There are a lot of budget red dot sight scopes out there. First let’s check out Vortex Strikefire 2 Review.
Now, you must be wondering about the difference between the Strikefire 1 and this new range. Well. let me tell you that this model is a little different but you still get the same quality, same size dot, and the Vortex VIP warranty which is really hard to beat.
If you’ve been a frequent reader then you probably have noticed the amount of Vortex scopes that I have reviewed over the past couple of weeks. It is safe to say that I really like the brand. They have consistently kept to their promises and delivered on every occasion. There are a lot of brands out there and a lot f scopes in different ranges but it all boils down to getting that perfect balance between budget and quality and making sure that your customer gets the best of both worlds.
Vortex has managed to achieve that balance and has been killing its competition. What started off as a small husband-wife owned company, has now expanded into a global brand with over 200 employees and loyal customers all over the world. I guess, they are a testament to the fact that if you make your customers happy they will make you successful.
Vortex StrikeFire 2 Review
In this review, we will be delving into the features of the Strikefire II riflescope.
Optics
Let’s get into the optics first. The Vortex Strikefire ii falls under the category of red dot sights. The red dot in itself is very precise and well pronounced. You also get to transition from red green dot. The green dot is easier to see through, use and picks up targets quicker. However, it all comes down to your preferences. Both the coloured dots are 4 MOA.
This may be a little bigger for some of you bit once you use the Strikefire 2, you will see that it does not hamper your aim. The red green dot demand quick, split-second target acquisition. All the features of the scope work in symphony to provide that.
Looking through the glass, it is really good, high quality and gives you a crisp image. You get a lot of picture in your glass which is great. The lens is coated with anti-reflective substance, making it brighter, more durable. One thing I like in my fixed magnification red dot sights is for them to be anti-glare or cut out as much reflection as possible while keeping the edges clean.
The Strikefire ii does that. Since, the scope is non illuminated it has other features that make up for it. For instance, the 10 brightness levels for you to choose from.
The scope is night vision compatible because of these brightness settings. When it is very bright outside, you can turn it down to a 2 or a 1 and easily take your targets and if itis dark, you can brighten it up to a 9 or a 10. The reticle quality in both colours is pretty outstanding. You also get an unlimited, non-critical eye relief which is great. You also got a larger field of view as opposed to the Vortex Strikefire i.
Magnification & Range
The Vortex Strikefire 2 is a true 1x scope. Yes, it is a fixed magnification scope but you can always attach a magnification to it. The range of the scope is from 10 yards to about 200 yards. The scope holds aim well and was designed for quick target acquisition, so that is something, you do not have to worry about. Moreover, the Vortex Strikefire 2 red dot scope is really easy to use, bring it up to the eye and shoot. You can also shoot with both eyes open and it’ll work just as well.
Adjustments
Right off the bat, you will notice the buttons on the outside. You’re going to see two of them: arrow up and arrow down. If you press the arrow up for a second, the dot on the reticle will become visible. Now, this is a 4 MOA dot. A little bigger than other dots but it’s not a con. The dot still has the same functionality.
Like I said before, you also get dot color options: a red dot and a green dot. Going back to the buttons, the up arrow will also make the dot brighter whereas the down arrow will make it dimmer. Just hold down on the down arrow to change the dot color from red to green or vice versa.
Your elevation and windage turrets are really nice, Simply screw the cap off and there you have it! You can also use the cap as your adjustment tool. It sits right down in the groove and you can make adjustments. In this way, you can make adjustments when you are sighting in your dot. The adjustment click value is ay a decent 0.5 MOA. The maximum windage and elevation adjustments are 100 MOA. The scope is parallax free, so you have virtually nothing to worry about.
User Friendliness
It is without a question that Vortex is known for its durability and rightly so. The brand has always shown up in this category and expressed its superiority. Hundreds of customers have attested to the durability of this product. So what makes it so strong?
The Vortex Strikefire 2 has a 30 mm tube made out of a single slab of aircraft-grade aluminum. The tube is filled with nitrogen gas and the outer body is hard anodized and multicoated with paint. The adjustments have O ring seals, protecting the insides. The Strikefire ii has a beautiful matte black finish and weighs a whopping 7.2 ounces only. Now, it goes without saying that it is fog proof, waterproof and the paint makes it pretty scratch resistant.
Talking about the optics, the scope is a red dot sight with an option of a green dot as well. So you can switch between the colours with just some easy clicks. The colour change option is particularly great because it accommodates for all light conditions, considering that the strike fire ii is not illuminated.
Although the Vortex Strikefire ii has a 30 mm objective lens and 10 brightness settings, which make up for the lack of illumination. The glass quality is pretty good and gives you a crisp image. The 4 MOA red and the green dot is pretty sufficient for all your shooting needs. The optic is a true 1x scope. That means, that this is a fixed variable scope. Some might find this as a shortcoming of such a good device but you can opt to attach a magnifier.
The scope uses a single CR2 battery and gives you an average battery life of 80,000 hours on brightness level 6. The device is a small red dot sight with a total body length of only 5.6 inches. It is indeed a pretty small scope and would probably still fulfil all your tactical needs. The Strikefire ii is also night vision compatible, this is one thing that you may not find in a lot of true one x red dot sight scopes.
Moreover, the scope is very easy to use. Finally, we come to what I would consider, one of the biggest selling points for this product: the Vortex VIP lifetime warranty. Covers all your scope related issues, damage to defects. You do not need any receipts or slips for this. Fully transferable if you ever decide to sell the Vortex Strikefire ii red dot sight. But, I raise the question, Why would you sell such a brilliant optic?
Compatibility
The scope ships with a Cantilever mount. This mount pushes your optic a little further in front so you can run a rear sight behind it. You get a lower 1/3rd co-witness on this mount which is preferred by most. The mount in itself is very sturdy. It goes on easy and stays put. You can mount this scope on a variety of AK rifles and AR rifles. The scope is also night vision compatible. You can also add a magnification to it, if you like. Overall, the scope gives you great performance, with or without any additional fittings.
Pros
Cons
FAQs
Is Vortex Strikefire 2 parallax-free?
Figuratively, yes. Red dot sights will invariably have some amount of parallax. But this small, negligible amount is considered as “parallax free”. It does not impact or negatively affect your performance.
Where is the Vortex Strikefire 2 made?
The scope is designed and engineered in the USA and manufactured in Japan.
Are there any considerable differences between the Vortex Strikfire 1 and the Strikefire 2?
No. Like I outlined in my review, although they aren’t the same, the differences are not paramount. The quality and build of the product is pretty much consistent. The Strikefire2 has certain upgraded and revamped features which make your experience better.
Conclusion
We have finally reached the end of this review. I am sure you already have an idea of the scope. Maybe some of you have already made up your mind to make this purchase, if so, check out amazon for the most affordable deals on this affordable scope. Now, this is probably not as good as an EOTECH but it is pretty good, nevertheless. Do check out the one year performance of Vortex Strikefire II here.
Do check out our in-depth review on Vortex Strike Eagle, you might like it.
The Strikefire 2 is definitely better than a lot of other low budget optics out there. It is not the most fancy of the red dot sights or the most durable one in the world but it definitely, gets the job done. If you don’t want to break the bank, this one’s for you!