Negative Vortex Experience

[BRimmer]

Hey there, so in 2014 I decided to get a new scope and after lots of research, including a post on HBC, I decided on the Vortex Diamondback HP 4x16x42.
The scope worked great in good to poor conditions but then in November I was hunting in Region 2 in heavy fog and rain and the scope was completely useless, I couldn't see a thing, like a piece of wax paper covering the lens. One decent blacktail not in my freezer and lots of frustration. So Vortex sent me a new scope which was great but now the cost of a box of shells and a day at the range. The new scope worked great until this past fall when the exact thing happened, this time in Region 8 hunting whitetails, another buck not down and more frustration. Sent it in and they repaired it this time. Another box of shells and a day at the range to sight it in. This past May long weekend in Hope in the rain and it fogged up again. So now my $500 scope is close to $800 with hours of frustration and meat not in my freezer. So another phone call and long e-mail along with some pics from a recent alpine hunt to let them know how serious I am about hunting hoping they'd send me a better scope to make up for all my troubles and extra expense. Instead they offered to send me a better scope but have me pay the difference in cost. Completely unacceptable. I would like to say how apologetic and courteous everyone I dealt with at Vortex were throughout this but it doesn't make up for my negative experiences with their product. When I told my tale to a very knowledgeable younger lady at the big store in Abby she smiled knowingly and said, " There's a reason why so many people are familiar with the Voretx warranty, it's because so many people are using it. " I recently picked up a Leupold VX 3i 4.5x14x50 from International and couldn't be happier. Wow what a difference. I know lots of people have Vortex glass and are really happy with it so I don't want to sound like I'm bashing them, I just thought I'd tell my story. Stay safe and straight shootn' this year.

[untilthelastbeat]

Same thing with my diamondback spotter.

[RackStar]

Gear failure sucks.
Glad you moved to tried and true leupold. Vx3i is a amazing hunting scope.
Now you can go back this fall and get that buck, he will be even bigger

[bighornbob]

Hey there, so in 2014 I decided to get a new scope and after lots of research, including a post on HBC, I decided on the Vortex Diamondback HP 4x16x42.
The scope worked great in good to poor conditions but then in November I was hunting in Region 2 in heavy fog and rain and the scope was completely useless, I couldn't see a thing, like a piece of wax paper covering the lens. One decent blacktail not in my freezer and lots of frustration. So Vortex sent me a new scope which was great but now the cost of a box of shells and a day at the range. The new scope worked great until this past fall when the exact thing happened, this time in Region 8 hunting whitetails, another buck not down and more frustration. Sent it in and they repaired it this time. Another box of shells and a day at the range to sight it in. This past May long weekend in Hope in the rain and it fogged up again. So now my $500 scope is close to $800 with hours of frustration and meat not in my freezer. So another phone call and long e-mail along with some pics from a recent alpine hunt to let them know how serious I am about hunting hoping they'd send me a better scope to make up for all my troubles and extra expense. Instead they offered to send me a better scope but have me pay the difference in cost. Completely unacceptable. I would like to say how apologetic and courteous everyone I dealt with at Vortex were throughout this but it doesn't make up for my negative experiences with their product. When I told my tale to a very knowledgeable younger lady at the big store in Abby she smiled knowingly and said, " There's a reason why so many people are familiar with the Voretx warranty, it's because so many people are using it. " I recently picked up a Leupold VX 3i 4.5x14x50 from International and couldn't be happier. Wow what a difference. I know lots of people have Vortex glass and are really happy with it so I don't want to sound like I'm bashing them, I just thought I'd tell my story. Stay safe and straight shootn' this year.

Funny I just read your previous post on looking for a scope and almost everyone in the five pages of replies said go with leupold, very few said go with the Vortex. Funny you listened to the guy at wholesale sports and ignored the probably 500 years of combined hunting experience. You went with vortex to save a hundred bucks and now with shells, time and lost hunting you are well over what a Swaro would have cost you.

I have a leupold on my elk and moose gun and a Swaro on my deer and sheep gun. I have a vortex on my .223. I went with vortex on the 223 because I'm not going to go shoot preds or marmots in the rain, nor am I going to be climbing mountains where the gun may get banged and I'm certainly not going to make any out of town trips or a fly in with the vortex.

Bhb

[quarterman]

I have used the vortex warrenty once for a pair of diamondback binos that I damaged and the service was great, I now use a pair of razor HD binos and Im going into my 5th season with them and am very happy with them. As for their rifle scopes I have a friend at work who is also a very hard core hunter and also a competitive shooter. He purchased 2 vortex AMG rifle scopes which for those of you who dont know are in the neighbourhood of $3500 each and he also purchased 1 viper pst gen 2 rifle scope. With all 3 scope he noticed he was getting changes in impact in his windage with all 3 scopes. He sent all three back to vortex and they replaced both AMG scope and repaired the PST, They said it is a common with many of their tactical scopes. To me this is unacceptable. I currently have 1 PST gen 2 scope on one of my varmint rifles and it makes it hard to trust it even if all Im doing is using it for varmints. You dont see these problems with nightforce, and you dont see problems very often with bushnell elite and leupold rifle scopes. My own opinion is weather you are spending $250 or $3000 go with one of the brands you can trust that have been in the game for along time,

[gmachine19]

I have a Viper 4-16x50 LR and I haven't had any failures with it. But after scoping a moose at 400 yards at 2 hours before nightfall, I just had to change my scope. It was terrible at low light conditions. A Nikon x1000 now sits on top of my 7mm. It's not par with my nightfore but it does the job better than the vortex for a "cheap" scope.

I do have a tikka 17hmr in order. I'll put it on top of that since I do like the scope still when its bright out lol

[walks with deer]

scope caps????. i do not think any scope will not fog up in a coastal storm..espeacially once you put your warm eye on a cold wet peice of glass?

[todbartell]

What are you going to do when your Leupold fogs?

Diamondback HP is Argon purged, should have 25 year lifespan from internal fogging. Do you use lens caps?

[IslandWanderer]

I like all my Vortex stuff- mix of Viper and Razor. So far no issues. Fingers crossed.

[Caribou_lou]

After my Vortex Viper scope purchase and looking through my buddies spotter. Everything from now on is Vortex for me. New binos before fall hopefully. My scope had water on it one day in the fall but it's my fault for not having it covered from heavy rain. I had a hard time cleaning it but cleared up eventually.

You'd think after the first missed opportunity at a buck you'd learn your lesson! Leupold scope will do the same in the same conditions. But I'd bet they are more difficult to deal with than Vortex.

[Fella]

I had a vortex scope fail, cost me a good blacktail too. But the reason mine leaked was because the guy who mounted my scope overtorqued the rings. Vortex was great to deal with, sent me a brand new scope and I mounted it myself this time.

[Jimbob]

Fog on the inside of a scope and fog on the outside are two DIFFERENT things. I am guessing the OP had his scope fog up on the inside. A good scope will not fog up on the inside so no the leupy will not do the same thing in those conditions.

[barry1974w]

I’ll give you a hundred for it ;)

[emerson]

I’ve had negative and positive Vortex experiences. My Diamondback 2-8 didn’t last on a snappy light 375. Lot of features for the price, something had to give I guess. Does fine on my 30-06. My Leo VX3 1.5-5 is pretty basic, lower mag, heavier rifle, no issues on a 375. I did break an action screw and splinter an unheeded Boyd’s stock on the heavier 375 though. I’ve learmed there is no such thing as a “free” lunch. Same as a high hp program in a pickup with a stock trans. Pay to play, inexpensive stuff doesn’t hold together when you use it hard.

[j270wsm]

After my Vortex Viper scope purchase and looking through my buddies spotter. Everything from now on is Vortex for me. New binos before fall hopefully. My scope had water on it one day in the fall but it's my fault for not having it covered from heavy rain. I had a hard time cleaning it but cleared up eventually.

You'd think after the first missed opportunity at a buck you'd learn your lesson! Leupold scope will do the same in the same conditions. But I'd bet they are more difficult to deal with than Vortex.

When i hade issues with my vx III b&c I sent it to korth industries in okotoks. I had it back in 3 weeks.

[walks with deer]

i dont think your blacktail hunting if your scope isnt getting fogged.

[walks with deer]

outside that is... lens cleaning kit goes a long ways

[wos]

I got talked into a vortex once. I may as well have put a rolled up magazine in the rings because it would have been a lot less expensive and more accurate! The service I got when I called them was just lip service telling me it must be something wrong with the mounting. I bought a leupold for the gun and all my problems were solved.

[northof49]

Many years with Leupy’s....never an issue....no need to mess with success

[Bear Brawler]

I've had many Vortex products and have nothing but good things to say on my end.

[Seth]

I never understood the Vortex ”hipe”. A few buddies had different scopes and they all said the same thing “ if anything ever happens they’ll just send me a new one”. They wouldn’t have been so pumped on Vortex had the failure come with a once in a lifetime buck, bull , ram on the other side of the objective. But, to each their own I suppose.

[todbartell]

So much anger and hate towards Vortex. I mainly use Leupold riflescopes, but have owned about 18 Vortex riflescopes in the last 7-8 years and have only had one warranty issue (illuminated reticle wouldn't work). Hunted many days with Viper & Razor binos & spotting scopes with no issues. Great company, truly the best in the industry for service and their product innovation makes other companies quickly take note and play catch up.

[HarryToolips]

I had the same experience with my vortex binos...after the second time sending them in I was frustrated and sold them then picked up Zeiss.....

[srupp]

Wow seriously $3500 for grade c optics..?..
Hmm Swaro binos, spot scope..all 3 rifles Leupy..one failure 25 years ago for my twin brothers rifle scope..and 2 years ago..a 3rd hand Leupy was replaced by Korth..no hassel..brand new unit..forever means forever and usually no concerns .
Not a fan of vortex etc.

Buy once cry once..
Good luck.
Cheers
Steven

Ps call Omer in Quesnel..he will definatley help.

[northof49]

I had the same experience with my vortex binos...after the second time sending them in I was frustrated and sold them then picked up Zeiss.....

which line if binos...several levels? Was looking at razors recently and they looked pretty good I thought

[SR80]

So it sounds like the cheaper line ( diamond ) is junk, as many guys are having problems with them.

[ajr5406]

BRimmer: did you ask for a refund? Seems like the best option.

[todbartell]

I've had a Diamondback HP 2-8x on my 300wm for years now with no issues

[Steelpulse]

I have all vortex razor spotter all good and low end Binos no issues. Also go with leupold scopes in this family on all the members

[sako79]

I bought into the hype as well and bought Vortex Viper bino and a rifle scope and they both failed the binos failed on my dream Saskatchewan whitetail hunt -25 weather they were garbage fogged up everything broke on them thank God my buddy there lent me his pair or my aunt may have been over. And my Vortex Viper scope failed and fogged up as well and wouldn't hold zero or track at all. Yes both times I had quick turnaround with my repair but as soon as I receive them back I sold them and went back to Leupold

[HarryToolips]

which line if binos...several levels? Was looking at razors recently and they looked pretty good I thought
Hmm I honestly can't remember, but they were about $750 brand new....

[twoSevenO]

So it sounds like the cheaper line ( diamond ) is junk, as many guys are having problems with them.

I've had the cheaper diamondback binoculars and they have been great. I think I paid $230 back in 2008

And I've really been bashing them the last 3 years. They've held up pretty damn good and have been 100% soaked many times!

No exp with their scopes though

[Sportster]

I have a vortex viper 2.5 x10 -44, had it for several years now, hunted in extreme weather conditions from sleat and pissing rain in northern Alberta -20 in eastern Alberta, preformed great in all conditions, excellant in low light conditions. I would highly recommend vortex viper line.

[whitetailsheds]

"I can take a sh't in a box and mark it guaranteed, but it's still just going to be a guaranteed piece of sh.t." Big Boar July 7/15 5:05 AM

So many adventures, stories and laughs.......this is one of the laugh's that will always stay with me!! Thanks Dave!! You are missed!!

[.264winmag]

Funny, this is the first time I've heard anything negative abou Blurtex Hahahahahahahaha

[hoochie]

Ive taken deer with Vortex, it was the best I could afford at the time and served me well.
I now prefer leupold, but still have a vortex on one of them and use vortex binos. No issues, never needed warranty.

[1/2 slam]

Great company, truly the best in the industry for service and their product innovation makes other companies quickly take note and play catch up.

What complete horeshit. If I won a Vortex I wouldn't accept it. Innovation? You mean "Borrowing" other companies designs don't you?

[Gateholio]

Like any other optics company, Vortex higher end stuff is more reliable and better quality than their lower end stuff. Leupold included! I wouldn't use one of Leupolds budget models on a hard hunted rifle, ever.

I've got a number of Vortex products and have had to use the Vortex warranty twice. Once on a Sparc red dot that wouldn't hold zero after 12K rounds on an AR15, and one Viper 4-16 that lost it's turret after 1623 rounds of 50 BMG.

I've also had to use warranty or send for repairs optics by various companies. Leupold a few times for things like broken reticles, won't hold zero and having a turret fall off. Swarovski wouldn't hold zero. Leica binoculars had eye piece fall off once. Another pair one tube went blurry. Bushnell had broken reticles and wandering zeros too. Latest is a Burris scope that won't hold zero after 15K rounds and a Burris red dot that wont' adjust zero anymore.

Your best bet in optics is to pick a reputable company and go with one of their upper end models, but even that doesn't always work, as you can see by my experiences with top of the line optics croaking too. :)

[todbartell]

What complete horeshit. If I won a Vortex I wouldn't accept it. Innovation? You mean "Borrowing" other companies designs don't you?

So much anger. Point out a few examples of Vortex stealing another company's design

[mooze]

So much anger and hate towards Vortex. I mainly use Leupold riflescopes, but have owned about 18 Vortex riflescopes in the last 7-8 years and have only had one warranty issue (illuminated reticle wouldn't work). Hunted many days with Viper & Razor binos & spotting scopes with no issues. Great company, truly the best in the industry for service and their product innovation makes other companies quickly take note and play catch up.

I have had three major issues with riflescopes in the past 15 years, one Bushnell 1-4x20 which would not hold parallax, 1 vortex Viper PST 1st FFP where first the illumination failed (or rather was defective from the beginng) and then the reticle loosened ( returned via Nechako Outdoors) and a diamondback 2x7x42 which was initially on a 22 Hornet and then on a 8x57 and initiatively had a parallax set to 25 m and then also would not hold the zero ( again loose reticle), returned for 20$ postage to Vortex, then after repair tried to shoot a square with a 22 mag on the range, it does not track at all. Vortex would not refund the money, so I am wondering to shoot it up in a video, but I am not malicious enough. For now it just sits in my shelf as a reminder.
Vortex seems to divide the opinions sharply, there are some who are very happy, particularly with the higher end products and then there are folks like me with 2/2 failures, repeated need for service ( which is not free, you pay shipping and you have to replace the item in the meantime, and the ammo, gas and work to get the gun sighted in again). Not in the refund. I think they are just importers of China Crap with hit and miss quality control, but they really flooded the market about 10 years ago and the crap is in their calculation. My hunting moments are to important to relay on the n questions asked warranty ( can I at least ask some??), so it is Zeiss, Leupold Swaro and Nightforce on my guns. For tough hunts: Nightforce or Leupold.

[srupp]

Hmmm go watch a Marco Polo sheep hunt..where the hunt is $70,000...plus flights etc...look what they are using..besides 10 shot Colorado buck..who must use his sponsored gear..hmmm lots of Swarovski, Leica...
When the $$$$$$$ is on the line......
Good luck
Steven

[f350ps]

Hmmm go watch a Marco Polo sheep hunt..where the hunt is $70,000...plus flights etc...look what they are using..besides 10 shot Colorado buck..who must use his sponsored gear..hmmm lots of Swarovski, Leica...
When the $$$$$$$ is on the line......
Good luck
Steven
That's not even relevant, I'm pretty sure if a guy can afford a Marco Polo sheep hunt he'd be able to afford the best optics, we're talking HuntingBC, not everybody can afford that! Personally I use Vortex binos but Leupolds live on top of all my guns! Never a warranty issue with either. K

[srupp]

Hmmm all 3 of my rifle scopes are Leupold..other optics spotter..binos Swaro..spend 10 years finding the right animal...all the time looky looky see..said Clayton Mack..
Hmm free to use your choice..but vortex are not top of the line..buy once..cry once.
Cheers
Steven

[twoSevenO]

Hmmm all 3 of my rifle scopes are Leupold..other optics spotter..binos Swaro..spend 10 years finding the right animal...all the time looky looky see..said Clayton Mack..
Hmm free to use your choice..but vortex are not top of the line..buy once..cry once.
Cheers
Steven

Buy once cry once .... except if you're applying that to everything then you're crying all the time.

One must pick and choose where the $$$ goes. For some its ultra high end optics. For others it isn't.

[.264winmag]

Add up all the money you waste on say entertainment, phone bills, Internet, cable, satellite, cigarettes, weed, junk food, fancy vehicle payments and/or upgrades, shit the ole lady says you 'need' for the house, etc etc etc. Cut that out for one year there's your optics payed for, the best money can buy. No excuse not to have the best in my humble and generally cheap ass opinion...

[325]

Add up all the money you waste on say entertainment, phone bills, Internet, cable, satellite, cigarettes, weed, junk food, fancy vehicle payments and/or upgrades, shit the ole lady says you 'need' for the house, etc etc etc. Cut that out for one year there's your optics payed for, the best money can buy. No excuse not to have the best in my humble and generally cheap ass opinion...

yep. Guys will spend hundreds every year on fuel alone while hunting, yet put a bottom-shelf scope on their rifle to save a few hundred.

[Avalanche123]

Hmmm all 3 of my rifle scopes are Leupold..other optics spotter..binos Swaro..spend 10 years finding the right animal...all the time looky looky see..said Clayton Mack..
Hmm free to use your choice..but vortex are not top of the line..buy once..cry once.
Cheers
Steven

So true...bit the bullet 25 years ago on Swaro binos and scope.....zero issues. Don't skimp on optics. Buy once...

[358mag]

yep. Guys will spend hundreds every year on fuel alone while hunting, yet put a bottom-shelf scope on their rifle to save a few hundred.

Penny smart, $$$$$$ stupid .......

[BromBones]

Owned Vortex Viper HD Binocs going close to 10 years now, never an issue and I definitely don't take care of them like I should. They've actually taken some horrible abuse that's almost embarrassing, as I'm pretty picky about taking care of my gear. Also own a Viper spotting scope and a Viper 3-9 on my 325 WSM.

Zero issues with any of them from mountain hunts to minus 20 winter deer and predator hunting. I haven't adjusted the Viper scope in 3 years - ever year it gets bounced around, dropped, frozen, thawed, and is still holding it's POI with the same load. I'm sold on the quality. I would put the Viper scope almost on par with my Leupold 2.5-8 VX3, which I firmly believe is the all around best hunting rifle scope ever made.

However, I also know that the Diamondback line has some issues here and there. I would never put one on a serious hunting rifle. Same as I'll never ever buy a Leupold VX1 for a hunting rifle again, have had major issues with a number of them, even a few with VX2 scopes. Probably fine if you hunt from a pickup 95% of the time though.

[Stormy]

When any other Scope manufacturer make scope’s to outshine the vortex Razar HD, and we see them on any rifles competing in PRC’s across the US, we may consider changing - until then we will stick to match proven technology.

we tend to shoot a thousand rounds (practice only) between matches - and compete in 8 - 10 matches (300 to 400 round per match) per year, we need optics that can handle sustained pressure, hold set points and operate in any conditions.

The vortex Razors do it day in day out - month in and month out - year in and year out - and that’s all I cann say about rifle scopes.

[MAMMOET]

Owned Vortex Viper HD Binocs going close to 10 years now, never an issue and I definitely don't take care of them like I should. They've actually taken some horrible abuse that's almost embarrassing, as I'm pretty picky about taking care of my gear. Also own a Viper spotting scope and a Viper 3-9 on my 325 WSM.

Zero issues with any of them from mountain hunts to minus 20 winter deer and predator hunting. I haven't adjusted the Viper scope in 3 years - ever year it gets bounced around, dropped, frozen, thawed, and is still holding it's POI with the same load. I'm sold on the quality. I would put the Viper scope almost on par with my Leupold 2.5-8 VX3, which I firmly believe is the all around best hunting rifle scope ever made.

However, I also know that the Diamondback line has some issues here and there. I would never put one on a serious hunting rifle. Same as I'll never ever buy a Leupold VX1 for a hunting rifle again, have had major issues with a number of them, even a few with VX2 scopes. Probably fine if you hunt from a pickup 95% of the time though.
I own Viper binos and razor binos. You cannot beat the price for the quality.
I am very picky about optics. I spent 2 weeks looking through many brands including Leupold. I cannot justify spending $3000 on scopes or binos that have almost no difference in clarity!! All I can say is that I have never had an issue with any of the higher end products.

[Cedar Cowgirl]

Hey there, so in 2014 I decided to get a new scope and after lots of research, including a post on HBC, I decided on the Vortex Diamondback HP 4x16x42.
The scope worked great in good to poor conditions but then in November I was hunting in Region 2 in heavy fog and rain and the scope was completely useless, I couldn't see a thing, like a piece of wax paper covering the lens. One decent blacktail not in my freezer and lots of frustration. So Vortex sent me a new scope which was great but now the cost of a box of shells and a day at the range. The new scope worked great until this past fall when the exact thing happened, this time in Region 8 hunting whitetails, another buck not down and more frustration. Sent it in and they repaired it this time. Another box of shells and a day at the range to sight it in. This past May long weekend in Hope in the rain and it fogged up again. So now my $500 scope is close to $800 with hours of frustration and meat not in my freezer. So another phone call and long e-mail along with some pics from a recent alpine hunt to let them know how serious I am about hunting hoping they'd send me a better scope to make up for all my troubles and extra expense. Instead they offered to send me a better scope but have me pay the difference in cost. Completely unacceptable. I would like to say how apologetic and courteous everyone I dealt with at Vortex were throughout this but it doesn't make up for my negative experiences with their product. When I told my tale to a very knowledgeable younger lady at the big store in Abby she smiled knowingly and said, " There's a reason why so many people are familiar with the Voretx warranty, it's because so many people are using it. " I recently picked up a Leupold VX 3i 4.5x14x50 from International and couldn't be happier. Wow what a difference. I know lots of people have Vortex glass and are really happy with it so I don't want to sound like I'm bashing them, I just thought I'd tell my story. Stay safe and straight shootn' this year.

We have 6 Vortex scopes on everything up to and including a 375 H&H and not a hint of a problem in all the years we have used them.

[.264winmag]

When any other Scope manufacturer make scope’s to outshine the vortex Razar HD, and we see them on any rifles competing in PRC’s across the US, we may consider changing - until then we will stick to match proven technology.

we tend to shoot a thousand rounds (practice only) between matches - and compete in 8 - 10 matches (300 to 400 round per match) per year, we need optics that can handle sustained pressure, hold set points and operate in any conditions.

The vortex Razors do it day in day out - month in and month out - year in and year out - and that’s all I cann say about rifle scopes.

I don't believe the razor and the broke back models are comparable, but I've looked through and owned neither so I could be wrong. Also have reason to believe the razor is assembled in the U.S., broke back put together in the Philippines? I've read the razor is favoured for comp shooting by many, and it should be with its price tag. Lots of high end companies put out 3rd world quality glass to get their market share...

[todbartell]

Razor is made in Japan, the Razor AMG is made in USA

[.264winmag]

Razor is made in Japan, the Razor AMG is made in USA
There ya go, both countries are a step up in quality control usually.

[Lozzie]

As a budget conscious guy(married) I'm usually trying to get the best gear I can even if it means buying used gear on occasion. I've had two or three pairs of Legend HD binos over the years, basicly run them until the diopter breaks and send them in for replacement. I finally got sick of waiting for months without binos and found some used Swaro SLC for $900 in great condition. Noticeable difference in clarity and illumination and when I had an issue with the eyecups I called Swaro, not only did they register me even though I was the second owner but I had new eyecups at my door in like 2 days. I've had a Leopold VX3 3x10x40 on my 30-06 since new and never had an issue with it, I bought a Nikon 4.5x16x42 and was very disappointed, horrible clarity and super thick reticle lines. I took a chance and bought a used Viper FFP HSLR 4.5x16x50 it sits on my 6.5 Creedmoor and I've shot reasonable groups on steel out to 750 yards with no issue so far. Long story short, buy the best stuff you can get. Not everyone can justify buying a Gunwerks rifle or a Nightforce scope. But if you buy the best you can afford then you're doing everything you can to ensure your success in the field. If it's more important to you to save the money by buying the cheapest version of what you need to get the job done, then I guess you got what you valued most (saving money) instead of seeing the value in having quality gear you can trust for decades.

Cheers, Lozzie

[THE SWEDE]

I can’t comment on the quality of them as I don’t own one. But I will say they sure market the shit outtta the brand. seems every YouTube star tops his rifle with Vortex and wears First Lite

[Muledeercrazy2]

It's funny how many vortex owners have not owned Leopold or European optics and have themselves convinced that vortex is great value and that better optics are not worth the money or not really any better. They do have great advertising, maybe that's part of it.

No reason to be unhappy with an average quality scope or binos, they don't make the hunter. Just don't pretend that they are something they are not.

I have owned both a vortex spotting scope and rifle scope and wasn't happy with the overall product and value. The spotting scope in particular was really disappointing.

[IslandWanderer]

It's funny how many vortex owners have not owned Leopold or European optics and have themselves convinced that vortex is great value and that better optics are not worth the money or not really any better. They do have great advertising, maybe that's part of it.

No reason to be unhappy with an average quality scope or binos, they don't make the hunter. Just don't pretend that they are something they are not.

I have owned both a vortex spotting scope and rifle scope and wasn't happy with the overall product and value. The spotting scope in particular was really disappointing.

Were both products Razors? The vipers and razors work well for us.

[Gateholio]

Like any other optics company, Vortex higher end stuff is more reliable and better quality than their lower end stuff. Leupold included! I wouldn't use one of Leupolds budget models on a hard hunted rifle, ever.

I've got a number of Vortex products and have had to use the Vortex warranty twice. Once on a Sparc red dot that wouldn't hold zero after 12K rounds on an AR15, and one Viper 4-16 that lost it's turret after 1623 rounds of 50 BMG.

I've also had to use warranty or send for repairs optics by various companies. Leupold a few times for things like broken reticles, won't hold zero and having a turret fall off. Swarovski wouldn't hold zero. Leica binoculars had eye piece fall off once. Another pair one tube went blurry. Bushnell had broken reticles and wandering zeros too. Latest is a Burris scope that won't hold zero after 15K rounds and a Burris red dot that wont' adjust zero anymore.

Your best bet in optics is to pick a reputable company and go with one of their upper end models, but even that doesn't always work, as you can see by my experiences with top of the line optics croaking too. :)

Guess I'll be using Leupolds warranty again.....:)

https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/37261539_2164273663853567_3839024331044683776_n.jp g?_nc_cat=0&oh=65e954b209859a724c301984e0b4ab54&oe=5BD184E0

[REMINGTON JIM]

Guess I'll be using Leupolds warranty again.....:)

https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/37261539_2164273663853567_3839024331044683776_n.jp g?_nc_cat=0&oh=65e954b209859a724c301984e0b4ab54&oe=5BD184E0

That scope Looks ABUSEed ! :D RJ

[srupp]

Wow Gate..when the bear wont stop moving do NOT use the rifle scope as a baton/ club..lol that is the worst fail I have seen...any story?
1,000x as many Leupolds out there..miniscule problems.
Steven

[Gateholio]

The story is not very dramatic, really....The scope has seen a bit of hunting but mostly range use...10 000 rounds or so of 7.62x39 and I guess it just started to work itself loose. It was shooting fine yesterday then today it went wild at one point. Figured the rings had worked loose, but no, they were nice and tight, but the scope was wobbling anyway. Took the scope off and one more twist and the scope separated.

As I said in a previous thread, I've had all sorts of different optics fail. I've never seen something like this before though! :)

[Boner]

That’s a wide ring. At least a VX-3? Do they warranty commercial use?

[Gateholio]

FX3 6x42.

Supposed to be a tough scope, too. :)

[Boner]

Looks like you took it over your knee!

[barry1974w]

Gatehouse, that failure is truly spectacular......

[todbartell]

Not very confidence inspiring in Leupold after that failure

[Boner]

Not very confidence inspiring in Leupold after that failure

He said he gave it one more twist. Sucker must have some pretty strong hands. :)

[BCBRAD]

I've sent one Vortex of to the repair shop, it was not holding zero. Was gone about a month and seems fine now, it had >3000 rounds on it.

3 Leupolds went to the repair shop, parallax issues, not holding zero and turret adjustments wanked.

One Bushnell 6500 Tactical, not holding zero well enough for targets but good for hunting, sold that one off.

One Sightron, turret adjustments went out of wack.

At one time all my rifles were Remington 700's with Leupold scopes. These two companies are near the end of sucking the equity out of their brands.

For hunting I prefer Sako's and /or Tikka's. Scopes are higher end Vortex, Sightron, reliability is good for my purposes. I also, have 3 SWFA Super Snipers, two 6x's and a 10x. These scopes a on the heavy side, glass is as good as the PST's and mid range Leupolds. The magic is these scopes is they track and hold zero extremely well......really like the 10x.

NightForce has all the attributes of what a scope should be.

[Weatherby Fan]

I've sent one Vortex of to the repair shop, it was not holding zero. Was gone about a month and seems fine now, it had >3000 rounds on it.

3 Leupolds went to the repair shop, parallax issues, not holding zero and turret adjustments wanked.

One Bushnell 6500 Tactical, not holding zero well enough for targets but good for hunting, sold that one off.

One Sightron, turret adjustments went out of wack.

At one time all my rifles were Remington 700's with Leupold scopes. These two companies are near the end of sucking the equity out of their brands.

For hunting I prefer Sako's and /or Tikka's. Scopes are higher end Vortex, Sightron, reliability is good for my purposes. I also, have 3 SWFA Super Snipers, two 6x's and a 10x. These scopes a on the heavy side, glass is as good as the PST's and mid range Leupolds. The magic is these scopes is they track and hold zero extremely well......really like the 10x.

NightForce has all the attributes of what a scope should be.


If you like the looks of Nightforce you should check out the new Zeiss VX4 line of scopes with the Zero Stop MOA Turret, I like the 4-16x44 model, seems to be a great compromise for a hunting/target scope.

[Gateholio]

Not very confidence inspiring in Leupold after that failure

Not the first Leupold failure I’ve had for sure. I see lots of people say Vortex = garbage and Leupold = gold but I think that’s bullshit. Use enough different optics and shoot enough rounds and you will see most popular brands fail at one point.

[madcalfe]

ive owned a diamondback hp 4-16, was changed out after its 1st season. upgraded to a viper HS 4-16, gave it to my gf. Bought a leupold vx5HD 3-15 to sit on my new christensen arms ridgeline and man 100x better. so much better in low light situations, i found that the vipers cross hairs in low light were non existent. on 15x with my vx5 i can literally shoulder the gun and shoot. the viper on the other hand.... on 16x good luck trying to find the right eye relief and the image wasn't all that crisp.
you get your bang for your buck with vortex i think but id personally never use one again on my main hunting rifle due to to fine of crosshairs and low light capability compared to better scopes.

[Weatherby Fan]

Not the first Leupold failure I’ve had for sure. I see lots of people say Vortex = garbage and Leupold = gold but I think that’s bullshit. Use enough different optics and shoot enough rounds and you will see most popular brands fail at one point.

Right you are Gate as every company has their lemons but I’ll bet Vortex has a higher % of lemons based on numbers sold,

I’ve spoken to a couple retailers that will not sell them do to the high number of returns and angry customers to deal with, until they get their quality control in check I doubt it will change, easier to base profit margins on huge volumes of sales instead of quality products, never had a Leupold Failure in 30 years of using them, I’ve had a Swarovski failure, A Bushnell failure, mind you I can honestly say I’ve never had a Vortex failure.......but I’ve never owned one either.

[Gateholio]

I've also been using Leupolds for about 30 years, and I've still got about a dozen Leupold scopes, but they are not immune to failure, as we can see by my latest pic! I'm not sure I will be buying anymore, actually. I often gravitated towards Leupold due to durability -and I proved that to myself many times in many conditions- but it seems to me other manufacturers have stepped up their game these days.

I think people really need to look into what they are buying a bit more, and tailor their purchases to their needs. Too many decisions are based on not enough research and misguidedly trying to save a few bucks. I sure as hell wouldn't put a Vortex Crossfire or Diamondback on a magnum hunting rifle that is used in harsh conditions, but I wouldn't put a Leupold Rifleman scope on one either. Whereas I would have no problem sticking a Vortex Razor on it.

[Redthies]

My only Vortex experience has been trying a couple out a t the counter in the big store on the res, and trying my duck hunting friends binos. His Vortex binos were just a touch brighter than my Nikons, but cost triple the amount so they’d better be a step up in some form. The scope I tried at the store felt like someone had put it in a ziplock with some beach sand and shaken it up. The zoom was super gritty. That’s probably not the case with all of them, but for less money I bought a Nikon Prostaff and am super happy with it. I should add that I was a pro “extreme” sports photographer for about 20 years and all my gear was Nikon. It’s been to the South Pacific, Europe, South America and all over North America shooting surfing, whitewater kayaking, rock and ice climbing, and skiing and snowboarding. In all the crappy environments I had my gear in, the only issue I ever had was dropping a zoom lens in the Anasazi cliff dwellings in southern Colorado. It just was knocked out of whack slightly, and they repaired it for free in 3 days. I’m pretty much a Nikon lifer now.

[menace270]

I have 2 vortex one is a diamondback 3-9-40 and the other is a viper hslr 4-16-44 and havnt has a problem with either. My diamondback was on a 270 for over 1000 rounds and now sits on my 22 mag. My viper was on my 300 win mag for over 500 rounds and now sits on my 6.5x284 and never has had an issue. I am looking at buying a viper pat Gen 2 to put on my 6.5x284 and put my viper Hale back on my 300 win mag. The only scope I have had fail and seen a few fail have been bushnell. Any scope can brand can fail but I will keep buying vortex until I have a good reason not to.

[BRimmer]

Thanks for all the input folks, I just picked up my brand new Diamondback for the post office, and to make up for my troubles and expense they sent me a new hat. To say I am done with Vortex would be an understatement. I am selling that scope to friend who is just starting out hunting. Too bad they just lost a loyal customer. I just picked up a Leupold RX 1600i TBR DNA rangefinder from International again and wow is it incredible. Looking for a spotting scope now. I'm going to send Vortex a pic of my receipts for the scope and rangefinder to let them know they lost out on some business, will do the same when I get my spotting scope. There is really nothing else I can do. Thanks again everyone, straight shootn.

[Gateholio]

What scope will you replace the Diamondback with?

[todbartell]

Looking for a spotting scope now. .

Check out the Razor 22-48x, could see .284" holes in brown cardboard this morning at 625 yards

[guest]

What scope will you replace the Diamondback with?

Hopefully a Leupold Vari X 111 in 4.5 X 14 .........

Good of on ya BR ........

[Ron.C]

Hopefully a Leupold Vari X 111 in 4.5 X 14 .........

Good of on ya BR ........
I have this scope VX3 with the cds. Love it

[Gateholio]

Guess I'll be using Leupolds warranty again.....:)

https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/37261539_2164273663853567_3839024331044683776_n.jp g?_nc_cat=0&oh=65e954b209859a724c301984e0b4ab54&oe=5BD184E0



Korth screwed it back together and sent it back to me. Hopefully it won’t fog up. :)

[todbartell]

lol wow - you'd think they would just give you a new one

[Gateholio]

I gotta admit I was a little shocked.

But maybe not as shocked as when the scope literally fell apart in the rings, that was a real shocker. :)

[Jackdaw]

All of my vortex stuff has been awesome. I've had one lens let go in my .22 scope and that is currently a Canada Post problem for it not being replaced in due time. Could not br happier

[Quince2]

All the big names are the same... good and bad products. It is like trucks, all preference. Although nobody gives a lifetime unconditional warranty on my truck. Ive had no bad experiences with my vortex or leup. Bushnell on the other hand.... deciding factor is if i drop $1k on a scope and the manufacturer wont honor repairs im left with junk.

[BRimmer]

I did ask for a refund, no dice, they said they'd send me a higher quality scope and I could pay the difference. I said thanks but no thanks, given you guys enough money already.

[Bridges1982]

ive got vortex razor binos and the spotter and the glass quality in unreal!
the diamond back is there bottom of the barrel line and is made over seas unlike the razor line,,, i understand the price difference is alot different aswell tho..
i recently bought a 5-25 huskemaw rifle scope and the glass quality isnt all that great in my eyes but its the turret style i wanted,
if i was looking to not spend a whole lot id go bushnell over the diamond back series

[todbartell]

Razor binos are made in China, 2017 and earlier in Japan

[menace270]

I thought the razor stuff was now being made in the states?

[IslandWanderer]

I thought the razor stuff was now being made in the states?

Made in China actually. It’s excellent though.

[IslandWanderer]

Razor binos are made in China, 2017 and earlier in Japan

I’ve got made in China Razors. It bothers me, but it’s great glass regardless,

[todbartell]

I thought the razor stuff was now being made in the states?

just the Razor AMG 6-24x50 riflescope. More USA items to be produced in future, the introduce a new scope this week. No idea if it's USA made tho

[twoSevenO]

I’ve got made in China Razors. It bothers me, but it’s great glass regardless,

Same. Pretty sure my razor spotter is made in China.

But for the money ($1100 + tax new in 2016) I firmly believe that it is good value for the money.

[hawk-i]

FX3 6x42.

Supposed to be a tough scope, too. :)

That 375 ruger must really kick! ☺

[todbartell]

Same. Pretty sure my razor spotter is made in China.

But for the money ($1100 + tax new in 2016) I firmly believe that it is good value for the money.

new Razors say Assembled in USA

[Gateholio]

That 375 ruger must really kick! ☺

Not was actually on a 7.62x39!!!!!

[curt]

unfortunately diamondback is one of their lowest end scopes like every manufacturer they have great stuff and not so great stuff you want flawless performance you have to move up the ladder viper razor move into the ziess or high end Nikon something like that