Vortex Diamondback 4-12x40 AO (BDC) Review

N

Norrick

New member
Thought I'd share a closer look at my new scope:

The overall feel is solid but rough around the edges, mostly because of the heavy knurling on the mag ring, AO, and adjustment caps. Definitely affords you some good traction but perhaps a bit too much for bare hands. The matte finish feels grippy, like an old slate chalk board. I've thought I'd already scratched it numerous times just to find out that with a bit of rubbing it comes right off. It really does behave like an old slate. Not sure how it will stand up against metal rings though.
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The adjustable objective turns comfortably with the thumb and index finger wrapped around it. Not too easy, not too hard, just right. From the numbering to the end of the scope is one piece, so you can put scope caps on it, but they will turn with the AO. From 10 yards to infiniti is approximately two thirds a revolution, so depending on the barrel/stock profile you may or may not be able to get away with scope caps up front. What I thought was a ding at first (between the "100" and "vortex" on the knurling) appears to actually be a very small screwhole (see the one by the "30") filled in with some sort of epoxy/glue.
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The magnification ring takes slightly more effort than the adjustable objective to turn. It had a tight spot out of the box, but has already smoothed out after fondling it for a day prior to this mini-review. Rotation is 180 degrees with the protruding portion of the ring starting at 9 o'clock on 4x and 3 o'clock on 12x. The magnification indicator dot is top dead center facing up, requiring you move your head to see it.

The fast focus eyepiece is by far the tightest I've ever felt. It may smooth up with some use but it remains to be seen. I don't mind because I'm going to be using scope caps, so this will help make sure it doesn't accidentally change. It has metal knurling for grip as well as rubber right on the very edge for comfort in case you should bump into it.
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I was worried that the elevation adjustments were going to be plastic. I'm glad to say they are metal, with knurling of course, like everything else on the scope. They can be reset to zero by loosening them with a coin. The clicks are very nice. I thoroughly enjoy spinning them around. They are a bit louder when you spin them in one direction than the other (working with vs. against the spring presumably). The elevation turret is marked from 1 to 14 with a blank space between 14 and 0. The windage is marked from 0 to 7 and 0 to -7 in the opposite direction with a blank space between the two 7's on the other side. The blank spaces correspond to 3 clicks, so not quite 15moa (14.75) for a full revolution. This is a con because if you are going to make multiple rotations you have to take this into account. Full adjustment is listed as 60moa, this one had 5 full revolutions plus an additional 5 clicks, which would put it at 75 MOA (14.75x5 )+(0.25x5). I will have to go to the range and see if it actually tracks this far.
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(too many photos, 60 seconds between posts..)

The optics are advertised as fully multi-coated, and I have to say they do appear to give an excellent image. The image is ever so SLIGHTLY distorted around the edges(think fish bowl), but still in focus (I can read text along the edge of the image just fine). I could not duplicate this with a camera--the pictures show a fuzzy blurry edges, but this is simply not the case when you look through it. Comparing side by side with my Sightron II Big Sky, both give comparable brightness and contrast. This is not an apples to apples test since the Sightron is a 4-16x42 but I tried keeping the S2 on slightly more than 12x (to compensate for the extra 2mm of objective) for the comparison. The reticle is Vortex's BDC. It has mil spacing between dots horizontally and arbitrary MOA hold-off points vertically. From the left thick post to the right thick post horizontally is 4 mil's. Vertically, starting from center, the dots are at 1.5 MOA, 3.5 MOA, 7.5 MOA, and 11 MOA. The dots themselves are not standard mil-sized dots. The substensions are advertised as accurate at maximum magnification, but once again I plan on testing this.

@ 4x
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@ 12x
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My conclusion:
I really like this scope. For just barely over 300 after shipping, I think it is worth the price. I know that alot of people prefer Burris in this price range, but I've found that they always have been lacking in windage/elevation adjustment. In addition to this Burris has this love affair with making their lenses reflect this wine colored red from the front. While it may look cool, thats alot of red light you are losing to your eye. Good glass should not reflect anything. I only make this comparison because it was the only reputable company I could think of that had manufacturing in the Philippines (like this particular model), at a similar price point. This scope costs half as much as my Sightron, but it definately feels more than half as good. I plan on using this scope on a rimfire rifle. This is not the best application of the BDC, but we'll see how it goes. I may update this later after range testing.
 
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Hey, nice job on the scope review here, and nice photography! I'm curious...it's going on a rimfire? It must be a mighty fine rimfire...What is it?
 
I have a all weather 77/22 that I may get a new stock for to replace the flimsy synthetic one. I am also 6 days from picking up a new T-bolt (laminated, stainless). I am not sure which one I want to put it on, I have a feeling I am going to have a hard time choosing.
 
After it's sighted in, shoot a target similar to this. Use only the upper left as an aiming point, and change the point of impact using the turrets and a fixed number of clicks (20 clicks for the target I linked to assuming 1/4 MOA/click, and 100 yards), moving right, then down, then left, then back up shooting a group at each corner. A good scope will bring the group back to where you started, my Vortex Crossfire won't.
 
pre-update to my review:

I will be trying my hardest to get to the range this weekend for a box test. I have been out of town the last week.

I wanted to ammend something I wrote earlier about there being 14.75MOA per revolution. I determined this number by simply counting 3 clicks between the 14 and 0, but when you individually count the clicks from 0 to 0, there are a full 60 (15MOA). So it appears the numbering is spaced incorrectly by just a fraction, so that every time you move up one click, the spacing advances a bit further and further. Just imagine someone managing to park 60 cars in 59 parking spaces. The cars will appear to line up in their spots at first, then start to overlap, and then by the end you have cars in completely the wrong spots. Does this analogy help? Probably not...

You can see it as you get to half way around, the clicks actually settle between the lines instead of on the lines, and towards the last third of the revolution they appear to advance one full click so that a reading of 14 MOA actually corresponds to 14.25.

So You don't have to keep track of how many full revolutions you make, but rather, you have to keep track of which line you should be reading as the incorrect spacing gradually advances 1 click.
 
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I bought the "Diamondback" after the "Crossfire" failed on my .270 win. And by far it is heads and tails better quality than that chinese scope.

What did it for me, was "Todds Tundra Test", it made a believer out of me. I have mounted this scope (4x12x40 Vortex Diamondback,BDC reticle) on my .270 and it has performed like advertised. Like Norrick says all the adjustments are crisp,, but better than that is that they work!

I sighted mine in with the main crosshair dead-on at one hundred yds. I've shot targets using the first and second dots, the first dot is about two inches higher, and the second is another inch and one half, so Easily on the money from 400 yds down, (according to the sight in instructions)although I have no place to practice at that distance. So in reality I probably will limit myself to 300 yds and down, until I can use the scope at the distance's it's capable of.

I'm happy with mine, especially for 220.00 delivered!!:D
 
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Nice review of the Vortex Diamondback. I'm the happy owner of a 2-7 Vortex viper that SWFA had on closeout for $150 the last few months. It's a spectacular scope and I wish I had bought two more at that price!
 
wnycollector -

I believe you've mentioned before that you have a Nitrex TR1 1.5-5X32.
How does that that scope compare to the Vortex 2-7?
 
wnycollector -

I believe you've mentioned before that you have a Nitrex TR1 1.5-5X32.
How does that that scope compare to the Vortex 2-7?
Click to expand...

The glass on both the nitrex and the viper is very comparable. Both scopes are bright and clear edge to edge. The turrets and recticle on the vortex are far superior to the nitrex. I have also come to really like the 2-7 power range of scopes (I own three 2-7's) since I have been doing more shooting at 300 yards.
 
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