Travis Olander 03.02.23
It’s 2023. Machining aluminum and grinding glass isn’t as troublesome for scope makers because it was 10 or 20 years in the past. That means you may usually get a good rifle scope for beneath $1,000. What about monitoring, readability, recoil administration, the power to carry a zero, beneficiant eye reduction, and tactile turrets? This author has put his taking pictures eye behind “cheap” Bushnell and Riton glass, costly U.S. Optics and Zeiss tubes, and all the things in between. It’s my opinion that, even in 2023, the Vortex Diamondback Tactical collection of riflescopes present arguably the perfect glass, turrets, and monitoring at or beneath the $500 zone. We’re taking a better take a look at the costliest choice within the Diamondback collection – the Diamondback Tactical 6-24x50mm FFP – which sports activities an “EBR” reticle geared up with grid-style sub-tensions. I snagged this variant at $450 on the nostril to complete off a 6.5 Grendel construct.
Vortex Diamondback Tactical 6-24x50mm FFP
The Diamondback is shipped properly sufficient. You’ll get a sunshade and fundamental directions for utilizing the reticle, turrets, parallax, and focus.
The solely issues lacking are correct flip-up lens covers. Vortex in all probability caught with a budget lens bra to maintain prices down.
You’ll discover your optic’s serial quantity beneath the turret housing. The lil’ “USA” textual content is a tad deceptive. Vortex manufactures their optics in China. Yes, abroad optics can get a nasty rap, however Vortex offers one helluva guarantee on these optics. Lifetime “no conditions” protection offers a free restore or alternative scope if yours is broken throughout common use – the one factor Vortex in all probability received’t cowl is utilizing your scope as a membership. I’ve used the guarantee as soon as earlier than; Vortex took my busted Viper PST and despatched a alternative out once I began getting some fog within the lenses.
The anodizing on the scope is great. Nice, clean, with a constant satin look. The anodizing on the sunshade matches up properly with the remainder of the scope.
The ocular lens is crisp and clear. Eye reduction is marketed as about 3.9 inches, and that’s usually correct. Relief is reasonably forgiving at low and medium energy. You’ll have to dial in your cheek weld and sight image to maintain issues constant at 24x. Surprisingly, the Diamondback Tactical total beats out my Sightron SIII (which ran about $1,000) on eye reduction.
The diopter feels stable and clean. It stayed put beneath recoil and customarily takes a stable grip to regulate. The knurling is a pleasant contact and the main focus is according to a reasonably broad vary for these of you with a prescription.
On the enterprise finish, the target lens is great. Vortex advertises this as their “XD Glass,” and the moniker holds as much as the efficiency.
From 6x (left) to 24x (proper) there’s no lack of brightness or distinction in common daylight. No fish-eye or chromatic aberrations with good colour and readability throughout all magnification. Dusk and nighttime efficiency isn’t going to knock your socks off in comparison with, say, a $3,500 Nightforce, but it surely will get the job performed in case you’re pushing towards sundown on a hunt.
The FFP reticle is tremendous crisp, too. It’s troublesome to make out the grid sub-tensions in these handheld pictures, however in-person, they’re fairly readable and straightforward to make use of. Walking the field, the MOA windage and elevation and return-to-center are useless on with correct monitoring in all instructions.
Parallax capabilities as marketed, with the identical stable, tight however clean rotation as the main focus ring. All markings are crisp and vivid, and the knurling offers good grip with out digging into your digits.
The similar holds true for the goal turrets. Unfortunately, there isn’t a mechanical zero cease, however the turrets are zero-resettable when you’ve dialed all the things in – and also you in all probability received’t end up needing to make many changes given the superior EBR reticle and FFP motion. As far as tactility and total “clicky feels” are involved, these turrets are satisfactory. They’re not as stable, loud, and crisp because the goal turrets on my Sightron – or different $1,000+ scopes I’ve had the pleasure of dialing in – however they’re stable and springy sufficient to offer audible and felt suggestions whenever you’re bumping up, down, left or proper.
Getting to your most well-liked magnification is ok. Nothing a lot to put in writing about aside from the magazine ring feels silky clean and stable, too. There is a small, flathead screw sunk into the knurling which, I think about, is holding a seat heat in case you pony up some additional money for Vortex’s “Switchview” wrap-around throw lever. It’s not precisely low-cost, although: At $80 and specializing in finances, I’ll keep on with the usual ring.
Vortex Diamondback: What’s Not to Like?
At round $500, there’s gotta be a foible or fault, proper? Well, honestly, the Diamondback has been spectacular, no matter worth. It offers a sight image that I confidently examine to costlier glass. FFP (First Focal Plane) scopes are typically pricier, however the Diamondback doesn’t minimize corners on the subject of its reticle and changes.
I want the turrets had higher suggestions. That’s my largest gripe with this scope, however the turrets nonetheless get the job performed and the windage and elevation changes carry out precisely from heart to limits. I’d additionally wish to see Vortex problem costlier choices by throwing a correct zero cease onto the turrets – the zero reset is sweet, however I choose a mechanical lock.
Overall, these two complaints decide on “nice-to-have” trivia. For a bench resting 6.5mm construct – and customarily any bench or bolt gun being pushed previous 500 meters – the Diamondback Tactical is a wonderful, finances manner for shooters to get into the world of extra superior holdovers and FFP focusing on. The Diamondback offers a pleasant solution to preserve prices down with out sacrificing efficiency, so you should buy some costly brass and bullets for these hand masses.
