Tell me why.... Vortex

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fishballer06

New member
I've always been a Leupold guy but SO many people hype up Vortex. So I decided to buy one for myself. Upon doing some research, I see everyone talking about how great their warranty program is.

The thing that worries me is - why is everyone talking about how great their warranty is, rather than how great/reliable their optics are? I want an optic that I never have to worry about going down on me, not an optic that may or may not work, but the manufacturer will cover me every time is does go down on me.

Am I being paranoid and just looking too into it?
 
I have several of both and no troubles with either brand. Best thing to do is look thru both side by side and pick whichever works for you.
 
I've never had an "upper end" Vortex but have had a few Vipers. I also have a Vortex Strike Eagle on my 223 now. I can say they are decent scopes but my Nikon's are a lot clearer when it come to the glass clarity. But they are $400 scopes. Seems to me, my Nikon's always have better glass than most of the cheaper scopes. To bad they are going away. As to warranty, I have read where there seems to be a lot of people using the Vortex guarantee. Personally, I have had no problems with Vortex. I did buy a used Leupold and it had issues but I sent it in and Leupold repaired it free and was no hassle and fast returns. IMO, Leupold probably has the best warranty service in the business.
 
Originally Posted By: fishballer06I've always been a Leupold guy but SO many people hype up Vortex. So I decided to buy one for myself. Upon doing some research, I see everyone talking about how great their warranty program is.

The thing that worries me is - why is everyone talking about how great their warranty is, rather than how great/reliable their optics are? I want an optic that I never have to worry about going down on me, not an optic that may or may not work, but the manufacturer will cover me every time is does go down on me.

Am I being paranoid and just looking too into it?

Not paranoid,just skeptical! I have used the diamond back & believe they are a good scope at there price point. I have heard some horror story about the cheaper crossfire,but have also heard good things!
IMO,when you start getting into the top of vortex scope line,just make mine a Leupold or Burris & be done with it! These scopes are "Tried & True" dependability for the $$..
 
It seems to me that people who like them really like them, and people who don't like them really relly really hate them. Just by 2 cents from doing a lot of research.
 
Call me crazy...but if I can't see through them,no matter what they cost, then they go down the road. Nikon, Leupold and Burris have always been the better scope for me. Sightron makes a dang good scope as well. The S11 and S111 are great with great CS to boot.
 
I think Vortex is fine, their replacement policy is great as well. I've looked through a couple Vortex rifle scopes and saw nothing to complain about. I have their 8X32 Viper binocular "made in Japan" model and you really have to nitpick to tell the difference between them and the $1,000+ binos in the 32mm variety.

For the average non-competitive guy shooting paper 95% of the time - the Vortex models will do just fine, as will the other models on the market such as Leupold etc.

I remember many years ago, there was an internet service company that had an advertisement that stated something like "enroll for a year's service @ $19.95 per month and receive a free computer". Not many people signed up for that thinking it was a gimmick - BUT, the next marketing ploy was sign up for a year @ $19.95 and receive a computer for only $99.00 (exact same computer as previous advertised for "free") - lots of people wanted that deal?????????

 
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I have a lot of Vortex from the Diamondback line to the PST and the Razor spotting scope. I like them a lot and feel the clarity is great. I have sent one back, the Diamondback Tactical because the turrets were not firm when you moved them. They replaced it with no questions. No other problems with any others. I would not hesitate to buy another.

I always heard guys bad mouth Vortex and say how much better Leupold is. I have also seen some of them comment about problems. Some have had issues with warranty and some said the warranty was great.

ALL scope manufacturers have some issues. The difference is how they take care of it.
 
Razor HD spotting scope, Razor HD Gen 2 scopes, HST LR scopes, and their comp scope: They all work great.
I also use a lot Leupold, NF, and Sightron.
I also have some top tier scopes as well.
 
aint had to send one back yet. i think i own ... god.. its gotta be 7 or 8 of them now.

i use the diamondback series as my baseline "bang for your buck" optic.

simply put, i cannot find another optic of that clarity and functional level for the price point.


i have a viper PST on one of my uppers, and several family members have them as well on their hunting rigs and absolutely love them.


do i think they're the best thing since sliced bread? nope cant claim they're all that
do i think they're a good value for their price? absolutely!
 
I have a couple of Viper 6.5-20's while adequate, nothing to brag about. Even my Weaver 40-44 and low end Athlon have clearer images. I did try a Crossfire 6-24x50, image was on par with the Vipers but it was a beast of a scope. Have no interest in anymore Vortex scopes.
 
Originally Posted By: reb8600

ALL scope manufacturers have some issues. The difference is how they take care of it.

amen! i think this is the best takeaway from the entire thread.
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that and maybe an add on of dont spend $100 on a scope expecting anything but regret
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Originally Posted By: AWSI have a couple of Viper 6.5-20's while adequate, nothing to brag about. Even my Weaver 40-44 and low end Athlon have clearer images. I did try a Crossfire 6-24x50, image was on par with the Vipers but it was a beast of a scope. Have no interest in anymore Vortex scopes.

The 6.5-20x44 Viper PA is not very bright. I have a couple of them. Not sure what is different about it versus their other 44mm scopes. However the 6.5-20x50 Viper PA is a big difference. The Crossfire and Viper PA is not a comparison to the rest of their scope line.
 
I have had experience with two, dback and a ffp viper. Neither made clean precise adjustments, both did hold the adjustments, no zero shift issues. Just could not trust the turrets shot to shot.
 
Between a couple sets of binos and rifle scopes I must have 6-7 Vortex products. I don't hate them nor am I a huge fan either.

The Vortex scopes I have is a HS, HS-T, and three Razor HD LH scopes. For the money the HS and HS-T are pretty decent scopes. The Razor HD LH has Japan optics and are noticeably better than the HS/HS-T line but they cost quite a bit more too.

IMO, any scope, purchased new, below about the $400 range is kind of a crap shoot and they tend to be rather inconsistent from one to the next.

A lot of these companies, like Vortex, have great warranties that follow their products so don't be afraid to look through the classified section of different hunting/shooting forums for used scopes. It'll allow you to purchase a good used higher end scope for the same price as a new lower tier scope.
 
Having owned several Vortex scopes over the years the ONLY Vortex scopes worth a darn as far as resolution, clarity and tracking are the Razor models and for the price they cost I'd much rather own other brands.
 
Originally Posted By: reb8600

ALL scope manufacturers have some issues. The difference is how they take care of it.

Pertinent to the ops post. Yes they do, but skeptical is still a side effect. EVERY optic manufacturer may have it's issues, usually it's the higher end that don't have nearly as many.

So if it's a shot of a lifetime, do you roll the dice and increase the odds of an issue that an unconditional warranty will cover, after the fact. Or pay more for something that probably wont have that issue?
 
Originally Posted By: skinney but skeptical is still a side effect. EVERY optic manufacturer may have it's issues, usually it's the higher end that don't have nearly as many.

So if it's a shot of a lifetime, do you roll the dice and increase the odds of an issue that an unconditional warranty will cover, after the fact. Or pay more for something that probably wont have that issue?

i couldn't agree more - if we're talking about going on the hunt of a lifetime experience.. money shouldn't even be a consideration (within reason anyway - no need to lose your house over) when it comes to buying products/gear to make that trip/shot/moment happen.

so if skeptical is a side effect, and EVERYONE has the same unconditional warranty - vortex, leupold, nikon - then your logic make s even more sense way - with one caveat any

spend for the higher quality products in a company's line and forget about the label on the package.

as noted - theres NO way for any manufacturer to not have an oopsie once in a while. and EVERY manufacturer is going to put a higher level of QC in on their top line products - its expected for the price you're paying. You're lessening your chances of a tragic incident happening at the worst moment by doing so - or at least thats our customer perception anyway.


you just stated my earlier premise almost perfectly - or at least better than i did - if you buy a $100 product and expect premium performance - you're only setting yourself up for regret.

but again - thats not a statement against a specific manufacturer. thats just dealing with everything in this world.

so buy whichever label on the box makes you feel warm and fuzzy - and enjoy using it to its full potential within the budget range you selected
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my $0.02 USD
 
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