Amazing scope
Honestly for the money, you'll be hard pressed to beat this one. Very clear optic, eye focus and zoom work smoothly, adjustments are precise and tactile. Holds zero well, pairs perfectly with the vortex mount. Couldn't be happier.
Would you recommend this?
Yes, I would recommend to a friend
So far so good
I've got several Vortex products, and they really are the best bang for the buck in my opinion. This scope is no different. The glass is amazing for the price. I picked this up for my AR build that is geared toward coyote hunting. The rotating part to adjust the power is not as difficult to turn as other reviews have stated. I do not find it necessary to have the leverage of the strap-on throw that Vortex sells.
Best bang for buck LPVO
Pleasantly surprised with this LPVO. I'm running this on a 14.5in AR shooting 2 gun and 3 gun comps. Glass is very good for the money, construction is solid, and weight is very reasonable. Shooting this on 1x is not quite as fast as an aimpoint or similar 1x but very good for something that allows higher magnification. If you add the Vortex switch view it is very quick to adjust magnification. Eye relief is generous on 1x but gets a little slimmer on 6x as expected. I've only ran this a couple times but so far, so good. Great value if you can find it on sale and the Brownells mount seems to be solid so far.
Just short of the Razor 1-6x
After running with a razor 1-6x for a couple of years and now having the Viper 1-6x the biggest difference between the two is the Viper on 1x isn't quiet as crisp as its big brother Razor but isn't to say it's unusable. To my eye there's a slight blur for lack of a better term but it's nothing you can't work around. The 6x of the viper in my estimation is comparable to the razor, it's clear and crisp enough to have no issue sighting in or shooting. The FOV is smaller on the viper but it's inconsequential. I've gone with the Razor and Viper 1-6x for hunting and home/self defense dual purpose uses and I think they both fit that role well. The Viper is a touch longer and I believe it actually weighs a bit more than the gen II E razors but that too isn't necessarily a con in my book. I haven't shot longer ranges, there's videos of that but I think you're getting an outstanding optic in the Viper PST gen II 1-6x24mm. So I can't speak to the VMR reticle in it's use of longer ranges. I've heard it said that the viper 1-6x is 85%-90% of the Razor and everything I've seen thus far confirms that aside from torture testing the optics but there is an article on defense review that speaks of LPVO scopes used by the military guys overseas. It mentions and shows viper on their M4s and even mentions strike eagles being used with success as well as some Burris optics. Bottom line I don't think you'll be disappointed in the Viper.
Great Optic
This is a great option for a tough, quality Vortex 1-6x24, daylight bright optic if you don't want to spend nearly double the money for a Razor Gen 2 1-6x24. It is very similar in size and construction as the Razor, with a bright center dot & 10 levels of illumination. The eye relief and eye box (lateral) is very generous and with the scope at 1x and both eyes open, you barely see the tube of the optic; there is no feeling of looking through a soda straw like with some '1x' optics. Only minus is the typical need for a throw lever or cat-tail for the magnification ring. You can turn it without, but it's far easier with one.
Good scope and mount combo
Mounted this on a 16" carbine in 5.56 NATO. The mount is fine; it does it's job; like other reviewers, I would appreciate a slightly less flashy Brownell's marking. The scope is made in The Philippines. Illumination dial has a slight amount of play going from off to brightness settings but nothing I'm concerned with. The windage and elevation adjustments are tight and audible (unlike the Gen I scope I had). A slight bit of image distortion exists around the edges but I would still rate the glass quality as good. Overall a good purchase.
Disappointed
To be fair I only looked at this scope in the store and compared it to the Strike Eagle. I wanted to like this scope in the worst way but it came with very cheap scope covers and no throw lever it also weighed significantly more than the strike eagle. Its hard to wrap my mind around why the scope that cost $300 less had better accessories. Long story short I bought the strike eagle.
Good enough for the casual shooter
This scope is ok for casual shooting but certainly not the best. I dont believe it up to Vortex standards when comparing to the Gen 1s models I have. Controls: - The adjustment knobs are a bit tight, feel squishy and the clicks are not positive feeling. I havent had a chance to check their accuracy yet. - My illumination control dial is a little loose but works fine. - The magnification adjustment ring is quite nice. It is tight enough not to move on you but still easy to twist. Tactical style shooters might find it difficult to make quick adjustments but it is fine for how I shoot. Glass/reticle: - The glass is bright and clear. It really isnt too bad but you can see some image distortion when panning back and forth over a target, particularly on the edges. - The reticle is basic but at least it isnt a BDC so it can be used on any caliber. The elevation and windage hash marks are easy to see and use. I only wish there were a couple hash marks above the center line for quick transitions to closer targets. Over all, this scope is just OK and I will probably upgrade if/when I find something better. However, this product is good enough, for the price, that I am in no rush to find something else. As far as the included Brownells mount; it seems decent enough. It is well machined, has a good finish and fits the scope. The logo is a bit obnoxious but can be covered with tape if it bothers you. Using a Caldwell brass catcher system might not work with this mount.
Not Sold On It
I got this and a strike eagle 1-6. Honestly wish I would have just saved the money and gotten the strike eagle. Im sure this is probably more durable but for what I needed, the strike eagle would have been fine. This seems to be heavier than the strike eagle as well. The strike eagle even came with way nicer lens covers.