Description
Last update on February 5, 2023 // Source: Amazon API
Rifle Scope Product Details
Vortex Optics Viper 6.5-20×44 PA SFP Riflescope – Dead-Hold BDC 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. The Dead-Hold BDC reticle is good for any hunting or shooting at varying ranges where estimating hold-over would be a concern.
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 weapon scopes, optics, mounts, and other accessories used for firearms like rifles and long guns. They design and make their mounts and related products by using materials which are long lasting and resilient. This includes the Vortex Optics Viper 6.5-20×44 PA SFP Riflescope – Dead-Hold BDC MOA Reticle by Vortex Optics. For additional shooting products, visit their site.
What You Need to Know About Optics
Rifle scopes enable you to specifically aim a rifle at various targets by aligning your eye with the target at range. They accomplish this through magnifying the target by using a set of lenses within the scope. The scope’s alignment can be dialed in for the consideration of separate natural things like wind speed and elevation to account for bullet drop.
The scope’s function is to understand exactly where the bullet will land based on the sight picture you are viewing using the scope as you align the scope’s crosshair or reticle with the intended target. The majority of modern-day rifle scopes and optics have around eleven parts which are located within and externally on the scope body. These scope parts consist of the rifle scope’s body, lenses, elevation turrets or dials, objective focus rings, and other components. Learn about the eleven parts of optics.
The Types of Rifle Scopes
Rifle scopes can be either “first focal plane” or “second focal plane” type of optics. Deciding on the finest type of rifle optic is based around what type of shooting you plan on doing.
First Focal Plane Scopes
First focal plane optics (FFP) include the reticle in front of the magnifying lens. This causes the reticle to increase in size based on the extent of zoom being used. The outcome is that the reticle measurements are the same at the magnified range as they are at the non amplified distance. As an example, one tick on a mil-dot reticle at 100 yards without “zoom” is still the same tick at one hundred yards with 5x “zoom”. These types of scopes are useful for:
- Quick acquisition, far away types of shooting
- Shooting circumstances where computations are minimal
- Experienced shooters who recognize their aim point “hold over” and “lead” equations for their long guns
- Shooters who do not mind the reticle is enlarged and occupies more visual sight space than a SFP reticle
Second Focal Plane Optic Details
Second focal plane optics (SFP) include the reticle behind the magnification lens. This causes the reticle to stay at the very same dimensions in connection with the volume of zoom being used. The end result is that the reticle dimensions shift based upon the magnification chosen to shoot over lengthier distances considering the reticle markings present distinct increments which vary with the magnification level. In the FFP illustration with the SFP optic, the 5x “zoom” 100 yard tick would be 1/5th of the non “zoom” tick measurement. These sorts of glass are beneficial for:
- Far away types of shooting where shooters have increased time to make ballistic computations
- Shooting where most shots occur within much shorter ranges and spaces
- Shooters who select a clearer optic picture with less area taken up by the larger size FFP reticle
Optic Zoom
The amount of zoom a scope offers is determined by the diameter, density, and curvatures of the lenses inside of the rifle scope. The zoom of the scope is the “power” of the scope.
Single Power Lens Glass Facts
A single power rifle scope uses a magnification number designator like 4×32. This means the zoom power of the scope is 4x power and the objective lens is 32mm. The zoom of this kind of scope can not change because it is set from the factory.
About Variable Power Lens Glass
Variable power rifle scopes can be adjusted between magnification increments. These types of scopes will list the zoom amount in a format such as 2-10×32. These numbers mean the magnification of the scope could be adjusted in between 2x and 10x power. This always incorporates the powers in-between 2 and 10. The power modification is achieved by applying the power ring component of the scope near the back of the scope by the eye bell.
Rifle Optic Power and Ranges
Here are some recommended scope power levels and the ranges where they may be successfully used. Keep in mind that high power optics will not be as effective as lower powered scopes because too much magnification can be a bad thing. The same concept relates to extended distances where the shooter needs adequate power to see precisely where to properly aim the rifle at the target.
Lens Coating for Optics
All top teir rifle scope and optic lenses are coated. Lens finishing can be a crucial element of a shooting platform when considering high end rifle optics and scope equipment.
HD Versus ED Lens Coatings
Some rifle glass makers will also use “HD” or high-definition lense coverings which use various processes, polarizations, chemicals, and aspects to draw out various colors and viewable definition through the lens. This high-definition covering is typically used with more costly, high density lens glass which reduces light’s capability to refract through the lens glass. Some scope brands use “HD” to describe “ED” signifying extra-low dispersion glass. ED handles how colors are represented on the chroma spectrum and the chromatic aberration which is similarly called color distortion or fringing. Chromatic aberration may be obvious over objects with well defined shapes as light hits the object from specific angles.
What to Know About Single Finish Versus Multi-Coating
Different scope lenses can even have various coatings applied to them. All lenses generally have at least some kind of treatment or finish applied to them before being used in a rifle scope or optic assembly. Due to the fact that the lens isn’t just a raw piece of glass, they require performance enhancing coatings. It is part of the carefully tuned optic. It needs to have a covering put on it so that it will be efficiently functional in lots of kinds of environments, degrees of light (full VS shade), and other shooting conditions.
This lens treatment can protect the lens from scratches while decreasing glare and other less helpful things experienced in the shooting environment while sighting in with the scope. The quality of a single coated lens depends on the scope maker and how much you paid for it.
Some scope makers also make it a point to define if their optic lenses are coated or “multi” covered. This indicates the lens has numerous treatments applied to the surfaces of the glass. If a lens receives multiple treatments, it can establish that a company is taking multiple actions to combat various environmental aspects like an anti-glare finish, a scratch resistant anti-abrasion finish, followed by a hydrophilic finishing. This also does not always suggest the multi-coated lens is much better than a single layered lens. Being “better” hinges on the maker’s lens treatment techniques and the quality of components used in creating the rifle optic.
Anti-water Lens Finishing
Water on a lens doesn’t assist with preserving a clear sight picture through a scope at all. Numerous top of the line and high-end scope makers will coat their lenses with a hydrophobic or hydrophilic coating.
Glass Installation Alternatives
Installing approaches for scopes are available in a few choices. There are the standard scope rings which are individually mounted to the optic and one-piece scope mounts which cradle the scope. These different kinds of mounts also generally are made in quick release versions which use throw levers which allow rifle shooters to rapidly install and dismount the optics.
Hex Key Rifle Scope Ring Mounting Solutions
Basic, clamp-on style mounting scope rings use hex head screws to fix to the flattop style Picatinny scope mount rails on the tops of rifles. These types of scope mounts use double individual rings to support the scope, and are normally constructed from 7075 T6 billet aluminum or similar materials which are created for long distance precision shooting. This kind of scope mount is ideal for rifles which are in need of a resilient, hard use mount which will not change regardless of how much the scope is moved about or abuse the rifle takes. These are the type of mounts you really want to have for a specialized optics system on a far away hunting or competitors rifle which will pretty much never need to be changed or recalibrated. Blue 242 Loctite threadlocker can additionally be used to stop the hex screw threads from wiggling out after they are installed firmly in place. An example of these mounting rings are the 30mm style made by Vortex Optics. The set typically costs around $200 USD
Quick-Release Cantilever Glass Rings
These kinds of quick-release rifle scope mounts can be used to quickly take off a scope from a rifle and reattach it to a different rifle. A wide range of 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 connect securely to a flat top style Picatinny rail. This lets the scope to be sighted in while on the rifle, taken off of the rifle, and remounted while maintaining accuracy. These types of mounts are useful and beneficial for rifles which are carried a lot, to remove the scope from the rifle for protection, or for sight systems which are adopted between numerous rifles. An example of this mount style is the 30mm mount from the Vortex Optics manufacturer. It usually costs around $250 USD
What to Know About Scope Tube Sealing and Gas Purging
Wetness inside your rifle optic can destroy a day of shooting and your expensive optic by triggering fogging and producing residue inside of the scope tube. The majority of scopes avoid wetness from going into the scope tube with a system of sealing O-rings which are water resistant.
Rifle Optic Gas Purging
Another part of avoiding the accumulation of wetness inside of the rifle optic tube is filling the tube with a gas like nitrogen. Because this space is already occupied by the gas, the optic is less influenced by temp alterations and pressure differences from the outdoor environment which could possibly enable water vapor to permeate in around the seals to fill the vacuum which would otherwise exist. These are good qualities of a decent rifle scope to look for.
