Introduction

It would be hard to discuss the US sport optics market without bringing up Vortex Optics. Offering innovative products that consumers want at a price that they can afford has made the company one of the biggest names in the US shooting market. Everything from binoculars to spotting scopes and optical sights are all part of the Vortex product line. And today I am going to share yet another one of my experiences with a new Vortex product; today I bring you the Vortex Defender XL red dot.

I’ve got quite a collection of Vortex Optics, I’ve shot through plenty of their rifle scopes over the years. But it doesn’t end there, Fury Binoculars have accompanied me on many hunts, and more recently I was introduced to the Defender line of red dot sights. Having more recently become a bit of a red dot junkie, it was only a matter of time before another Defender would join my stable.

The Vortex Defender XL

I had already had an experience with the compact sized Defender, you can see more about that in this article about the Taurus Defender revolver. After my experience with that model, I felt confident that its extra large sibling would also fit well into my red dot needs. Most of which revolve around short range firearms like carbines and handguns, and in this case shotguns as well.

Specifications

Magnification	1x
Reticle	5 MOA Dot
Adjustment Graduation	1 MOA
Parallax Setting	Parallax Free
Max Windage Adjustment	115 MOA
Max Elevation Adjustment	120 MOA
Dot Color	Bright Red
Battery Runtime	25,000 Hours
Mounting Footprint	DeltaPoint® Pro
Mount Type	Picatinny
Eye Relief	Unlimited
Length	2.03″
Weight	1.93 oz.

I was excited to receive the small box when it showed up. And just like the previous Defender red dot I’d received, this one came with lots of extras. The Defender came with a picatinny rail mount attached, something I would use later. But it also comes with a plethora of screw options that give you incredible flexibility on what you can mount your Defender to. Different thread-pitch screws, different lengths and such have allowed me to mount the Defender to a variety of pistols and other firearms without needing anything that didn’t come in the box. It also came with a Glock MOS optics plate allowing easy mounting to your Glock pistol.

Additionally, Vortex went above and beyond to have some very nice little red dot wrenches made, that are much better for adjusting the tiny turret screw to zero. Not to mention making it easy to mount and dismount the red dot. They even threw in some blue loctite. There is also a little rubber hood to go over the Defender when not in use to keep it clean and safe.

The Defender XL uses a 5 MOA dot inside a really good sized window. I used to think some of these red dot windows were too big, but I’ve since learned to love them. The broad lens gives you a better view of the target, making it easier to find the dot and center on target. Additionally the XL shares the rugged texture around the frame that the whole Defender family has, incase you need to snag some stuff.

The Defender XL also uses Vortex’s smart electronic system. So smart it continues to evade my understanding. You can configure the unit to power-up with motion, or have it turn on only with button operation. You can also lockout the buttons to avoid inadvertent adjustments. There are 10 different brightness settings and 2 for night vision.

Shooting with the Vortex Defender XL

To get a good start with this new Defender, I wanted to mount it to my Shadow Systems DR920. A pistol I am very familiar with, and also constantly changing out red dots on. The Defender dropped right into place, and I snugged it down with the provided screws. It was easy to adjust the turrets to get the dot to co-witness with my sights, which would have to do till we got to the range. After some slight adjustments the dot was right on point of aim.

I did a lot of my traditional shooting, drawing from holster and under time shooting various targets. The big window and big dot made it pretty easy to find my target and paint it red. I messed with the various brightness settings to find what looked best. Too bright a dot tends to cause blooming of the reticle, something I’ve heard others complain about. Carrying the gun over the past few weeks with the Defender XL in place has given me countless opportunities to draw and present the pistol looking through the Defender. I am quite happy with its performance as a pistol sight, though I really wish they made a circle dot reticle option.

Shotgun time

I’m not a huge shotgunner, and have never had reason to add a red dot to my shotguns. But today was an exception, because I was shooting the Panzer Arms M4 defensive shotgun. A weapon as ideal for a red dot as any other in my opinion.

I mounted the Defender XL using the provided picatinny rail mount that came with it, and after re-zeroing the dot we were once again in business. I really liked using the Defender as a shotgun sight, shooting at grounded targets and from barricades was quite fun practice. I think the only thing I would have changed would have been a slightly shorter picatinny mount, to get a better cheek-weld.

Using the large window of the XL made it again easy to find my targets, it only slightly obscured my overall view. But I did find it much easier than trying to line up the ghost ring sights under pressure.

Pros and Cons

I’ve mentioned already how I like the large window of the Defender XL, and the provided mounting solutions. Another thing I like about the Defender XL is the battery replacement design. Though a little more complex than others, it is easy to quickly swap out the battery without removing the unit from your firearm. This is ideal for not loosing your zero. The battery hatch is opened by pushing in a recessed detent, while pushing down the battery cover. Once the release button is depressed, the battery hatch opens and you can swap the CR2032 cell out.

The bright reticle works well in nearly any lighting situation, and the programmable operation is very nice once you figure it out. All in all its a very good weapon sight in my opinion.

I guess if I must say something against the Defender XL, it would probably be the reticle options. I think Vortex missed a great opportunity to offer a circle-dot reticle in this optic that will likely be used by competitive shooters. This seems like one of the only downsides to the Defender XL, but I doubt it will be that way for long. I will be putting it up head to head with my Holosun 507 Comp to compare the two, watch for that to come out later this year.

Final Thoughts on the Defender XL

It came as no surprise that I liked the Defender XL red dot. Vortex does a great job at listening to customers and innovating products to match. Its semi-permanent home will probably be on my DR920, a pistol I probably use more than any other. Aside from the couple drawbacks I’ve mentioned I think the Defender XL is a fantastic red dot that brings a lot of added value. The extras are nice, the performance has been flawless, and its nice to buy from a company who knows where their bread is buttered. I’ll keep running the Defender red dots, and look forward to seeing what the next neat little thing Vortex Optics brings to market.

-CBM