Vortex Diamondback Review-High Quality At A Fair Price

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Vortex Diamondback Review- High Quality At A Fair Price!

When looking at quality optics there are certain criteria that I take into account. At this point one would almost expect a countdown of those criteria with 1 being most important and 2 slightly less and so on.

Truth is that these criteria are all pretty much equal in my hunting and shooting world, so I will give them all a place of equal value here . I’m about to tell you about a product that is of high quality at a fair price  !

The reviews on wildwerx.com are 100% true and real. No fluff based on products given to wildwerx for review or the expense and stature of the company whose product we review. What you get is 1 part truth and 1 part opinion. Nothing more and nothing less ! So here is the review of the Vortex Diamondback 4x12x40 rifle scope .

Budget v/s quality

The Vortex Diamondback line of rifle scopes are not exactly budget quality optics, yet they can be purchased by most people whose budget is in the under $200 dollar range and get a good quality scope !

Upon receiving my scope from Amazon the first impression of boxing and overall packaging wasn’t much more than if I had gone to the local Wal-Mart and picked up a $69 rifle scope. The packaging was adequate but that’s about it.But once I opened the box, that’s where the comparison to cheap scopes stopped!

The scope that was inside had the look and feel of a quality optic, yet in a plain wrapper ! In fact I was very impressed with what I was holding for $200 !

On the initial “kick the tires” examination of the scope I walked out my from door and looked through it, and was floored ! The clearness and quality of the glass was truly impressive to say the least.

Looking around my home with the unmounted scope My impressions of the glass were slightly better than that of the Nikon Pro-Staff models.

But I really love the reticle ! The graduations of the V-Plex deadhold BDC reticle are great ! They are thin lines that don’t clutter or obscure the sight picture, or block out targets at distance like the bold circles in the Pro-Staff, yet are very easy to see .

I then removed the turret adjustment caps and once again was impressed by the adjustments. The clicks are crisp and audible, and the printing on the turrets is good quality and easy to read.

The field of view was spectacular at 32.4 feet at 100 yards when set on 4 power and 11.3 feet at 100 yards when set on 12 power .

The Pro-Staff is 23 feet at 100 yards on 4 power and a hair over 7 feet at 100 yards on 12 power. While the comparably priced Pro-Staff is a good quality rifle scope, the adjustments and field of view make it standalone in the price range !

Vortex Diamondback 4x12x40 Specs.

• Magnification- 4-12 x 40
  Objective Lens- Diameter 40 mm
• Eye Relief – 3.1″
  Field of View- 32.4-11.3 feet/100 yards
  Tube Size – 1 inch
  Turret Style- capped
  Adjustment Graduation- 1/4 MOA
  Travel per Rotation- 15 MOA
  Max Elevation Adjustment- 60 MOA
  Max Windage Adjustment- 60 MOA
  Parallax Setting -100 yards
  Length -12 inches
  Weight – 14.6 ounces
  Product Manual (PDF)
  Download

DIAMONDBACK 4-12X40 DIMENSIONS

• LENGTHS
  L1-12″
  L2-2.4″
  L3-2.0″
  L4- 5.6″
  L5-3.0″
  L6- 3.1″
• HEIGHTS
  H1- 1.89″
  H2- 1.69″

Dimensions measured in inches.

 

Mounting,Sighting, And Shooting .

I always use good quality mounting rail and rings when mounting a scope. It’s also a good idea to lap the rings with a lapping bar to make sure the ring alignment is right before mounting .

I mounted the rails and bottom scope rings using blue lock tite on the screws. Then used a small level on the elevation cap to make sure the cross hairs are perfectly straight.

Then I mounted the top rings and tightened all screws to 10 in/lb.

Bore sighting was a breeze and upon going to my shooting bench put the first shot 1 inch high and 2 inches right. After 3 shots it was on bulls eye !

Great so far ! I shot 4 groups of 3 at 110 yards at sub M.O.A. or right at M.O.A. The rifle I was using was a .270 W.S.M. Thompson Center Venture that is guaranteed 1MOA. All in all I am very impressed to this point. But now it’s time to do some shooting!

Throwing Range Brass !

Every shooter loves to shoot and I’m no different ! So taking my favorite rifle to the range with my new scope was a blast. (Pun Intended!)

I sent 80 rounds down range that day, cleaning the bore after each of the first 40, then brushing and cleaning the bore every 20 rounds.

It was an early morning of 29 degrees and the scope didn’t fog or have any malfunction. In fact the rifle on had 3 groups of 3 rounds that were outside 1 MOA.

I chalk that up to me, because they were 3 of the last 4 groups I shot .I have shot the rifle several times since in the 20 rounds at a time range with no scope issues at all.

That says a lot because my shooting skills are not up to par with the rifle and scope I am using. I am using a $500 rifle with a $200 scope and $60 rings and rail and I can say I am beyond confident that anything withing 400-500 yards is in jeopardy when I’m on stand.

That distance would likely be better if I were a better shooter. But shooting beyond 500 yards successfully and consistantly takes practice time and round after round. I’m a deer and hog hunter. I will usually shoot a box of ammo at the beginning of fall and then hunt .

UPDATE: Aug 1/2018

I have spent some time over the past few weeks with my rifle and the Vortex Diamondback scope ! I found a round that the rifle absolutely loves and have the optic dialed in at 150 yards!

I have so far shot 140 rounds out of the rifle and it holds a border line M.O.A. ! And thus far I could not be happier with the scope ! The glass is as good as any scope I own ! And that is high praise because I have a couple of scopes that fall in the $1000.00 range !

The adjustments on the scope have not been touched since it was dialed in. And I have shot in the rain a couple of times as well to simulate hunting in bad weather, with zero issues !

I could not be happier with a scope! Now I’m ready to have an all day sit during the rut in my Summit Goliath SD !

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CLICK HERE for more information about the Vortex Diamondback and the best price!

My Last Word ?

I personally am more than happy with the purchase of the Vortex Diamondback rifle scope ! In fact it has surpassed even my wildest expectations for a rifle scope that costs $200! And if you spent range time with it and didn’t know the price, you would swear that it was a much more expensive rifle scope !

The Vortex Diamondback is a more than capable optic for Big game hunting anywhere in North America. If you have skills that compare to the quality of this scope, you are a better shooter than me !

The high quality glass, awesome V-Plex BDC reticle, and adjustments you would find on a much more expensive optic more than make up for the plain jane box! I really hope this review has helped you make your decision on your next rifle scope !

Thanks

Mike

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