Vortex Optics 1-6x24 Viper PST Gen II Riflescope, Matte Black with Illuminated VMR-2 MOA Reticle, Capped Turrets, 30mm Tube Diameter

2026-03-12T20:00:00

In 2016 I got my first rifle and decided to put this scope on it. Since then I have had various other aiming solutions and rifles. This Viper is still with me and I always end up going back to it when another solution (dot or tube) doesn't fulfill my needs. I would recommend this scope to anyone who doesn't have a highly specific use case or context in which it will be used. If you like to shoot targets "dynamically" up close but also occasionally print groups at 100m or further this scope will fulfill your needs. Not the most optimal at anything but more than adequate at anything under 500m. The viper currently sits on my geiselle super duty. The only con I would point out is the weight. Also, the zoom ring is still. Get a scope ring seperately because there isn't one in the box.

Frank

Originally posted at

2025-02-26T19:00:00

The BEST Customer Service Hands Down!!! So. . . I purchased a Viper PST Gen II 1x6x24. I installed my self. . . which i have done countless times. Guess what. . . I overtightened and completely ruined the optic. . . not to mention the 10 point that got away. Sent in for warranty and they discovered I torques the rings too tight and that was the issue. Vortex REPLACED with a new scope! No questions asked. . . it was my error and they took care of it. THAT is outstanding service. Obviously the products are amazing as well. Do your self a solid and buy Vortex!

Eric M.

Originally posted at

2025-02-09T19:00:00

Built my first high dollar AR-15 and I searched high and low for the best LPVO the fit my needs. This is in my opinion the best scope for a AR-15 that checks all the boxes for under $1,000. 00. Does everything very well, a very good, (excellent) close quarters to mid range scope, that is crystal clear and a red dot center that is daylight bright. Love this scope and highly recommend. This one is hard to beat unless you spend another $500. 00 and get the Razor. Other reviewers have it at 90% of what the Razor can do for less money.

HDK

Originally posted at

2024-11-30T19:00:00

I like the simple cross hair reticle for hunting. The turrets are large and have crisp clicks and do not require a tool or coin to adjust. The led is appropriately sized and has good daytime visibility. I also like the fact that it comes with a sun shade. Battery cover instantly chipped when I removed it, like the coating was definitely not properly adhered. The focus for my eye resulted in magnification that was not truly 1x. The magnification adjustment was extremely tight at 1x and got better toward 4x which is not ideal for on the fly adjustment. This is a 1-6 scope and in my opinion should include a throw lever as it would accommodate that range of motion and you could ignore the tight adjustment. The eye relief (correct term is escaping me) is finicky at best. You really have to land in just the right spot. Really wish the scope also had zero stop. Perhaps the battery cap immediately soured my opinion of the scope. Will it adequately work for hunting, yes. Do I feel like there is a cost value mismatch, yes. This is my first Vortex scope and I wanted to have nothing but good to say about it but it just missed the mark for me. An objective review for the scope I purchased would be a 3. 5 out of five.

Chad

Originally posted at

2024-10-06T20:00:00

I love this scope, the glass quality, functionality and durability are awesome. The only thing I wish it had was a FFP option and a slightly brighter red dot for our bright Arizona sun!

Dan G.

Originally posted at

2024-09-03T20:00:00

Awesome scope, but damn this battery cover sucks. Don't think I've ever had a battery cover slot chip away so easily to the point I barely got it open.

Mark e.

Originally posted at

2024-05-18T20:00:00

Super clear glass, and that bright dot really helps day to dusk. Might be a bit on the heavier side, but a small price to pay for such a great optic.

Jasonic

Originally posted at

2023-07-11T20:00:00

This scope is so crisp and bright it feels like it is making the sight picture pop more than with the naked eye. On the true 1x easy to shoot eyes wide open, the scope is clear at all mag levels and the illumination is the perfect addition for dawn/dusk. I can't say enough positive things about this scope. Only minor issue is the crosshairs are a little on the chunky side; doesn't affect shots on small gongs at 50/100, but for more exact placement at 100 and beyond they could be a skosh thinner.

QPM

Originally posted at

2022-04-23T20:00:00

I mounted it on my 375 A-Bolt with Leupold QD base and rings. I have to say I am thoroughly impressed with this scope. Very clear, bright glass and the red dot is sharp and crisp. Turrets are very responsive and comes back to zero every time. It has almost 4 inches of eye relief which is nice on the bigger guns.

Robmill70

Originally posted at

2022-04-01T20:00:00

I think you'd be hard pressed to find a better performing LPVO for around this price or even a little over. For the money the glass on these are great.

Jasper

Originally posted at

2021-10-22T20:00:00

I've had the opportunity to be issued or owned a number of high end optics from all the big names companies. When outfitting a couple matching AR's, one for duty and one for home, with the same LPVO I was going to go with one Razor (duty and one Viper (home). But after getting the Viper first, the second optic was a no brainer - Viper, all day long. My requirements were 2nd focal plane with Mil reticle and Red Dot (dot only) illuminated reticle. Having used the Razor before, I think the Viper is every bit as good for most applications. Yes the catalog commandos and tactical tommie's can gripe about slightly less glass clarity, but this is really splitting hairs, like a $1,000 hair. At realistic distances in realistic conditions with realistic users the Viper will do the job without issue. I have no problem recommending the Viper for LE duty use. And for those that complained about the weight, I'm sure there is something you can leave behind in leu of being able to acquire positive target ID. I did notice the tightness of the magnification ring was different in the two I purchased, but that changed quickly when I installed throw levers on both. As for the "mushy" turrets mentioned some reviews, I did not notice that at all. both came with tight turrets that had positive clicks. When running drills in the shoothouse the 1x red dot is every bit as quick as a standard RDS. IF I had a gripe, the Mil reticle is only 3.5 mils of elevation, but there is room for 11. It seems like there is room to add some mils to at least get to the industry standard of 5 mils. Granted, this is a small gripe since 3.5 mils is going to get most AR-15 shooters out to around 500 yards. I really wanted to put a third Viper on a 16" .300 blackout but the lack of mils in the reticle gives me some pause. Thank you Vortex, keep up the good work.

1245

Originally posted at

2021-05-30T20:00:00

First of all i am not a pro when it comes to optics , but i will share my thoughts on things i came across Weight-it?s too heavy and bulky for its purpose The magnification is very stiff The eyebox/eye relief was bad for me I had to be in 100 % aligned position with the scope, even at 1x or 2x i would have hard time finding my image The glass quality is good I liked the reticle I didn?t have a chance to put shots through it , but i am pretty sure those who don?t have issues with eye box would enjoy the clarity of image Distortion starts at 5x and goes to 6 x Of course it?s not 1500$ optic so that is expected Overall it didn?t work for me unfortunately for multiple reasons

Freddie

Originally posted at

2021-02-01T19:00:00

Went back and forth before this and a strike eagle, but went with the Viper PST Gen 2 ultimately due to the glass clarity (little to no difference) and the simplicity of the reticle. My only gripe is the weight, even though it is extremely versatile, obviously I wouldn?t recommend for CQB. Overall amazing optic for the money, backed by a phenomenal warranty.

Cammy

Originally posted at

2020-12-22T19:00:00

Love this scope, would get another one in heartbeat

Iceberg

Originally posted at

2020-09-20T20:00:00

This optic has performed way beyond my expectations, have used it both on my AR-15 and my Bergara B-14. With this optic on my bolt gun, I have been successful in moderate distance shooting (inside 300 yards) and a few successful hunts.

Bozak

Originally posted at

2020-08-27T20:00:00

I had a rifle I needed scoped and while I've rolled with a Razor 1-6x for a year or two now I acquired that bad boy in a trade. I was once able to see a Viper 1-6x in person and was impressed by the 1x in the store so now in need for an optic I went with the Viper and already love it. The 1x is clear but since I've looked thru nothing but the Razor for 2 years I see it's slightly less crisp than that of the Razor however it's adequate for quick close shots. I've looked at many reviews on the Viper 1-6x24mm and the issue mentioned more often is the adjustments and how they're hard to adjust because of 'mush' and a couple say they are super tight and was unable to hear or feel the clicks. I experienced nothing of the sort. The are stiff but in my estimation that indicates no 'mush' and I could absolutely feel the clicks although the audible click was lacking but it adjusted well enough for me to zero in 6 rounds. I've chosen the Razor and Viper 1-6x scopes for a hunting and home/self defense duel purpose carbine platform and neither disappoint to date. Dare I say the illuminated dot is brighter in the Viper than the Razor although the Viper has a brand new battery I still have to give the edge to the it in dot brightness. Back to the glass. The Viper is only slightly less bright than the Razor and I think the Razor beats it by a nose on the 1x. Either 6x, to my eye is outstanding and really can't see the differences in field of view for either. The Viper is a bit heavy but that shouldn't dissuade anyone for acquiring one. Bottom line I truly think the Viper is as they say 90% of it's big brother Razor and for anyone on the fence I don't think you'll be disappointed in the Viper. If budget is the concern do not hesitate.

Sandman

Originally posted at

2020-08-23T20:00:00

Purchased this scope for the top of my AR-15 build approximately 7 days ago. Went out and shot with this scope 1 time Directly after purchase shot amazing red dot worked awesome. The product was fantastic. Went to go show this optic to a family member and tried to turn on the red dot, nothing. Thought I left the optic on and the battery died so I changed the battery, still nothing, I then tried to rotate the intensity of the red dot while looking down the scope and by pressing in the intensity knob boom red dot. So after looking over the optic I see that an o-ring is piping out of the gap between the illumination knob and the scope. I wish that I didn’t have this scope fail on me in 7 days. Was really thrilled about this scope, hope to exchange it at the store and get one that is not broken already, the store said they have been hard to come by though, hoping I don’t have to get a different brand, I liked this one.

Manso233

Originally posted at

2020-05-11T20:00:00

Living in Europe, I was using mainly German or Swedish optics. I purchased it after being advised by my local gunsmith to equip my new DD. The lifetime guarantee, the versatility 1-6 and the very attractive price made me took the decision. I was very surprised by the quality of the scope, the clarity under strong sun or under a heavy rain. Yes, it is a little heavy but what a great scope! I really recommend it for anyone looking for versatility and a high quality scope. My next scope will be definitively a Vortex.

Zulu

Originally posted at

2020-04-01T20:00:00

This is number #five Vortex Optics. The Viper 1-6x24mm is a replacement Strike Eagle 1-6x24mm, The Strike Eagle reticles too busy for me is my reason for the upgrade to Viper PST. The reticles are perfect for my old eyes (68), and the glass to me, excellent! I haven't had the time to sight-in COVID-19.

rudyf1951

Originally posted at

2019-09-27T20:00:00

I bought this as an affordable option for a Duty gun. the glass is slightly below my leupold HD 1 to 6x, which is double the cost. The one complaint that I have & what stops it from getting a 5 is that the turrets are extremely hard to adjust. I wouldn't hesitate to carry it into battle as it is used on my duty weapon. I have used it on the SBR in local 3 gun.

Bushmasta

Originally posted at

2019-08-07T20:00:00

I bought this scope and it hit bullseye's witih out and turning of turrets. some minor fine tuning at more distance but that was almost too easy. So far really good. Red dot is nice too . I like the adjustability of it. I can use it as a red dot or cross hairs or both.

surfer

Originally posted at

2019-06-17T20:00:00

I bought this from an authorized Vortex dealer on ebay. At first all seemed great but after going through and focusing the eyepiece I noticed the horizontal reticle line is not straight. It appears to almost have a wave to it. Now in fairness, I have an eye the instantly notices things that aren't quite right, I just can't help it. I'd venture to say that 95% of anyone else that looked through it wouldn't notice it. another thing is one of the adjustment knobs feels very mushy and imprecise..

disappointed

Originally posted at

2019-05-30T20:00:00

Could not be happier with this scope. There is nothing on the market that compares in this price range and probably even a little higher. Looking through the glass literally makes your vision better and it’s very easy to use. Very happy Andy would pay more than market price for this optic. Another grand slam by Vortex Optics.

Bdubya

Originally posted at

2019-05-30T20:00:00

When I bought this scope I did so with the intent that it would durable, clear, and complete the idea of my rifle. I was impressed after installing it on and being able to consistently get the same sight picture without any hassle. Sighting it in the first time was a breeze. I only had to make a few minor adjustments before I was shooting consistent groups within my own capabilities. I really appreciate the forgiveness of the eye relief and eye box of the scope because I have to shoot in less than ideal conditions because of a disability. If my other rifles needed an optic on them I would not hesitate to buy another.

abwheels

Originally posted at

2019-05-30T20:00:00

This scope is excellent for carbines at a great price. I needed a scope and a red dot and this fit the bill in one stop for my AR. The scope is rugged and dependable and hasn't let me down yet, which is important to me since I am a firearms instructor. The glass has great clarity even in low light conditions and the adjustable red dot is perfect.

Abnkenpo

Originally posted at

2019-05-29T20:00:00

An awesome addition to my 3 gun match AR. Glass is very clear and eye relief is great. Very easy to transition for quick and accurate shots both up close and at a distance.

dperry86

Originally posted at

2019-05-28T20:00:00

This is a perfectly priced 1-6x, the red dot is day time bright, the glass is beautiful and the eye relief is amazing.

seth

Originally posted at

2019-05-28T20:00:00

I’ve had this scope on my 3gun rifle for 2 years and it’s absolutely awesome! Paired it up with the Vortex HD scope mount and a throw lever and it’s been great. Has a small hiccup with the reticle illumination knob but I called Vortex and they had it taken care and back to me within 20 days. Great company!

NE G.

Originally posted at

2019-05-28T20:00:00

I have two of these scopes. One on my go-to SBR and the other on my 14.5 suppressed 3 gun setup. It’s a fantastic scope with a world class warranty.

Dash

Originally posted at

2019-05-27T20:00:00

This is my 5th PST Viper from Vortex. Value and glass is great for the money. Amazing warranty. Would recommend to anyone looking for a LPVO under $1,000

hunterkocis

Originally posted at