Tag Archives: Vortex

Vortex Optics Defender CCW Enclosed Solar Micro red dot

March 18, 2026Optics, Product reviewccw, defender, micro, Red dot, rmsc, solar, Vortex, vortex opticswcoldboremiracle

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

Vortex Razor HD Gen III 1-10

February 25, 2026Optics, Product review1-10, gen III, lpvo, razor, razor HD, Vortex, vortex opticscoldboremiracle

Introduction

When I first saw the Vortex Razor HD Gen III 1-10, it was in that sexy marketing video you probably saw too. If I remember right, it was mounted on a precision carbine, kind of like a DMR rifle. Thus was born a quest for a perfect little DMR rifle wearing the 1-10 LPVO for a sight. This scope has moved down a chair as the new AMG 1-10 LPVO has recently been released. I’ll get to that one as soon as I can, but for today lets take a look at the Gen 3 version.

The Vortex Razor HD Gen III 1-10

host rifle the Desert Tech WLVRN, under that **Cole-TAC Python cover** is a **YHM Fat Cat suppressor**

Part of the allure for me of the Vortex Razor HD Gen III 1-10 is that its not just a low power variable optic (LPVO). With a maximum power of 10X, this scope can be used for reasonably distant engagements. Shooting even out to a kilometer can be done well with 10X. So having a medium carbine rifle that can engage targets at fifty-yards and as far as a thousand sounds enticing.

The Razor’s 34mm tube gives it a great deal of internal movement as well, making corrective travel of the erector pretty broad. The turrets are capped, but are easily adjusted should you wish to dial corrections for distant shots.

Vortex Optics, Razor HD, Gen 3, gen III, 1-10x24, ffp, lpvo, unboxing, box,

Illumination on the reticle is solely on the circle around the center. This translates to a bright red dot when the scope is at 1X, as much of the reticle detail is to fine to see at that power. But when the scope is zoomed into 10X, there is a great deal of reticle detail. This allows you to use holdover and wind corrections should you wish.

Aside from the scope itself, the Razor comes with a sunshade, battery, tools and manuals. All in a very nice package. Also, this scope came with Vortex’s Switchview throw lever.

Specifications

Magnification	1-10x
Objective Lens Diameter	24 mm
Focal Plane	First Focal Plane
Reticle	EBR-9 BDC (MOA)
Eye Relief	3.6″
Field of View	116.0′ – 11.7′ @100 yds
Turret Style	Capped
Tube Size	34mm
Adjustment Graduation	1/4 MOA
Travel Per Rotation	25 MOA
Max Elevation Adjustment	120 MOA
Max Windage Adjustment	120 MOA
Parallax Setting	150 yds.
Length	10.1″
Weight	21.5 oz

Mounting The Razor

I used a Zro Delta cantilever 34mm mount to install the Razor HD on top of my Desert Tech WLVRN. This allowed perfect eye relief and use of the picatinny sight rail on the receiver. Setting the throw-lever to the right spot was helpful to avoid it colliding with anything on the rifle.

After torquing everything down, opened up the rifle so I could do a little boresight job on it. This was quick and dirty as I knew I could easily correct it at the range.

Vortex Optics, Razor HD, Gen 3, gen III, 1-10x24, ffp, lpvo, desert tech, wlvrn,

On the Range

I’ve shot quite a bit with my WLVRN, so once I got the Razor zeroed it was a simple matter of seeing how everything else matched up. I zeroed the scope at 100-hundred yards on 10X, before shooting a couple groups to confirm.

A couple of my first immediate notations were how clean the image was through this scope. The optical clarity is fantastic, adding some definition to everything I looked at. The Switchview throw-lever was incredibly handy, dare I say a must have. I wish I had it on the 1-6 Razor I recently reviewed. I spent quite a bit of time changing magnification between different targets.

We also did a little bit of long-range shooting out in the desert, I say long-range but it was only with 5.56 55-grain ammo so really I wasn’t shooting much past four or five-hundred yards. It was certainly enough that I needed to make corrections and for that the Razor’s turrets were incredibly handy. I did notice though how much I would have preferred adjustable parallax.

Switching Host Rifles

The Razor HD might be a little much scope for a 22, but I don’t care. I figured it would give additional opportunity and perspective to shoot with the scope. So I mounted it to a Desert Tech Trek 22 rifle, a bullpup clone of the Ruger 10/22 outfitted with an Anechoic Anechox 22 suppressor.

Vortex Optics, Razor HD, Gen 3, gen III, 1-10x24, ffp, lpvo, — for a change, I also mounted the razor to a **Desert Tech Trek 22** (a 10/22 clone) seen here with an **Anechox 22 can**

The rimfire routine gave much opportunity to use the scope at closer distances obviously. The sharp imagery of the Razor HD made picking apart targets quite fun, and the detail of the reticle came in handy for holding corrections at distances you normally wouldn’t.

I found that with the illumination on at 1X the scope was essentially like a red dot. With only the center circle illuminated at 1X the rest of the reticle is practically invisible. But when you zoom into the higher magnification all those details of the EBR-9 reticle become sharp and handy.

Vortex Optics, Razor HD, Gen 3, gen III, 1-10x24, ffp, lpvo,reticle, ebr-9, mrad, — Here you can see the EBR-9 reticle at around 5X and 10X, you can even see Delta Airlines in the background. DISCLAIMER: images through the scope almost always look better than the camera can show.

Optical Performance

I already mentioned the optics on this scope are great. Even as the daylight wain, I was surprised how good the picture was through this scope. The larger lenses and 34mm tube surely have something to do with good light transmission. This came as no surprise really, as Vortex Razors are well known for their quality glass and robust durability. People far harder on them than I and they are still kicking.

Usability

There is very little to mark against this scope when it comes to useability. In fact there is only one thing I would change, and that is adjustable parallax. Maybe I’m the only one who likes engaging far targets with LPVO’s, but it feels like a crime for this scope to not have adjustable parallax. I felt like I could easily engage targets at some pretty significant distances, I even did. But I really like the ability to refine the focus and parallax at those distances.
Other than that, the controls on the Gen III Razor HD are fantastic. The perfect amount of resistance on the control surfaces and the throw lever was the icing on the cake. I like the locking illumination control, preventing unwanted shifting of the knob. And the turrets are of course both classy and compact.

Value

The MSRP for this scope is not for the faint of heart, coming in at $4000.00. Luckily Vortex’s exorbitant prices are greatly tempered by retailers. It can be had at places like Optics Planet for $2190 which is much more reasonable. Which is within a hundred bucks of other great options like the Eotech Vudu 1-10. Obviously how much you want to pay depends on you and your budget, but you often get what you pay for in the optics market.

Vortex Optics, Razor HD, Gen 3, gen III, 1-10x24, ffp, lpvo, turrets, illumination, — both the turrets and illumination control are very precise and high quality

Closing Thoughts

As I expected, the Vortex Optics Razor HD Gen III is a 1-10 that I could run indefinitely. It has outstanding clarity and definition, a great history of robust service, and service from a company that cares for its customers. Little things like an included sunshade are also very nice. All in all the features on this scope make for an excellent weapon sight for anyone looking to to be accurate from close to medium ranges. It would be a great scope for an accurized carbine, or what all the kids call a DMR or RECCE rifle. It fits right into my collection of excellent LPVO options, maybe it will fit into yours?

-CBM

Click here to look at other LPVO options?

Vortex Optics Razor HD Gen II 1-6 LPVO

February 8, 2026Optics, Product review1-6x24, gen II, lpvo, razor, razor HD, Vortex, vortex opticscoldboremiracle

Introduction

If you’ve followed me for very long, you know I have a soft spot for low power variable optics (LPVO). I use them quite a bit, and have dug deep into the subject many times. Part of the allure for me with great LPVO’s is the ability for rapid close engagement with carbine sized rifles. Without giving up the accuracy these same guns can use at greater distances. So, as I continue my quest to play with all the good LPVO’s out there, I bring you today’s subject; the Vortex Optics Razor HD Gen II 1-6 riflescope.

The Vortex Razor HD Gen II 1-6

Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock for the last few decades, you know who Vortex O p tics is. The company has become a dominant force in the optics industry, well known for excellent customer service and listening to what shooters want. I guess its fair to say Vortex offers a lot of inexpensive products as well (like I said, they listen to their customers). But in my experience the higher end products like the Razor line are fantastic professional grade optics. So it was with anticipation that I opened the box of the Vortex Razor HD Gen II 1-6.

vortex optics, razor, 1-6x24, lpvo, riflescope,

As is typical with Vortex products, the scope came in nice packaging and included the typical stickers, manual and tools. Because I had it handy, I decide to mount the scope in a 34mm Primary Arms cantilever scope mount for testing. This would allow proper eye relief on a variety of host rifles.

Specifications

Magnification	1-6x
Objective Lens Diameter	24 mm
Focal Plane	Second Focal Plane
Reticle	VMR-2 (MRAD)
Eye Relief	4.0″
Field of View	115.2′ – 20.5′ @ 100 yds
Turret Style	Capped
Tube Size	30mm
Adjustment Graduation	.2 MRAD
Travel Per Rotation	20 MRAD
Max Elevation Adjustment	43 MRAD
Max Windage Adjustment	43 MRAD
Parallax Setting	100 yds.
Length	10.1″
Weight	21.5 oz

My initial handling of the scope was quick. It wasn’t as heavy as I’d expected, like other Razors I’d handled before. The finish and textures were perfect, so I lifted it to my eye to get that first look. As I expected, the Razor has an immaculate image. Sharp detail and contrast is what makes these Razor HD scopes so desirable.

huxwrx, flow, flow 5.56, flow 7.62, huxwrx safety company, ar15, quattro, vortex razor, razor hd, razor 1-6,

Controls

A cursory investigation of the controls felt good, the power ring being easy to adjust quickly between one and six-power. I was slightly surprised that Vortex hadn’t incorporated a throw lever attachment, but they do offer an attachable Switchview throw -lever you can add. The illumination control is also a little fancier than others. The rheostat knob must be pulled out slightly to allow it to turn and ignite the reticle inside. Pulling the knob out also exposes the white background of numeration labels for various power settings.

Vortex optics, razor HD, 1-6, vortex razor, illumination, illuminated reticle, desert tech, MDRX, WLVRN,

The 20 MRAD turrets certainly give plenty of travel should you choose to use them such. Inside the scope, the second focal plane VMR-2 reticle gives some fairly course MRAD subtensions. This is fine in my opinion as it gives you all you’ll likely need for the effective range of a carbine. Whole MRAD marks are shown with only the very center of the reticle illuminated, and the marks are accurate when used at the full six-power.

Vortex optics, razor HD, 1-6, vortex razor, reticle, illumination, VMR-2, vmr2 reticle, — as always, images through the scope are far better than pictures can show

Shooting with the Vortex Razor HD Gen II 1-6

For testing purposes, I used the Razor HD on two different carbines. The first one is my OG Desert Tech MDRX chambered in 308 Winchester, and the other is an AR15 I put together using various parts (read about that here). The Razor made an excellent scope choice for both of these rifles, as they are both accurate enough to take advantage of the scopes range. Shooting these two rifles both on and off the range would give a good feel for how well the Razor HD is for engaging different targets.

Vortex optics, razor HD, 1-6, vortex razor, eye protection, glasses, eye pro, desert tech, MDRX, WLVRN, Huxwrx, flow, 7.62,

It was quick to zero the Razor HD using the turrets for a perfect zero at about 75 yards. From there we switched it up, shooting various different targets at differing ranges.

Optical Clarity

As I mentioned, the Razor HD lenses offer a fantastic viewing experience. Both in the open country of the mountains and on the range I found the image to be above average quality. At 1X the Razor gave a broad field of view, making it very fast for moving between close targets. And zoomed in to 6X it gave more than adequate presentation for making sharp shots at distances well beyond six-hundred yards.

huxwrx, flow, flow 5.56, flow 7.62, huxwrx safety company, ar15, quattro, vortex razor, — my **Quattro-15** AR with the Razor and **Huxwrx Flow 5.56**

The parallax adjustment allowed excellent focus of the reticle against targets, leaving me with a sharp holdover for distance. And the bright dot in the center was fantastic for use like a red dot at low power.

Mechanical Function

I definitely need to get the throw lever for this scope, as I want something to grab onto to switch magnification. I do like the level of resistance on the mag-ring, it is frustrating when they are too stiff to turn quickly. The locking function of the illumination is great to prevent accidental rotation of the knob. Nothing worse than turning on your reticle only to find a dead battery. It’s also easy to keep it in the off-position between two brightness settings so you don’t have to search for the one you want.

The turrets on the Razor HD are capped which makes it easy to not worry about them while maneuvering. Underneath the caps the low-profile turrets are easy to turn with just fingers, and their audible click of .2 MRAD can be both felt and heard. I am used to .1 MRAD clicks, but for a scope like this I get why they went with .2. The courser scale is fast to make adjustments, and scopes like this are less likely to be used in a precision shooting scenario. Where a 1/4 of an inch on target one way or another is not a big deal.

Durability

Vortex Razors have a pretty good history of standing up to abuse, much more abuse in fact than I like to give. I love packing my guns all over these mountains, where the worst abuse they usually get is lots of turret twisting. But a scope like this one I am far less likely to adjust the turrets often. Far more likely it will get slung and rubbed against a pack while hiking, maybe smacked on a rock in a hasty pursuit. I have every confidence this scope is prepared for far harsher abuse than what myself or typical gun owners will sustain. And the famous warranty that Vortex owners love to to tout, is always there for you. A warranty that likely had a large influence on the entire industry to follow.

Pros and Cons

As long as you have the understanding of the scope’s application, I don’t think theres anything wrong with this scope. Or at least anything you can knit-pick on it. I like FFP scopes, but I totally get why this one isn’t, and it works just the way it is.

It has an excellent optical quality, robust construction with great features. There is very little about this scope I would change but for personal preferences and reticle details. All these features do come at some cost however, as none of the Razors come cheap. With a current street price around $1300, the Razor is roughly double many other good LPVO options. I only bring this up because I have several other 1-6 scopes that I quite like that are significantly less.

Vortex optics, razor HD, 1-6, vortex razor, illumination, illuminated reticle, desert tech, MDRX, WLVRN, Huxwrx, flow 7.62, — My Desert Tech MDRX with the Razor and the **Huxwrx Flow 7.62 suppressor**

Final Verdict

I have never picked up a Vortex Razor and thought “this won’t do”. On the contrary I feel like every Vortex Razor I’ve ever used has been great, and at best all I could complain about was a reticle option or cursed MOA turrets or something like that. The Vortex Razor HD 1-6 is another great option for those looking for a quality LPVO. If you are considering dropping some serious money on an LPVO, make sure to at least look at one of these.

-CBM

Check out more LPVO reviews here

Holosun 507 Comp VS. Vortex Defender XL

August 31, 2024Optics, Product reviewholosun, holosun 507 comp, Vortex, vortex defender xlcoldboremiracle

Purpose

I love me some good red dots for my pistols, and I’m always looking for more and better ones. In a quest to find a good dot for my Staccato XC 9mm pistol, I tried both the Holosun 507 Comp and the Vortex Defender XL. I figured while evaluating them individually, I might as well compare them head to head. So in today’s versus, I bring you the Holosun 507 Comp VS. Vortex Defender XL.

holosun, vortex, staccato, shadow system

These two red dots fall into the “large category”, like many others they are ideal for competition shooting. The oversized window allows a larger field of view, making it easier to find and aim at your target.

Footprints

Initially I had hoped these two optics would have the same footprint, but as it turns out the Defender XL is an Deltapoint footprint and the Holosun is an RMR. The Defender XL wouldn’t go on my Staccato without an adaptor plate unfortunately, so instead I mounted it to another pistol I have shot extensively: the Shadow Systems DR920. Conversely, the 507 Comp would fit on the Staccato using the provided mounting plate and screws.

Vortex Optics Defender XL red dot — the Defender XL comes with an impressive host of accessories

Having the two optics mounted on separate pistols would also allow me to shoot through both of them in succession. So I figured for purposes of comparing the two I’d keep them that way.

I definitely have to give Vortex points for their presentation. The Holosun did come with a tool and a couple different screw sets, but the Defender XL came with quite an inventory. It seemed like at least a dozen different screw sets of differing length and thread pitches and the tools to install them. As well as a picatinny rail mount that allowed me to mount it to my Panzer M4 shotgun. It also included a Glock MOS mounting plate. These little extras are incredibly convenient to have, and an incredible value ad for the Vortex Defender XL.

vortex defender xl, panzer m4 — the Defender XL came with a picatinny rail mount which made it very adaptable for different uses

Comparisons

vortex defender XL vs. holosun 507 comp dimensions

Both of these optics offer some advantages, and only you can evaluate which of the two will fit your needs. For example, I wanted the big window option from both of them, but that increases the weight. There are plenty of things you could do to go back and forth between them, I like the CR2023 battery mainly because I have so many optics that already use it. But I also wanted the reticle variation of the Holosun which uses the CR1632 cell.

note: battery compartment of the Defender XL

You too will have to battle out in your mind which of the two feature set’s you’d like to play with. Both designs use a battery compartment that doesn’t require removing the sight from the pistol, so they are already ahead of the very popular Trijicon RMR. In fact, while were on the subject; Both of these use a great battery containment system.

The Defender uses a hatch that looks like something off a tiny scale submarine. The hatch is opened by first pushing in a tiny detent pin, followed by pressing a textured button on the right side. This took a second to figure out, as you must add a touch of down pressure on the hatch while pushing the release button for it to open.

staccato XC 9mm, Holosun 507 Comp — **Ranger Wrap** black multicam covers the Surefire weapon light

The Holosun uses the tried and true Holosun design with a screw holding the battery compartment shut. A fine design no doubt, but requiring thread-locker as I found out. My screw came out while shooting, requiring the dreaded call to customer service. They were however very prompt, and got me a replacement as fast as I could have expected.

Reticle

Let’s face it, you’re here for the same reason I am. How bout them reticle’s you might say? I wanted the Holosun because I wanted to experience the reticle options. This is the one feature where the Holosun leaves the Defender behind. The Defender has two dot options in two colors as long as they are both the same shade of red. The Holosun can be bought as a red unit, or green. In addition the Holosun reticle can be user changed with the hold of a button. Holding down the – button for a second or two causes the reticle to jump from one configuration to another. Allowing you to select a 2 MOA dot with either an 8 MOA, 24 MOA, or 32 MOA circle around it. You can also select the circles without the dot, allowing you to circle the target while shooting.

While shooting between the two optics, I asked a friend which of the two options he liked. He said he kind of preferred the single dot of the Defender, as the circles obscured the target. But once I shew him the unfettered dot of the 507 Comp, he quickly changed his mind to that option.

The Defender offers significantly more movement in the reticle, with as much as 120 MOA in elevation. This would make it ideal for weapons you are trying to co-witness with other optics like a riflescope. In my experience most RDS cut handguns don’t need much movement to line up with iron sights. That said I had zero issues zeroing both sights.

Clarity

I’ve heard others complain about Vortex red dots and the dot dispersing on the glass. I think I know what they are talking about, as sometimes I see the dot flare up. Particularly when on a brighter setting. I have noticed this effect on both of my Vortex defender red dots, but I will also say it really hasn’t bothered me that much. Perhaps others have experienced worse.

Upon first looking through the Holosun, both myself and others noticed a little bit of a blurry reticle as well. But upon closer inspection, it seems to be like a parallax issue. We saw this when trying to focus on something very close, like within a meter or two. But once we got outside, and started looking at targets that were a little further away it was significantly clearer to the eye.

I guess I will say this about the reticle clarity of both units, I found them both to be very serviceable. And if they both had the same reticle options it would be much harder to chose.

Controls

Modern controls are available for both units. The Defender incorporates a smart system that you can configure to auto shut down after inactivity for a certain time. You can also configure it to stay on, and you can even lockout the buttons to avoid accidental changes to your settings.

adjusting the brightness of the Vortex Defender XL

The 507 Comp’s system is perhaps a little more simple. Using Holosun red dot’s popular shake awake system makes it easy to configure the dot to be always ready. And the simple adjustment of the reticle is also an easy feature.

While both systems have their good points I think I prefer the Holosun. It’s a little easier to understand and operate, which is good if you too were one of the kids who ate glue as a child.

Shooting the Vortex Defender XL vs. Holosun 507 Comp

Shooting with these two dots I was kind of surprised how much they were alike. What I mean is that despite their many differences, once you are pointing them at targets the differences seem to fade. For shooting at longer distances, I found the smaller 2 MOA dot of the Holosun to be easier to pinpoint the target. But to be fair, the larger dot of the Defender was faster to get on target. And for comparison the circle-dot reticle options of the 507 are just as fast.

The large windows of both units were great for finding the targets, and adjusting the reticle for conditions made them both very useful for putting hits down.

the Staccato with its 507 Comp and **Surefire X300 Turbo**

My Opinion

These two optics are competitively priced, often within 20-30 dollars of each other. Evaluating the two of them has led me to draw the following conclusion; If you like circle dot reticles, or the ability to adjust the reticle configuration. Then the Holosun 507 Comp is for you. If you like a simple dot then it becomes a more challenging decision. I think the Defender XL is a great value, especially with all the extras. And if it had a varied reticle option like the 507 it would win this competition. As much as I like both of them though, I think the 507 Comp will stay on the Staccato for now. And the Defender XL will stay right where it is too, as these two pistols get the most use at my house. If I was mounting them on a carbine, the Defender XL seems to have a better feature set.

Hopefully we’ve helped you see the value in choosing either of these two red dots. Let us know what you think of them, and what you’d like to see next.

-CBM

Read about more optics and red dot options here

Vortex Defender XL Red Dot

August 10, 2024Optics, Product reviewdefender, defender XL, Red dot, Vortex, vortex opticscoldboremiracle

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.

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

Three Red Dots

August 13, 2021Optics, pistols, Product reviewpistol, Red dot, riton, us optics, Vortexcoldboremiracle

Pistol shooting, like most shooting disciplines has benefitted greatly from technological advancements. Incredible improvements have made todays handguns lighter, faster, more accurate, and reliable. One of these many improvement is in the sight market, pistols have long relied on the simple task of lining up a front and rear sight as you press the trigger. But today we will discuss the hot and competitive red dot sight options that are frequently replacing traditional iron sights. We’ll also look at it from the perspective of home defense use.

The three sights we will specifically look at today are the Vortex Viper Red Dot, the US Optics DRS 2.0 Enhanced, and the Riton Optics X3 Tactix PRD. To give the three sights all a fair rattling, I ran all three of them on the same pistol. The Canik TP9 EC is a poly framed pistol featuring a SAI barrel and trigger, its very accurate and its cut slide makes a perfect host for this trio of optics. To read more about the pistol click here.

The Vortex Viper MSRP $349.99

With a well known name like Vortex, I was sure I was going to like this optic. It was the first of the three in this article that I got my hands on, it wasn’t long at all before I had it mounted up and ready to shoot. The tools provided made zeroing the optic a snap, I was blown away at how quick I went from adjusting the zero, to stacking a whole magazine into a small hole.

The US Optics DRS 2.0 Enhanced MSRP $349.00

US Optics has long been part of the optics game, though they are a relative newcomer to the electronic sight realm. As soon as I opened the box, I was as impressed as ever with USO’s quality and presentation. But more importantly was the impression on the range.

I was a bit confused at first, because the DRS 2.0 didn’t appear to have a button or control to adjust the brightness as did the Viper and the Tactix X3. But in perhaps my favorite discovery of the whole project, I read the owners manual to find that the DRS 2.0 is always on, and has a built in photo-eye to automatically adjust to ambient light. Another beneficial feature I was happy to see, was the side-loaded battery compartment, which doesn’t require the user to remove the sight to change the battery as the Viper required.

As with the Vortex, the USO was easily and quickly zeroed, and in no time I was back to banging targets.

The Riton Optics X3 Tactix PRD MSRP $299.99

Riton is a relatively new company, but persistently bringing out more products. The X3 came to me before the USO and after the Vortex, it did require changing the Viper type baseplate to the RMR type, as it doesn’t share the same plate as the other two.
Similar to the Vortex, the X3 has armored up/down rubber buttons to adjust the six level brightness settings of the reticle. It also has a four hour auto shutoff. It features a 3 MOA dot for some very precise shooting, at least for red dot shooting.
It wasn’t until after I had it mounted that I noticed the X3 features a rear sight cut, something you can use in the event your reticle goes out. This is something the other two lacked, and while not likely to be used often, it is still handy. The X3 features a top loaded battery, so you wont need to remove the sight for battery changes.

All three red dots took a bit of getting used to, as the reticle appeared higher than expected as compared to the iron sights. But once I grew accustomed to the hold and sight picture, I was addicted to it. One of the many pros of using red dot pistol sights that is often mentioned is the shooter’s point of focus. When using iron sights you have to focus to some degree or another on the sights that are at arms length. Shooting with a red dot sight gives a great advantage because you never have to take your eyes off the target.
For example, if there is a threat approaching you, simply bring the pistol into the plane between you and the threat. The glowing reticle is naturally brought into place without ever having to change focus from the target. Obviously after much practice and training, it becomes second nature. That is one thing less you’ll need to focus on in a defensive situation.
And even if its not a dangerous target, shots can be made faster as can target transitions because you never have to take your eyes off the target[s].

Also, if you are shopping on a budget, UUQOptics makes some great budget pistol red dots — great value without sacrificing reliability or usability

As it pertains to home and/or self defense, I think a red dot sight could be a valuable asset. The bright red reticle makes a very easy focal point when tension is high, and the precise nature of its aim is very useful in a life or death situation. The aforementioned point about keeping your eyes on the threat is also a strong reason, especially in a low light or no light scenario.

I was surprised by this experience, it wasn’t that I liked the USO the most, it was actually that the Vortex was at the bottom for me. After much shooting with the Viper, I found the Riton X3 to be a preferred fit for my eyes. And perhaps the finer reticle also helped. The sight picture of all three was more than satisfactory, they all got dirty and dusty just the same. But what really won this comparison for me was the reticle on the DRS 2.0, I never had to turn it on, or up or down. Every time I jerked my pistol from the holster, regardless of time of day, indoor or out, the reticle was lit, and nearly perfect brightness. I only say near perfect because it occasionally might have been a smidge dimmer than I would have set it, but surely not enough to be a concern. All three of these red dots are great pistol sights, I would feel very confident shooting any one of them in a competitive situation.

I have shot pistols without red dots for many years, so I was a bit apprehensive about trading my iron sights for a red dot. But I’m happy to say that after some practice I feel just as if not more confident with one of these three sights than the iron sights I always used before. Give one of these three a try, you will very likely be surprised how much you like it.

-CBM

Vortex Optics Fury 10×42 Range-finding Binoculars

March 12, 2018Optics, Product reviewbinoculars, Optics, rangefinder, Vortexcoldboremiracle

Introduction

I’ve said it before, I am a huge geek for optics and everything that goes with them. Something about quality and the edge that good optics give you gets me giddy.

Anybody who shoots at any significant distance should be familiar with laser rangefinders, otherwise, I take their claims as what they are; hopeful aspirations.

Who needs a rangefinder?

It didn’t take me long to realize the need for a rangefinder in my shooting, and I didn’t want a substandard one. I bought my first rangefinder many years ago, it was a Leica. Over the years I have come to appreciate a good rangefinder, that Leica taught me a lot. It is absolutely necessary to make good shots at distance, and I’ve been lucky to have hands on quite a few of them. One of the first things I noticed when playing with LRF’s was that many of them were at best 80% of what they are rated for. And many of them lower than that. Ive come to find that a good LRF will actually go beyond its rated limits, in good conditions. With optics and rangefinders especially, you do get what you pay for.
With so many new and exciting things hitting the market recently, I was excited to get the chance to try out a new prodcuct from Vortex Optics
The brand new Fury Binocular from Vortex incorporates a 1600 yard laser rangefinder into a 10X42 armored binocular.

I’ve never had a rangefinding bino before, I’d mostly used just a plain rangefinder. I never felt much like carrying multiple optics into the field, nor could I afford it, but with the technological advancements we enjoy today there is no reason to. The Fury gives you high a quality ten power binocular, with clear and bright images. And ontop of that, it also serves as a 1600 yard rangefinder. For a hunter, I think it is the best of both worlds. Especially since you dont want to be carrying anything extra with you, unforgiving mountains are not the place to carry extra weight.

The Vortex Fury Binoculars

The Fury, like most modern rangefinders, allows you to select yards or meters. It also has a slope indicator that allows users to select line of sight distance (LOS) or use a corrected angular compensated distance (HCD).

The display on the Fury has a circle reticle for aiming at your target. Up and to the right of that, is the angle display, shown in degrees. The distance is shown below the reticle, and just off to the left there is a battery level indicator.

I have taken the Fury out many times now, used it in many different settings and places. One of the first times I tried it right out of the box, I managed to hit 1780yds with it. That was a building, and I didnt expect it to hit a deer at that distance. But its good to know that it can reach those kind of distances, even though in the real world of my shooting habits, it wont need to go that far. For me, I think being able to range the animals I hunt in the conditions and places where they live is the overall determining factor for performance. And in those places and conditions, the Fury seems to shine. Like this:

Hitting trees and rocks at thirteen, fourteen or fifteen hundred yards proved to be pretty easy. In the bright daylight of the sun, or in the angled afternoon light of the evening.

Hitting an animal at that distance would be hard, not necessarily because of the rangefinder, but because you cant hold still enough without a tripod. I find myself aiming for the nearest tree or rock in those scenarios anyways.

The beam divergence on the Fury, or the size of the laser beam for lack of a better explanation, is 1.6X.07MRAD. That isn’t bad considering the price-point of the Fury, there are a few better, but surely there are worse. Again I look back to the purpose of the Fury, at least in my case. It wont be often when I am looking at a deer, elk, or any other target that is standing on the horizon some thousand or more yards away, with nothing near it that I cant sink that laser into. So while a tighter beam dispersion might be better in some situations, I think this one will do just fine for my purposes. And I think it will do for most other’s as well, I assume I am not the only person who lases the target multiple times when targeting. Particularly when distances are extended, and critical to making the shot.
At 31 oz the Fury is very comparable to its competitors, it doesn’t feel heavy to me, which oddly enough seems like a bad thing. I know I’m crazy, but for some reason I like to feel the weight that usually accompanies quality. But I certainly wont hold that against the Fury.

The Fury comes with a nice shoulder strapped carrying case, it has a double shoulder harness, and it is secured with a a small hook and elastic strap to close it. I liked it, but honestly the Fury might be a little big/heavy for the case design. It also comes with your standard lens covers, as seen in the above picture. I feel for optics companies when it comes to lens covers, it can be a difficult subject. You can either go with cheap and easy option, knowing that users will likely upgrade to something more to their liking. Or you can invest in some very nice covers for them, and then risk people not liking them and wanting something else anyways. I found that the soft rubber options provided with the Fury are perfectly serviceable, and they are easily removed if not to your liking.

Shop All Vortex Optics from Euro Optic

Brownells Vortex Optics shop

Both barrels of the Fury have a focus ring, the right barrel adjustment is to focus the display, and the left barrel adjustment is for equalizing the focus between the users eyes. I may have gotten a a mismatched set at the factory. Eyes that is, it has always been a challenge for me to get any pair of binoculars to stay in focus for me, probably due to the difference in my eyes. I noticed this problem slightly when using the Fury, but I am quite sure it is my eyes relaxing between uses.
The Fury has adjustable eye cups, with four different depth settings. The cups were easily adjusted to fit my eyes, with or without glasses. It also made it easy to adjust to fit the relief on my phone, so that I could get all these spectacular images 😜
The battery compartment on the Fury is located on the bottom, nice and out of the way. From this angle you can also see the two adjustment rings for focusing the unit.

Final thoughts

For many years I have been using some great rangefinders, Leica as I mentioned, Swarovski, andSig Sauer Electro-Optics, among others. While the price of good rangefinders has come down, my budget for shooting accessories has mantained its place on the leger. But I felt the Fury was well worth the splurge, and my money was well spent with Vortex, as it usually is. I still have never had to use their famous no BS warranty, but it’s always nice to know it is there. Look for the Fury in upcoming stories and pictures, I dont see it going away anytime soon.

-CBM