Description
Rifle Scope Product Details
Vortex Optics Viper 6.5-20×44 PA SFP Riflescope – Mil Dot MOA Reticle
Designed and engineered for those who want it all”strength, durability, and XR fully multi-coated lenses for incredible light transmission. This is why year after year, accomplished hunters have come to rely on this solid performer. Just pick your reticle and a spot behind the shoulder. Done.
Rifle Scope Product Features
The Viper 6.5-20×44 is built on a 30mm main tube with a hard anodized finish providing a rugged, tough hunting riflescope. Originating from the US Marine Corps, the Mil-Dot reticle is useful for helping to estimate range, windage and bullet holdover.
Incorporating our premium, fully multi-coated, extra-low dispersion lenses brings excellent resolution and color fidelity. The XR coatings provide enhanced light gathering capability while Armortek coating protects the lenses.
Capped reset turrets allow quick re-indexing of the turret to zero after sighting in the riflescope. Side knob parallax adjust allows quick and easy parallax adjustments with range numbers visible while in the shooting position.
The fast focus eyepiece allows for quick and easy reticle focusing while the MAG-Bar allows rapid, easy changes in magnification.
The Viper 6.5-20×44 riflescope is ideal for long range, predator/varmint, and target applications. O-ring sealed and argon purged, the Viper provides fogproof and waterproof performance.
About the Vortex Optics Manufacturer
Vortex Optics is a premium producer for firearm scopes, optics, mounting solutions, and other accessories used for firearms like rifles and long guns. They design and make their mounts and related products by making the most of materials which are long lasting and durable. This includes the Vortex Optics Viper 6.5-20×44 PA SFP Riflescope – Mil Dot MOA Reticle by Vortex Optics. For more shooting items, visit their website.
Facts About Rifle Optics
Rifle scopes allow you to precisely aim a rifle at different targets by lining up your eye with the target over a range. They accomplish this through zoom by utilizing a series of lenses inside the scope. The scope’s positioning can be dialed in for the consideration of many environmental elements like wind and elevation decreases to make up for bullet drop.
The scope’s purpose is to help shooters understand exactly where the bullet will land based upon the sight picture you are seeing through the scope as you align the scope’s crosshair or reticle with the intended target. Most contemporary rifle optics have about 11 parts which are found inside and externally on the scope body. These optic pieces consist of the rifle scope’s body, lenses, elevation dials, focus rings, and other elements. Learn about the eleven parts of glass.
The Styles of Rifle Scopes
Rifle scopes can be either “first focal plane” or “second focal plane” style of scopes. The style of focal plane an optic has identifies where the reticle or crosshair is located in relation to the optic’s magnification. It simply suggests the reticle is behind or ahead of the magnifying lens of the scope. Considering the best type of rifle optic depends on what variety of hunting or shooting you plan on undertaking.
Info About First Focal Plane Optics
First focal plane scopes (FFP) feature the reticle in front of the magnifying lens. This triggers the reticle to increase in size based upon the extent of zoom being used. The outcome is that the reticle measurements are the same at the enhanced distance as they are at the non amplified distance. For example, one tick on a mil-dot reticle at 100 yards with no “zoom” is still the exact same tick at one hundred yards with 5x “zoom”. These kinds of scopes work for:
- Quick acquisition, far away types of shooting
- Shooting scenarios where calculations are very little
- Experienced shooters who know their target “hold over” as well as “lead” ratios for their rifles
- Shooters who don’t mind the reticle is bigger and takes up more visual eyesight space than a SFP reticle
Second Focal Plane Optics
Second focal plane glass (SFP) include the reticle to the rear of the magnifying lens. This triggers the reticle to stay at the very same dimensions in relation to the quantity of magnification being used. The final result is that the reticle measurements alter based upon the magnification applied to shoot over longer distances considering the reticle measurements represent distinct increments which change with the zoom level. In the FFP example with the SFP optic, the 5x “zoom” 100 yard tick measurement would be 1/5th of the non “zoom” tick reticle measurement. These types of glass are useful for:
- Far away kinds of shooting where shooters have additional time to make ballistic calculations
- Shooting where most of the shots occur within shorter ranges and distances
- Shooters who prefer a clearer optic picture without area used up by the bigger FFP reticle
Details on Rifle Scope Zoom
The quantity of zoom a scope offers is determined by the size, density, and curvatures of the lenses inside of the rifle scope. The magnification of the scope is the “power” of the scope.
Info About Fixed Power Lens Rifle Scopes
A single power rifle optic will have a magnification number designator like 4×32. This indicates the magnification power of the scope is 4x power while the objective lens is 32mm. The zoom of this type of optic can not fluctuate because it is a fixed power optic.
Adjustable Power Lens Glass Facts
Variable power rifle scopes can be changed between magnification levels. These types of scopes will list the zoom level in a format like 2-10×32. These numbers suggest the magnification of the scope can be adjusted between 2x and 10x power. This always incorporates the powers in-between 2 and 10. The power adaptation is accomplished by applying the power ring part of the scope near the rear of the scope by the eye bell.
Rifle Scope Power Level and Range Correlation
Here are some suggested scope powers and the distances where they could be successfully used. Always remember that higher magnification optics and scopes will not be as practical as lower powered optics and scopes since excessive magnification can be a negative thing in certain situations. The very same idea goes for longer distances where the shooter needs enough power to see precisely where to best aim the rifle.
Lens Finishing for Rifle Glass
All contemporary rifle scope and optic lenses are layered. Lens finishing can be an important aspect of a rifle when looking into high end rifle optics and scope systems.
HD Versus ED Lenses
Some scope manufacturers likewise use “HD” or high-definition lens finishings which use various procedures, polarizations, chemicals, and components to draw out various colors and viewable definition through the lens. Some scope manufacturers use “HD” to refer to “ED” to signify the lens has extra-low dispersion glass.
Single Finishing Versus Multi-Coating
Various optic lenses can even have different coatings applied to them. All lenses normally have at least some type of treatment or coating applied to them prior to being used in a rifle scope or optic assembly. This is since the lens isn’t simply a raw piece of glass. It becomes part of the carefully tuned optic. It requires a coating to be applied to it so that it will be efficiently usable in numerous types of environments, degrees of sunlight (full light VS shaded), and other shooting conditions.
Single layered lenses have a treatment applied to them which is generally a protective and boosting multi-purpose treatment. This lens treatment can shield the lens from scratches while lowering glare and other less beneficial things experienced in the shooting environment while sighting in with the optic. The quality of a single coated lens depends upon the scope manufacturer and how much you paid for it. Both the make and cost are signs of the lens quality.
Some scope makers similarly make it a point to specify if their optic lenses are layered or “multi” coated. Being “better” depends on the manufacturer’s lens treatment technology and the quality of materials used in constructing the rifle scope.
Hydrophobic Finishing for Optics
Water on an optical lens does not support keeping a clear sight picture through a scope whatsoever. Lots of top of the line or premium optic makers will coat their lenses with a hydrophobic or hydrophilic finish. The Steiner Optics Nano-Protection is a fine example of this type of treatment. It provides protection for the surface area of the Steiner optic lens so the H2O molecules can not bind to it or develop surface tension. The outcome is that the water beads roll off of the scope to preserve a clear, water free sight picture.
Choices for Installing Rifle Scopes on Long Guns
Installing approaches for scopes can be found in a couple of choices. There are the standard scope rings which are individually installed to the scope and one-piece mounts which cradle the scope. These different kinds of mounts also generally can be found in quick release versions which use throw levers which allow rifle shooters to quickly install and remove the scopes.
Hex Key Scope Rings
Basic, clamp-on style mounting optic rings use hex head screws to install to the flattop style Picatinny scope mount rails on the tops of rifles. These forms of scope mounts use two detached rings to support the optic, and are normally constructed from 7075 T6 billet aluminum which are manufactured for far away precision shooting. This type of scope mount is exceptional for rifles which are in need of a long lasting, unfailing mount which will not change no matter just how much the scope is moved or jarring the rifle takes. These are the style of mounts you should get for a specialized optics system on a long distance hunting or interdiction firearm that will pretty much never need to be modified or recalibrated. Blue 242 Loctite threadlocker can also be used on the mount’s screws to stop the hex screw threads from backing out after they are mounted tightly in place. An example of these mounting rings are the 30mm style from the Vortex Optics company. The set typically costs around $200 USD
Quick-Release Cantilever Scope Ring Mounts
These types of quick-release rifle scope mounts can be used to rapidly attach and remove a scope from a rifle. Several scopes can also be switched out if they all use a complementary style mount. The quick detach design is CNC crafted from anodized 6061 T6 aluminum and the mounting levers fasten solidly to a flat top type Picatinny rail. This allows the scope to be sighted in while on the rifle, removed from the rifle, and remounted back on the rifle while keeping precision. These types of mounts are useful and practical for rifles which are moved around a lot, to remove the scope from the rifle for protection, or for scopes which are employed between a number of rifles. An example of this mount style is the 30mm mount from the Vortex Optics manufacturer. It generally costs around $250 USD
Rifle Optic Tube Sealing and Gas Purging
Moisture inside your rifle optic can destroy a day of shooting and your expensive optic by triggering fogging and creating residue inside of the scope tube. The majority of scopes prevent wetness from getting in the scope tube with a system of sealing O-rings which are water resistant.
Rifle Optic Gas Purging
Another part of preventing the accumulation of moisture within the rifle scope’s tube is filling the tube with a gas like nitrogen. Since this area is already occupied by the gas, the glass is less impacted by temperature level shifts and pressure differences from the outdoor environment which might possibly allow water vapor to seep in around the seals to fill the void which would otherwise be there. These are good qualities of a decent rifle scope to look for.
