Outdoor Moran is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Learn MoreIn this Vortex Red Dots Review we will comprehensively go through the different Vortex Red dot sights available in the market.
Renowned for their exceptional quality, durability, and optical clarity, these sights have become the go-to choice for both seasoned marksmen and newcomers to the shooting world.
Designed to deliver pinpoint accuracy and rapid target acquisition, Vortex Red Dot Sights provide the edge you need in a variety of situations, from competition shooting to self-defense and hunting.
In this guide, we’ll delve into the world of Vortex Red Dot Sights to help you discover the best options for your shooting needs, ensuring you have the tools to excel in any shooting discipline.
We will go through features, price, Adjustments, and Mounting. Just like the Vortex Scopes, these Vortex red dots are feature-rich. The lenses are fully multi-coated and ultra-clear lenses for a wide and unobstructed field of view. The Armortek coatings on the lenses are also very effective in preventing the lenses from dirt, oil, and scratches.
With these red dots, you also get a hard-anodized finish for durability. Waterproof and shockproof construction make these red dots ready for all conditions and environments.
Here is a quick summary of the best Vortex Red dot sights
Best Vortex Red Dot Sights
1) Vortex Viper 1×24 mm 6 MOA Red Dot Sight
Check Price on Amazon
Check Price on Opticsplanet
Specifications
- Length: 1.8 in
- Magnification: 1 x
- Reticle: 6 MOA Dot
- Eye Relief: Unlimited
- Weight: 1.1 oz
- Gun Type: Pistol, Rifle, Shotgun
This Viper Red Dot’s super-low mounting height makes it the perfect solution for handguns with cutout slides. It gives shooters the simplicity and dot advantage of a dot sight, while co-witnessing with stock iron sights.
It’s recessed 1 MOA windage and elevation adjustments are super clean, protected from incidental contact, and always at the ready. It runs on a CR2032 battery.
The 6 MOA Dot Reticle is very effective in all light conditions. This daylight bright red dot can do up to 150 hours at the highest setting and up to 30,000 hours in lower settings.
Features
- Super low profile making it perfect for handguns with cutout slides
- Fully multi-coated offering a wide unobstructed field of view
- Hard anodized finish thus durable
- Waterproof and shockproof construction ensures your riflescope is ready for all conditions
- Easy to access and manipulate power and illumination controls
- O-ring seals that prevent penetration of dust, debris, and moisture
- 1x Magnification
- Bright red dot color
- 1.8 ” length
- Unlimited eye relief
- 6 MOA dot size
Windage and Elevation Adjustment
This Viper has adjustable elevation and windage dials with 1 MOA mark. To adjust elevation and windage follow these steps
- First loosen both Adjustment Lock Screws 1½ turns,
- Then adjust dials up or down or left or right
- Finally Re-tighten both lock screws after the adjustments
Mounting
When this Viper red dot gets to you, it will have a low rail mount that clamps to both a Weaver or Picatinny rail. Follow these steps when mounting
- Using the provided screws attach the low rail mount to the viper
- Attach the Viper to the Picatinny base rail, while doing this make sure the recoil lug is seated in the base groove solidly
- Make sure the clamp is fully down and hooked around the outside of the base
- Press the Viper down and forward toward the muzzle. Tighten the clamp screw using the hex wrench
- You can also get an optional riser mount for the correct height for rifles.
|
2) Vortex Crossfire II 1×22 mm 2 MOA Red Dot Sight
Check Price on Amazon
Check Price on Opticsplanet
Specifications
- Length: 2.5 in
- Magnification: 1 x
- Reticle: 2 MOA Dot
- Eye Relief: Unlimited
- Weight: 5.2 oz
- Gun Type: AR-15
Does your rifle, shotgun or rimfire just need a simple point of aim and none of the frills? If so, this particular scope should be at the top of your list. The 2 MOA dot is quick to acquire in close-quarters scenarios while remaining fine enough to promote pin-point accuracy at an extended range.
Not only does it look awesome but also, it has an included skeletonized lower 1/3 co-witness mount that provides a rock-solid and extremely lightweight platform for your red hot. The Crossfire is a no-nonsense sight for near any application.
The 2 MOA Dot Reticle is effective regardless of the lighting conditions. When using this Crossfire Red Dot, keep both of your eyes open to take advantage of peripheral vision for quick target acquisition.
Features
- 1x Magnification
- Red dot color
- 2MOA dot size
- 2.5 ” length
- Up to 50,000 hours of battery life and night vision compatibility
- Highly durable hard-coat anodization helps camouflage position
- O-ring seals prevent moisture, dust, and debris from penetrating for reliable waterproof performance
- 11 illumination settings that allow shooters to change the dot intensity to the situation at hand
- Increased light transmission with multiple anti-reflective coatings on all air-to-glass surfaces.
Windage and Elevation Adjustments
This Crossfire Red Dot uses elevation and windage dials with audible clicks. Each small click moves the point-of-impact one Minute of Angle. 1 MOA closely corresponds to one inch at 100 yards, 1/2 inch at 50 yards, 1/4 inch at 25 yards, and more
- Remove the turret cap, turn the adjustment dial using the raised bar on the cover or a coin
- Move the dials in the direction where you want the bullet’s point-of-impact to change
- Turn the elevation turret counterclockwise to raise the elevation
- Turn the windage turret clockwise to move the point of impact to the left.
Mounting the Crossfire Red Dot
This Crossfire Red Dot uses either a high or low mount on different platforms
- Start by attaching the unit to the rail/base, make sure the illumination dial is on the right side
- Make sure the mount is seated solidly in the base groove
- Set at four inches of eye relief to prevent recoil injury
- The base clamp should be hooked around the outside of the rail/base.
- Press the Red Dot downward and forward toward the muzzle
- Using the hex wrench firmly tighten the base clamp bolt
|
3) Vortex Optics Razor Red Dot Sights 3 MOA /6 MOA
Check Price on Amazon
Check Price on Opticsplanet
Specifications
- Length: 1.83 in
- Magnification: 1 x
- Reticle: 3 / 6 MOA Dot
- Eye Relief: Unlimited
- Weight: 1.4 oz
- Gun Type: Pistol
This high-end Razor is a reflex sight built for top-tier performance and amazing versatility. The highly polished glass is clear and crisp from edge to edge. It also has an exceptional resolution and a wide field of view that prevents a sight picture sure to impress
The 3 MOA/6 MOA Dot Reticle is easy to see regardless of the light conditions, The 9 brightness levels can be used up to 150 hours at the highest setting and up to 30,000 hours at lower settings.
Features
- 1x magnification
- Bright red dot color
- 1.8 ”inch
- 3 MOA /6 MOA dot size
- Unlimited eye relief
- Adjustable elevation and windage dials with 1 MOA clicks
- Designed in a way that allows shooters to have unlimited eye relief for easy target acquisition
- Premium wide-field lens for an impressive field of view
- O-ring sealed to ensure waterproof and shockproof performance
- Runs on a single CR2032 battery that can easily be switched in and out
- Anti-reflective XR coatings on the lenses to increase light transmission
Windage and Elevation Adjustment
This Razor has adjustable elevation and windage dials with 1 MOA clicks.
- Start by loosening the Adjustment Lock Screw 1 1/2 turns
- Up/Down or Left/Right turn adjustments as indicated by the arrows
- After making the adjustments retighten the lock screw
Mounting the Razor
This red dot comes with a Picatinny Rail Mount
- Start by attaching the razor to the Picatinny base rail
- Make sure the recoil lug is seated solidly in the base groove.
- The adjustment side of the Razor should face the shooter
- Confirm if the clamp is fully down and hooked around the outside of the base
- Press the Razor down and forward towards the muzzle and tighten the clamp screw
Additional Mounting Options include Weaver spec base rail clamps, custom handgun mounts, and riser mounts.
|
4) Vortex Strikefire II 1x30mm 4MOA Red Dot Sight
Check Price on Amazon
Check Price on Opticsplanet
Specifications
- Length: 5.6 in
- Magnification: 1 x
- Reticle: 4 MOA Dot
- Eye Relief: Unlimited
- Weight: 7.2 oz
- Gun Type: Rifle
Feature-rich, versatile and reliable, Strikefire II is a great choice for shooters who want a quality red dot sight. It allows the shooter to operate between ten brightness settings to easily adjust for changing conditions.
Fully multicoated lenses provide a clean and bright, unobscured point of view. Unlimited eye relief allows for rapid target acquisition.
The riflescope comes with an offset cantilever mount, allowing you to move the sight forward to be used in conjunction with a magnifier and backup iron sights all on the same rail.
With aesthetics and functionality in mind, the power controls are at the rear of the Strikefire to ensure easy access. It runs on a CR2 battery.
Features
- Rugged and reliable red dot sight
- 10 brightness settings
- 1x magnification
- 5.6” length
- Unlimited eye relief
- Fully multi-coated lenses
- Compact and lightweight
- Shockproof performance for recoil and impact
- Nitrogen purging and o-ring seals
- Fogproof and waterproof performance
- Offset cantilever mount
- 4 MOA
Windage and Elevation Adjustments
The StrikeFire II red dot uses elevation and windage dials with audible clicks. Each small click will move the point-of-impact 1/2 Minute of Angle (MOA). 1/2 MOA will correspond to 1/2 inch at 100 yards, 1/4 inch at 50 yards, and 1/8 inch at 25 yards.
- Start by removing the dial covers
- Make adjustments using the raised bar on the dial cover, a screwdriver, or a coin
- Turn the adjustment dial as indicated by the arrow on the dial and move it to the direction you wish the bullet’s point-of-impact to change.
Mounting the StrikeFire II
- First, you need a Picatinny or Weaver-style rail/base
- Attach the lower part of the cantilever ring mount to the rail/base and ensure it is solidly seated in the base groove
- You should have at least four inches of eye relief to prevent recoil injury
- Make sure the base clamp is hooked around the outside of the rail/base
- Press downward and forward toward the muzzle.
- Firmly tighten the base clamp hex nut
- Place the Red dot on the lower part of the cantilever ring mount with the adjustment control buttons facing the shooter
- Tighten ring cap screws evenly until all are snug
|
5) Vortex SPARC Solar 1×31 mm 2 MOA Red Dot Sight
Check Price on Amazon
Check Price on Opticsplanet
Specifications
- Length: 2.6 in
- Magnification: 1 x
- Reticle: 2 MOA Dot
- Eye Relief: Unlimited
- Weight: 5.9 oz
- Gun Type: Rifle
Ready to handle any environment, this SPARC features tough construction with a compact and lightweight form factor. The 2 MOA dot is as easy to point and shoot. For excellent performance and loads of user-friendly features, choose none other than the SPARC.
The Daylight Bright Red Dot Reticle is fast and very easy to use. You will be able to choose among the 10 variable illumination settings. The lowest two settings are compatible with night vision.
Features
- 1x magnification
- Red dot color
- 2 MOA dot size
- 2.9” length
- Unlimited eye relief
- Up to 700 hours of battery life on the highest setting and 50, 000 hours on its lowest
- Anti-reflective coatings on all air-to-glass surfaces thus increased light transmission
- Highly durable hard-coat anodization provides a low-glare matte surface and helps camouflage position.
- O-ring seals prevent penetration of moisture, debris, and dust for reliable waterproof performance.
- Incorporates elevation and windage dials with audible clicks.
Windage and Elevation Adjustments
The SPARC red dot uses elevation and windage dials with audible clicks. Each small click will move the point-of-impact one Minute of Angle (MOA). 1 MOA will closely correspond to one inch at 100 yards, 1/2 inch at 50 yards, 1/4 inch at 25 yards, etc.
Elevation Adjustment
- Start by removing the turret cap and turn the inner screw counter-clockwise for the bullet point of impact up adjustment
- Turn the inner screw clockwise to adjust the bullet’s point-of-impact down.
Windage Adjustment
- Remove the turret cap and turn the inner screw counter-clockwise to adjust the bullet’s point of impact to the right
- Turn the inner screw clockwise to adjust the windage bullet’s point of impact to the left.
Mounting the SPARC Red Dot
- This Red Dot can be mounted either at lower 1/3 co-witness or absolute co-witness
- For lower 1/3, mount the sight as received with the optic center at 40mm above the base surface
- To mount for absolute co-witness, remove the 3mm base shim and the optic center will be 37mm above the base surface
- To change the mounting height, loosen and remove the four base screws and remove the base clamp along with the 3mm shim
- Reinstall the base clamp with the four shorter screws supplied with your Red Dot.
|
Factors to Consider for the Best Vortex Red Dot Sights
- Adjustment capability-Good scopes are the ones that allow you to make the necessary adjustment to fit your needs. In this Vortex Red dots Review, we put emphasis on red dots with easy elevation and windage adjustments. We also made sure that we had step by step adjustment procedure for all the red dots reviewed.
- Mount-Another important factor that you need to keep in mind is how easy it is to mount the scope if the scope has a difficult mounting process that makes it difficult to have a clear target because they are not properly mounted on the gun. Mounting Options include Weaver spec base rail clamps, custom handgun mounts, and riser mounts.
- Image quality The main role of a rifle scope is to help you have a better aim at the target. This can only be made to appear clear to you. This means that the quality of the image needs to be given top priority. Image quality is enhanced by the lenses, in this Vortex red dots review you will notice that all the scopes have fully multicoated lenses for clearer and bright images.
- Magnification– Red dots in this Vortex red dots review have a 1x magnification
- Dot Clarity-Dot clarity is key. The whole point of having a red dot sight on your scope is the ability to quickly acquire the target as well as be able to shoot more precisely. A dot that is not clear makes it harder to get a clear sight picture and in turn causes difficulty when shooting.
- Durability-Strength and Durability are very important for a red dot scope. In this Vortex Red dots review, we made sure that all the products reviewed are durable, strong, waterproof, fog-proof, and shockproof. The scopes have a hard anodized finish for durability and low glare. The red dots are also O-ring sealed and Argon purged for waterproof and shockproof performance.
Advantages of Vortex Red Dot Scopes
- Speed- With Red dot scopes the speed of acquiring your target is incredible
- The reticle is on the same focal plane as the target-When the eye is focused on the target, it is also focused on the reticle. The shooter does not need to change his focus from the target.
- Reduced parallax-Quality red dot scopes are designed so that parallax is present only at very close ranges where the effect is negligible to practical accuracy, while at most reasonable engagement ranges, there is no parallax. This means that the position of the shooter’s head is not critical to accuracy, making the scope fast and accurate even in awkward positions.
- Provide good contrast in low light situations-When iron sights may be invisible during dark, dawn, or overcast conditions, a red dot can create enough contrast to safely and successfully engage a target. A red dot scope will crisply and definitively show you your reference point.
- Great spatial awareness-Red dot scopes have the capacity to allow the user to have greater spatial awareness around them while shooting. You can therefore take in your complete peripheral vision and see everything occurring around you.
FAQs
- My unit won’t turn off. When I try it, it will turn off for a second but as soon as I take my finger off the button it comes back on again. What’s going on?
That is actually an indication that the battery in your unit is low. Change the battery with a new one and that should fix the issue.
- Why is the dot very large-much bigger than it’s supposed to be?
Look through the scope with the objective flip cap open-as if you are using it on your gun.
- Why doesn’t the dot illuminate?
Is your red dot sight in night vision compatible mode? Press the NV button to return to standard daytime mode. If the dot is still not illuminating, send it to warranty service and evaluation.
- Why is the dot in my SPARC flickering?
Most times, this is caused by the battery cap being the only finger tight. Tightening the cap with a coin or screwdriver so it is fully seated should stop the dot from flickering.
- Why won’t the unit turn on?
Check the battery first. If you have replaced the battery, check the installation of the battery cap. If it doesn’t come on still, it is possible that the Night Vision is activated. Press the Night Vision button, then press the On/Off button as before. If your unit still has no dot, it may be defective and should be taken to warranty service.
Conclusion
In this Best Vortex Red Dot Sights, we tried to be as comprehensive as possible, We hope this guide will be of great help in your next Vortex Red Dot purchase.
See Also
