defender Archives

Prologue

Enclosed red dot sights are becoming more and more popular, and I decided recently that I’d jump into them with eyes open. Today we are taking a look at the Vortex Optics Defender CCW enclosed solar micro red dot. Part of the larger Vortex Defender family, this model encloses the emitter and adds a solar power supply all in a micro red dot that drops onto the popular RMSc footprint. We’ll review this sight and give you some feedback on it and how it stands next to its competition.

the Defender CCW was a perfect fit for my Girsan 2311

The Vortex Defender CCW

I’ve had a couple other Vortex Defenders recently, and I quite liked them if I’m honest. So it was with some confidence that I decided to match this new Defender with my latest 2011 style pistol. My Girsan Witness 2311 has an RMSc footprint machined into it’s slide, so I wanted to put a good enclosed sight on the pistol, which led me to the Defender.

Girsan, witness 2311, 9mm, eaa, 2011, vortex, vortex optics, defender CCW, enclosed, red dot, safariland, als holster, — this **Safariland Holster** was a perfect fit with the Defender installed

The Defender CCW Enclosed Solar Micro Red Dot (ESMRD) is a tough built dual-powered sight. It’s large window houses a configurable reticle inside its protected weatherproof housing. This dot is made to fit large weapons down to sub-compact handguns.

Vortex, vortex optics, defender, CCW, red dot, solar, micro, packaging,

Like other Defender dots, this one came with an incredible selection of accessories. A great variety of mounting screws in various sizes, an one-degree angle shim, mounting and adjusting tools. As well as a picatinny mount, and a cute little rubber cover.

Specifications

Mounting Footprint	Shield RMSc
Dot Size	3 MOA Dot / 32 MOA Circle
Dot Color	Bright Red
Magnification	1x
Battery Type	CR2032
Battery Run Time	35,000 hrs. without solar / 150,000 hrs. with solar
Reticle	Multi-Reticle
Eye Relief	Unlimited
Adjustment Graduation	1 MOA
Travel Per Rotation	30 MOA
Max Elevation Adjustment	110 MOA
Max Windage Adjustment	110 MOA
Parallax Setting	Parallax Free
Deck Height	7.2mm
Length	1.59″
Weight	1.30 oz.

Mounting the Defender

After removing the sight from my pistol, I sat down to mount the Defender ESMRD. Using a set of screws that came with it, I did a few test fits to ensure it would be properly secured. I always like to put a touch of blue Loctite on the threads and under the screw-head. Nothing worse than your red dot coming loose while shooting, so I snugged it down nicely with the included tool. I love that Vortex red dots come with basically everything you need to mount them.

Powering up the Defender would require removing the battery cover to remove the battery isolation sticker. After which the reticle lit up and allowed me to give it a rough adjustment before heading to the range.

Range-time and Zeroing

Zeroing the Defender was easy, lining up the reticle with the sights as I torqued it down. After that, with a few shots I made some adjustments with the included tools. In no time the Witness 2311 was hitting my point of aim.

Girsan, witness 2311, 9mm, eaa, 2011, vortex, vortex optics, defender CCW, enclosed, red dot, zeroing, adjustment,

We would shoot quite a bit at an indoor range the first time. Getting a good feel for picking up the reticle and focusing on targets. Following the instructions I cycled through the three reticle configurations, this is done by pressing the + and – button together. You can select between a 3 MOA dot, a 32 MOA circle, or the two together. I am a bit of a circle dot kinda guy so that where it typically stayed.

You can also lock out the buttons to prevent unintended adjustments. Pushing the + button and holding down until the reticle blinks, and easily reversed by doing the same process till it blinks twice.

According to the manufacturer, the Defender Solar Micro will last approximately 35,000 hours on a battery, using the 3 MOA dot with no solar input. That might be the case, but I wasn’t going to find out. As I like the circle dot configuration, and there would certainly be some solar input since I usually shoot in the daylight. But furthermore I was going to engage the auto-shutdown feature that is a must for red dots these days. By holding both buttons down you can engage or disengage this feature.

Optical Performance

While I am not a huge fan of the “mailbox look” , this red dot is a bit larger than other options because it is an enclosed emitter. Its very comparable to other enclosed emitters of the same size, and has a large window. For a micro red dot It certainly felt like a big lens.

Girsan, witness 2311, 9mm, eaa, 2011, vortex, vortex optics, defender CCW, enclosed, red dot,

I did feel like the Defender CCW Solar Micro had less color change when looking through it. And I also really liked how sharp and clean the reticle looked. No parallax made it easy to focus on whatever I wanted to shoot.

Usability

Adjustments and controls of this Defender were easy to understand and remember. Its included tools made it easy to zero the reticle and the included directions explained everything nicely. I like the dual power source, and the battery is easy to change without removing the unit from the host. I also like that they used the CR2023 battery which is more common than the other options typically used in micro sized red dots.

Value

MSRP on this red dot from Vortex’s website shows $400, but as usual you can find this red dot on places like Optics Planet for much less. I have other similar red dots that retail for more that I don’t like as much as this Defender. Even if you broaden the search to other larger red dots of different footprints, I still think this one offers more for less.

Pros and Cons

First off, this thing is handsome. And we can’t pretend that doesn’t matter, it looks like a great quality fit for nice handguns. The controls are easy and comprehensive, external battery mounting and the plethora of included accessories and mounting options make it a slam dunk. Its big clear window makes for quick finding and engaging of targets, and the reticle selection is a big plus. All this for a reasonable price when compared to others.

Girsan, witness 2311, 9mm, eaa, 2011, vortex, vortex optics, defender CCW, enclosed, red dot, reticle,

If there was anything I would change about this red dot, it would probably be a bigger circle option. Nothing wrong with the 32MOA, but I wouldn’t mind like a 50 or 60 MOA circle option too. But of course these are subjective preferences. I also wouldn’t mind if they incorporated a notch on the base to double as a rear sight if needed.

Concluding Thoughts

Every time I get a new Vortex red dot, my inventory of fasteners and tools is enriched. Vortex packs some great added value with their red dots, and that’s a pretty big feather in the cap for this sight. My selection of Defenders continues to grow, and this one is probably my favorite so far. The simple controls and all the options are what seal the deal for me. I am uninterested in red dots moving forward that don’t have auto-shutdown, this and other features make the Defender CCW Solar Micro very adaptable to various applications. I look forward to the bright future and reticle with this combination.

-CBM

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

the little brother of the Defender XL, the **Defender CCW**

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.

Vortex Optics Defender XL red dot — What comes in the box

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.