# Have you had Vortex Scope troubles?



## bthewilde (Feb 8, 2018)

I am not really out to solicit opinions, just some cold hard issues with Vortex's if you've had them. My cousin and I are going Bear hunting over Memorial Day weekend and he is swearing up and down that I won't hit anything with the Vortex scope on my .308 because they're junk and don't hold a zero. He wants me to shoot one of his rifles instead. He has long been a Leupold Fan, which is fine and dandy they're great, but I have never had any issues with any of mine and several friends that I know love theirs and swear by them. Anyone out here had any issues though or is he just being biased?


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## DIRTYS6X6 (May 19, 2021)

Have Vortex on all of mine. No problems ever.


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## Al Hansen (Sep 7, 2007)

I shoot lots of Vortex scopes and use their Bino's and spotting scope. Had a Lupe once and got rid of it. Love the HS-T 6-24X50. Warranty is as good as they get.


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## elkhunterUT (Jan 21, 2008)

Vortex Viper and Razor scopes-no issues at all on rifles and muzzy

Vortex Diamondback scope - went through 3 of these on a muzzy. The scope does not hold up to heavy recoil and the inner workings break and will not hold a zero. My brother had the same experience. That was enough for me to never use that model or lesser models again.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

We have diamondback scopes on a few muzzleloaders, over 500 rounds through them combined. No problems thus far.

-DallanC


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

Vortex are good scopes and like any of them they are good until they fail you when you have that once in a lifetime shot lined up. 

A friend went through 2 of the Vortex scopes and still swears by them, that is when he isn't swearing at them. 

I wouldn't worry about your friend. Just show him how good the scope does when you have that bear on the ground.


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## SCS_Bg_Hunter (Oct 27, 2019)

I won't ever own another one, my kid had one on his gun and drew a limited entry deer tag last year. Every time we went out shooting he had to re-zero his rifle. Stupid on our part, but we didn't think about it until on the 3rd day of his hunt he missed a beautiful buck at 200 yards broadside. High and to the right, same as when we went practicing. Then, too late to help, we put it all together it was always high and to the left when he was having issues throughout the summer. Google it, it's common, after talking to some other friends it seems most have stories, either personal or second hand of people that have experienced the same thing.

As for their warranty, yeah, it's awesome but it has to be, you'll need to use it in my experience. Another one of my boys bought a Vortex spotting scope, the Diamondback. One day after taking the 4-wheeler up a rough road he couldn't see out of it anymore, seemed like one of the internal lenses had shifted somehow. We took it back to Scheels took the money for the return and applied it to a Vortex Viper. First trip out the base of the scope broke and he couldn't attach it to his tripod anymore. That was all in one summer and the final straw for Vortex in our family. I've had leupold scopes on rifles for over 30 years that are still zero'd in like the day I first mounted the scope.

I do know a lot of guys that swear by Vortex optics but for me they're not worth it. My son did get his buck on the last day of the season but we had a lot of time invested in the one he missed so he was a little disappointed but overall had a great time.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

bthewilde said:


> I won't hit anything with the Vortex scope on my .308 because they're junk and don't hold a zero.


Soooo... does the rifle hold a good group or not? That is really all that matters. His opinion is irrelevant. Shoot 10 shot string, whats the group average?

People are so biased. Anybody with a decent amount of trigger time shooting groups will tell you they get the occasional flier. Is it the gun? The scope? The round? The shooter? Scope rings / bases? Whatever bias you have, that's what ya blame. LOL!

I dont think alot of people can tell the difference between loads a gun doesnt like, or a bad scope. They just fire a bunch of rounds off the hood of the truck, then wonder why the target looks like it was hit with a shotgun 

I shoot 5 shot groups when working up loads. When I'm getting pretty happy with a load I switch to a 10 shot string. That's the real indicator IMO. Someone shoots and posts a 3 shot .75" group that's cool. Someone shoots a 10 shot string under 1", I'm impressed.

-DallanC


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## CPAjeff (Dec 20, 2014)

I’ve had good ones and bad ones. I understand they have the best warranty, but the best warranty for me is the one that never gets used.

I no longer have any Vortex optics.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

The only thing that I have always wondered about Vortex optics is just how many of them get returned for warranty and they just send out a new optic sending the old one to the refurbish shop? 

Vortex is also the only optic out there that I know of that has a retail store to sell the refurbish optics.



Welcome to A&A Optics Inc - Certified Vortex Dealer


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## bthewilde (Feb 8, 2018)

DallanC said:


> Soooo... does the rifle hold a good group or not? That is really all that matters. His opinion is irrelevant. Shoot 10 shot string, whats the group average?
> 
> People are so biased. Anybody with a decent amount of trigger time shooting groups will tell you they get the occasional flier. Is it the gun? The scope? The round? The shooter? Scope rings / bases? Whatever bias you have, that's what ya blame. LOL!
> 
> ...


I shoot my new .308 just fine. It hasn't been jostled and is still zero'd well! I am going up again on Satruday to try a few of the loads I plan on using. So I feel good, he is just jaded I believe. Someday though I'd love to go a bit higher end Optics, but for now I am happy.

Thanks all!


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

Most of the better optics and scopes do not go by by just shooting the rifle. 

It is when that rifle is dropped or banged around that they have problems. Most of the time the better scopes will stay together where the lower end ones will leave you guessing. 

A friend bought both of his kids 7mm Rem mags for their 16th birthday, this was when you had to be 16 to get a big game tag. Both of those rifles had the stores Tasco scope mounted on them. Neither scope lasted the few shots that we took to sight those rifles in. You could actually watch the vertical cross-hair move if you tilted the rifle.


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## APD (Nov 16, 2008)

I have several vortex scopes. I dial shots over 250 and test tracking on scopes I plan to dial with. The good news is that most are very reliable at tracking. They all have returned to zero well after cycling the turrets. My favorite vortex scope was a 4-16pst gen 1. The only issue I've ever had with it was on an antelope hunt. I kept it an a thick soft case under the back seat of the truck during the trip. After a rough ride on back roads I was able to get a 200 yard shot on a doe slightly quartered away. There was time to rest the gun comfortably and I took a shot that hit the paunch. My second shot hit the same poi, eviscerating the poor animal. I quickly realized the error and adjusted fire to 12" ahead of the doe. That shot hit vitals. Unfortunately the doe suffered the first two shots and my kid watched. As soon as we finished quartering and got her in the cooler we put a target up and re sighted the rifle. It was off close to 18" at 200 yards. No one had access to the rifle and it had never lost zero before and hasn't since. Winds were calm at 7am so not a factor either. The rifle was bounced in the truck hard enough to shift zero. Now, there are scopes out there that would have survived this, especially in a thick soft case. Those scopes cost more and are not branded Leupold either. 

Short answer, if it groups well and you don't bump it around then enjoy your hunt. If you don't want to question it, find a scope that is impact tested or known to be reliable with impacts. They cost a bit more.


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## RandomElk16 (Sep 17, 2013)

Had a Vortex Viper on a Tikka 7MM RM (light rifle with tons of kick) and it held it's 0 for 9ish years before I swapped the scope last month. 

Now that scope is set to go on a 270 and I expect no issues.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

My scope gets the ever living hell beat out of it in the rack mount gun case on my atv. I ride fast over very rough roads and it takes a beating. I need to get a new liner to the case, its worn through to the plastic in a few places making vibration even worse (right at muzzle, at bolt handle etc).

/shrug 

Sorry to those who had bad ones. Its un-nerving to have doubts on a gun / scope.

-DallanC


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## RemingtonCountry (Feb 17, 2016)

All I own are Vortex Optics, and I have not had an issue at all with any of them. Diamondback through Razor, they all work very well for me on 15+ rifles.


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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

Ugh, scopes....

But yeah, my Vortex scope doesn't get along well with my .300 Weatherby Mag.


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## weaversamuel76 (Feb 16, 2017)

I'll have impressive luck with a couple razor lht scopes but others have told me they have plenty of evidence of them not taking impacts well. 
It played on the back of my mind and I've swapped to a more rugged optic on my primary rifle. No need for drama real or imagined when tags are so hard to come by. 

I did have a couple Leopold failures-- one right before my bison hunt. I won't own any of them anymore.

Sent from my SM-G996U using Tapatalk


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

In the end any scope can and will fail depending on how it is treated. Some will fail for no reason that a person can see. 

I use Leupold's on all of my rifles except for one which is a very old Redfield. Most have been thrown around by baggage handlers on airplanes, some have been strapped to a horse for miles upon miles, others have taken hard hits when they ended up on the ground. They have all held their zero and not a drop of condensation has made it inside any of them even after a week long hunt with rain every day, all I haven't done yet is to submerge one into a river or lake. I have come close a couple of times but haven't done it yet.


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## taxidermist (Sep 11, 2007)

I had the diamond back on a light recoil rifle (25-06) and it was ok for the money $195.00. It sits in the box now and wont be placed on any of my weapons. All my rifles sport Burris or Athlon. Athlon has a great warranty and I've never had to use it. 

It all boils down to the money spent on a scope. Jim Zumbo years ago (70's or 80's) wrote an article in Outdoor Life on scopes and rifles. He basically stated that one can make a $150 rifle accurate, but its the optic that makes it deadly. He also said you should budget double what you paid for the rifle for optics. Makes 1000% sense to me.


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## BigT (Mar 11, 2011)

I just picked up a Vortex Razor LHT second generation scope for my 6.5cm.. I've had a bunch of Vortex brand optics and have never had an issue with any of them other than a cheap pair of Crossfire binoculars. I currently run the Razor UHD 12x50 binoculars and love them. But ya'll have me wondering if I made a mistake on my rifle scope!


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## CPAjeff (Dec 20, 2014)

Like I said before, I’ve used Vortex in the past. I had a couple scopes that I needed to send back and their customer service was exceptional. I just got tired of wondering what I was missing by using Vortex instead of a top tier brand. For my current spotter and binos I have Swarovski and have been blown away by the differences. I’m looking at adding a Kowa spotter to the mix for a lighter weight spotter.

For my rifles I have SWFA fixed power scopes.


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## Irish Lad (Jun 3, 2008)

RemingtonCountry said:


> All I own are Vortex Optics, and I have not had an issue at all with any of them. Diamondback through Razor, they all work very well for me on 15+ rifles.



Me too, including binoculars and spotting scope. I've been called a Vortex fan boy 😂.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

BigT said:


> I just picked up a Vortex Razor LHT second generation scope for my 6.5cm.. I've had a bunch of Vortex brand optics and have never had an issue with any of them other than a cheap pair of Crossfire binoculars. I currently run the Razor UHD 12x50 binoculars and love them. But ya'll have me wondering if I made a mistake on my rifle scope!


I'd take your 6.5 with the Vortex scope on it and shoot the barrel out of it. 

If shooting it at the range doesn't do anything to it then along as you don't drop your rifle you should be fine. 

Then if you do drop your rifle and the zero gets knocked off I would start to suspect the scope. Or any time you shoot at a paper target to check the zero and it's off then I would question the scope.

Sent from my SM-A426U using Tapatalk


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## bthewilde (Feb 8, 2018)

Well I will need to throw some more rounds down range, but for my first time out with this (after having it zero’d by the Lion’s Club Guy) I feel pretty good! Honestly too, the recoil difference between this and the Creedmoor I just got rid of, is negligible. Willing to debate that lol


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## APD (Nov 16, 2008)

taxidermist said:


> also said you should budget double what you paid for the rifle for optics. Makes 1000% sense to me.


I'd agree for the most part. When you start getting to the custom rifles you're going to struggle to find a scope for twice the price. Some of those rifles are well above 5k. That's not including the bench rest crowd.


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## APD (Nov 16, 2008)

Critter said:


> I'd take your 6.5 with the Vortex scope on it and shoot the barrel out of it.
> 
> If shooting it at the range doesn't do anything to it then along as you don't drop your rifle you should be fine.
> 
> ...



I'd do the same. 

To the OP, a lot of scopes get blamed on poor gunsmithing. Rings that loosen up, canted reticles, improper torque on action screws, etc. If you degreased the screws/holes and loctite/torque your bolts then most scopes can handle a small bump or two. When in doubt, test it out.

And if your buddy wants alleviate his worries and give you a nightforce to put on your rifle, let him do it.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

APD said:


> When in doubt, test it out.


This x10. Get it shooting great at the range, then put it in a case, strap it to a atv and go on a few good trail rides. Shake the hell out of it... then back to the range and see if it moved.



> And if your buddy wants alleviate his worries and give you a nightforce to put on your rifle, let him do it.


x100 

-DallanC


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

I never had a scope get out of adjustment while riding on a ATV but I had a sear screw start to move on me to the point that you couldn't pull the trigger to fire the rifle.

It cost me a nice 3x4 buck.

I tore the rifle apart right there on the hill that I was sitting on to figure out what was happening and to fix it. I didn't have any loctite in my tool box so every time I took my rifle off of the ATV I would make sure that the rifle would fire for the rest of the hunt.

Sent from my SM-A426U using Tapatalk


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## westcanyonranch (9 mo ago)

I have used Vortex. They generally run problem free. Hopefully you find the issue or at least a solution soon.


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## twall13 (Aug 2, 2015)

I have a Vortex Viper scope that had an issue. Apparently I tightened the turret cap too tight or bumped it somehow and it got stuck. In my attempts to unscrew it, the entire turret came out still attached inside of the cap. I had a hunt in about a week so I called them up to see what they could do. They said it needed to be purged as the gas would have exited the scope when the turret came off. With my upcoming hunt in mind they said they would match shipping speed. I overnighted it to them and had it back with 2 days to remount and sight in the rifle again if I remember right. The turnaround was pretty impressive. It all worked out for me, but overnighting the scope wasn't cheap and I probably would have been better off just mounting a different scope on there for that hunt. Even though Vortex lived up to it's legendary warranty, it still left a bit of a sour taste in my mouth that I had to use the warranty in the first place and had to pay to ship it to them. The warranty is great, but I'd much rather have a scope I know I can rely on since if it fails in the field the warranty won't save that hunt. I'm not claiming Vortex scopes will fail, my experience just left me a little leary. That scope has been my one and only Vortex purchase up to this point. It's still on my old 30-06 but that gun hasn't been holding a pattern lately and I need to diagnose whether it's the scope or the rifle causing the 3" patterns. At this point I can't honestly say it's for sure the scope causing the problem, but if it is I'll be done with Vortex forever.


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