I've long been a fan of red dots running a 1:1 or actual powered scopes, usually 3-12 or 4-16 or larger. I've ran Trijicon ACOGs (4x32) with fixed magnification. I recently started looking for a good scope that would give me a 1:1 for both eyes open, up close engagements, and give me the option to dial in a little magnification. I’ve ran red dots with magnifier back-ups before with decent results. What you tend to give up is a good field of view and light transmission. So I knew I didn’t want to go that road again. A friend of mine bought a rifle with the MOA version of this scope and I was really impressed by it in my initial hands on with the scope. So, I started looking all over the internet and found the Vortex Viper 1-4 scope with an ADM Recon QD mount – It was a package deal sold by Primary Arms, a local firearms supply shop. So I went down to PA and put my hands on the scope. What I found was a very high quality tube without a sky high cost. Since they were running a package deal with the scope and the ADM mount I decided I would roll with it. I got the scope and the mount for a tick over $700. Yes, it’s a little steep but an Aimpoint T1 in a LaRue mount costs almost as much.
https://www.primaryarms.com/Vortex-Viper-PST-14x24-TMCQ-MRAD-Reticle-p/pst-14st-m.htm
Mount.
I used the ADM mount because I got it in a package deal. I also use LaRue mounts. When it comes to top quality QD / RTZ mounts both ADM and LaRue offer the best. It’s not worth going into detail which mount is better because they both have their pros and cons. Normally I would run LaRue just because everything I’m running on all my AR’s is LaRue but the package deal was too good to pass up. The quality of the ADM is what you would expect from a $200 mount. I’ve tested the RTZ on both LaRue and ADM and they all maintain the zero with no appreciable shift in POA vs POI.
American Defense MFG, LLC | Browse | Scope Mounts | AD-RECON Scope Mount
Scope Exterior.
When handling the scope you notice it’s got some weight. It’s not a featherweight scope. It’s got some heft which makes me think that Vortex has used quality aluminum and quality glass. You don’t feel like it will break by hitting the ground or being slammed into a barricade. It really feels like a quality piece. The turrets move with a tactile click and the alignment marks line up well. One thing I really like is the elevation turret has a small tube of fiber optic in the top lining up with a mark on the cylinder of the turret. It’s nice and allows to you see where your turret is and lets you make movements without having to focus really hard on where you’re at. The magnification spinner also has a small tube of fiber optic on it as well. A nice tough I never thought I would have needed / liked until I used it. The ocular focus knob spins without much resistance and setting the ocular focus while looking through the scope actually works well and allows you to get a good crisp picture.
Looking Through the Scope.
TMCQ MRAD reticle. My scope is a TMCQ MRAD reticle. Instead of the reticle marks giving a value in MOA (minutes of angle) it gives a value in MilRads (mils). To be honest, I’m used to using the MOA system. This is my first MRAD reticle so I’m still learning the math and how to use it properly. What I can tell you that looking through the scope provides a nice sharp, crisp and clear picture of what you’re looking at downrange. There isn’t the problem of the image distorting at the edges or blurring out like I’ve seen in lower end glass. This is also an illuminated reticle. What I like about the Vortex system is you’ve got 10 levels of brightness and in between each brightness setting the reticle turns off. What that means is if you’re on brightness setting 5 you don’t have to dial all the way back to zero. You can either dial up or dial down – the next setting is off no matter where you are. It’s a really nice feature that might be on other scope but I’ve only ever seen in on the Vortex line.
Shooting with the scope.
After I got the scope mounted and set up for the proper eye relief for the stock setting I used I headed for the range. Setting the zero at 50 yards proved to be an easy task with the 4X magnification. With a 6” shoot-n-see target and the ½” center bulls eye marker – after setting my zero the center bulls eye marker was easy to make go away if I was up to the task and doing my part. The center mark on the reticle is .3 mils or 1.08 inches @ 100 yards. At 50 yards the .3 mil center dot is .54 inches. My Mega build AR has proven to be a sub 1” gun at 100 yards – smallest group I’ve pulled out of it at 100 yards has been .625 inches. So, with that tiny of a center dot, if I can keep it still – is capable of shooting smaller than the dot. So, if you’ve got an accurate gun under the scope, even with a maximum of 4X for magnification you can easily make really good groups at 100 yards with it. Unfortunately I haven’t pulled out to a distance where I could make on the fly wind or elevation calls – but it could be done. My biggest complaint about the reticle is that it’s quite small – even at 4X – when looking through it. This scope would really benefit from being a front focal plane scope. Shooting with it at 1:1 is just as easy as shooting a regular RDS. You have to kind of dial in the ocular focus to get a clear picture at 1:1. So, needing to adjust the focus at 1:1 can slow you down if you want a crisp sight picture. If it were needed for a rapid deployment on a target that didn’t allow the time to adjust to a crisp picture it’s still plenty clear enough to drop someone in your house.
Over all impressions.
The Vortex Viper has really become my favorite optic in my line up. It allows for both eyes open 1:1 shooting that’s ALMOST as good as a standard RDS but affords the ability to dial in some power if you needed to push out beyond the limits of what 1:1 shooting allows. I think if it were a 1-6X scope or even a 1-8X it would be the cream of the crop for me. I would like to have a little more magnification and being a FFP reticle would also really enhance the versatility of the optic. Over all it’s a great middle ground. The light transmission is GREAT. Looking through it in the dark is almost like you’re not looking through an optic, save for the ability to have some zoom. I think the shooter who prefers 1:1 RDS sights but wants a little magnification without moving to a true variable power scope with a minimum power of 2-3-4 or whatever should really give this scope a shake down. I’m very impressed with it so far.
Here's the entire gallery.
http://imgur.com/a/o8BN1
https://www.primaryarms.com/Vortex-Viper-PST-14x24-TMCQ-MRAD-Reticle-p/pst-14st-m.htm
Mount.
I used the ADM mount because I got it in a package deal. I also use LaRue mounts. When it comes to top quality QD / RTZ mounts both ADM and LaRue offer the best. It’s not worth going into detail which mount is better because they both have their pros and cons. Normally I would run LaRue just because everything I’m running on all my AR’s is LaRue but the package deal was too good to pass up. The quality of the ADM is what you would expect from a $200 mount. I’ve tested the RTZ on both LaRue and ADM and they all maintain the zero with no appreciable shift in POA vs POI.
American Defense MFG, LLC | Browse | Scope Mounts | AD-RECON Scope Mount
Scope Exterior.
When handling the scope you notice it’s got some weight. It’s not a featherweight scope. It’s got some heft which makes me think that Vortex has used quality aluminum and quality glass. You don’t feel like it will break by hitting the ground or being slammed into a barricade. It really feels like a quality piece. The turrets move with a tactile click and the alignment marks line up well. One thing I really like is the elevation turret has a small tube of fiber optic in the top lining up with a mark on the cylinder of the turret. It’s nice and allows to you see where your turret is and lets you make movements without having to focus really hard on where you’re at. The magnification spinner also has a small tube of fiber optic on it as well. A nice tough I never thought I would have needed / liked until I used it. The ocular focus knob spins without much resistance and setting the ocular focus while looking through the scope actually works well and allows you to get a good crisp picture.
Looking Through the Scope.
TMCQ MRAD reticle. My scope is a TMCQ MRAD reticle. Instead of the reticle marks giving a value in MOA (minutes of angle) it gives a value in MilRads (mils). To be honest, I’m used to using the MOA system. This is my first MRAD reticle so I’m still learning the math and how to use it properly. What I can tell you that looking through the scope provides a nice sharp, crisp and clear picture of what you’re looking at downrange. There isn’t the problem of the image distorting at the edges or blurring out like I’ve seen in lower end glass. This is also an illuminated reticle. What I like about the Vortex system is you’ve got 10 levels of brightness and in between each brightness setting the reticle turns off. What that means is if you’re on brightness setting 5 you don’t have to dial all the way back to zero. You can either dial up or dial down – the next setting is off no matter where you are. It’s a really nice feature that might be on other scope but I’ve only ever seen in on the Vortex line.
Shooting with the scope.
After I got the scope mounted and set up for the proper eye relief for the stock setting I used I headed for the range. Setting the zero at 50 yards proved to be an easy task with the 4X magnification. With a 6” shoot-n-see target and the ½” center bulls eye marker – after setting my zero the center bulls eye marker was easy to make go away if I was up to the task and doing my part. The center mark on the reticle is .3 mils or 1.08 inches @ 100 yards. At 50 yards the .3 mil center dot is .54 inches. My Mega build AR has proven to be a sub 1” gun at 100 yards – smallest group I’ve pulled out of it at 100 yards has been .625 inches. So, with that tiny of a center dot, if I can keep it still – is capable of shooting smaller than the dot. So, if you’ve got an accurate gun under the scope, even with a maximum of 4X for magnification you can easily make really good groups at 100 yards with it. Unfortunately I haven’t pulled out to a distance where I could make on the fly wind or elevation calls – but it could be done. My biggest complaint about the reticle is that it’s quite small – even at 4X – when looking through it. This scope would really benefit from being a front focal plane scope. Shooting with it at 1:1 is just as easy as shooting a regular RDS. You have to kind of dial in the ocular focus to get a clear picture at 1:1. So, needing to adjust the focus at 1:1 can slow you down if you want a crisp sight picture. If it were needed for a rapid deployment on a target that didn’t allow the time to adjust to a crisp picture it’s still plenty clear enough to drop someone in your house.
Over all impressions.
The Vortex Viper has really become my favorite optic in my line up. It allows for both eyes open 1:1 shooting that’s ALMOST as good as a standard RDS but affords the ability to dial in some power if you needed to push out beyond the limits of what 1:1 shooting allows. I think if it were a 1-6X scope or even a 1-8X it would be the cream of the crop for me. I would like to have a little more magnification and being a FFP reticle would also really enhance the versatility of the optic. Over all it’s a great middle ground. The light transmission is GREAT. Looking through it in the dark is almost like you’re not looking through an optic, save for the ability to have some zoom. I think the shooter who prefers 1:1 RDS sights but wants a little magnification without moving to a true variable power scope with a minimum power of 2-3-4 or whatever should really give this scope a shake down. I’m very impressed with it so far.
Here's the entire gallery.
http://imgur.com/a/o8BN1
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