Vortex Viper HS 4-16x44
- Thread starter AdamT
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Ghostman
Member
I've owned 3 Vortex scopes in the past. A Viper 6-20x50, Viper HS 4-16x50 and most recently a Viper PST 4-16x50. In each case I found the glass left a lot to be desired on the high end of magnification.
I parted with each a couple of days after buying them and won't waste my $$ on another Vortex.
I parted with each a couple of days after buying them and won't waste my $$ on another Vortex.
Last edited:
Squeeze
New member
I guess glass quality is in the eye of the beholder. I have one 2.5-10 Viper HS, two 4-16 Viper HSTs, and one Viper 6-24 HST,and have done a number of side by side comparisons with Leupold, Nikon, and Bushnell scopes near the same price point, and I have ended up with Vortex scopes, after the test. I go to someplace like Cabelas, where they have a good selection of scopes for all the major optics brands, and start looking at different places around the store with each candidate. Most stores are light challenged, so you get a good look at brightness, too. Your eyes will tell you what to buy.
FWIW, I have Bushnell, Burris, Nikon, and Vortex scopes on my rifles. I had some Leupold scopes but they traded better than they looked through the glass. To get to comparable glass quality, in a Leupold, one has to pay 1.5x to 2x the price, and their CS is now matched by a number of other optic vendors.
I still look at other brands, but these days, my money has been going to Vortex.
Squeeze
FWIW, I have Bushnell, Burris, Nikon, and Vortex scopes on my rifles. I had some Leupold scopes but they traded better than they looked through the glass. To get to comparable glass quality, in a Leupold, one has to pay 1.5x to 2x the price, and their CS is now matched by a number of other optic vendors.
I still look at other brands, but these days, my money has been going to Vortex.
Squeeze
Plant.One
Well-known member
Originally Posted By: SqueezeI guess glass quality is in the eye of the beholder. I have one 2.5-10 Viper HS, two 4-16 Viper HSTs, and one Viper 6-24 HST,and have done a number of side by side comparisons with Leupold, Nikon, and Bushnell scopes near the same price point, and I have ended up with Vortex scopes, after the test. I go to someplace like Cabelas, where they have a good selection of scopes for all the major optics brands, and start looking at different places around the store with each candidate. Most stores are light challenged, so you get a good look at brightness, too. Your eyes will tell you what to buy.
FWIW, I have Bushnell, Burris, Nikon, and Vortex scopes on my rifles. I had some Leupold scopes but they traded better than they looked through the glass. To get to comparable glass quality, in a Leupold, one has to pay 1.5x to 2x the price, and their CS is now matched by a number of other optic vendors.
I still look at other brands, but these days, my money has been going to Vortex.
Squeeze
this is kind of where i've migrated as well.
plus if you go to someplace like cabela's like squeeze suggested, you can have one of the outfitters grab a couple scopes and the test dummy stock and take you outside for some visualization in real world lighting. If you want lower light conditions, either time your visit with dusk, or go on a cloudy day where light conditions are less than ideal.
i was hemming and hawing over a couple different peices of glass for one of my uppers and it was the outfitter who suggested we go outside and said its pretty common for them to do that to help in purchase assistance.
getting outside really made the glass come to life that i couldnt get out of it being inside and looking across the store under the artifical lighting.
i cant say for sure on the higher end stuff, but at the lower part of the price range ($200-$300 scopes) vortex has been winning the look through test for me.
FWIW, I have Bushnell, Burris, Nikon, and Vortex scopes on my rifles. I had some Leupold scopes but they traded better than they looked through the glass. To get to comparable glass quality, in a Leupold, one has to pay 1.5x to 2x the price, and their CS is now matched by a number of other optic vendors.
I still look at other brands, but these days, my money has been going to Vortex.
Squeeze
this is kind of where i've migrated as well.
plus if you go to someplace like cabela's like squeeze suggested, you can have one of the outfitters grab a couple scopes and the test dummy stock and take you outside for some visualization in real world lighting. If you want lower light conditions, either time your visit with dusk, or go on a cloudy day where light conditions are less than ideal.
i was hemming and hawing over a couple different peices of glass for one of my uppers and it was the outfitter who suggested we go outside and said its pretty common for them to do that to help in purchase assistance.
getting outside really made the glass come to life that i couldnt get out of it being inside and looking across the store under the artifical lighting.
i cant say for sure on the higher end stuff, but at the lower part of the price range ($200-$300 scopes) vortex has been winning the look through test for me.
I think it is the individual eye. I have a Viper HS-T and the glass is a major disappointment. To me, the image is distorted and not very crisp. Sent it back to Vortex and they replaced it with another scope. The image distortion still exists. I have scopes that I paid a lot less for that render a much clearer image.
coyotezapper
Member
I have three 4-16x44 HS-LR and one 4-16x44 HS-T and for the money they are very good scopes. Not sure of how durable they are though. I had one rifle that was leaning up against the side of the truck fall down and the windage knob was bent just by falling in the dirt. Sent it back and it was fixed no questions asked. Fluke breakage?? not sure but makes me wonder. About 10 years ago took a fall with a VX3 4.5-14x40 where the rifle tumbled 75ish feet down rock and dirt mountainside and other than a lot of scratches the scope was fine and even held zero. Fluke?? not sure but it sure messed up a nice new build.
I will say this about Vortex's intermediate line of scopes. They do struggle with light scatter when looking in to the sun either in the morning or late in the evening. I don't have this problem with their razor line though.
I will say this about Vortex's intermediate line of scopes. They do struggle with light scatter when looking in to the sun either in the morning or late in the evening. I don't have this problem with their razor line though.
I've had that scope in the long range "LR" version for 5 years. It's been a great scope for me. I've used it pretty hard and it has kept spot on with tracking. I would recommend it. Don't let others' opinions of glass "clarity" influence you. As has been mentioned, clarity is in the eye of the beholder. It's kind of like when I was buying my wife's wedding ring. The jewelers loved to stick the most expensive high-end most clear diamond next to a mid grade diamond to show me the difference. Of course when looking side-by-side you could see a distinct difference. However, when looking at the midgrade diamonds on their own they were still stunning. Some guys have thousands and thousands and thousands of dollars to spend on optics and others don't.
204 AR
Well-known member
I love my HS-T 4-16. I think it has pretty good glass, comparing it to Bushnell Elites, Zeiss Conquest and some others, all with 1" tubes. Mid priced Leupolds and Burris have always left me disappointed in that department. I've never had a true top shelf scope, my best being a Conquest HD 5-25.
I thought it was losing zero a while back but it turned out to be a problem with my build and not the scope at all.
I thought it was losing zero a while back but it turned out to be a problem with my build and not the scope at all.