.
Two seasons back we had seen some elk in the same spot 3 evenings in a row and moved over on the 4th. Not ideal as the sun would be going down behind the ridge line behind them. My buddy's HSLR couldn't be used even with about 6" worth of makeshift sunshade, it was noticeable in my NXS but could still make out the elk.

 

[Ross1147]

I have an HS-T in 4-16 as well and I had this problem with a sunshade. It was after sunset but still during legal shooting light. Had a buck walk out about 75 yds away to the west of me. Threw the gun up and scope was completely worthless. Couldn't see anything through it. Put the gun back down, I can see the buck clear as day. Put the scope back up nothing. Had to watch it walk off. Never hunting with that scope again.

 

[Barrelnut]

I've seen the issue over the years with Leupold and Nikon scopes as well. I usually get hit with it at sunrise. I've set myself up a stupid position as a hunter (facing east). Antelope start moving in, right when that shooter walks through the sunrise pops over the ridge and the scope sun and antelope are lined up perfectly. Perfectly for the antelope that is. I finally got smart and stopped hunting into the sun. Not always the scope's fault.

 

[Bravo 4]

I can agree with that. However it is not always that easy, be it due to wind/thermals or terrain. The animals are going to be where they are going to be. In my situation listed above, it is a heavily hunted area and the elk were in that spot for a reason. You were not going to sneak in on them without alerting, so to get a chance at them you had to be where we were set up. These are times where having some distance between you and your intended game can pay off.
It's not always the scope's fault, but it is this scope's flaw. This just goes into knowing your equipment's limitations. I just mounted a 6-24 HSLR and will be testing some ammo tomorrow for a buddy.