5 Best Vortex Red Dots – A Buying Guide

Vortex is among the most renowned brands in the electro-optical market that provides you with high end optical products including red dots, riflescopes, binoculars, prism scopes, spotting scopes and monoculars among other products. In this review, we will look at 5 of the best Vortex Red dots for your shooting applications.

Among the best investments you would ever make, is a red dot sight for your hunting weapon. Just to mention a few advantages that I have benefitted from while using red dot sights is easy target identification alongside speed and accuracy during target acquisition. Red dots allow me to pin my targets more accurately than an iron sight and they allow me to easily shift focus between my target and the front sight of my rifle. If you are looking for a red dot sight for your weapon, I would absolutely recommend the Vortex red dots as they are a guarantee of optimal optical quality and a sturdy construction structure that work together to ensure that you can enjoy an immersive observation experience and successful hunting at all times throughout your day. Here, I have compiled 5 of the best Vortex Red dots that I have used over the years to help you pick out the best companion for your hunting escapades. Towards the end of the article, I have included the factors that you should consider when purchasing the best red dots for your shooting applications.

5 Best Vortex Red Dots- A Comparison Table

Model	Dot Size	Click adjustments	Magnification	Action
Vortex Venom	3 MOA	1 MOA	1x	Check price here
Vortex Sparc Gen II	2 MOA	1 MOA	1x	Check price here
Vortex Razor AMG UH-1	1 MOA	1/2 MOA	1x	Check price here
Vortex Optics Strikefire II	4 MOA	1/2 MOA	1x	Check price here
Vortex Optics Crossfire II	2 MOA	1 MOA	1x	Check price here

5 Best Vortex Red Dots – Reviews

Vortex Venom – Great Vortex Sight for Pistol

The Vortex Venom Red Dot sight- 3MOA features a rugged aluminum housing that surrounds a generous viewing window that provides you with an exceptionally wide field of view. It is ideal for rapid target acquisition and target acquisition as it delivers an accurate sight picture with next-to-no obstruction.

Specs

• Weaver/ Picatinny mount
• Fully Multi-coated lenses
• Rugged Aluminum housing
• 1MOA windage and elevation adjustments
• 3MOA Dot Reticle

Its fully multicoated lenses ensure that you are able to access a clear field of view at all times even when you are shooting in low light conditions. Its power and dot intensity controls are located on the left side which is convenient for all your activities. It has an auto-brightness mode that uses an ambient light sensor to adjust dot intensity based on your preference. All in all, the Vortex Venom is a versatile, durable and high performing red dot sight for almost all of your shooting applications.

Pros

• Sturdy and rugged construction
• Great optical performance even in low light conditions
• Prolonged battery life of up to 150 hours on the highest setting and up to 30,000 hours on the lowest setting
• Has up to 10 brightness settings

Cons

• No backup sighting mechanism lest the battery dies during use

Verdict

If you are looking for a great performing red dot sight for your pistol, you would be impressed by the overall optical performance and unique features that the Vortex Venom has to offer.

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Vortex Sparc Gen II – Best AR red dot

The Vortex Sparc Gen II red dot is compact, lightweight and it features a rugged construction that is ideal for almost all your shooting applications. It features a 2 MOA dot and it is very quick when it comes to target acquisition at close-quarters and it is great performing in terms of pin-point accuracy at extended ranges. It has a decent battery life that runs for up to 700 hours on the highest setting and about 50,000 hours on the lowest setting. In addition to that, it is night vision compatible which makes it ideal for use in low-light conditions.

Specs

• 12 illumination settings
• 2 MOA dot
• Battery life: 700 hours (highest setting) and 50,000 hours (lowest setting)
• Unlimited eye relief
• Night vision compatibility

Aside from that, the Vortex Sparc also features multiple anti-reflective coatings on all its air-to-glass surfaces that ensure increased light transmission across the entire visible spectrum. It provides you with an unlimited eye relief that ensures rapid target acquisition and it has 12 illumination settings that allow you to change the dot brightness intensity to match the situation at hand. Its optical housing features O-ring seals that prevent debris, moisture and dirt from penetrating the glass to ensure reliable waterproof performance when you are moving across different surroundings.

Pros

• Waterproof and shockproof
• Reliable battery performance
• Rapid target acquisition and identification
• Bright and crisp sight picture

Cons

• Has an auto-timer of 12 hours so you may need to continually turn it on

Verdict

The Vortex Sparc Gen II AR red dot provides you with a decent optical performance and a reliable battery performance for all your shooting performance. It features a durable build quality that is rugged enough to withstand almost all environmental conditions.

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Vortex Razor AMG UH-1 – Best Vortex Holographic Sight

The Vortex Razor AMG UH-1 holographic sight features fully multi-coated lenses alongside anti-reflective coatings on all air-to-glass surfaces to ensure that you are able to access a bright and crisp sight picture. It has 15 illumination settings that allow you to adjust its brightness to your surrounding environment. It provides you with an unlimited eye relief to ensure rapid target acquisition. It is parallax free and provides you with an immersive observational experience.

Specs

• 1x magnification
• 1 MOA red dot
• 15 illumination settings
• Picatinny/ weaver mount
• 1/2 MOA click adjustments

The Vortex Razor AMG UH-1 features an ArmorTek ultra hard and scratch resistant coating that protects its exterior lenses from dirt and oil. It features rear facing controls that easily power up and click easily through different intensity levels. It is shockproof and it withstands impact and recoil. It has been developed with FHQ technology that virtually eliminates any stray light emissions to ensure stealth-shooter signature when you are hunting in low light conditions such as dusk or dawn. Also, its FHQ technology prevents eye price glare that is often as a result of reflection. It features a micro USB port that has been designed for use with a LFP123A rechargeable battery. It features a built-in mount that quickly attaches to any picatinny or weaver rail.

Pros

• Night vision compatible
• Enlarged viewing window
• Durable, portable and versatile
• Immersive observation experience
• Waterproof and shockproof

Cons

• Poor quality case

Verdict

The Vortex AMG UH-1 Gen II Red Dot Sight provides you with a fast holographic display that allows you to seamlessly get the better of every close-quarters targets. You would be impressed by its sturdy construction, its generous sight picture and its night vision compatible settings.

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Vortex Strikefire II – Best budget red dot

The Vortex Strikefire II is a rugged and reliable red dot sight that is ideal for short, mid and long range shooting applications. It features 11 illumination settings and is night vision compatible. Towards the rear, it has been fitted with power controls for easier access. It runs off a CR2 battery and it has a reliable battery life of up to 80,000 hours when you adjust its brightness to setting 6.

Specs

• Nitrogen purged and O-ring sealed
• 11 variable illumination settings
• Fully multi-coated
• 4 MOA Red Dot
• Battery life of 80,000 hours on setting 6

It comes with an offset cantilever mount that allows you to move your red dot sight forward so that you can use it simultaneously with backup iron sights and a magnifier on the same rail. It features fully multicoated lenses that have been designed to provide you with a clean and bright point of view. It provides you with an unlimited eye relief that allows for rapid target acquisition. It has a single-piece chassis that ensures that it is compact and lightweight. It is Nitrogen purged and O-ring sealed to ensure waterproof and fog proof performance.

Pros

• Waterproof and Fog proof
• Rapid target acquisition
• Clean and bright field of view
• Night vision compatible

Cons

• Slightly bulky

Verdict

The Vortex StrikeFire II is a very affordable red dot sight whose optical performance and ruggedness is ideal for hunting and range guns where stakes aren’t too high.

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Vortex Crossfire II – ideal for use with AR-15 rifles

The Vortex Crossfire II is a red dot sight with a compact and sophisticated design and it is versatile enough to meet all the needs for your shooting applications. It is ideal for use with rimfires, rifles and handguns. It provides you with an exceptional battery life of up to 50,000 hours and it is night vision compatible at the lowest 2 illumination settings. It features a 2 MOA dot that is quick to acquire in close-quarters as it remains refined enough to ensure pin-point accuracy at any extended ranges.

Specs

• Night vision compatible
• 2 MOA red dot
• 11 illumination settings
• O-ring sealed and nitrogen sealed optical housing
• Battery life of up to 50,000 hours

It is equipped with 11 illumination settings that allow you to change the intensity of the red dot to match the lighting conditions in your surrounding environment. It is fitted with multi-coated anti-reflective coatings on its lenses and prism so that you can acquire a bright and crisp sight picture. It has an unlimited eye relief to ensure rapid target acquisition. It has a matte anodized finish that provides you with an anti-glare surface that allows you to camouflage his position. Its optical housing is O-ring sealed to ensure reliable waterproof performance.

Pros

• Waterproof, shockproof and fog proof
• Bright and crisp sight picture
• Unlimited eye relief
• Rapid target acquisition
• Reliable battery performance

Cons

• The brightness knob is hard to turn at the beginning of use

Verdict

The Vortex Crossfire II is a crisp and clear red dot sight that is lightweight enough to carry around during your hunting escapades. It has an exceptional battery life of up to 50,000 hours and its finish is well done.

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What factors should you consider when purchasing a red dot sight for your hunting weapon?

Red dots are a great addition to your shooting activity gear as they ensure rapid target acquisition and pinpoint accuracy when you are out hunting, during sports shooting and even when you are trying to protect yourself and your home from predators. The following factors are important to consider when you are trying to purchase the best quality red dot for your hunting weapon;

Size of the Red Dot

Generally, the size of the red dot should match the size of your weapon. Rifles would work well with larger red dots while smaller handguns would work better with smaller red dots. In addition to that, smaller red dots are more compact and lighter which significantly reduces equipment bulk in your outdoor activity gear.

Reticle Size

The reticle size generally depends on the types of shots that you will be taking and the distance from your shooting position to your target. A smaller reticle is ideal for taking more accurate shots at longer distances but it may be harder to see while larger reticles are suitable for close-range shots and for newer shooters as it is easier to use.

Battery performance

Generally, you are at a higher advantage when you settle for a red dot that features readily available batteries that one that runs on special order batteries. Also, you would rather settle for a red dot with a prolonged battery life as it allows for the longest possible operating times.

Night Vision Compatibility

Hunting in low light conditions such as dusk and dawn would require you to purchase a red dot that has night vision compatibility so that you can see clearly in the dark.

Conclusion

Generally, red dot sights from Vortex are high end optical products that deliver optimal optical performance even in the most unfavorable environmental conditions. Out of the 5, the best one is the Vortex Venom red dot optic.

FAQs

1. Does the Vortex Crossfire II come with a riser?

Yes, it does.

2. Will the Vortex Strikefire II red for allow me to keep my iron sights on my AR?

Yes, it will.