Viper HD 3-15x44 Dead-Hold BDC

[Jholm]

I recently purchased a bergara ridge carbon in 7mm prc. I was looking at a Vortex Viper HD with the BDC. I plan to try out the Hornady Precision Hunter ammo 175 ELDX first, if that doesn't group well the Federal Terminal Accent. Does anyone have experience with the BDC retical and the 7mm PRC? I don't see the ammo as an option on Vortex site for the factory ammo bdc charts. Was looking for a yardage chart.

 

[Kyguy]

 

[Kyguy]

View attachment 7750827mm PRC 175GR ELDX @ 3000 FPS

 

[Kyguy]

175gr ELDX @ 2850fps since it seems the newer factory ammo is slower

 

[Jholm]

Thank you, what app is that from?

 

[Kyguy]

Strelok Pro. But it's not available in the US anymore. It's a russian designer, so it's under sanctions by most of the free world due to the war in Ukraine. So much so that you have to have automatic updates turned off in phone settings or it will be automatically deleted during an update. I've got version 6.9, I think the current one is 7.5 or something.

 

[ranger2131]

How do you like the scope? Glass? Controls? I hear turret for elevation is great but windage is not as nice? Push button illumination easy to use or is it annoying?

 

[ranger2131]

I'm very interested in these but it's tough finding feedback since they're new

 

[Natebonebusta]

I'm very interested in these but it's tough finding feedback since they're new

I bought mine in mil. Glass to me is great. Love the elevation turret controls and feel. Windage turret not that important as I’m only using it at sight in. It is quieter than the elevation turret, but adjustment is positive. I’m not crazy about the new illumination actuator. I prefer the twist with off positions in between each setting. Side focus is smooth. I wish the markings across the scope were larger/brighter. I’d rather have the bikini scope cover vs the neoprene. Best price I’ve seen for the Vortex Viper HD 3-15x44

 

[ranger2131]

I bought mine in mil. Glass to me is great. Love the elevation turret controls and feel. Windage turret not that important as I’m only using it at sight in. It is quieter than the elevation turret, but adjustment is positive. I’m not crazy about the new illumination actuator. I prefer the twist with off positions in between each setting. Side focus is smooth. I wish the markings across the scope were larger/brighter. I’d rather have the bikini scope cover vs the neoprene. Best price I’ve seen for the Vortex Viper HD 3-15x44

Thanks for answering in detail! Pretty much confirming everything I already suspected, but that's still valuable info.

I like dial illumination with off between each setting too. I don't understand why anyone would actually want push button instead, but I hear the mfrs. usually do it to save weight when that's a goal. Basically I just wondered if it's as annoying in reality as I imagine it to be coming from someone who is used to dial. ie.- does it suck but you get used to it? Or does it suck and you curse it frequently and always have the occasional blip where you have to go back thru all the settings? If someone has never had dial illumination then they won't miss what they don't know.

I am not generally a windage dialer so the windage being worse than elevation is an acceptable trade-off for weight/cost savings EXCEPT this scope isn't ffp. I would prefer ffp in 3-15. This concerns me a bit as I hate the thought of needing to be at 15x for accurate wind holds. I would probably get the 5-25 ffp version for this reason, but I'd rather have the smaller scope. I probably wouldn't need enough wind hold for my hunting to mess me up (could literally just hold in perceived inches on the animal at my ranges and probably always be fine), but it bugs me. Plus I want this as a crossover scope to plink long ranges with. Wish they'd just offer a 3-15 ffp.

There are other scopes that'd probably work better for what I want, but most are heavier and that's a factor for me as well.

Plus I'm hearing good things about the glass and I like vortex warranty in case I fall and land on the scope on a mountainside or something. Thanks for mentioning the markings as well. I haven't heard anyone else discuss that and it's a consideration too. Agree totally about neoprene cover, but I would likely have to buy lens covers for anything I'm looking at anyway, so not make or break.

I think the new mk4 HD is probably more ideal for what I want, with razor LHT just behind it, but they cost a lot more. Decisions...

 

[Jholm]

I ended up buying the Viper HD 3-15 with the elevation turret. So far I like the scope and the illuminated reticle. So far I am happy with it. I'll report back after I go to MT end of the month.

 

[Johnny_Yemon11]

How’d you end up liking the new scope? Looking just to it for MT hunting as well.

I ended up buying the Viper HD 3-15 with the elevation turret. So far I like the scope and the illuminated reticle. So far I am happy with it. I'll report back after I go to MT end of the month.

 

[ranger2131]

I ended up getting the 5-25 mil version last fall and so far I love it overall. Glass is great. Better than PST gen2 imo (and that glass was perfectly acceptable to me)

The push button illumination has been exactly as I expected... I'm not thrilled with it and do prefer the dial, BUT I've gotten used to it and it's not that big a negative. If it truly saved 4-5 oz or whatever they claim then it was totally worth the trade-off, as the lighter weight of this scope is important to me. The savings is definitely an advantage vs the pst gen2 if you want to hunt with it, and the locking turrets are similarly nice feature. The weight isn't too far off the razor lht and imo the glass isn't either for the price difference.

I haven't hunted with it yet but I think I will enjoy it.

My only gripe for crossover hunting scope is the size, it's pretty long, just like pst gen2. But I knew that going in, and also knew I would have preferred the 3-15 if only they made that one in FFP. Nothing has changed in that regard and I think they missed a market opportunity there. Oh well. I am still thrilled with this 5-25 for the price. If it holds up to hunting without losing zero it will be a huge winner with very little competition at the moment. Everything else with at least similar glass is either significantly heavier or significantly more money.

I'd still like to try a mk4hd too, but the price difference (at the time I bought the Viper HD anyway) was too great for me to bite.