I have a Vortex Viper Pst 4-16×50 scope mounted on a Remington 700 SPS Tactical chambered in .308. I purchased the scope for $900 and the fit and finish of the scope is near perfect. Vortex is possibly one of the best values in mid-high range scopes. The equivalent Leupold would be another $300 and a Nightforce even more than that. More than anything else in the gun world, when it comes to optics you generally get what you pay for. This is where Vortex has really carved out its niche. It has become known for making very good quality scopes with very good glass at a very good price point.
The Vortex Viper PST line offers illuminated reticles on all models. What makes this scope so good is the magnification range is about perfect all around. With 4-16 magnification you can shoot from 100 to 1000 yards very well. The Mil scope adjustments are an improvement over the standard MOA adjustments of most American scopes. This allows your adjustments to match the reticle in your optic. If you range a target and need to make a 1 Mil adjustment you put ten clicks onto your optic and are good to go. With a traditional MOA optic with a mil based reticle you need to convert Mils to MOA and then dial the adjustment. Its just an unnecessary step and the reason military scopes now are adjusted in 1/10 mils instead of the traditional 1/4 or 1/2 MOA adjustments.
The first focal plane insures that your reticle is accurate at any magnification. With a second focal plane optic the reticle is only ‘correct’ at one setting, usually at the highest magnification. So 1 Mil would equal 1 Mil only at 16x magnification. At 8 magnification it should equal 1/2 Mil. Another step you can avoid with the FFP optic in which the reticle is correct throughout the entire magnification range. Vortex also offers fantastic customer service and one of the best warranties in the business. I’ve seldom needed to take advantage of it but any time I have contacted them the interaction has been fantastic. I can strongly recommend this scope for the serious hunter, long range shooter or tactical shooter.
One note, if you are going to install the shims for the zero stop feature, be sure to not scissor the shims as they go in. If you do the zero stop will vary quite a bit. It’s not that big a deal but I have read where people are complaining about this.
