Vortex Diamondback 4-12 x 40 Adjustable Objective: bought Feb 2014 $350 approx. price. Current RRP around $500 Sept 2016.
- set up t-bolt.jpg (417.68 KiB) Viewed 4885 times
This scope has been mounted to my t-bolt since about Feb/March 2014, so I have had some time to get to know it and can honestly say i don't have too many complaints. If i had my time again and enough cash, i would probably go for a side focus rather than an adjustable objective because adjusting in the field, especially with a rifle mounted light, is just a pain in the butt. Other than that, it has proven to be a good reliable scope for my .22lr.
It arrives well packed in it's box with lens covers and a cleaning cloth as well as a pamphlet explaining the 'Deadhold BDC' reticle, if you choose that option.
- turrets.jpg (102.01 KiB) Viewed 4885 times
The turrets are as they appear above. When you adjust it, the 'clicks' are there but could honestly be a tad more definite. If you don't rush your adjustment, they are definitely clear enough to count by feel. This is actually the 2nd Vortex Diamondback I own. The other is a 3-9 X 40 on my 223rem and I found it to be a decent scope, so i bought one suitable for rimfire with an adjustable parallax setting. The 3-9 x 40 shot ok out to 600 yards which speaks well to clarity, etc, however, after using it for longer range work and making a lot of extreme adjustments for elevation and windage, i found it wasn't returning to my set zero and was needing to be resighted. This brought me to try a box test on the AO model, which has had far more moderate work and hasn't been pushed to the extent of it's adjustment over and again. More on this below.
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It is difficult to get a good pic, focusing one handed with a DSLR through a scope while you hold the rifle but hopefully you can see that the detail in the tree shows some decent clarity. The scope is on 4x and the tree in the foreground is probably 30m and paralax set to infinity (camera not well focused, sorry: will try again and edit pick soon) or so from where i was positioned. All in all, i have found clarity to be no issue under any light conditions, and i regularly use both scopes under light. Combined with my Olight M3X LED torch, i can identify targets out to 200 odd meters or a touch further but any more than this and it is just outlines. Not sure if a better scope would pick out detail at that range more accurately but that is well and truly adequate for the ranges i am comfortable shooting at night.
- mag & rounds.jpg (372.03 KiB) Viewed 4885 times
So, on to this box test.
The pic above and the top pic of the less than ideal shooting rest is as somewhat of a disclaimer. The rounds used are cheap arsed Fed Champion hollow points that have been put through a Waltz die (
viewtopic.php?f=12&t=6690) to uniform length, diameter and hollow point. This makes them quite consistent but once i go and put the cuts in the face they sort of lose a bit again. I do this because i find it make them kill very effectively on the small game/pest species i use them for. FOr best results on this box test, i should really have used the rifles most preferred fodder which is capable of 5 rounds into 0.4" @ 50m but i am down to my last box of the Velocitors and have hundreds of the Fed left. I may repeat the test when i restock with Velocitors and edit this post.
- box test target.jpg (445.2 KiB) Viewed 4885 times
For those unfamiliar with a box test, it is used to determine how repeatable and reliable the adjustments on a scope are. The random shots with an X through them were me making to large an adjustment for my set parameters (was totalling 16moa left to right, up and down) and that combined with me rushing and not counting properly gave some very wild results, so i re-zeroed and started again with smaller increments.
The method i followed was this:
Zero - 3 shots at center bull
Adjust 4moa Up & 4moa Left, 3 shots
Adjust 8moa Down, 3 shots
Adjust 8moa Right, 3shots
Adjust 8moa Up, 3 shots
Return to established zero from data, 4 shots
Results as above seem to show some variation in adjustments as i went around the 4 corners but then returned right back to where i started and actually shot the best group of the test with 4 rounds into one hole. My some what dodgy set up may have influenced the test and i must have settled in by the last group. This was only at 25m but i will repeat the test with Velocitors at 50m off my shooting bench in the paddock when i can find the time on a nice calm day.
If there is anything else you would like to know about this scope, just ask below.
More reviews of my other scopes, following the same format will be loaded in due course.
1/ Cheapo $70 scope on my wife's 22lr which is quite impressive for the dollars
2/ The other Vortex Diamond back... i'll be interested to see how it's box test goes after issues shooting 600yd at the range.
3/ Sightron S-tac 2.5-17.5 X 56 on my 7-08 heavy barrel Howa.