Description
Rifle Scope Product Details
Vortex Viper PST Gen II 5-25×50 Illum EBR-2D MRAD FFP PST-5257 | Exclusive
Vortex Viper PST Gen II 5-25×50 Illum EBR-2D MRAD FFP PST-5257 | Exclusive
Rifle Scope Product Features
About the Vortex Scope Maker
Vortex is a premium producer for weapon scopes, optics, mounts, and other components used for guns like rifles and long guns. They innovate and build their scopes, mounts, and related products by choosing elements which are durable and long lasting. This includes the Vortex Viper PST Gen II 5-25×50 Illum EBR-2D MRAD FFP PST-5257 | Exclusive by Vortex. For additional shooting items, visit their site.
Scope Information
Rifle scopes enable you to exactly align a rifle at different targets by lining up your eye with the target at range. They accomplish this through magnifying the target by utilizing a series of lenses inside the scope. The scope’s positioning can be dialed in to account for varied ecological aspects like wind and elevation decreases to make up for bullet drop.
The scope’s function is to understand precisely where the bullet will hit based upon the sight picture you are seeing through the scope as you line up the scope’s crosshair or reticle with the intended point of impact. A lot of modern-day rifle optics have around eleven parts which are found within and outside of the optic. These optic pieces consist of the rifle scope’s body, lenses, windage and elevation dials, objective focus rings, and other parts. See all eleven parts of a rifle optical system.
The Types of Rifle Scopes
Rifle scopes can be either “first focal plane” or “second focal plane” type of optics. Opting for the optimal type of rifle glass is based on what type of shooting you plan to do.
About First Focal Plane Scopes
Focal plane scopes (FFP) include the reticle in front of the magnification lens. These styles of scopes are helpful for:
- Quick acquisition, long distance kinds of shooting
- Shooting circumstances where estimations are minimal
- Experienced shooters who have an idea for their target “hold over” as well as “lead” equations for their firearm
- Shooters who do not mind the reticle is enlarged and takes up more visual sight room than a SFP reticle
Second Focal Plane Glass Facts
Second focal plane scopes (SFP) come with the reticle to the rear of the magnification lens. In the FFP example with the SFP scope, the 5x “zoom” 100 yard tick would be 1/5th of the non “zoom” tick.
- Far away kinds of shooting where shooters have additional time to make ballistic computations
- Shooting where most shots happen within shorter spaces and ranges
- Shooters who would like a clearer optic sight picture with less room used up by the larger sized FFP reticle
Ins and Outs of Optic Zoom
The level of scope zoom you need is based on the style of shooting you plan to do. Practically every type of rifle scope delivers some amount of zoom. The level of zoom a scope delivers is identified by the size, density, and curves of the lenses within the rifle optic. The magnification of the optic is the “power” of the opic. This suggests what the shooter is observing through the scope is amplified times the power element of what can generally be seen by human eyes.
Single Power Lens Optic Facts
A single power rifle scope or optic comes with a zoom number designator like 4×32. This means the zoom power of the scope is 4x power while the objective lens is 32mm. The zoom of this kind of scope can not adjust considering that it is set from the factory.
Adjustable Power Lens Rifle Scope Details
Variable power rifle scopes have adjustable power. It will note the zoom level in a configuration such as 2-10×32. These numbers imply the magnification of the scope can be changed between 2x and 10x power. This always involves the power levels in-between 2 and 10. The power adaptation is accomplished by making use of the power ring component of the scope near the rear of the scope by the eye bell.
The Power and Range Correlation of Rifle Scopes
Here are some suggested scope power levels and the ranges where they may be successfully used. High power rifle scope glass will not be as useful as lower powered optics due to the fact that too much zoom can be a negative aspect depending on your shooting distance. The same idea goes for extended distances where the shooter needs sufficient power to see precisely where to properly aim the rifle at the target.
About Scope Lens Finishing
All current rifle optic and scope lenses are covered. Lens finishing can be a significant aspect of a rifle system when considering high end rifle optics and scope equipment.
Details on Lens Coatings – HD Versus ED
Some glass makers even use “HD” or high-def lens coatings that employ different processes, rare earth compounds, polarizations, and elements to draw out a wide range of colors and viewable definition through the lens. This HD coating is frequently used with higher density lens glass which lowers light’s opportunity to refract by means of the lens glass. Some scope producers use “HD” to describe “ED” indicating extra-low dispersion glass. ED handles how colors are represented on the chroma spectrum and the chromatic aberration or difference which is also called color distortion or fringing. Chromatic aberration can be noticeable over items with hard shapes as light hits the item from certain angles.
Rifle Scope Lens Single Covering Versus Multi-Coating
Different optic lenses can also have various coatings used to them. All lenses normally have at least some type of treatment or finish applied to them prior to being used in a rifle scope or optic.
Single coated lenses have a treatment applied to them which is generally a protective and improving multi-purpose treatment. This lens treatment can protect the lens from scratches while minimizing glare and other less helpful things experienced in the shooting environment while sighting in with the optic. The quality of a single covered lens depends upon the scope manufacturer and just how much you spent for it. The scope’s maker and cost are signs of the lens quality.
Some scope makers likewise make it a point to specify if their optic lenses are layered or “multi” covered. This suggests the lens has had multiple treatments applied to the surfaces. If a lens gets numerous treatments, it can show that a producer is taking multiple steps to fight different environmental aspects like an anti-glare coating, a scratch resistant anti-abrasion coating, followed by a hydrophilic coating. This also does not always indicate the multi-coated lens will perform better than a single covered lens. Being “better” hinges on the manufacturer’s lens treatment solutions and the quality of glass used in constructing the rifle glass.
What to Know About Hydrophobic Coating
Water on a lens does not help with keeping a clear sight picture through a scope at all. Many top of the line or high-end scope makers will coat their lenses with a hydrophilic or hydrophobic coating. The Steiner Optics Nano-Protection is a fine example of this kind of treatment. It deals with the surface 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 sheet off of the scope to preserve a clear, water free sight picture.
Choices for Mounting Scopes on Long Guns
Mounting approaches for scopes are available in a few options. There are the standard scope rings which are separately mounted to the scope and one-piece mounts which cradle the scope. These various kinds of mounts also generally come in quick release versions which use toss levers which permit rifle operators to quickly install and dismount the glass.
Hex Key Scope Ring Mounting Solutions
Standard, clamp type mounting scope rings use hex head screws to fix to the flattop design Picatinny scope mount rails on the tops of rifles. These kinds of scope mounts use a pair of detached rings to support the optic, and are normally constructed from 7075 T6 billet aluminum or similar materials which are manufactured for long distance accuracy shooting. This kind of scope mount is very good for rifle systems which need a resilient, unfailing mount which will not move no matter just how much the scope is moved about or abuse the rifle takes. These are the style of mounts you should have for a dedicated optics system on a long distance scouting or tournament rifle that will seldom need to be modified or recalibrated. Blue 242 Loctite threadlocker can additionally be used on screws to keep the hex screws from wiggling out after they are mounted safely in position. An example of these mounting rings are the 30mm type made by Vortex Optics. The set usually costs around $200 USD
Rifle Scope Mounting Solutions with Quick-Release Cantilever Rings
These kinds of quick-release rifle scope mounts can be used to rapidly take off a scope from a rifle and reattach it to a different rifle. If they all use a similar design mount, multiple scopes can often be swapped out. The quick detach mount style is CNC machined from anodized 6061 T6 aluminum and the mounting levers fasten firmly to a flat top style Picatinny rail. This allows the scope to be sighted in while on the rifle, removed from the rifle, and remounted while preserving accuracy. These kinds of mounts come in convenient for rifles which are moved a lot, to remove the optic from the rifle for protection, or for aiming systems which are adopted between a number of rifles. An example of this mount type is the 30mm mount designed by Vortex Optics. It generally costs around $250 USD
Info on Rifle Optic Tube Sealing and Gas Purging
Wetness inside your rifle glass can destroy a day on the range and your highly-priced optic by causing fogging and making residue within the scope’s tube. A lot of scopes protect against moisture from entering the optical tube with a system of sealing O-rings which are waterproof. Generally, these water resistant scopes can be immersed underneath 20 or 30 feet of water before the water pressure can push moisture past the O-rings. This should be sufficient moisture prevention for conventional use rifles for hunting and sporting purposes, unless you anticipate taking your rifle aboard watercrafts and are worried about the optic still functioning if it goes over the side and you can still retrieve the firearm.
Rifle Glass Gas Purging
Another part of avoiding the accumulation of wetness inside of the rifle optic’s tube is filling the tube with a gas like nitrogen. Since this space is already taken up by the gas, the optic is less impacted by temp shifts and pressure differences from the outdoor environment which might potentially allow water vapor to permeate in around the seals to fill the void which would otherwise exist. These are good qualities of a good rifle scope to look for.
