Vortex StrikeFire II Review – 2024

The StrikeFire II is one of the most popular red dots in the market right now but does it deserve its spot at the top? More importantly, is it a good fit for your exact use case? Most red dots are going to struggle beyond 100 yards or so, and the StrikeFire II is no exception, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible to take it out as far as 200 yards. 

In this article, I’m going to cover the full specs of the StrikeFire II and compare it to some other excellent red dots. My goal is for you to walk away from this with a better understanding of what you should consider when buying a red dot. This guide will help inform you about whether the StrikeFire II is the right choice. 

I’ve had the pleasure of using a variety of optics over the years for hunting, target practice, and defense, and it’s always fun to talk about a Vortex.

Also Read: Best Red Dot Sights & Reflex Sights

Quick Specifications (courtesy of Vortex Optics):

Mount Type	Lower ⅓ co-witness cantilever
Magnification	1x
Objective Lens Diameter	30mm
Dot Size	4 MOA
Eye Relief	Unlimited
Adjustment Graduation	½ MOA
Travel Per Rotation	25 MOA
Max Elevation Adjustment	100 MOA
Max Windage Adjustment	100 MOA
Parallax Setting	Parallax Free
Length	5.6 Inches
Weight	7.2oz

Also Read: What Is MOA on a Scope?

Key Features

Let’s dive in. It’s a solid, dependable red dot sight. At the moment, you can get it for cheaper on OpticsPlanet than you can on Vortex’s website, but that could change, so I’d recommend comparing prices on Amazon and OpticsPlanet before purchasing.

Build and Durability (5 out of 5)

Red dots come in two main styles: the tube style (like the StrikeFire II) and what I call the reflex style, but I think it is technically called an “open” reflex style. I generally prefer the open reflex because I mostly only use red dots for handguns and home defense weapons. What this means is that my red dot-equipped firearms only leave the house to go to the range, so I’m not really worried about them getting banged up.

This is one of the biggest advantages of the StrikeFire II, though: it’s tough. Are you going to want to smash it with a hammer? Of course not, but it can take more drops, tumbles, bumps, and other impacts than a lot of other red dots on the market, especially open reflex sights.

Vortex put a lot of thought and consideration into the build of the StrikeFire. It ships with a cantilever mount so you can position it in line with a magnifier and co-witness with iron sights, all at the same time. 

The interior is nitrogen-purged for fog proofing, and O-ring sealed for waterproofing. The entire sight is a single piece with a hard coating on the outside for added durability. All-in-all, it’s a tough sight that should be able to stand up to any kind of normal use.

It’s not little, though. It’s nearly six inches long and three inches high when it’s mounted. That can be a good thing, as it will feel very similar to magnified scopes that you may either want to swap with on the same rifle or keep on other rifles you own.

Why does this matter? Well, if you have one optic at one height and another at a different height, then you have to at least adjust your cheek weld when you swap between them, and probably the position and angle of your head as well. This makes developing muscle memory and acquiring your sight picture harder the more often you switch between sights.

Is this a big deal? Not for me personally, but it might be to you, and if it is, then the StrikeFire II makes sure to address it. 

Also Read: How To Use A Red Dot Scope

Glass and Sight Picture (4 out of 5)

The co-witness is lower ⅓, which is not my personal preference, but it works just as well as absolute since you usually only need co-witness as a back-up if your red dot isn’t functioning for some reason.

As you might expect, the reticle is a simple dot, and the glass is wonderfully clear and bright. You can either get the red-only version that comes with 11 different brightness settings, or you can get a switchable red or green version that comes with ten different brightness settings. Either way, you’ll get good daylight performance either using the green dot or by cranking up the brightness on the red.

Turning up the brightness obviously has implications for battery life, and the CR2 battery that the StrikeFire II takes isn’t the cheapest. Still, this sight does have an auto-off feature to power down in case you forgot to turn it off. I have not personally tested it, but supposedly it’s set to automatically power down 12 hours after being turned on.

The dot is 4-MOA, which I find to be a nice middle-ground between most of the red dots out there. It’s more common to see 2, 3, or 6 MOA options. Smaller dots are nice when you want to shoot out a little farther, but the larger ones make target acquisition much easier. The 4-MOA dot strikes a really nice middle ground.

At 100 yards, your dot only covers about 4 inches of the target, which gives you plenty of precision for most applications, and at ten yards, the dot only covers 2/5 of an inch. That sounds tiny, but it’s easy to see, especially if you switch to the green dot in daylight. 

Reticle (4 out of 5)

This may seem obvious, but I would not choose the StrikeFire II (or any other red dot) if my goal was to shoot out to 100 yards or further. Can you shoot out that far with the StrikeFire? Sure, but if that’s your main purpose, then some scopes are much better designed for that, including other red dots.

The 4-MOA reticle is great for most applications under 100 yards, but even at that distance, it’s covering up enough of your target that if you want anything close to MOA accuracy, you’re kinda just screwed.

If you’re hunting boar out that far, then a lot of times, the lack of magnification and drop in precision and accuracy is worth the increase in field of view and speedy target acquisition, so it completely depends on what you’re using it for and why. 

Low-Light & Night Vision Compatibility (5 out of 5)

The StrikeFire II is going to excel in most situations 50 yards or closer. It can be a great option for duty rifles, not just because of the quick acquisition but because of the strength and durability of the sight. 

Home defense is another great use case for the StrikeFire II if you’re using a long gun as your defensive weapon. The lowest two brightness settings on the red dot are night vision compatible, so you can use this without a flashlight giving away your position if you’re willing to invest in a good night vision device.

The same factors apply if you’re putting it on a ranch rifle or doing pest control on your property: in ultra low-light, you can use this red dot with a night vision device, and if you have a little more light, you get that lightning fast acquisition to take quick shots.

As a general rule, if it’s close-range, or if you don’t need to be more accurate than 4 MOA, the StrikeFire II is a great optic choice.

Warranty (5 out of 5)

I want to take a moment to talk about Vortex’s warranty, which applies to the StrikeFire II as well as all of Vortex’s scopes. Vortex offers an excellent lifetime warranty, and if you want to know how good the company does in honoring it, all you have to do is read some of the reviews.

Vortex is an awesome company and does a fantastic job administering its lifetime warranty.

The firearms optics market is saturated with fly-by-night and knock-off companies that make products that work fine until the slightest thing goes wrong, and then you’re out all your money and just have to buy a new one. Vortex is one of the few companies that go the opposite route: your optic is designed to last you a lifetime, and if it doesn’t, they’ll replace it. 

The warranty alone is a good reason to stick within the Vortex product line, but there are other companies that offer great warranties as well. 

What It’s Good For

• The 4-MOA reticle is good for quick target acquisition.
• It’s compatible with night vision devices, so it’s great for low-light shooting.
• Quick target acquisition, NV compatibility, and 1x magnification make it great for home defense.
• The durability makes it good for a duty weapon.

What It’s Bad For

• The reticle is too big for MOA accuracy.
• The lack of magnification makes distances beyond 100 yards much harder.

Some Alternatives to the Vortex StrikeFire II

In the event that the StrikeFire II isn’t the right fit for your situation, I’ve taken the liberty of putting together a few alternatives that should fill a slightly different niche than the StrikeFire, depending on why you want to look at other products. Here we go.

MidTen 2 MOA 1x25mm Reflex Sight – For Budget (3 out of 5)

First, maybe the StrikeFire is just a little bit too pricey for your liking. This red dot from MidTen could be a good option if that’s the case. You obviously lose out on the Vortex warranty, but considering how cheap this MidTen is, you might be willing to take that risk.

It has 11 brightness settings, but its dot is only 2 MOA compared to the StrikeFire’s 4. This makes the MidTen a better fit for longer distances, but it also makes it not as good for close distances. It will still work fine in most CQB situations, but the only way you’ll know for sure is if you’ve tried a 2-MOA dot with your eyes.

For my eyes, 2 MOA is too small. I can see it fine once I stop moving the rifle, but it’s too difficult to keep track of unless I turn the brightness up a few settings higher than I would with a larger dot. Not a big deal, I suppose, but to each their own.

Vortex Venom Red Dot – For Smaller Footprint (4 out of 5)

So, let’s say you want to stay within the Vortex ecosystem, but like me, you prefer your red dot optics to be as physically tiny as possible. In that case, I would highly recommend the Venom. It comes in either 3 MOA or 6 MOA flavors and is small enough to go on a handgun if that’s what you’re interested in.

It works well on a rifle in all the same situations, but it rides so low that you’ll probably need to give it a little extra height when you mount it.

It’s hard to communicate just how small this is unless you’ve actually seen it. Where the StrikeFire II weighs 7.2 ounces, the Venom only weighs in at 1.1 ounces. 

Having a red dot this small comes with a few drawbacks, and one of the main ones is strength and durability. A lifetime warranty is all well and good, but if you’re planning on taking this out hunting for days or a week at a time in rough conditions, the StrikeFire is going to be the better choice.

Feyachi RS-30 Reflex Sight – For Versatile Sight Picture (3 out of 5)

The Feyachi is a lot cheaper than the StrikeFire, but the main reason to choose the Feyachi (in my opinion) is if you want a little more from your reticle than just a single red dot. One of the best red dot reticles I’ve ever used was a 1-MOA dot with a larger circle around it at something like 30 MOA (I can’t remember the exact specs).

You got the precision and accuracy of the 1-MOA dot when you needed it, along with the quick acquisition that would normally take a much larger dot. 

It mostly comes down to preference, and I’ve been smoked at the range by guys using just a regular red dot, so follow your instincts and choose whichever one seems like it will be the best fit for you.

There are other red dots that offer different reticle options, and you’re welcome to look for them. Feyachi is pretty responsive when there are issues with their optics and, despite some quality control issues, they do a good job keeping customers satisfied when something goes wrong. 

Should I Buy the Vortex StrikeFire II?

Back to the main question at hand: should you buy the StrikeFire II? Short answer: I don’t know.

Now here’s the long answer. When you’re buying firearm optics, there is an almost absurdly wide price range for products that do essentially the same thing. A lot of times, you’re just paying a premium for a brand name, but if you’re paying more, it’s likely also because the optic was manufactured here in the United States, and the company also has a customer service department here in the U.S. as well.

In the case of Vortex, you’re paying for that U.S.-based manufacturing (except for some of their cheaper optics), and you’re also paying for their awesome warranty. Even with those, most of their optics (including the StrikeFire II) are nowhere near the top of the price range. Can you pick up a handful of MidTen red dots for the price of a single StrikeFire II? Yes. 

Should you? Maybe, maybe not. If you’re equipping a rifle for home defense, hunting boar, or for duty and you don’t want to look at an LPVO, then I would say the StrikeFire II is a great choice.

Final Thoughts

At the end of the day, a lot of this comes down to personal preference. For example, I love the 4-MOA dot for the reasons I explained above, but a lot of people prefer a 2-MOA or 6-MOA dot. I prefer the open reflex style to the tube-style red dots, but there are valid reasons why someone might disagree with that. 
If you’re buying your first red dot, see if you have any buddies that already have some so you can test out a few different ones to see what you like best. If and when you’re ready to pull the trigger on the StrikeFire II, you can do so here.