Rifle Scopes Vortex strike eagle 5-25 ffp

[oneshot.onehit]

Same principle we use on the 375s with 80 moa rails and the Gen II Razors, we have them set up that a 100 yard zero is actually at 9 mils hold under in the retical those rifles never shoot anything closer then 1500 yards so at the end of the day the system has 9 mils of hold under hardly ever used then 28.5 Mils of useable adjustment and then the 10 mils of hold over. No moving parts and a rifle capable of 3500 + yards, 47.5 mils of getting it done. It has worked well on a few of our 375 Snipetacs for competitions.

For the most part I think the 5-20x56 Strike Eagle is going to be a great performer and folks will be happy with the system, I could of had a rail with more then 20 moa on the Cooper above but it originally was set up with the 20 moa and a Diamond Back Tactical . I really like the simplicity of the Strike Eagle setting up the turrets when setting up the zero or changing later on. Theres lots of good choices now days you just need to find something you like and run with it.

Cheers
Oneshot.onehit

 

[EscapeVelocity]

Thanks for the info guys.

If any of you have the original 3-18 SE or the Athlon Ares BTR-4.5-27 how does the glass compare.

I am seriously hoping they make a 3-18 or even 3-15/4-20 version of this scope.

I've had both, but only briefly. The thing I remember most about the Ares BTR was the small FOV, and tunnel feel as I looked through it. Not a fan. I sold it pretty quick because I couldn't get used to it. Maybe the Gen 2 is better.
The 3-18 SE had decent glass. I'd say this is a step up with the 5-25. But between those two, it's not a comparison. The features make it a totally different scope. If your only interested in glass though, your definitely not downgrading. I also remember the 3-18 and 4-24 having a picky eye box. The 5-25 alleviates that problem.

 

[kwelhand]

My EXACT same experience!
Also had Gen II just a few weeks ago but SAME tunnel vision and ultra-tiny FOV... again, got rid off quickly.

I've had both, but only briefly. The thing I remember most about the Ares BTR was the small FOV, and tunnel feel as I looked through it. Not a fan. I sold it pretty quick because I couldn't get used to it. Maybe the Gen 2 is better.

 

[Frankr]

My EXACT same experience!
Also had Gen II just a few weeks ago but SAME tunnel vision and ultra-tiny FOV... again, got rid off quickly.

The BTR does have a tight FOV especially at 27x, it’s good this one isn’t as picky. It seems vortex has outdone themselves.
I was hoping they would just make the Diamondback into a 3-18ish power range but this one with all the upgrades looks awesome.

 

[jaywhite97]

Look what showed up today

 

[kwelhand]

You got two??

Look what showed up today

 

[Bitchtitsbob]

Look what showed up today

I'm seeing double... FOUR Strike Eagles.

 

[jaywhite97]

You got two??

I just bought a MRAD the store ordered both just in case

 

[jwg64417]

Received mine from AA Optics this afternoon. My initial impression is very positive. I currently have a Razor HD Gen II 4.5-27, A Viper PST Gen II 5-25 and a Diamondback Tactical 6-24 and this new Strike Eagle seems to fall nicely into place between the Diamondback Tactical and the PST Gen II. The turret clicks are quite audible and tactile and closely resemble the PST Gen II. I really like the Rev Stop “Zero Stop” on this. Quick, simple, and easy to install and set and I really like how it allows to you to hit the hard stop at 0.5 mils past zero like the Razor HD Gen II. Glass is great and the FOV is very nice.
I have not mounted this scope yet as Im still debating if I want it to live on my rimfire rig or my .223 trainer Im getting ready to put together. All in all this thing has a of great features and exceeded my expectations.

 

[Eoddave27]

Well mine will be here tomorrow and I’m really hopeful. I’ll have to admit I have been very underwhelmed by the Vortex scopes I have purchased In the past. I bought one of the diamondback tacticals when they first came out and sold it almost immediately. I did just mount a diamondback for a friend today who just got it and it seemed like a totally different scope then the early one I got. Everything operated much smoother and the turrets were actually pretty nice. The turrets on the early one I bought were terrible.

 

[Plltxusa]

I am really interested in how this new vortex scope compares with the Athlon Midas Tac 6-24 in optical clarity and performance. Just bought the Midas Tac so if the new strike eagle seems improved, I may switch. Let us know.

 

[4dds]

Bluto yes it does but not with this scope and the zero stop.

Got some clarification. You do end up with only around 18 mils when the zero stop ring is installed. Doesn’t matter if it’s a 0 or 40 moa base. The overall travel isn’t effected. Only the amount of up elevation. So with it installed you only have about 18 mils up.

Now if you needed more than the 18 mils then you can still use it and just mark how many mils are below your zero like any scope with no stop. Using a 40 moa base would work well with the scope as it would drop you to less than one rotation under zero.

Just trying to make sure I understand this correctly. Even if your mechanical zero is 5 mils from the bottom end you can still only get 18 mils up?

 

[Rob01]

Just trying to make sure I understand this correctly. Even if your mechanical zero is 5 mils from the bottom end you can still only get 18 mils up?

Yup. Just the nature of the set up. That said if you were only 5 mils off bottom there is no reason for the zero stop really.

 

[CSTactical]

We have both the mil and moa versions on the way. Please give us a call at 916-670-1103 to grab one

 

[Jclark65]

Mine shipped yesterday. Interested in comparisons to other known scopes and reviews by users. Hopefully it tracks well.

 

[Eoddave27]

I got my scope early this morning and immediately mounted it on my Vudoo and headed to the range. My first impressions of the scope were very good. I was pretty impressed by everything I saw. I was pretty surprised by the locking turrets as well. I didn’t realize the scope had locking turrets.

Well to the meat of the matter. I got to the range and set down with the Strike Eagle, a 6-24 Midas Tac and 5-25 Gen 2 Viper PST. The glass on the Strike Eagle and Midas Tac are darn close. The PST may be a little better but it’s marginal. Between the SE and TAC it is really tough to say because the FOV is so much better on the SE. Personally I think people place way too much emphases on glass quality. All the scopes demonstrate some level of CA at higher magnifications which is to be expected at this price point. If you think you will be getting Razor glass at this price you will be disappointed. That said, for the price the the glass it great and you will not be missing any shots due the the glass.

The eye box and FOV on the SE is fantastic. I would say the Strike Eagle is hands down the best of the three in this regard.

The turrets. All I can say is wow. I was very surprised at how nice they were. I would say they are comparable to the Razor turrets. The Midas TAC turrets are really nice with auditable clicks. The Viper turrets in my opinion are okay. The SE turrets take just the right amount of force to turn and have very distinct clicks. With my Tango 6 I sometimes have issues with knowing where I am because I don’t feel the distinct click into the next position. With the SE that is not an issue. The turrets also lock which is a game changer for me. I have had one two many windage turrets move on me. If a scope doesn’t at a minimum have a capped windage turret I wouldn’t even consider using it on a competition rifle.

The magnification and parallax are nice and smooth. Much better than the PST I have. The magnification ring on it is very difficult to turn. The addition of the nice aluminum throw leaver is a really nice bonus. The illumination is a little tough to turn as well but not a big deal for me. I just don’t really use illumination. Illumination is daylight bright if that matters to you. The diopter is a little too easy to turn. It was spinning just trying to put my lens cap on and I had to re set it several times. If you aren’t going to be covering like I did that could potentially be a problem.

I didn’t do a formal tracking test. I did run the scope from 50 yards out to 200 yards and back more times than I could count and it returned to zero every time. I don’t use a zero stop on my scopes so I can’t really say how that works. I have MOA built into my rail so I only have about 5 mils below zero so I had right around 25-26 mils of useable elevation which is fantastic for a rimfire.

That’s about all I can say. For once I was really surprised by a Vortex Optic. This scope is what the gen 2 Viper PST should have been. With this release I can see a gen 3 PST on the horizon that will,have a lot of the upgrades this scope has.

 

[koshkin]

One of these is heading my way. I am really curious to see how well they pulled off the FOV.

ILya

 

[tomcatfan]

With my Tango 6 I sometimes have issues with knowing where I am because I don’t feel the distinct click into the next position.

Thanks for the write up. I noticed the same thing with my tango 6. Cleaning out the internals of the scope with rubbing alcohol and a q-tip really helped. Now I can count clicks pretty well with out having to look at the turret.

 

[Eoddave27]

Thanks for the write up. I noticed the same thing with my tango 6. Cleaning out the internals of the scope with rubbing alcohol and a q-tip really helped. Now I can count clicks pretty well with out having to look at the turret.

Thanks! I know what my Saturday project is now. Overall I like the Tango 6 but the turrets on it pretty much blow.

Ilya, I’m sure you will have a lot more educated evaluation on this optic than I do. I always look for your reviews because I know you will give an honest unbiased review. I can only give my feed back from a basic users perspective but in practice the FOV is great. When I was moving from target to target at different ranges the larger field of view defiantly helped me find my targets faster than I did with the other two optics. For me that is a really big deal. I put this on a rifle I will be using for PRS style 22 matches. As long as this thing continues to track I can’t imagine anyone really needing anything else. This is coming from a guy who has never been a big Vortex fan. I still have plans to pick up one of the new Tract Toric’s when they start shipping because I just Love my Tract scopes but I have to say that Vortex really hit it out of the park with this one. I can’t wait to see if they do something with the PST now. If they can add some of these upgrades and features to the PST that will be one hell of an optic if they can maintain the same price point.

 

[Rob01]

Sport Optics has them in stock now in both MOA or Mil version. Promo code Glass13 gets you 13% off and it's around $609.

https://www.sportoptics.com/vortex-strike-eagle-rifle-scopes.aspx

 

[Jclark65]

I picked mine up from Sport Optics and if you are mil, le etc. I highly suggest you ask about the discount.

 

[Newbie2020]

@lowlight

Frank, wouldn’t it be nice right about now if The Hide had a user Optic Review system? ? ?

 

[Newbie2020]

I’m only half joking. These hands-on reviews are really helpful for a Newb, but if several dozen reviews of a given new scope can be accumulated in the format Frank envisioned, it would be way more efficient to see the different perceived differences among scopes.

 

[Doctorwho1138]

Looking for a new 22 scope. A little more than I wanted to spend but so far very promising

 

[EN2722]

I picked mine up from Sport Optics and if you are mil, le etc. I highly suggest you ask about the discount.

On par or better than Expert Voice?

 

[Gohring65]

I didn’t read all the comments. Is this made in Chinnnahhh?
Edit; I just read the comments haha!

 

[Rob01]

On par or better than Expert Voice?

Yes should be the same 40% off MSRP.

 

[Rob01]

I didn’t read all the comments. Is this made in Chinnnahhh?

Yes made in China.

 

[Gohring65]

Yes made in China.

Thanks Rob, I just found that in the comments. Lol

 

[Jclark65]

On par or better than Expert Voice?

About the same, rings (PMRs) were on sale so a little cheaper and they threw in Both defender caps. Big difference is that it was in stock and already shipped.

 

[Fweedombypepe]

Got one ordered today, hope it arrives tomorrow

 

[trob]

Got mine yesterday. Initial impression was extremely positive. It's everthing i've been wanting for my t1x. The turrets feel great, its the same reticle as my razor genII 3-18, and the glass is nice and clear.
Not that I use my illumination often, but the one thing I dont care for is that the illumination knob does not turn off between the numbers. You have to dial it back to zero to shut it off, and the knob doesnt pull out like on the razor.
Other than that, I cant think of anything I would change. My buddy ordered an Arken the day before these came out and has been kicking himself. I've been hounding him to cancel his order (since they're 10+ weeks out) and get the vortex, it's a no-brainer.

Anyone know how low I can go on rings with defender flip caps? Its just a factory Tikka T1x with an area419 30 moa base.

 

[Frankr]

Got mine yesterday. Initial impression was extremely positive. It's everthing i've been wanting for my t1x. The turrets feel great, its the same reticle as my razor genII 3-18, and the glass is nice and clear.
Not that I use my illumination often, but the one thing I dont care for is that the illumination knob does not turn off between the numbers. You have to dial it back to zero to shut it off, and the knob doesnt pull out like on the razor.
Other than that, I cant think of anything I would change. My buddy ordered an Arken the day before these came out and has been kicking himself. I've been hounding him to cancel his order (since they're 10+ weeks out) and get the vortex, it's a no-brainer.

When you can, post some pics on your T1x. Want to see how it looks

 

[Jclark65]

Any other updates or thoughts from the weekend?

 

[tomcatfan]

My scope will be delivered Wednesday. I have no idea how long it will take Optics Planet to ship my mount.

 

[Fweedombypepe]

Any other updates or thoughts from the weekend?

yes both scope and rings shipped today! Or wasnt that what you were asking?

 

[Jclark65]

I was asking if anyone else had tried the scope out over the weekend and would add their thoughts.

 

[trob]

What height are you guys getting on your rings? Will something under 1” work on a T1x With 30moa base and defender caps?

got any pics of similar setups?

 

[Rob01]

I wouldn't go under 1" with a 34mm tube and a 56mm objective.

 

[Eoddave27]

Rob is right. If you go with something under an inch you will be cutting it close. I had rings that were .92 with a 50 mm objective. When I put an aftermarket barrel on my Tikka I had to get higher rings for the scope to clear the barrel. With the factory barrel 1- 1.0625 should be about perfect.

 

[tomcatfan]

I'm putting it on an RPR so I won't get any relief from barrel contour. I went with a high UTG mount. Based on what is published by Vortex and UTG, I will have 0.23" of clearance with no scope caps. If I went with medium, I would not clear the hand guard.

 

[Jclark65]

I went with Vortex high matched based on the recommendation of Sports Optics to go on a stealth.

 

[Fweedombypepe]

I took a gamble on some Arken Halo medium rings, 1.26 for a Savage Mark II. Hope it clears.

 

[Doctorwho1138]

Really interested in this scope for my rimfire. Just deciding if it is worth it to me spending more and getting this or just buy the athlon.

 

[beetroot]

Maybe. I run 56mm on rifles with no adjustable stock. Kind of depends on the mounting. If anything a stock pack would give enough height without an adjustable comb.

You are lucky, I can't run a 50mm without a cheek riser.
Most medium rings have my cheek just kissing the stock, certainly not a positive cheek weld.

 

[ToddM]

It will be interesting to see how their zero stop works, it doesn't appear it's just a shim. In talking to a vortex it doesn't just limit downward travel, but upward as well. I specifically asked if using a rail with rise in it would gain more elevation and the answer was it would not and the zero stop will still only have you 47 MOA / 18 MIL of elevation regardless of the zero point in the total elevation travel. Looking at the manual there's a picture of the underside of the zero stop that looks like it has a slot machined in it with a stop in it. I wonder if something that raises up with the elevation knob is bottoming out on the zero stop shim, or inside it.

For those that want tons of elevation there's always the option to throw it on a 40+ MOA rail and use the bottom of the elevation travel as an alternative.

 

[CSTactical]

Ours came in today, they are not on our site yet so please call 916-670-1103

 

[tomcatfan]

It will be interesting to see how their zero stop works, it doesn't appear it's just a shim. In talking to a vortex it doesn't just limit downward travel, but upward as well. I specifically asked if using a rail with rise in it would gain more elevation and the answer was it would not and the zero stop will still only have you 47 MOA / 18 MIL of elevation regardless of the zero point in the total elevation travel. Looking at the manual there's a picture of the underside of the zero stop that looks like it has a slot machined in it with a stop in it. I wonder if something that raises up with the elevation knob is bottoming out on the zero stop shim, or inside it.

For those that want tons of elevation there's always the option to throw it on a 40+ MOA rail and use the bottom of the elevation travel as an alternative.

I get mine in tomorrow. Once I get it mounted up I was planning on doing a general review with a tracking test comparing it to my Sig Tango 4. I will figure out how much the scope will have in elevation adjustment with and without the zero stop installed. I will have it installed with 20 moa of cant.

 

[oneshot.onehit]

Todd

When I just had the Cooper 22LR bore sited and with the zero stop in place I had 19 mils of travel left that you could dial up, after I zeroed the 22LR at 100 yards and reinstalled the zero stop ring I ended up with 18.1 mils of travel left.

This is with a 20 moa rail being used as well.

There’s a review on this up a couple pages. Cooper 57M wood stock. At the end of the day I am around 500 yards with what this scope will do with the travel and hold overs using Lapua Midas + 22 ammo. I am very happy with the scope. I had a blast shooting steel the other night - a great set up.

Oneshot.onehit

 

[Rob01]

Mine arrives tomorrow but waiting on rings. I plan to put it on my 40 MOA based Vudoo to see how much elevation I have left.