Rifle Scopes Vortex Strike Eagle 5-25x56 or...

[MCNL]

I am buying my first scope to put on a 6mm Creedmore. I was looking at the new Vortex Strike Eagle 5-25x56. A friend recommended that I buy a Nightforce NX8 2.5-20x50. This is for precision target shooting and my first scope purchase. Any thoughts from owners would be greatly appreciated. My budget is 2k if that helps.

 

[JMGlasgow]

The Strike Eagle is chinese. That should be a hard no.

You can pick up some really nice used optics for $2k and under. A used Razor gen2 can be had for less than $2k. Just one option.

 

[MCNL]

I looked at that but since I’m literally learning as I go, I’m afraid to buy used.

 

[JMGlasgow]

Why? If, and I mean if there is something wrong Vortex will take care of it.

 

[MCNL]

For example, I was unaware a warranty was transferable. Very impressive of Vortex!

 

[JMGlasgow]

With most optics the warranty is transferable

 

[beetroot]

The Strike Eagle is chinese. That should be a hard no.

You can pick up some really nice used optics for $2k and under. A used Razor gen2 can be had for less than $2k. Just one option.

There's some good stuff coming out of China these days, notably from Athlon and Vortex. Unless you are opposed to a country for political reasons, theres little reason to judge an optic based in country of origin.

The Strike Eagle is getting very good reviews from those that own them, they offer very good value for an entry level scope. They will likely hold their value well too.

But if you have to money just buy a new Razor G2 from Scott @LibertyOptics you will likely be able to sell if for the same price used as you buy from Scott.

 

[MCNL]

Thank you...I’m looking into that

 

[JMGlasgow]

I refuse to buy anything made in china when possible, and so should you. Buying products from them is financially supporting communism.

 

[spife7980]

And so is supporting half of the USA... get what you can afford to.
That’s said, if you can swing 2k I would recommend going better than the strike eagle.

 

[Jclark65]

What's your budget for a scope? If you are mil, ret or leo there are discounts available as well. There are also vendors here who give discounts for Hide members. My thought is buy the best you can/want to spend. You can get some good glass on here used. I own the Strike Eagle and its a decent scope and will be a fine first optic for your 6mm. If you think you going to really get into long range shooting and have the budget then the Razor is in a different class from the SE. Mileage may vary regarding price on glass the SE can be had for under $500.00 with mil/vet discount and the Razor Gen 2 for under $1900.00 or here for 1700.00 used. I personally really like vortex but there is a lot of really good glass out there, made by a bunch of good companies who stand behind their products. Good luck with your search and ultimately your purchase.
J

 

[Pinch_NO]

So I have both the Razor Gen II and the new SE; they are each really good optics to their price range. The Razor have more bell’s and whistles and you also feel the price difference in the fitting and turrets; this do not mean that my SE do not track or is pore, it’s just better (as it should be) on the Razor.

Now, in general both will serve you well, and I understand that there is definitely a special feeling of “new car” when opening a box fresh item never used before; it is a fully valid reason to purchase a new scope in your dedicated budget to get that fresh new feeling. However, as pointed out earlier Vortex will stand by their product and you will not be left holding the bag if buying a used scope; it’s pros and cons on both.

And as I am a Norwegian not living in the US I don’t have to relate to the polarization you all are experiencing over on your side of the Atlantic. I can however say that I visited the Vortex HQ last October and talked to the people there and they are veterans focused and showed a level of genuine proudness of their American heritage so I would not have hesitated on any of their products; global supply chains are complex and very interconnected and can not be boiled down to the final place of assembly

 

[Lost_Phil]

If your budget is 2K, I would look at the Nightforce NX8 series. Euro Optics has a demo NX8 2.5 to 20 x 50 under 2K and they will work with you on price if you call them.

 

[louu]

I thought the razor was made in China? I have the razor HD2 1-6 jm1 on my 3 gun rifle and I'm pretty sure it said made in China on the bottom.

 

[spife7980]

I thought the razor was made in China? I have the razor HD2 1-6 jm1 on my 3 gun rifle and I'm pretty sure it said made in China on the bottom.

It’s made in Japan at low and then it gets the internals replaced here in the states at vortex.

 

[Rob01]

I thought the razor was made in China? I have the razor HD2 1-6 jm1 on my 3 gun rifle and I'm pretty sure it said made in China on the bottom.

The Razors are not made in China. You need to look again.

OP, if you have up to $2K for a scope then get a Razor II 4.5-27x56. They can be found for about $1600 from vendors and well worth it. The Strike Eagle is nice for it's price range but not a comparison to the Razor II.

 

[jsimonh]

I just sold 2 Vortex G2 3-18s in the last month or so for 1350ish and bought a 4.5-27 for well under 2K. I've got a SE coming for my 22lr so that all my rifles have the same ebr7c reticle, but with your budget I'd pick a G2 with the reticle you like and put the rest of the cash back in your pocket.

 

[MCNL]

Thank you for all your help...I bought a used Vortex SE 5-25x56. I have allot to learn and more gear to buy, so this is a great starting point.

 

[DairyDictator]

For future reference:

Vortex Warranty covers everything but intentional damage. Scope caught in a house fire? Covered. Drop your spotter off a cliff? Covered. Etc.

 

[jsimonh]

For future reference:

Vortex Warranty covers everything but intentional damage. Scope caught in a house fire? Covered. Drop your spotter off a cliff? Covered. Etc.

They're able to do that because they factor all these returns in the price of the scopes.. Last I heard, they factor 15% return rate for their products. That means they do have to cut corners somewhere. Those corners typically get cut in the QC dept. That's why you'll find a decent amount of Vortex haters out there. They don't check as many scopes out of a shipment as other companies do. The Razor Gen 2 and the Nightforce scopes come out of the same factory in Japan, but Nightforce checks more scopes out of the shipments than Vortex does which is part of the increased price between the two.

TLDR; Some manufacturers use the "sell a lot of unchecked scopes and just take really good care of the unlucky customers" and others use the "sell less scopes at a higher price and make sure very very few ever come back for repair" Vortex is generally the former, Nightforce and more expensive scopes are typically the latter for whatever it's worth.

Since you seem to have some sort of insight into this "checking" of the scopes, per 1000 how many does Vortex check? NF? ZCO? Thanks in advance because im truly interested in this......

 

[b6graham]

i'd take a razor gen 2 4.5-27 from liberty optics every day in that price range. even over the 2.5-20 NX8. the 4-32 would be a different story but it's a very different scope than the RG2.

I have the new strike eagle. in the $400-$500 price point its an amazing scope. if you wanna play the china card I'm just gonna lol at you.

 

[Rob01]

I don't work for any of these manufacturers so I really can't give you an exact number for any of them, but I can say for certain that NF and ZCO inspect FAR more than Vortex does even at their top end models, save the AMG's that are getting sent to the military since usually nothing that is under .mil contract carries any kind of warranty.

You don’t know but you can say for certain? LOL Ok I will believe everything you say. LOL

 

[koshkin]

You don’t know but you can say for certain? LOL Ok I will believe everything you say. LOL

I wonder how all these rumors start.

ZCO inspects every scope.
I havn't the foggiest idea what Nightforce inspects since they do not talk to me (if my mutilated body is ever found in a ditch, they will be in the top 3 of the suspect list).
Vortex' inspection varies by product line, but all Razor scopes get checked.

ILya

 

[K3RRY]

For $2k I’d get a NX8 4-32. It can be had for around 1.9k if you quote around

 

[Rob01]

I wonder how all these rumors start.

ZCO inspects every scope.
I havn't the foggiest idea what Nightforce inspects since they do not talk to me (if my mutilated body is ever found in a ditch, they will be in the top 3 of the suspect list).
Vortex' inspection varies by product line, but all Razor scopes get checked.

ILya

It’s the internet. LOL I know that every Razor II is inspected as every one gets the elevation and windage knobs installed in the US facility and they are tested. Not hard to find Frank’s tour of the facility here on the Hide but the rumors still flow.

 

[Jgault]

Vortex has made a fan of me, the scopes are good. Twice I called because I damaged a scope and a red dot, once by dropping and dragging through brush, both were just damage to the caps and outer shell, both times they just mailed me replacement cover and caps. Most warranties are worthless, theirs really isn’t.

 

[DairyDictator]

It’s the internet. LOL I know that every Razor II is inspected as every one gets the elevation and windage knobs installed in the US facility and they are tested. Not hard to find Frank’s tour of the facility here on the Hide but the rumors still flow.

Welp. Glad to see I was wrong. I'll happily shut my face

 

[Greene]

I agree with the others, if you have that kinda budget I prob wouldn't go with the strike eagle. It is a very nice optic for the price point but not Gen II razor. I have set up 2 Strike Eagles on my buddies rifles and was pleased with them for the price point but still not a Razor.

 

[M77]

G2 razor will give you everything a scope costing upto twice as much will , still competitive to this day even though they launched in 2014 .
even now with scopes like Burris XTR3-Bushy's still playing catch up .

 

[DairyDictator]

G2 razor will give you everything a scope costing upto twice as much will , still competitive to this day even though they launched in 2014 .
even now with scopes like Burris XTR3-Bushy's still playing catch up .

It will until it doesn't. The gen 2 works well about 80% of the time. Where it chokes compared to higher end scopes is in heavy mirage, light precipitation, and spotting targets through bushes. Once you look through a ZCO or Tangent Theta there's really no comparison, and there shouldn't be because those scopes are nearly double the cost. I don't mean to bash the razor by any means but the idea that it will give you everything the top end glass does is just absurd.

 

[M77]

It will until it doesn't. The gen 2 works well about 80% of the time. Where it chokes compared to higher end scopes is in heavy mirage, light precipitation, and spotting targets through bushes. Once you look through a ZCO or Tangent Theta there's really no comparison, and there shouldn't be because those scopes are nearly double the cost. I don't mean to bash the razor by any means but the idea that it will give you everything the top end glass does is just absurd.

Hence my mention of Upto twice as more , i wasnt comparing a g2 to ZCO-Theta
Razor $1800 new
NF ATACR $3200 / S&b 5-25 $3500 / kahles 5-25 $3400 / minox zp5 $3200 etc etc

for a starting point with the current market as it is , the razor is the best buy for what you get

 

[DairyDictator]

Hence my mention of Upto twice as more , i wasnt comparing a g2 to ZCO-Theta
Razor $1800 new
NF ATACR $3200 / S&b 5-25 $3500 / kahles 5-25 $3400 / minox zp5 $3200 etc etc

for a starting point with the current market as it is , the razor is the best buy for what you get

You're still comparing a razor to a kahles, S&B, and Minox. Razor doesn't hold a candle to any of those. Even saying it's close to an ATACR is a stretch.

I agree it's a great value, I'd even say it's the best in its class, but comparing it to top tier optics like that is just crazy talk.

 

[M77]

leave it for another thread , Op has a few options now

 

[acudaowner]

if the strike eagle is what you want then i hope it works as well as you want it to .

 

[Vodoun daVinci]

If you have a $2K budget and are inexperienced (as I was yet 2 years ago) then call Doug at Camera Land New York and follow his suggestions. He'll fix you up fair and square he knows his shit and won't cheat ya. The problem with asking about scope choices of a forum this rich in experience is that *EvErYoNE!* has a pet peeve and a political issue or has sworn off or sworn on a specific brand. You'll get lot's of opinion and that's good but newbies like us need more objectivity.

gr8fuldoug

www.snipershide.com

Call Doug. There are lots of really good options in your price point.

VooDoo

 

[Rob01]

If you have a $2K budget and are inexperienced (as I was yet 2 years ago) then call Doug at Camera Land New York and follow his suggestions. He'll fix you up fair and square he knows his shit and won't cheat ya. The problem with asking about scope choices of a forum this rich in experience is that *EvErYoNE!* has a pet peeve and a political issue or has sworn off or sworn on a specific brand. You'll get lot's of opinion and that's good but newbies like us need more objectivity.

gr8fuldoug

www.snipershide.com

Call Doug. There are lots of really good options in your price point.

VooDoo

The problem with calling Doug though is he doesn't sell Vortex. I have sent people to him and bought from him but if the OP wants a Vortex he can't get it there.

 

[WTFDUDE]

I have a strike-eagle and for the price I paid $640 it hasn't disappointed one bit. Granted, I have only got to use it out to 200 yards so doesnt say much