Vortex Viper VS Crossfire II: Which Scope Is Better For You?

Vortex Viper and Vortex Crossfire II are cheap entry-level scopes from Vortex that may be used on pistols and long guns. Even though the Vortex Viper isn’t SHTF quality, where you rely on it for your family and life, it might serve you well on range firearms where the stakes aren’t as high, and the money is more important.

And while the Crossfire II is not a high-end rifle scope, it is one of Vortex’s most popular budget rifle scopes with a decent reputation. And it will most likely serve you well on a range gun and in a variety of hunting situations.

The Differences Between Vortex Viper vs. CrossFire II:

Firearms optics have gotten easier and less expensive to make as optics manufacturing technology has advanced. Many overseas firms learn how to produce high-quality optics at a reasonable cost. Prices for these optics are highly likely to fall, while quality and capabilities will grow. It’s an exciting moment to be a gun owner!

Furthermore, optics sold in the United States have the finest warranties available. Many prominent brand brands provide transferrable lifetime warranties that even “death won’t do us part.” Few other sectors have this level of product coverage.

Model	Vortex Viper	CrossFire II
Length	13.7″	13.5″
Magnification	4 to 16x	6 to 18x
Objective Lens Diameter	50 mm	44 mm
Reticle type	Dead-Hold BDC Reticle	V-Brite Reticle
Weight	624 g	555 g
Waterproof	Yes	Yes

Detailed comparisons between Sig Romeo 5 vs. CrossFire II:

Weight, size & Build: 

Vortex Viper: The Vortex viper is made of a single piece of aluminum, making it lightweight and durable. The exterior of these red dot sights has a matte black anodized coating.

Furthermore, the lenses are multi-coated with an anti-reflective coating, which aids in light transmission for a better viewing experience.

The Vortex Viper is simple and designed to endure recoil and impact forces. These reflex sights’ design and quality suit pistol, shotgun, carbine, and rifles used in any setting.

CrossFire II: The Vortex Crossfire II is tough enough for most hunting and range shooting applications. This scope is a long-lasting micro red dot sight. First, the sight housing is built Of high-quality aluminum and has an anodized finish to protect it from the weather.

Furthermore, the sight housing is constructed around the windage and elevation turrets.

This is crucial because it prevents them from being accidentally snapped off, which may happen with some red dot sights on the market. The Crossfire II is also waterproof and o-ring sealed, so you’ll be OK in rainy, snowy, or damp weather.

Battery life: 

Vortex Viper: The battery life of the Viper is 150 hours on the highest brightness level and 30k hours on the lowest setting. A CR 2032 lithium coin battery powers the Vortex Viper. The Vortex Venom will have an easy time removing batteries. Because you don’t have to remove the sight to replace the battery, you don’t have to re-zero the optic after every battery replacement.

CrossFire II:  The Vortex Crossfire is powered by a single CR2032 battery, which can power the sight for 7,000 hours on a medium brightness level.

To be honest, that’s not the best battery life I’ve seen on a tiny red dot sight, but it’s not bad for the price. The control dial on this sight makes turning it on and off relatively simple, and I believe the battery life will be more than adequate for you as long as you don’t forget to switch off your optic when not in use.

The Crossfire now offers 11 brightness levels. The medium and high brightness settings are promising even on a bright day, and I don’t believe you’ll have any trouble seeing the reticle.

Lens and Reticle:

Vortex Viper: A red light-emitting diode illuminates the Vortex viper optics (LED). The Viper is only available in a 6 MOA configuration. Dot size is a personal preference. However, a larger dot is better suited for close-quarters encounters, more prevalent with a handgun. The controls for the optics are conveniently located on the side and are simple to use. You may switch the optics off/on and alter the reticle brightness settings. The Viper has ten reticle brightness adjustments to accommodate a broad range of lighting situations.

CrossFire II: The Vortex Crossfire’s lens clarity is excellent. The lens is relatively straightforward when viewed via the optic, with no blue or greenish tinge that some other red dot sights on the market have. The Crossfire’s reticle is a basic 2 MOA (Minute Of Angle) dot. I like a 2 MOA dot on a red dot sight for a few reasons. 

First and foremost, I enjoy how fast and straightforward it is to pick up (with your eye), which is useful when you need to make a quick shot at multiple targets up close.

Second, a 2 MOA dot is tiny enough to let you precisely aim at small objects in the distance.

So it’s quick and accurate, which is exactly what you want from an optic, and I think Vortex made a wise decision to go with a 2 MOA dot reticle rather than a more significant 4 or 6 MOA reticle.

Vortex Viper vs. CrossFire II: overall performance

Even while there are some affordable small red dot choices on the market, most of them aren’t even range gun quality and will break down with time. However, the Vortex Viper isn’t that much more expensive. When you consider its lifetime guarantee, you can conclude that the Viper is one of the finest deals in the budget tiny red dot category.

Furthermore, the Vortex Viper is a best-selling small red dot with overwhelmingly good feedback. Even while some affordable small red dot choices are on the market, most of them aren’t even range gun quality and will break down with time. However, the Vortex Viper isn’t that much more expensive. When you consider its lifetime guarantee, you can conclude that the Viper is one of the finest deals in the budget tiny red dot category. Vortex Viper is a best-selling small red dot with overwhelmingly good feedback. 

Rifle scope quality has risen dramatically as optical technology has advanced. A $150 rifle sight now may compete with, and even outperform, $300 scopes from 20 years ago. The Vortex Crossfire II is no match for the Leupold VX-3i or the Nikon Monarch. However, it may get the job done effectively for hunting and range shooting while not breaking the budget. The Vortex Crossfire II, being a cheap scope with useable quality, has become one of the affordable optics with overwhelmingly good ratings.

Pros and Cons of Vortex Viper:

Pros:

• Lightweight and compact design
• Can be installed low.
• The dot that is sharp and brilliant
• Vortex provides an excellent lifetime warranty.

Cons:

• To change batteries, the mount must be removed.
• Only the six red dot MOA option is available.
• Not SHTF tough

Pros and Cons of CrossFire II:

Pros:

• A low-cost BDC with an illuminated reticle
• With Zero reprogrammable turrets
• Vortex offers a lifetime transferrable warranty.

Cons:

• High magnification glass is insufficient.
• On high magnification, the eye box is unforgiving.
• Poor light transmission, particularly in low light.
• Turrets are challenging to track.

Final Verdict

The Viper has comparable glass and dot brightness as the Vortex Venom. The downside of the Viper is its battery compartment design, which is located at the bottom and needs unmounting to change batteries. The Viper lacks the auto-brightness function that the Venom possesses. However, the Vortex Viper may be positioned somewhat lower and is less expensive. The Vortex Crossfire II is a good scope for the money. However, if you could spare just a little more ($25-$50), the Vortex Diamondback would be superior.

Vortex Venom is an excellent alternative if you don’t mind the slightly higher price and higher mounting.