Element optics vs Vortex

[Mr.H]

Mr.H,
I am peeking at the Tract options because of your post. The Toric 2.5-15x44 FFP with the illuminated Mil reticle has a good deal of what I am looking for, including length and weight, focusing down to 10 yards, and price. Additionally, the website says it has Schott glass, is made in Japan, and the warranty looks very good from here.
I have heard about Tract but never really took this company seriously. Would you hazard a guess as to why Tract is not spoken of more? For every time I have heard Tract mentioned, I have heard other companies talked about multiplied dozens of times. Thanks. S7

Edit: And to keep the OP's concerns in mind better, there are higher magnifications available, at least 25x, according to my cursory look.

They aren’t sold in stores. They sell direct to the consumer, just like SWFA and Maven.

So marketing is a strong persuader when a shooter walks into Cabelas/Bass Pro/Academy/Etc….whats being promoted? Mostly Vortex and Leupold. When you examine your end cost, some of that money goes to the retailer, another portion goes to the distributor, and another portion goes to the manufacturer, who pays a marketing company to advertise their scopes. So, my question to you is your $1500 scope from some marketed scope company equal in quality to another unit sold direct to the consumer without all the intermediary mark-ups?

 

[Sanctify7]

They aren’t sold in stores. They sell direct to the consumer, just like SWFA and Maven.

So marketing is a strong persuader when a shooter walks into Cabelas/Bass Pro/Academy/Etc….whats being promoted? Mostly Vortex and Leupold. When you examine your end cost, some of that money goes to the retailer, another portion goes to the distributor, and another portion goes to the manufacturer, who pays a marketing company to advertise their scopes. So, my question to you is your $1500 scope from some marketed scope company equal in quality to another unit sold direct to the consumer without all the intermediary mark-ups?

I will bear this response in mind. S7

 

[Mr.H]

One other thing, I’ve looked thru several high end scopes (a buddy owns several Kahles and Vortexs). And I own a pretty nice Niteforce on my deer rifle. My next scope will be a Tract, better glass and IQ than what Ive looked thru in the past

Tract has an Amazon store. They offer free returns if you dont like it (just make sure you dont mount it )

 

[Sanctify7]

One other thing, I’ve looked thru several high end scopes (a buddy owns several Kahles and Vortexs). And I own a pretty nice Niteforce on my deer rifle. My next scope will be a Tract, better glass and IQ than what Ive looked thru in the past

Tract has an Amazon store. They offer free returns if you dont like it (just make sure you dont mount it )

Thank you. I will bear all this in mind. S7

 

[archerhmr]

I used to own Vortex. But when in the field. Tan to brown grass and light grey to dark grey squirrel, wow they were tough for me to see. Now for me my leupolds, Hawke and Element scope the squirrels were much easier to see.
So whatever coatings that Vortex was using, was not good with my eyes and the targets I was pursuing. Others did not have the same issue that I was having. I just found it interesting.

 

[NorthernBallistics]

1. China: Many of Vortex's entry-level and mid-range scopes, like the Crossfire II and Diamondback series, are typically manufactured in China. These scopes offer a balance of quality and affordability.
   
   
2. Philippines: Some of the mid-tier scopes, including certain models of the Viper series, are produced in the Philippines. The manufacturing in the Philippines is known for its good quality control and cost-effective production.
   
   
3. Japan: The higher-end lines, such as the Razor HD series, are often made in Japan. Japanese manufacturing is renowned for its precision and quality, making these scopes popular among enthusiasts and professionals.
   
   
4. United States: Vortex has some scopes and optics components that are assembled in the USA, though many of the parts may be sourced globally. These scopes often fall under their premium lines.

 

[LDP]

I used to own Vortex. But when in the field. Tan to brown grass and light grey to dark grey squirrel, wow they were tough for me to see. Now for me my leupolds, Hawke and Element scope the squirrels were much easier to see.
So whatever coatings that Vortex was using, was not good with my eyes and the targets I was pursuing. Others did not have the same issue that I was having. I just found it interesting.

Which vortex? Votex has a large difference from very cheap to higher end and it will make a huge difference in clarity and overall quality.


To the OP I have a leupold mark5 and multiple other leupold scopes including their target models. I have used lots of higher end optics and I have a gen2 vortex razor on one of my FX impacts. My other Impact has the vortex golden eagle hd15-60. The golden eagle is very clear and sharp and stands next to those other scopes no problem. I know the next question will be is it actually usable at 60 power tho? Yes it is good at 60 power. It should fit the needs you have for seeing tiny things at longer range.

 

[archerhmr]

I do not remember the exact model, but it was a razor series scope. Loved the scope, but in the field I just could not see the squirrels. I used to work in a shop that carried Swarovski products. Every year went to Swarovski class. Learned a lot at these classes. The one thing that most of us do incorrectly is just purchase because of a name. Just because someone says brand A is best, brand B might look better to someone else. We all have different eyes and we all see things slightly differently and this includes optics. What is a shame is that most stores do not carry 3 top end optics and have a place for a consumer to try them. Again broad daylight is not the best time to compare. And it goes on………

 

[LDP]

I do not remember the exact model, but it was a razor series scope. Loved the scope, but in the field I just could not see the squirrels. I used to work in a shop that carried Swarovski products. Every year went to Swarovski class. Learned a lot at these classes. The one thing that most of us do incorrectly is just purchase because of a name. Just because someone says brand A is best, brand B might look better to someone else. We all have different eyes and we all see things slightly differently and this includes optics. What is a shame is that most stores do not carry 3 top end optics and have a place for a consumer to try them. Again broad daylight is not the best time to compare. And it goes on………

Yes very true. I might think scope A looks clearer and has better depth and color than scope B. You might think scope B looks better. I cant tell someone else which scope will be the best scope optically for them only which one looks best to me. You can say which scopes or models are best mechanically for the most part but theres still some opinion based info even with that.

When I look thru my leupold mark5, razor gen2 and vortex golden eagle side by side on the bench. The mark5 and golden eagle look better than the razor gen2. The golden eagle has impressed me allot. With the amount of magnification that scope has its very clear and bright even at 60x. Comparing it to leupold fixed power target scopes that are 35x and 45x the golden eagle beats them pretty easily to my eyes. Its a very solid scope and should be looked at by anyone wanting very high magnification and very fine reticle.

 

[Ta-Ta Toothie]

If your able, get to a local gun shop and look through a few of them.