Every year Vortex comes out with cutting edge new products or revamped old products that keep putting the shooting sport industry clamoring for more.   The new Viper HS 1X4X24 is another one of those great products.  Whether you are an AR style shooter or looking to top your big bore magnum dangerous game gun with some great glass, look no further.

This scope is built for durability.  It is a one piece 30mm tube which provides for more adjustability than your standard one inch tube.  This does prove to be a little problematic when it comes to finding rings, but it is well worth the headache. The 1 to 4 power is ideal for your close quarter AR platforms, but we mounted this scope on a dangerous game gun for an upcoming brown bear hunt.  There are several options that make this scope super appealing for a dangerous game scope.  The primary reason is that it has a generous four inches of eye relief and with most big bore rifles that pack a punch, we want to be as far away from the scope as possible.   The other reason this scope is so ideal is the illuminated reticle.  Vortex refers to this reticle as a TMCQ Illiminated reticle which stands for Tactical Mill Close Quarters.  It has ten intensity levels of illumination and even on the brightest of days, the upper levels will give you a very bright reticle.  The two MOA target dot insures pinpoint accuracy. The 24 mm objective tube will allow you to use medium height mounts for most big bore guns which is just what you want for the best accuracy.  The standards that we have gotten used to with the quality Vortex optics is the same here which consists of ArmorTek ultra hard scratch resistant coatings on your exterior lenses to provide years of great usage.  Hard anodized black matte finish which reduces glare greatly.  Argon gas filled tube to eliminate internal fogging during temperature changes.  Internal locking rings to keep everything aligned and on track after countless rounds of heavy recoil.  This scope is just a hair under ten inches and weighs just 14.6 ounces making it a great addition to any gun.  The one thing that you will find unique about this setup is that it has 24 MOA in one complete rotation of the adjustment turret.  This means for each click of adjustment, you will move 1/2 inch at 100 yards or 1 inch at 200 yards.  This didn’t pose any problems with sighting in our big bore which has a max range of about 300 yards, and has done well at distances out to 1,000 yards.

Overall, this scope has performed extremely well and has taken a beating from the .416 with absolutely no failures.  We would recommend this scope for any of the AR platform rifles and especially dangerous game rifles.  The ample eye relief is comforting when you pull down on your target.