Vortex StrikeFire 2 Reviews
Max’s Review of Vortex StrikeFire II Red Dot w/ 4 MOA Reticle
I am having only used this Vortex StrikeFire 2 unit once in the field for target shooting on an AR15 platform. Shooting sixty rounds at fifty yards, the optic dot crept down about six inches after adjusting the elevation to bring the point of impact down from about four inches high. The creep seemed to happen after each set of five rounds. I watched the dot creep down until it seemed to stop. Then brought the elevation back up to zero. The dot appeared to stay on target after the compensation was made.
What I believe happened was there was a backlash in the adjusting screw. When I adjusted to bring the dot down, there was a backlash in the set screw, and the following rounds shocked the optics to move to a “set” position, i.e., no backlash in the downward direction. After I over-compensated for the downward creep and brought the optics back up to zero, the dot appeared to stay set after about twenty-five rounds. I cannot say for sure that I am correct with my opinion, but it seems that removing backlash in the elevation screw was required to make the dot settle in and stay in place.
Since I have not had the unit back on range to confirm my assumption, my opinion is at this time speculation. I have not talked to the Vortex Optics people about this issue yet, but I will provide them with my observation after a few more trips to the range.
The other negative, although a minor one, is the dot is not a perfectly circular image. I assume the quality of the glass coating to correct for dispersion of the laser light is not quite up to par. One interesting aspect was when adding the Vortex 3X magnifier; the dot became almost perfectly circular. That made viewing more pleasurable. In conclusion, this is not a $1000 dot sight. Don’t expect it to perform as well as the top of the line because it won’t. However, it appears the unit may well serve its purpose of aiming your weapon.
Further testing is coming, and I intend to confirm the backlash theory. If you witness the dot creep, try to over adjust the screw and bring it back to where you want it to be. I cannot tell you that this happens only with elevation because the windage did not change.
Joe’s Review of Vortex StrikeFire II Red Dot w/ 4 MOA Reticle
I’ve run these optics on several rifles over the years. I have easily over 30,000 rounds behind the Vortex Strikefire 2. Not once has it ever quit, lost zero, or malfunctioned in any way. When the battery dies, it will turn off, but guess what, that’s never been an issue either because it flashes to tell you the battery is low so you can replace it. I’ve dropped it onto the dirt, I’ve let it slide off a table, I’ve even tripped going down a hill and had it hit against a rock hard enough to gouge the housing… They’ve held zero & are still running to this day. Mine have been soaked, frozen, covered in dust, covered in snow, exposed to 90 degree days, and hours of direct sunlight… They’ve still held zero. While the Aimpoint and Eotech guys are going to swear that their optics are worth double or triple the cost, I’m here to say that’s not true, and they sure don’t have the customer service that Vortex is famous for. I had the vortex strikefire 1, and that optic did have problems after about 2000 rounds. I sent it to Vortex, who said they wouldn’t repair it because it was out of date, so they shipped me a brand new Vortex Strikefire 2 with in three days at no cost, no questions asked. Only seven days from the time my optic went down until I had a new one my rifle zeroed in. That’s the only time I’ve ever had to deal with their customer service, but I doubt anyone has an Aimpoint story like that. I do run a Trijicon RMR on one of my pistols, but after trying other brands alongside my Vortex for over ten years now, you won’t find anything but the Vortex Strikefire 2 on any of my rifles. This is simply the best red dot for the money on the market — end of discussion.
Better than the price suggests.
Got this red dot as a Father’s Day gift. Opted for the red dot only model (don’t need the green), used the Father’s Day 10% off code, and got the sight for under $150. Best Father’s Day gift EVER. I’ve read complaints about the dot not being clear, but mine was very comparable to my friends Aimpoint Comp that I had borrowed the week before purchasing this one. I’ll admit that when I first turned it on, the red dot resembled a mini Nike swoosh while being blurry around the edges. But, the longer I left it on, the more it seemed to clear up. When I finally got the chance to sight it in, that’s when it was similar to my friend’s Aimpoint. You really can’t go wrong with this site, especially since Vortex backs it up with a lifetime warranty. The only complaint I have is that once mounted, it is incredibly awkward to turn off. The brightness buttons are pretty low profile, so trying to hit and hold BOTH of them at the same time for 4 seconds places your hand and fingers at an unusual angle, no matter how you hold your rifle. It would be nice if they offered a rotary switch, but maybe that’s proprietary to Aimpoint. Is this an Aimpoint? No. Will it work just as well as one for the average gun owner who works hard 40+ hours a week and worries about a mortgage? You bet. If you’re wondering how much of beating Vortex products can take, read the review that Recoil Magazine did on the Sparc II. Speaking of which, I plan on getting one for the wife’s AR as soon as Optics Planet has another 10% coupon available for it. I’m willing to pay full price for it, but the wife would use it on ME if I didn’t try to save money on it. Might be worth the risk, though…
red dot scope
Lightweight, small moa makes targeting at distance accurate. Sturdy and easy to operate. Much less than aim point scopes with similar performance. The best price point for quality aim and shoot scope. It took 3 weeks to receive a product which is a little disappointing. Great guarantee. Ergonomics tremendous and battery life fair. I plan to buy two more for my son’s AR platforms.
Highly recommend for the price.
It’s not an AimPoint, but for a tenth of the cost, its fantastic quality! I have easily over 10,000 rounds behind the vortex strikefire 2. Not once has it ever quit, lost zero, or malfunctioned in any way. When the battery dies, it will turn off, but guess what, that’s never been an issue either because it flashes to tell you the battery is low so you can replace it. I’ve dropped it onto the dirt, I’ve let it slide off a table at the range, I’ve even tripped going down a hill and had it hit against a rock hard enough to gouge the housing… They’ve held zero & are still running to this day. Mine have been soaked, frozen, covered in dust, covered in snow, exposed to 90 degree days, and hours of direct sunlight… They’ve still held zero.
Best sight at this price point AND…
Seriously, Vortex Optics is a great brand; I am still not sure how they make such a great product yet maintain a very affordable price tag. I am happy with my Strikefire II as it has performed just as good as my other optics (two of which are EOTech). The sight has held its zero, looks great, and comes with an excellent guarantee. I will, for sure be purchasing Vortex again in the future.