The Vortex Crossfire II 1- 4 x 24mm riflescope is the stuff grown-up folks need to feel like kids again. This offering of the Crossfire II is quick to use, acquires the target smoothly, small so that it will be at home damn near anywhere on any size long-gun. If you can't tell already, I kind of like it.
Vortex Background
OK, for a little fanboy action about Vortex, they have been making modern optics in Wisconsin since 2002, and before that, the owners had an optics shop, then decided to make their own from scratch. Vortex is very happy to have anyone stop by the sales floor lobby and look at all they have to offer, and you will need some time, it's a long walk.
On their 50 and 100 yard indoor ranges, they offer police training to the departments in Wisconsin and Northern Illinois, and I am sure plenty of time has been spent looking through this optic by many of the officers training there.
OK, now onto some time spent in the desert, and breathing a bit of dust from a sudden wind storm that I have some feeble and colorful language to describe, with that I will keep that part of the day to myself.
If you are looking for some other options from same manufacturers then must check out our guide on best vortex scopes.
Some Identifying Features
What style of a rifle will this scope work best on? The AR platform seems to be a perfect fit. The guide guns, heavy, large-caliber lever action guns that Alaskan guides carry as bear-repellent, would be a great fit as well. I have seen pictures of this scope on a crossbow, now that is something to think about. All caliber will benefit from this scope, with this Crossfire II offering magnification at 1x up to 4x power, I believe this scope on a world-class 22 Magnum bolt action would be a devastation to the squirrel world.
On a rifle that can keep flat out to 400 meters, this scope will work like a charm. My Marlin lever gun in .444 Marlin may have to bounce a few times to make 400 meters, launching a massive chunk of lead downrange, but a 200-meter shot will nearly vaporize a target, and this scope would make that happen quickly.
As with many Vortex offerings, the price range for this scope is reached easily by most shooters. Coming in around 300 bucks or less on average, check out the links in this article, and you will see for yourself.
How We Tested
We shot this strapped to the top of an AR15 shooting the 7.62x39 round. Good thing that ammo is cheap, back when you could find ammo on the shelf, but that is another story.
Have a look at the construction of this scope
With the 30mm tube diameter, this scope picks up the target downrange quickly. Made out of Aircraft Grade Aluminum throughout, and topped with a matte anodized finish, it is tough and sleek. This scope is on the small side, working great for applications like these, at 9.6" long and weighing in at 14.8 ounces.
The main body is O-ring sealed and filled with nitrogen, creating a scope that is fogproof, waterproof, and shockproof. Any weather is good weather for this little wonder. Hell, it is not even afraid of the dark.
There is nothing listed by Vortex for a shock testing "G" rating. However, many guides sporting the 45-70 shoulder bender have said it holds up fine to that level of shock, so what else can you ask for in shockproof testing? Vortex also has a very good no-nonsense lifetime warranty on all of their optics, so you rest easy knowing your investment is protected.
I can tell you first-hand that a sand storm in the Reno desert makes it dirty, but does not stop its smooth function.
The sand (or dirt) does not affect the smoothness of its operation. You may want to make sure you have the lens cloth handy. Along with one of those air puffer things from a camera kit (next time we visit the dust zone anyways)
Optics Breakdown
For mounting on a lever gun, the 4" long eye relief is excellent, for a flat top AR or other battle rifle platforms, with the cantilever mounts available from Vortex as well, and you have it made.
The field of view is fantastic for a scope with only a 24mm objective lens diameter at 96.1' – 24.1' at 100 yards. At the maximum 4x magnification, the sight picture is still very clear.
The reticle is available in illuminated MOA. The reticle is located in the Second Focal Plane and both the V Plex format and V-Brite reticle are illuminated. For those that don't know, it is very much like a duplex crosshair, but instead of the thin cross, it illuminated a tiny red dot in its place.
Making it a pinpoint capable reticle. In the sunshine, however, that little small dot is nearly impossible to see, and for my aging eyeballs, it was a no show. But, for a CQB kind of application, that will be a different story, I am sure.
The V-Plex reticle is fantastic for big and medium games. I can't get behind it for small games or varmint, like prairie dogs due to the red spot not showing up very well and those critters are little, even at the highest magnification. When close, so 100 meters away it may be a good betting game to see who can make the shot.
For a tactical application, this unit will be excellent, for those able to shoot with both eyes open, the V-plex reticle will make target acquisition very quick.
The parallax is fixed, but the fast focus eyepiece works well and makes shooting easy on the eyes, right off the bat.
The glass is Vortex HD glass, made for clarity, and at this offering's low level of magnification, we never found it to distort in any way. The lenses are fully multi-coated with an anti-reflective and abrasion-resistant coating that cuts down glare without negatively impacting light transmission through the scope, which means it's still plenty usable and have better low light performance.
Now For The Twisty Bits, The Turrets
The MOA turrets are standard capped hunting style, with dot-to-dot alignment to return to zero. The turrets are smooth to adjust, and have audible clicks, and are set for re-zero with a flat head screwdriver at the range.
The turrets adjust 100 MOA for elevation and windage. Each click is ½ MOA.
We performed a tracking test after we got home (because we forgot and were spitting dust at the range), so at 25 yards, the tracking was good, but with the tiny red dot during the day, my eyeballs had a hard time seeing the exactness of tracking.
This is not a precision long-range shooter kind of scope, so the turrets are not the high-speed variety, but it is made to shoot close and fast.
Conclusion By The Numbers
Usability (4 out of 5)
Very usable, the reason it did not rank higher on this subject is the red dot not showing well in sunlight, and that's the whole point of an illuminated reticle. My other hesitation on this is both open eyes idea; this scope is significant. It's a real live scope after all, but if you are not focused on looking through the scope, it is kind of in the way.
Glass Quality (5 out of 5)
As with anything made by Vortex, the glass is impressive. We could not find any issues with that. However, we were not shooting at the 400-meter distance to stretch it and see if any image issues appeared.
Durability/Construction (5 out of 5)
A Nitrogen-purged, single piece, Aircraft Grade Aluminum tube, what else is there to say? The tube is straight. Make sure to use good quality scope and mounts, and you will never have an issue.
Tracking/Repeatability (4.5 out of 5)
As I stated above, as good as we could see, the tracking is very well done, and you will not have an issue using the turrets if that is what you need to do in your shooting.
Warranty and Support (5 out of 5)
Vortex has a lifetime. If it is broken, Vortex will fix it, warranty. Don't hesitate to use that battle rifle like it was made for, and let Vortex have your back.
Overall Rating (4.8 out of 5)
As usual, I include feedback I find around the interweb in my overall rating, how can a zillion shooters be wrong, and it is more field research to have for everyone. It seems everyone rates this great scope about the same, and I can see why … it is amazing.
Vortex Optics Crossfire II Riflescope
The price of Vortex Optics Crossfire II Riflescope varies, so check the latest price at
Alternatives
Variety is the spice of life, and we always like to offer a few other alternative options to the scopes we review. Here's a brief overview of some of our favorites.
PRODUCT
DETAILS
Products
Bushnell AR Optics Dropzone Reticle 1-4x24mm
Bushnell AR Optics Dropzone Reticle 1-4x24mm
Vortex Optics Strike Eagle 1-6x24mm
Vortex Optics Strike Eagle 1-6x24mm
Leupold VX-Freedom 1.5-4x20mm
Leupold VX-Freedom 1.5-4x20mm
Burris Tac30 1-4x24mm Scope
Burris Tac30 1-4x24mm Scope
1. Bushnell AR Optics Dropzone Reticle 1-4x24mm
Another excellent SFP scope designed specifically for the AR15's ballistic profile. The built-in throw lever is a nice feature, allowing you to make quick magnification changes that are well-suited to short and mid-range hunting and tactical shooting.
The illuminated reticle is clear and uncluttered but still gives you bullet drop markings to make some quick adjustments on the fly. It's a little more budget-friendly than the Crossfire II, but the Vortex scope does edge it out in terms of performance and has a better warranty.
Bushnell AR Optics 1-4x24mm
The price of Bushnell AR Optics 1-4x24mm varies, so check the latest price at
Want to know how that scope works? Check out our detailed bushnell AR optics 1-4×24 review.
2. Vortex Optics Strike Eagle 1-6x24mm
The Strike Eagle is another Vortex scope worth mentioning. Compared to the Crossfire II, it gives up a little precision in exchange for a BDC-3 horseshoe-style reticle that allows for very fast target acquisition and general handling speed while also providing holdover markings out to 650 yards.
I think those markings are a little ambitious, but for CQB use or hunting in thick brush this is a great alternative.
Vortex Optics Strike Eagle 1-6x24mm
The price of Vortex Optics Strike Eagle 1-6x24mm varies, so check the latest price at
3. Leupold VX-Freedom 1.5-4x20mm Riflescope
Leupold's glass is excellent, and in terms of clarity and brightness, it certainly gives the Crossfire II a run for its money. In fact, I would probably have to give Leupold the edge in low-light performance, which might be enough to justify the bigger price tag if it's within your budget.
The pig-plex reticle is, as you probably guessed, great for hog hunting and other larger game, though it's a bit thick for varmint hunting. Like the Crossfire II, this is a tough, no-nonsense scope that punches above its weight.
Leupold VX-Freedom 1.5-4x20mm
The price of Leupold VX-Freedom 1.5-4x20mm varies, so check the latest price at
4. Burris Tac30 1-4x24mm Scope
The Tac30 is a sleek little scope with a lower profile than some of the others we've looked at. Like the Strike Eagle, it uses an illuminated horseshoe reticle with BDC markings, making it a versatile scope for close and mid-range shooting.
The brightness knob is slightly finicky, but it doesn't take long to get used to. If you plan to do the majority of your shooting at 150 yards or under, this might be the ideal scope for you.
Burris Tac30 1-4x24mm Scope
The price of Burris Tac30 1-4x24mm Scope varies, so check the latest price at
Summary, Who Needs This scope
The Vortex Optics Crossfire II rifle scopes are perhaps the best scope to serve as a bridge from tactical to hunting I have used—an perfect choice for a close to mid-range scope. If you have a rifle or other long gun that needs a quick and easy to use scope, this one needs to be on that gun.
If you shoot in the bright sun and shoot at tiny little things at a longer range, maybe look for another offering that does not have the illuminated V-Plex, more like a true duplex, and you will have no problems at all.
On another note, one that we did not think to try out at the time, but a competition shooter, like a run-and-gun shooter, this may be a fantastic optic, depending on if a magnified optic is allowed, of course. Having a magnification range that starts at 1x and moves to 4x should do it all, and with the V plex reticle, fast shooting with practice will make your shooting improve on the gear side of things.
If you want to pick up a Crossfire II of your own, as usual, we recommend heading to either Amazon (who have it at a slight discount as of the time of writing) or OpticsPlanet. Either one will treat you right and get an authentic Vortex scope to your door quickly and cheaply.
Good shooting!
Have you tried out the Crossfire II or any of the other scopes we mentioned in this review? If so, let us know what you think in the comments. Your feedback lets us know we're getting you the information you need to make an informed decision, and it helps us decide what we should cover next.
References
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