Vortex viper ?

rebs · December 28, 2016, 05:41 PM

Does anyone have one of these scopes that can what the quality is ? What are the pros and cons of the 6.5-24 x44 ?

geetarman · December 28, 2016, 06:08 PM

I don't know the particulars of my scope but I know it is 6-24X50 FFP that I put on an Anschutz MPR 64.

It is the first Vortex scope I have ever owned and it was not cheap. It is one of the best scopes I own and for clarity and crispness, it rates right up there with a Nightforce 8-32 that I have on another rifle. I am extremely pleased with what I see. I would buy it again. YMMV

shooter1911 · December 28, 2016, 07:59 PM

Sorry, I can not comment on a Viper, but I can speak about Vortex general quality and customer service. My nephew turned me on to Vortex, and that's all he uses for his varmint hunting. I recently bought the new Spitfire AR, and am very pleased with the scope and the attention the guys in CS gave me before my purchase. Good luck finding out more about the Viper, but be assured you will be dealing with a top notch company if you decide to buy from them.

Rockrivr1 · December 28, 2016, 08:34 PM

I have a Vortex Viper 4-16x50 FFP on my FN SPR A1 in 308 and it's been rock solid for me. I own a number of Leupolds with the most similar being a Mk4 4.5-14x50 FFP M1 mounted on my Rock River LAR8 (AR10 Clone). Doing a side by side comparison the Leupold does have clearer glass, but only by a small margin. The price difference leaned me towards the Vortex and I've been happy so far.

tahunua001 · December 28, 2016, 11:25 PM

I own the Viper in 3-9x32, it's excellent, the best glass I own. I've become almost a complete convert to Vortex optics. if I could afford better I'd move up to the higher end vipers but now almost all of my Nikons, Leupolds, and Redfields have been replaced by Vortex Diamondbacks and anything higher end is likely going to be replaced by more Vipers soon. the picture quality is good, they've been durable, I've never had to send one in for service, and they hold zero well.

rebs · December 29, 2016, 08:02 AM

Thanks for the replies, I appreciate it.
Anyone have an thought about which line of Vortex would be equal to or slightly better than a nikon prostaff 5 ? I like my nikons but the vortex are cheaper with the same warrante.

Kimber84 · December 29, 2016, 11:42 AM

I've owned three vipers, ended up selling two of them. One with a rifle and the other to a friend that needed it. Never had any issues with those two but the 3rd one did have tracking issues which I discovered after a loooong drawn out process of elimination.

I can attest to their warranty though, it is hands down the best in the industry.... I've made many self inflicted wounds on their products and they've never questioned anything.

I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to someone, even with the tracking issue I had.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

DPI7800 · December 31, 2016, 09:12 AM

I personally feel the VIPER PST line is a fine entry level budge scope. I purchased one a couple years back to try for a couple of reasons, one to see if it was a viable contender to my Nightforce NXS scopes (which it is not) two to see if it was of good enough quality to recommend to my students.

For me, after running the the VIPER PST 4-16FFP I discovered it is not the scope for me. Sure it is clear enough for the majority of people but I can detect the slightest of degradation at the edges, which should not be the deal breaker for anyone. But the eye relieve is not as forgiving as the Nightforce NXS or Leupold MK6. Also the reticle is way to thick for my liking. Then there is the word of caution on the tactical turrets, I have found that it is way to easy to inadvertently move then. I discovered this early on while trying out the scope when I first got it. I pulled the rifle out of my pack and set up to do some shooting at 300. When I pulled the scope out the windage turret dragged on the inside of the scabbard causing the turret to rotate one full rotation.

Granted once I discover the flaw I quickly figured out a solution.

Will I purchase another Viper PST, no. Will I recommend them to somebody who is on a budget, sure but I will try to steer them to say a Nightforce SHV first.

603Country · December 31, 2016, 10:36 AM

I have the Vortex Viper 4-16PST FFP and the 6-24 version. I'm very pleased with them. Love the accurate tracking, and the glass is acceptable, though I'm not comparing it to a NF. The 4-16 has been on my 260 Tikka for 3 years and has been carried in heavy undergrowth, tracking hogs, and I haven't yet accidentally moved the windage or elevation turrets. So, I have no complaints, only praise. And as for them being budget scopes, well, that depends on what you call inexpensive. I do have a minor gripe, in that the crosshairs illumination is too bright to suit me, even at minimum setting.

If you want a FFP scope with mil/mil, turrets and very accurate tracking, and with a great warranty, and get it for less than $1000, this is one of the few available. Great reticle too.

I don't have a problem with eye relief on the Vortex scopes.

I like the scopes, as you can tell. If I didn't have them or wanted to replace them, I'd look at the Burris equivalents. Even though I could afford it, I'm not stepping up to NF or S&B. I hunt deer, hogs, and coyotes and shoot a good bit of paper, and the Vortex is way more than good enough.

tahunua001 · December 31, 2016, 12:35 PM

I would say the equivalent to the prostaff is the diamondback.

Koda94 · December 31, 2016, 07:39 PM

Quote:

Does anyone have one of these scopes that can what the quality is ? What are the pros and cons of the 6.5-24 x44 ?

I have a Viper 6.5-20x50 and the quality is excellent, I have no regrets and will recommend.

The cons with the scope is a small field of view at very close range. That isn't a defect in quality thats just common design constraint of larger magnification scopes... Depending on what your wanting this for, such as big game hunting, you might want less magnification for a larger field of view at close range.

December 28, 2016, 05:41 PM	#1
rebs Senior Member Join Date: January 10, 2012 Posts: 3,881	Vortex viper ? Does anyone have one of these scopes that can what the quality is ? What are the pros and cons of the 6.5-24 x44 ?

December 28, 2016, 06:08 PM	#2
geetarman Senior Member Join Date: November 18, 2009 Location: Arizona Posts: 3,157	I don't know the particulars of my scope but I know it is 6-24X50 FFP that I put on an Anschutz MPR 64. It is the first Vortex scope I have ever owned and it was not cheap. It is one of the best scopes I own and for clarity and crispness, it rates right up there with a Nightforce 8-32 that I have on another rifle. I am extremely pleased with what I see. I would buy it again. YMMV __________________ Geetarman Carpe Cerveza

December 28, 2016, 11:25 PM	#5
tahunua001 Senior Member Join Date: July 21, 2011 Location: Idaho Posts: 7,839	I own the Viper in 3-9x32, it's excellent, the best glass I own. I've become almost a complete convert to Vortex optics. if I could afford better I'd move up to the higher end vipers but now almost all of my Nikons, Leupolds, and Redfields have been replaced by Vortex Diamondbacks and anything higher end is likely going to be replaced by more Vipers soon. the picture quality is good, they've been durable, I've never had to send one in for service, and they hold zero well. __________________ ignore my complete lack of capitalization. I still have no problem correcting your grammar. I never said half the stuff people said I did-Albert Einstein You can't believe everything you read on the internet-Benjamin Franklin

December 31, 2016, 12:35 PM	#10
tahunua001 Senior Member Join Date: July 21, 2011 Location: Idaho Posts: 7,839	I would say the equivalent to the prostaff is the diamondback. __________________ ignore my complete lack of capitalization. I still have no problem correcting your grammar. I never said half the stuff people said I did-Albert Einstein You can't believe everything you read on the internet-Benjamin Franklin

December 28, 2016, 07:59 PM	#3
shooter1911 Senior Member Join Date: January 16, 2010 Location: DFW Area Posts: 265	Sorry, I can not comment on a Viper, but I can speak about Vortex general quality and customer service. My nephew turned me on to Vortex, and that's all he uses for his varmint hunting. I recently bought the new Spitfire AR, and am very pleased with the scope and the attention the guys in CS gave me before my purchase. Good luck finding out more about the Viper, but be assured you will be dealing with a top notch company if you decide to buy from them.

December 28, 2016, 08:34 PM	#4
Rockrivr1 Senior Member Join Date: June 6, 2002 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 271	I have a Vortex Viper 4-16x50 FFP on my FN SPR A1 in 308 and it's been rock solid for me. I own a number of Leupolds with the most similar being a Mk4 4.5-14x50 FFP M1 mounted on my Rock River LAR8 (AR10 Clone). Doing a side by side comparison the Leupold does have clearer glass, but only by a small margin. The price difference leaned me towards the Vortex and I've been happy so far.

December 29, 2016, 08:02 AM	#6
rebs Senior Member Join Date: January 10, 2012 Posts: 3,881	Thanks for the replies, I appreciate it. Anyone have an thought about which line of Vortex would be equal to or slightly better than a nikon prostaff 5 ? I like my nikons but the vortex are cheaper with the same warrante.

December 29, 2016, 11:42 AM	#7
Kimber84 Senior Member Join Date: April 8, 2013 Location: US Posts: 455	I've owned three vipers, ended up selling two of them. One with a rifle and the other to a friend that needed it. Never had any issues with those two but the 3rd one did have tracking issues which I discovered after a loooong drawn out process of elimination. I can attest to their warranty though, it is hands down the best in the industry.... I've made many self inflicted wounds on their products and they've never questioned anything. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to someone, even with the tracking issue I had. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

December 31, 2016, 09:12 AM	#8
DPI7800 Senior Member Join Date: July 15, 2014 Posts: 208	I personally feel the VIPER PST line is a fine entry level budge scope. I purchased one a couple years back to try for a couple of reasons, one to see if it was a viable contender to my Nightforce NXS scopes (which it is not) two to see if it was of good enough quality to recommend to my students. For me, after running the the VIPER PST 4-16FFP I discovered it is not the scope for me. Sure it is clear enough for the majority of people but I can detect the slightest of degradation at the edges, which should not be the deal breaker for anyone. But the eye relieve is not as forgiving as the Nightforce NXS or Leupold MK6. Also the reticle is way to thick for my liking. Then there is the word of caution on the tactical turrets, I have found that it is way to easy to inadvertently move then. I discovered this early on while trying out the scope when I first got it. I pulled the rifle out of my pack and set up to do some shooting at 300. When I pulled the scope out the windage turret dragged on the inside of the scabbard causing the turret to rotate one full rotation. Granted once I discover the flaw I quickly figured out a solution. Will I purchase another Viper PST, no. Will I recommend them to somebody who is on a budget, sure but I will try to steer them to say a Nightforce SHV first.

December 31, 2016, 10:36 AM	#9
603Country Senior Member Join Date: January 6, 2011 Location: Thornton, Texas Posts: 3,998	I have the Vortex Viper 4-16PST FFP and the 6-24 version. I'm very pleased with them. Love the accurate tracking, and the glass is acceptable, though I'm not comparing it to a NF. The 4-16 has been on my 260 Tikka for 3 years and has been carried in heavy undergrowth, tracking hogs, and I haven't yet accidentally moved the windage or elevation turrets. So, I have no complaints, only praise. And as for them being budget scopes, well, that depends on what you call inexpensive. I do have a minor gripe, in that the crosshairs illumination is too bright to suit me, even at minimum setting. If you want a FFP scope with mil/mil, turrets and very accurate tracking, and with a great warranty, and get it for less than $1000, this is one of the few available. Great reticle too. I don't have a problem with eye relief on the Vortex scopes. I like the scopes, as you can tell. If I didn't have them or wanted to replace them, I'd look at the Burris equivalents. Even though I could afford it, I'm not stepping up to NF or S&B. I hunt deer, hogs, and coyotes and shoot a good bit of paper, and the Vortex is way more than good enough.