Vortex viper HD spotter

[JRG94]

Im in the market for a new spotter for next season and was wondering if anyone has a vortex viper spotter? any thoughts on them?
next in line would be the nomad.

[troutseeker]

I have the Nomad and it's good glass, I imagine the Viper HD is only that much nicer! That 15X45X65 sure looks good to me.

[pappy]

I bought the nomad, it's good enough for now.When I get more cash that I can put towards a spotter then I will upgrade.

[Singleshotneeded]

I checked out some Vortex optics at Grouse River here in Kelowna, looked to be quality stuff at a reasonable price...

[GrouseRiver]

You will likely have to wait for any substantial input on these as they are brand new for 2011 and have not yet hit the Canadian market. As with most Vortex product they should deliver an excellent amount of bang for the buck. We're quite excited about these as there is a definite gap in the market between the entry level spotters and those at the elite high end. Having something like the Viper HD to fill in the middle is a welcome addition to the marketplace. They will sell for $609.99 (15-45x65) and $889.99 (20-60x80) we are accepting pre-orders should you wish to be one of the first to have one in your hands.

Grouse River

[BromBones]

Bumping up an old thread here, not much feedback on these spotters yet.

I picked up one of the Viper 15-45x65 spotters recently. Excellent glass, absolutely kicks the shit outta my Elite 15-45/60 (not to mention the difference in warranty). Definitely one to check out for the guys looking for a mid-range spotter.

[bearhunter338-06]

There made over seas...........................................Jus t had to say that.

I have a Vortex 3X9X40 BDC rifle scope along with a set of 10X50 Bino's. Both are the Diamond Back series. I will be getting a couple more scopes and a spotting scope this summer.

[Brett]

I have a skyline 20-60 and it's a lot better than the bushnell I had

[akyne]

Anybody else using the Viper HD spotter? BromBones comments in regards to a favorable comparison to the Elite have piqued my interest. I will hopefully be picking up a new spotting scope by the end of the summer and the bits and pieces that I've been hearing about the new Vipers leads me to believe it will be a viable contender.

[Bow Walker]

It has been said that the Nomad has a bit of distortion at its higher end of magnification. I read (here on HBC) that there is a bit of edge distortion in the upper ends, 50X - 60X magnification.

I haven't looked through one to verify that claim, but I think it might be wise to save a bit more and go for the $600 + models.

[akyne]

It has been said that the Nomad has a bit of distortion at its higher end of magnification. I read (here on HBC) that there is a bit of edge distortion in the upper ends, 50X - 60X magnification.

I haven't looked through one to verify that claim, but I think it might be wise to save a bit more and go for the $600 + models.

The new Viper HD was introduced to fill the large gap between the bottom priced Nomad and Skyline, and the top-end Razor HD. At this point I am primarily interested in the 15-45X65mm model. The Viper retails for around $600 and while I certainly wouldn't expect to be counting the rings of Saturn at that price, I'm curious to hear how it measures up in relation to other spotters in the under $1000 crowd. European optics aren't even on the horizon for me at this stage in life, and while I've been a Leupold guy up until now, the consistently good reviews and the competitve pricing of the Vortex scopes becomes compellling.

The other stand-by is the ol' Bushnell Elite which, while it doesn't possess world class optics, at least you know what you're getting. I'm am curious, though, if anyone has compared a conventional Elite with one of the new Elite HD's and whether there's a palpable difference.

[Bow Walker]

If I had the "where-with-all" I'd definitely be looking at the Viper HD 15-45 x 65 for $609.99 (from Grouse River - http://www.grouseriver.com/Vortex_Viper_HD_15_45x65_p/opt-000398.htm)

It looks and reads like a much better option than the Nomad. People on here have said that it blows the Bushnell Elite out of the water - I believe it.

[BromBones]

The Viper HD spotter is definitely worth the $$. Until a guy forks out big bucks for a premium spotter, I think the Viper spotters are the next best option. Have looked side by side, in shitty conditions, through the Viper HD and a new Swarovski 20-60. Obviously the Swaro is a better scope hands down, but you really had to get picky to notice the differences.. The owner of the Swarovski scope was very impressed looking through the Viper, asked me a few times, "how much these things cost?".

[akyne]

Thanks BB, I appreciate the follow-up. There's only so much you can determine by looking through scopes in the showroom, even if you do cart them outside for a few minutes. Having someone with actual field experience making an educated comparison of this glass is invaluable.

[GrouseRiver]

Viper (standard model) spotters have started to show up in good quantities, unfortunately with any Vortex product designated as "HD" there has been an interuption in glass supply due to the earthquake in Japan earlier this year. Production is back on line but it has put delivery on HD spotting scopes back into August (we're hearing middle of the month). From an education and quality standpoint it is important to clarify that the Viper HD products are actually using ED glass (extra-low dispersion) not the HD (high-density) glass that is found in top end scopes like the Vortex Razor or Swarovski HD. That is not meant to knock the product just that the labelling is a little bit misleading. We've found that the standard (not the HD) Viper Spotter offers a tremendous step up in quality over the Nomad for only a $130 price difference.

Call us at 1-877-547-6873 if you have any specific optical questions and we'd be glad to work with you to find the right spotting scope for your needs.

[akyne]

Thanks for the info, GR!

[Hammerhead]

Hind site 20/20. I purchased the Nomad a couple of months back and have really only used it to look at paper so far last weekend while taking some 400 and 450 yrd shots in prep for the Aug sheep. When it is dialed up to the 60x it is a little distorted and leaves me wishing I had spent the extra for the next step up. It is diffenitely light and compact and will have to do me till the bank account can take another hit, and the price was reasonable. If i drop it on the rocks I won't loose as many tears as if I had the Razor HD. I do however love the 4 x 12 x40 viper scope and my 10 x 42 viper Bino's as IMO they are great value and great glass
HH

[pikguard]

Just picked my Viper HD 15-45x65mm scope up from the post office today. FWIW CameralandNY.com had 1 or 2 left when I ordered at the beginning of September.

Spent the last bit of daylight 6:45-7:30 today glassing billboards and the highway from Sumas mtn. Initial impressions are: Great scope! Gets a bit dark above 40x magnification at dusk. Goin on a trip this weekend so I should have some more thoughts and, if I can find my digicam, pics next week.

[brock77]

bringing up an old thread here but, any more reviews on the vortex viper 20-60x80....whats it like at dusk/dawn....i can only imangine its got to be better then my bushnell trophy..hahaha (trophy is allright for in the pack) but need a better option for longer distance....thanks