Optics - Riflescopes
By Ron Spomer, Field Editor
The Vortex Diamondback is surprising because it’s surprisingly good, surprisingly priced and most of us have never heard of it. Vortex? This Madison, Wisc., company began selling binoculars to birders in the mid 1980s, then expanded to a catalog retailer and wholesaler as Eagle Optics. After listening to customers, it designed its own value-priced binoculars and had them assembled overseas. The units were such a hit that in 2000 the firm decided to put the Vortex spin on a full line of sophisticated optics designed here and built to specification in the Pacific Rim.
This isn’t the first “newcomer” to the optics field. Over the years many new companies have introduced a variety of bargain-basement riflescopes, most of which should never have left the basement. Not this time. If the 4X-12X-40mm Diamondback I tested represents Vortex quality, performance and price-to-value ratio, it’s the poster child for reasonably priced hunting scopes.
The author reports the Vortex’s hand-adjustable turrets turned smoothly and precisely. For its ability to “shoot the square,” the scope earned an “A.”
Fully multi-coated optics—All air-to-glass surfaces have multiple anti-reflection coatings, which in turn means minimum reflection loss, minimum flare, maximum brightness and maximum contrast. Give it an “A.” The only reason I don’t award “A+” is because I don’t know how many layers have been applied and which wavelengths of the visible spectrum they most enhance. Two independent observers and I noted that the Diamondback transmitted a slightly brighter and higher resolution image than a famous-name scope costing twice as much. These were subjective tests, but unanimous. The Vortex gave the better overall image.
One-Piece main tube—The 1-inch tube is carved from a one-piece tube of 6061 T6 aircraft-grade aluminum. This means there are no joints at the turrets, so there is no chance of leakage and less chance of bending. I didn’t pound tent stakes or subject the scope to any other torture tests, figuring an arbitrary beating without standards proves little. If a scope will handle repeated recoil from high-energy centerfire rifles, the knocks it takes from general field use shouldn’t pose a problem.
Precision-glide erector system—Mechanically, the critical parts of a scope move the erector tube and hold it in position, shot after shot. Vortex hires what they describe as “premium-grade fluoropolymer Teflon resin bushings” to guide the glide of the power-changing ring and erector tube as it slides back and forth within the main tube to change magnification. The power ring turned silky smooth with consistent tension more than adequate to hold the chosen power setting, but not so tight that adjusting it was difficult after a night of hibernating in the kitchen freezer. Some scope power rings barely turn when frozen. Some are so loose that they practically spin when extremely hot. This seemed perfect.
Argon-purged, waterproof and fogproof—Like every scope I’ve ever tested, this one fogged on an internal ocular lens (appeared to be the second eyepiece lens in) after being taken from the freezer into a 75-degree room.
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