# Vortex Viper HS LR Scope



## Dodge360 (Nov 2, 2014)

Looking at a 4-16x44 Vortex Viper HS LR Scope with Dead Hold BDC. Does anyone have experience with this company and scope? If so, is the windage/yardage turret on top of the scope useful or cumbersome while hunting?

I am also considering Nikon Monarch BDC with similar optic size/zoom.


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## plottrunner (Apr 3, 2008)

That is a great scope...Vortex makes a great product and has the best warranty in the business...The turret is essential for long range shots. You usually have plenty of time to make your adjustments shooting at long range but it requires plenty of time at the range prior to your hunt to get it dialed in to your gun. The Dead Hold BDC makes a great sight picture as well....


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## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

Been happy with my Vortex binos and scope so far. Well built and very clear.


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## Dodge360 (Nov 2, 2014)

I am also considering the Vortex Viper HS without the Long Range turret on top of the scope.. to me, because the Viper HS does not have the top yardage turrent, that is just one less thing that can be bumped off while hunting. I think because I don't plan on shooting further than 700 yards, the Viper HS with BDC would be perfect for me. 

But on the other hand I found the Vortex Viper HS LR 4-16x44(two focal point) on sale for $399


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## Dodge360 (Nov 2, 2014)

Bax* said:


> Been happy with my Vortex binos and scope so far. Well built and very clear.


What binos did you get? I thinking about eventually picking up the 10x Diamond backs for around $220


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## mtnrunner260 (Feb 15, 2010)

The diamondbacks are tough to beat for the price. Shop around and get them for well under $200.


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## longbow (Mar 31, 2009)

Dodge360 said:


> I am also considering the Vortex Viper HS without the Long Range turret on top of the scope.. to me, because the Viper HS does not have the top yardage turrent, that is just one less thing that can be bumped off while hunting. I think because I don't plan on shooting further than 700 yards, the Viper HS with BDC would be perfect for me.
> 
> But on the other hand I found the Vortex Viper HS LR 4-16x44(two focal point) on sale for $399


I would only get a second focal plane scope if you are going to use it to rangefind or use the stadia lines for different ranges. I have a couple Russian Kalinka scopes that have second focal plane reticles. I like them but if you plan on shooting out to 700 yards get a long range turret.


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## Dodge360 (Nov 2, 2014)

mtnrunner260 said:


> The diamondbacks are tough to beat for the price. Shop around and get them for well under $200.


How do you like them? I just don't know if they would be "enough" for 700 yard shots


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## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

Dodge360 said:


> What binos did you get? I thinking about eventually picking up the 10x Diamond backs for around $220


I picked up the Viper HD 10x40s. But the Diamondbacks are still great too!


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## RandomElk16 (Sep 17, 2013)

Dodge360 said:


> How do you like them? I just don't know if they would be "enough" for 700 yard shots


Any 10x42 isn't enough for 700 yards. You need a spotting scope if you really want to see whats going on with the animal. Think about it, your scope is a 16 power and the bino's are only a 10.

That said, I love my 10x42 vortex. And the scope you are looking at is awesome. The HS non LR is nice if you can moa adjust, or you can have a Kenton turret made which is cake for yardage adjustments. Depends on what you are into.


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## Dodge360 (Nov 2, 2014)

RandomElk16 said:


> Dodge360 said:
> 
> 
> > How do you like them? I just don't know if they would be "enough" for 700 yard shots
> ...


Im looking for a "working mans" scope with a BDC reticle. It will be strictly a hunting rifle scope only used to hunt deer and elk out to 700 yards. The Viper LR looks like more than I need, the standard Viper looks like it may better fit my needs. Heck the diamond back 4-12 BDC may fit my needs as well! I just don't know if I could live with myself for only putting a sub $200 scope on a $500 plus rifle.


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## Dodge360 (Nov 2, 2014)

Dodge360 said:


> RandomElk16 said:
> 
> 
> > Dodge360 said:
> ...


I may have found a solution to my own problem.. found a plain viper 6.5-204x4 on sale for $299!

But, would the scope be clear up to the 20x and would the 6.5 be a wide enough to shoot at spooked game around 50-100 yards?


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## Al Hansen (Sep 7, 2007)

Recently read an article that rated all the scope makers. From high end to low end. Wish I could remember where, but the just of it was it you can afford the Smidt and Bender scopes of the world they are better. But if you are like me and don't have a grundle of money then there were a couple of scopes that rated best buys. One being the mid range cost Vortex and the other being the Bushnell Elite 4200 series. I do own the Vortex Diamond Back Bino's and love them. My next scope will probably be a Vortex 6x24 MRD. I would like to see them come out with a target dot in the future.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

Dodge360 said:


> I may have found a solution to my own problem.. found a plain viper 6.5-204x4 on sale for $299!
> 
> But, would the scope be clear up to the 20x and would the 6.5 be a wide enough to shoot at spooked game around 50-100 yards?


My personal opinion is that you would have all kinds of problems with a 6.5 power trying to hit a running animal closer than 100 yards.

I also think that you are way over thinking it. For a great hunting scope I don't think that you need anything over 10x, even at 700 yards. The highest magnification scope that I have on a hunting rifle is only 10x and it has worked fine out past 700 yards when I did my part.

A 6.5x20 is a lot too much for the majority of calibers that you have been mentioning that you are looking at.


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## Dodge360 (Nov 2, 2014)

Critter said:


> Dodge360 said:
> 
> 
> > I may have found a solution to my own problem.. found a plain viper 6.5-204x4 on sale for $299!
> ...


That is very true and is the only thing hanging me up at the moment! In the past I've shot elk and deer from 300-600 yards with the highest magnification on both 4-14x and 4-16x nikons. I have also harvested a running elk 50 yards in the same scope with the 4x. But this high magnification(if it is clear at 20x) does help make the further shots easier, ofcourse if you can hold still while making the shot. However, for the BDC to work I must be zoomed all the way in which concerns me if I have a 300 yard shot.

I'm just thinking out loud here guys! I'm sorry I keep flip flopping back and forth! This is open to anyones suggestions, please don't hold back!


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## RandomElk16 (Sep 17, 2013)

For the BDC to work you don't need to be zoomed all the way in, it is just going to have different yardages at each mark depending on zoom and zero. You can download apps on your phone that arent service dependent and work excellent. Some will show you a visual of the vortex scope reticle and as you adjust the magnifications will show you the different hashes and yardages for each.

The 4x16 Viper HS is a fine scope. I think it will do all that you need.


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## ridgetop (Sep 13, 2007)

Dodge, last year I was in the same boat as you are in now and I asked many of the same questions. 
I ended up getting the 4-16x44 vortex viper HS and I haven't regretted it yet. 
I like how the top elevation turret is protected on the HS.
Also, the HS has the 1/4"MOA over the 1/2" on the LR. Which means you can pinpoint your "clicks" a little better inside of 500 yards but for over 1,000 yards, the 1/2" MOA would be better because you would not have to move so many "click" to get to the desired yardage.
I feel 16X should be plenty out to 600-700 yards. 
I have only been shooting at an 8" orange colored plated out at 400 yards so far and at that distance, it feels and looks like I'm shooting at regular sized orange at 100 yards. 
I'm shooting a 7mm rem. mag. w/26" barrel and have my scope zero at 250 yards.
I'm shooting a 160 gr. accubond and my elevation turret is set to move (1) click per 10 yards past 250 yards up to 450 yards, then I need to look at my chart that I have printed out for farther yardages. 
So if I want to shoot 380 yards, I move my turret 13 clicks up and it's money.
Vortex has some good programs to calculate your bullet drop for each of their scopes.
Although I also got the BCD, I doubt I'll use them much. I feel it's easier to move the turrets once I have a chart in my hand to look at.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

I *love* the 6.5x20 Leupold I have on my 7STW. Never ran into a situation where I wish it went lower than 6x ... even on the elk I shot at 40 yards with it was no big deal.


-DallanC


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## ridgetop (Sep 13, 2007)

DallanC said:


> I *love* the 6.5x20 Leupold I have on my 7STW. Never ran into a situation where I wish it went lower than 6x ... even on the elk I shot at 40 yards with it was no big deal.
> 
> -DallanC


Before I got my vortex last year, I had a Leupold 3-9x40 and I always kept it at 9x.
I would have no problem taking the head off a grouse at 40 yards on 9x, if I wanted to. :shock:
Not that I would do something like that.


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## Dodge360 (Nov 2, 2014)

DallanC said:


> I *love* the 6.5x20 Leupold I have on my 7STW. Never ran into a situation where I wish it went lower than 6x ... even on the elk I shot at 40 yards with it was no big deal.
> 
> -DallanC


Does the scope seem shaky when you are shooting 500+ yards with the scope at 20x? Because it's hard to hold perfectly stillwhile hunting?


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## RandomElk16 (Sep 17, 2013)

I think I am blind, and at 300 yards I still catch myself setting it on 4 power. 6 power at 40 yards might be a little, big.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

Dodge360 said:


> Does the scope seem shaky when you are shooting 500+ yards with the scope at 20x? Because it's hard to hold perfectly stillwhile hunting?


Gun shake is the same at 9x or 20x... you just see it more at 20x.

My longest hunting shot with that rifle was 380 yards, prone off a bipod. 1 shot and the elk tipped right over. 380 yards for that caliber was still within max pointblank range.

-DallanC


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## svmoose (Feb 28, 2008)

*Vortex is good stuff*

Great company, good products. You can find better if you want to pay for it. But you can't beat the value and warranty you get with Vortex. I don't think you'll regret the decision. I've moved over to binos, spotter, and scopes (when I buy new) -- all vortex. I haven't had any issues yet.


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## waspocrew (Nov 26, 2011)

I have the HS LR 4-16x44 and think it's a great scope for the money. My only gripe with it is the 1/2 MOA elevation adjustments and 1/4 MOA windage. Other than that, nothing to complain about. 

As far as your concern for bumping the turret, it comes with shims to create a zero stop. Once you zero your rifle, you unscrew a few screws on the turret, carefully take it off, place a bunch of tiny shims in there, replace the turret and screws and you're set. You can make an adjustment in the field, then return to your zero quite easily. 

I use it on my 7 Rem Mag and it works very well. The BDC lines are nice, but I'm quickly liking dialing in my shots more than holding over.

The 4-16 HS gets my vote. It'll be plenty for the application you are looking at.


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## Dodge360 (Nov 2, 2014)

I looked through the diamondbacks and vipers and when looking at the two they were similar so I may be now going the diamondback or diamondback hp way


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