A scope that ranges from 1 to 8 power used to be really difficult to find…
Sure, there were a few low power variable scopes around, but most of them were 1 to 4 power (or maybe 1-6), and they were really expensive…
They were pretty much all in the thousand dollar price range, and that left them kind of inaccessible to the average gun owner.
I’ve got a lot of guns, and putting a thousand dollar scope on all of them just isn’t an option for me…
However times are changing, and that’s why I’m so excited to bring you this review of the Vortex Strike Eagle 1-8.
Now if you’re in a hurry, here’s a quick summary of my review:
The Vortex Strike Eagle has great lens clarity, an AWESOME reticle, and because of its magnification range, it can be run similar to a red dot sight. It also comes in at a budget price point and is a fantastic low power variable scope.
If you’re looking for more information than that then keep reading because in this review, we’re going to cover (in-depth) the following information:
- Durability And Toughness
- Lens Clarity And Reticle
- Magnification And Illumination
- Size Of The Scope
- Scope Accessories
In the end, I’ll give my final thoughts about this scope and you should be able to determine whether or not it’s a scope that can work for you…
Let’s jump into the review!
Durability And Toughness…
The Vortex Strike Eagle 1-8 is a pretty durable scope. To start off with, the tube is made from high-quality aircraft-grade aluminum, and it has a hard-anodized finish.
The hard-anodized finish protects the scope from corrosion, and it gives it a matte black color…
I personally like that it gives the scope a matte black color because I don’t want my optic reflecting sunlight and potentially giving away my position (even though this is a budget scope I view it as a legitimate optic for a go-to rifle).
In addition to that, the windage and elevation knobs are capped and they sit relatively low…
I don’t really like tall windage and elevation knobs on scopes because they’re easier to snap off if they get bumped or knocked around a little bit.
The Strike Eagle doesn’t have that problem because like I mentioned before the adjustment knobs sit low.
The Strike Eagle is also waterproof and fog proof… So it can handle rainy, snowy, or wet conditions without any issues at all.
And on top of that, it’s shockproof too… so it should be able to handle a few bumps here and there.
To sum it all up, I’m very happy with the quality level on the Strike Eagle especially considering that it comes in at a competitive price point.
Lens Clarity And Reticle…
The lens clarity on the Vortex Strike Eagle is pretty good. It is a budget low power variable scope so the lens clarity is not going to be as good as the Vortex Viper or the Vortex Razor…
…but considering the price point, I think the lens clarity is very good. In addition to that, Vortex puts multiple coatings on the lenses of these scopes which leads to better light transmission.
In my experience, those coatings help you get a clear sight picture in low light conditions and when you have really bright conditions outside like on a sunny summer day.
In addition to that, I’m a really big fan of the reticle on this optic. It is an etched reticle, and Vortex calls it the AR-BDC2 reticle.
As the name implies, it’s their second BDC reticle, and I have to say that, to me, it’s a huge improvement over their first BDC reticle.
I like it because you have a precise one MOA dot in the center of the reticle… Around that, you have a big horseshoe…
…and then below that, you have hash marks for a bullet drop compensator (BDC), a range estimator, and for windage holds.
I really love the one MOA dot in the center because it means you can aim precisely at your targets when using the scope.
At the same time, the big horseshoe surrounding the one MOA dot makes this a fast reticle that you can run similarly to a red dot sight (when the magnification is set to 1 power).
In addition to that, I like having a BDC reticle on a tactical scope like this because you can quickly estimate the range of your target…
…and start making hits much faster than you would by dialing in your windage and elevation knobs.
All in all, the lens clarity is very good considering the price, and the AR-BDC2 reticle is an awesome reticle that you would expect to get on a much more expensive scope.
Magnification and Illumination…
As I mentioned before, the Vortex Strike Eagle is a low power variable scope. The range of magnification is 1 to 8 power, which is a great range to have on a tactical style scope.
Many scopes range from 1 to 4 (or maybe 1 to 6), but usually, you have to pay a lot of money (we’re talking over $1,000) to get a 1 to 8…
So the Strike Eagle is a pretty unique option on the market because it’s a 1-8 scope that comes in at a budget price.
Now, it is a second focal plane scope… so the BDC reticle will have to be used on the max power (8 power).
In addition to that, this scope also has an illuminated reticle. The illumination is not as bright as the Vortex Viper or the Vortex Razor, which are both insanely bright, but it is bright enough to use during the daytime.
It also illuminates the whole center of the reticle which makes the scope similar (at least on one power) to a red dot sight.
I’ve found that you can run it relatively quickly, and it works well in that sort of “red dot” role.
All in all, the magnification range is fantastic (I love that it’s a 1-8!) and the illumination is pretty good for the price point.
Size Of The Scope…
The Vortex Strike Eagle is fairly compact for a low power variable scope. First, it has a 24 mm objective lens, which gives you a pretty good field of view.
When the scope is on one power, your field of view is about 116 feet (116.6 ft.) at 100 yards, and when the scope is on 8 power, your field of view is about 14 feet (14.4 ft.) at 100 yards.
The eye relief is also pretty good on this scope. At 3.5 inches it’s fairly generous and gives you a little bit of leeway in terms of how far you mount it away from your eye.
The eye box is also fairly generous, especially on the low power settings, and you can use the scope from awkward shooting positions such as shooting around a car or under a barricade.
In addition to that, the scope is 10 inches long which makes it fairly compact, and it only weighs 16.5 ounces!
I’m really impressed with the low weight because for this type of scope 16.5 ounces is very impressive.
I like it because I’m always trying to keep the weight down on my rifles, and an optic (especially a scope) can make your whole weapon system very heavy very fast.
That won’t be a problem with the Strike Eagle because, as I said, it comes in at a very competitive low weight.
Scope Accessories…
When you purchase the Strike Eagle, you do get a few accessories included. First of all, you get a CR2032 battery, so you’ll be able to run the illumination on your scope right from the start.
You also get a lens cloth, which will allow you to safely wipe down your lenses. In addition to that, you get removable lens covers that you can place over your front and rear lens.
I’ve found that the included lens covers fit pretty nicely, and they give you a little bit of added protection for your scope.
Now, you will need to purchase a mount to be able to use your Strike Eagle. In fact, there is an option to include a mount from the factory when you purchase this scope.
The factory mount is good quality, but adding it into the mix will increase the amount you have to pay.
Personally, I recommend buying the scope without the factory mount (so that you get it a little bit cheaper) and then mounting it with the Aero Precision Ultralight Mount.
Right now, the Aero Precision Ultralight Mount is my favorite mount for a scope like this because it’s super lightweight, it’s secure, and it costs about the same amount of money as the factory mount (if not a little bit less).
So like I said, I recommend just getting the Vortex Strike Eagle 1-8 scope (without the factory mount) and then buying an Aero Precision Ultralight Mount to go with it.
Vortex Strike Eagle 1-8 Review – Final Thoughts…
In the end, I think the Vortex Strike Eagle 1-8 is an awesome addition to the low power variable scope market…
- It’s got great lens clarity
- It has an AMAZING reticle!
- And It has a great range of magnification (1 to 8 Power!)
Add to that the reasonable price tag that it carries and I think it’s one of the best budget 1-8 scopes on the market!