Vortex?

[Colorado Luckydog]

I really like Vortex and have invested a lot of money in their optics. I mean it's a lot of money for me. I have three pair of their binoculars, a spotting scope, a range finder and one rifle scope. Everything but the rifle scope was bought after my car accident and I haven't used them in the field yet. But they seem awesome. but I keep reading post about them being cheap shit. I have already put too much into them to back out now but why do some people not like them or even despise them? Thank you for your thoughts!

 

[BCsteve]

There's different levels of Vortex from shitty Crossfire to pretty damn good Razor.

 

[easternoregonballistics]

Vortex is a budget option compared to a lot of glass and people hate on them for being cheap. I think they make some of the best rifle scopes that arent the top end (vz-5 or 6, razor, Z5+, etc...) as well. A 700 dollar scope from vortex will do everything most people need.they also dont frequently pass the rokslide drop text but then again, most scopes dont.

 

[freezer003]

I've got a bunch of their stuff too. Is it perfect? No. Does it do a pretty darn good job for what it is? Yes. If it fits your needs and budget, don't dwell on all the naysayers.

 

[NRA4LIFE]

I've got rid of everything from them I ever bought except one I found in and old pile of hunting junk recently. Such a waste of money. Even their high end spotters are garbage.

 

[Taudisio]

I’d only suggest replacing the scope. Nothing else will be subject to the abuse a rifle scope goes through. They will all function fine. The scope will function fine, until it doesn’t. But the good news is you get to replace it for free and roll the dice again. You have tiny moving parts in a rifle scope that NEED to be perfect. Imagine a printer being strapped to a truck axle. Very few (if any) will hold up and continue working.
I still have a pair of diamondback binos hanging around that are backup loaners and ride around under the back seat. No issues with them functionally and they are from around 2010. I have a pair of tascos that have been doing the same since the 90’s.

 

[LostArra]

But they seem awesome. but I keep reading post about them being cheap shit.

This reminds me of a WC Fields quote
"I keep reading that drinking is bad for my health so I gave up reading"

Vortex binos don't fit my face. I had two warranty issues which they quickly fixed. I sold them and don't want any more. I don't hate them.

 

[Aussie Dan]

Have a look at the drop test threads.

Theres a gentleman who has come up with a field evaluation where he throws his rifle around and then checks if the scope held zero. Vortex and many others have not fared well in these tests.

Given the reputation of vortex based on these evaluations they tend to be written off as unreliable junk.
Some people here take those tests as gospel, some take them with a grain of salt, citing their own anecdotal experiences as "proof" that the drop test is not the be all end all of durability testing.

Be aware of the evaluation results, be cautious handling your gear and you might be one of the ones who have a great anecdotal opinion of vortex.
You may also get burned.

A smart man learns from his own mistakes, a wise man learns from the mistakes of others.

 

[Poser]

Vortex is "good enough" for what I do. It would be nice to have nicer optics across the board, but I can work with what I have.

 

[Bluefish]

So far I have had two scopes fail, one passed the drop test, the other doesn’t. One is a vortex that got dropped and the second was a swfa fixed 10 that had the reticle knocked loose from recoil. The vortex was low end and the tube got bent from the drop. They quickly replaced it at no cost to me. The swfa failed on a 50 bmg after 45 rounds. They are rated for 50 bmg. Reticle came loose and rotated. Sent it in and they “fixed” it, but the reticle was now off by 5 deg or so. Sent it back again and got a new one.

The vortex was purchased knowing it’s cheap and might not hold up, but when I have many barrels for my T/C’s I can’t afford to put high end optics on each one. My longer range rifles wear swfa scopes and now I adding a few trijicon scopes to my primary hunting rifles. I will continue to buy some vortex products as they will warranty them if they fail, but only if I get a really good deal. Otherwise I will get other brands that have been shown to be more durable.

 

[FunkEyeMissed]

There's different levels of Vortex from shitty Crossfire to pretty damn good Razor.

Okay hear me out, my 10x50 crossfires look significantly better than my Fury 5000 AB, 10x42 diamondbacks, and even viper HDs that I’ve compared them too, and all of my buddies that have tried them have said the same. Maybe just the difference between 10x42 and 10x50?

 

[alexnelon]

The biggest (most expensive) mistake people on this site make is reading pages and pages of borderline autistic ramblings from the most obsessed, hardcore, dedicated hunters among us, and then conflating their own situations and needs with those of the guys who hunt 253 days a year.


If you only shoot 200 yards max, it doesn't matter if your scope loses zero by .3 mils.

If you only go on one big hunt every two years, you're much less likely to encounter a failure than someone who does 10/year.

If you're hunting whitetails on a 60 acre farm and plan to eat them, putting a 6mm TMK right on the shoulder is probably not smart for you.

If you hunt from a stand that is 300 yards from where you park, a 16 inch barrel with an OTB suppressor is pointless.

If you have zero sheep points and you're only hunting OTC elk units looking for any legal bull, you straight up don't need a spotting scope.

If you're 26 years old and have 20/20 vision, you don't need alpha glass to see like the 55+ crowd does.

Don't worry about buying gear for things you hope to do one day. Learn to rationally self-assess your actual needs, use appropriate gear, and tune out the people who have a compulsion to encourage unnecessary gear purchases just to try to validate their own bad choices.

Aspirational gear purchases are so dumb.

 

[LCguy]

If you like them and it works for you, what does it matter?