Have you ever looked through a scope that had cheap glass?
They’re ok at shorter distances, but they really leave a lot to be desired when you’re trying to aim at something 100 yards away or more…
They just seem to blur out, and you can’t really see any clear detail in what you’re aiming at…
That’s why I’m really excited about the Vortex Viper PST Gen 2 1-6 Scope…
It’s more of a mid-range scope in terms of price, but it gives you the performance of a scope that costs well over a thousand dollars…
Now, if you’re in a hurry, here’s my super quick review:
The Vortex Viper 1-6 gives you INSANELY clear glass, a cool (multi-purpose) reticle, and super bright illumination that allows it to be used like a red dot sight. It’s an awesome low power variable scope.
If you’re looking for more information than then keep reading because in this review we’re going cover the following information:
- Lens Clarity And Reticle
- Magnification And Illumination
- Durability And Toughness
- Size Of The Scope
- Scope Accessories
In the end, I’ll give you my final thoughts about this scope, and you should have a clear idea of whether or not this is a scope that can work for you.
Let’s jump into the review!
Lens Clarity And Reticle…
The Vortex Viper has amazing lens clarity (rivaling the Delta Stryker 1-6x). It’s some of the clearest glass I’ve used on a low power variable scope and that includes some of its competitors at higher price points.
It’s insanely clear and gives you a clean and crisp sight picture even when you’re using the higher magnification powers (some scopes will blur out when they’re set on their high power levels).
Vortex puts multiple coatings on the lenses of the Viper, and those coatings allow for better light transmission and help give you a very clear sight picture in low light conditions and when it’s extremely bright outside.
The eye relief is 3.8 inches… so you’ve got some leeway in terms of how far you mount the scope from your eye, and the eye box is incredibly generous.
The generous eye box means you can see clearly through the scope (without any blackening or shading out on the sides) from several different head positions…
And I think that’s an important feature to have on a scope because it means you can shoot from awkward positions like under a car or from roll-over prone and still get a clean sight picture.
I also really like the reticle on this scope. It’s etched and can be used for ranging, to figure out hold-overs, and to make windage corrections when you’re shooting.
In addition to that, it’s a second focal plane scope. So the ranging capabilities of the reticle will have to be used at the maximum power level (6 power), and I’ve found that it works very well.
Last, you can get this scope with an MRAD reticle or an MOA reticle. MRAD stands for milliradian and MOA stand for Minute Of Angle.
Personally, I prefer the MOA reticle because that’s just what I’m used to using with rifle scopes.
To sum it all up, the lens clarity on this scope is fantastic, and the reticle is useful, to the point, and very usable.
Magnification And Illumination…
As I mentioned before, this is a 1-6 powered scope. That means on 1 power you can look through this scope without any magnification (similar to a red dot sight)…
…and on 6 power, what you see through the scope will appear 6 times larger than it would from a naked eye at that distance.
Simply put, it’s a low power variable scope, which is a style of scope that has become incredibly popular.
I love low power variable scopes like this because, on their 1 power setting, they can be used in a way similar to a red dot sight…
However, you still have magnification available to you if you need to reach out to 3… 4… or 500 yards (or more).
It’s a very versatile optic, and I think that’s why so many people are drawn to it. Now, the Vortex Viper 1-6 in particular, works really well in the red dot sight role…
The reason why is because it includes illumination in the scope reticle. The illumination is powered by one CR2032 battery and it appears as a small red dot right in the center of the cross-hairs.
And the thing that really sets this scope apart from many of its competitors is that that small red dot gets extremely bright… pretty much as bright as the dot on a reflex sight.
Most scopes that have illumination don’t really get all that bright unless you’re paying upwards of $1,000…
…but the Viper doesn’t cost anywhere near that, and as I said before, the illumination gets super bright.
It makes this scope a fast optic to use because your eye is able to pick up the bright red dot very quickly.
Durability And Toughness…
The Vortex Viper 1-6 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 it from corrosion and because it’s a matte black color, the body of the scope won’t reflect light and can really blend into its surroundings.
I like that because it makes sense if you want to put this optic on a go-to rifle, which is the role I view for this optic.
In addition to that, the windage and elevation knobs are capped and sit relatively low…
I always prefer adjustment knobs that sit either flush or low because it makes them less likely to snap off if they get bumped or knocked around a bit.
The adjustment clicks when you zero your scope are audible and tactile, and they really give you the feeling that this scope is built to a high standard.
I also really liked that this scope is waterproof and fog proof. So you won’t have any problems using it in rainy, snowy, or wet conditions…
…and in addition to all that, Vortex puts a coating on the exterior scope lens that they call AmorTek.
The AmorTek coating makes the lens super durable and helps prevent scratches.
Like I said earlier, this scope is pretty tough, and if you’re a civilian, it will easily handle anything you put it through without any problems.
Size Of The Scope…
The Vortex Viper 1-6 is an average-sized low power variable scope. It has a 24mm objective lens, which gives you a great field of view.
On 1 power, you can see an area of about 112 (112.5) feet at a hundred yards, and on 6 power you can see an area of about 18 (18.8) ft at a hundred yards.
I really like that large field of view because it breaks up the tunnel vision you sometimes get when looking through a scope and gives you greater awareness of what’s around your target.
The tube size is 30mm, which is what I always prefer on this style of scope, and it’s 10.9 inches long, which isn’t too bad in terms of length.
Last, this scope weighs 22.7 ounces, which I admit is a little bit chunky, but considering the glass quality and the super bright illumination, I give it a pass for being slightly heavier than some other 1-6 scopes.
Scope Accessories…
Included with the Vortex Viper you get one CR2032 battery and a lens cloth. That means you’re going to have to pick up a mount to be able to put it on your rifle.
If you’re mounting it on an AR-15, I highly recommend you check out the Aero Precision Ultralight Mount.
It’s my favorite scope mount at the moment because it’s super lightweight, it’s secure, and it mounts the scope a little bit further forward… so you can set the eye relief just right.
In addition to that, you might want to add a throw lever into the mix. I don’t think adding a throw lever is necessary, but if you do have the money for one…
…it is something I like to add on a low power variable optic like this because it allows you to switch from 1 to 6 power (and back) extremely quickly.
Vortex Viper PST Gen 2 1-6 Review – Final Thoughts…
In the end, I think the Vortex Viper PST (Gen 2) 1-6 Scope is an awesome addition to the low power variable scope market…
- It has that insanely clear lens
- It has a great (multi-purpose) reticle
- And it has super bright illumination
Add on to that the reasonable price tag it carries, and I think it’s one of the best 1-6 power scopes you can get right now!