An Eagle-Eyed look at Vortex Strike Eagle Optics

Am Shooting Journal ^ | 2/17/2021 | N Perna

[w1n1]

A SWAT Officer puts Vortex's 1×8 Low Variable Power Optic through its Paces at Two-Day Carbine Class.
Holographic optics have come a long way in a very short time. They went mainstream in the late 1990s, and by the early 2000s were extremely popular with the military, law enforcement and civilian shooters. In the beginning there were a few major brands: Aimpoint, EO Tech, Trijicon. But the Global War on Terrorism turned holographic optics from “nice to have” into “must have,” as American troops were routinely outshooting their opponents armed primarily with iron sight weapons.

In the field of magnified holographic optics, options were even slimmer. Trijicon became the go-to manufacturer for these with fixed 4-power optics. These optics were adopted in large numbers by the Marine Corps, which realized a need for engaging threats at longer distances. Many attacks on coalition troops were far ambushes, meaning engagements from a distance. Being able to identify and deal with threats at longer ranges was a huge asset.

The downside, though, to these optics was that they were not great for close-range applications. The extra magnification becomes a hindrance close up, slowing the shooter’s ability to quickly put the dot (or, in Trijicon's case, the triangle) on a threat.
A stop-gap solution still in use today, albeit in limited numbers, was to add a magnifier to a 1-power optic. Most of these are the flip-up variety that mount on the top rail behind the optic. They are generally 3-power. A good idea, but with only 3-power, it's a little anemic.

ENTER THE LOW variable power optic, or LVPO. These are red dot sights that have variable magnification power. Made popular by competitors like 3-gun shooters and vetted in combat overseas, LVPOs have proven highly successful. At its lowest setting, it’s a red dot for CQB, or close-quarters battle, application, and can be used as DM, or designated marksman, or even a sniper role, depending on how high you can crank the power up. LVPOs have also gone through their own evolution. The original models were:
• Low power (most only went up to 4-power);
• Expensive (often thousands of dollars);
• Not true 1-power at the lowest setting. Most of the first generation LVPOs could only go down to 1.25- or 1.5-power (as opposed to true 1-power). This may not sound like a big deal, but on the two-way range, the extra millisecond it takes the shooter to acquire the threat caused by the slight magnification could mean the difference between life and death.

VORTEX IS THE new kid on the block. They have found a niche in the optics market by offering quality glass at reasonable prices. They don't cut any corners when they build their products. Like the other manufacturers, they offer different grades of their optics, with the higher-end ones having the premier glass, coatings and so on. That being said, the affordable grade is decidedly more affordable than other manufacturers' “economy” models, while still maintaining quality.

I recently purchased a Strike Eagle in the 1×8 variety. Including the mount, it cost less than $500. The 1×6 model can be had for about 100 bucks less. At 1-power, it works like any other non-magnified red dot optic with a centered halo. On this setting it is a “point and shoot” holographic optic, perfect for CQB. The tube size is 30mm, a standard measurement for most medium-sized scopes. This means you can use any mount that will fit a 30mm scope. Read the rest of Vortex Strike Eagle Optics.

[Regulator]

Good to know they’ll have such accuracy when they start wasting Conservatives at future Trump rallies.

[Dalberg-Acton]

I have their Crossfire® II 3-12x56 Hog Hunter and it’s worked great. I also have a pair of their binoculars that work great.

[mylife]

I am impressed with Vortex, even more impressed with Nikon.

[Larry Lucido]

And it’s a 1 of, doing what a 1 of does!

This is the FreeRepublic “1 of” Ping List. The FR “1 of” Ping List is comprised of folks who post hit and run clickbait threads and then rarely if ever reply to posts.

“1 of” Ping list members: Your donations are needed during this FR Fund Raiser. FR members pay for you to post your hit and run threads for free. Your donations are needed to pay back FR members who pay for your free use of FR bandwidth.

Please donate here.

https://freerepublic.com/donate/

To be taken off the “1 of” ping list, just reply to this post.

[qaz123]

Great company, great products. Cannot go wrong with any of their products.