Vortex PST Gen II 3-15 Review
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- Опубликовано: 16 дек 2019
- In a quest to build a lightweight rifle that would be suited to long range competition and hunting, I tried out a Vortex Optics PST Gen II in 3-15 power on a Christensen Arms MPR rifle. I have been shooting this combination for about 6 months and have competed in multiple matches, shot out to 1280 yards and harvested a mule deer with it. In this review I talk about why I really like this scope overall for hunting and long range shooting and competition and a few things that could be improved upon. Let me know in the comments below if you have experience with the PST Gen II and what you think about it.
Vortex PST Gen II on Brownells: bit.ly/2EqRBR3
Vortex 30mm medium height rings: bit.ly/35vYOec
AI AT Chassis at Hile High Shooting: bit.ly/47yabTC
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Wow, thanks, this review was excellent! You helped me a great deal with a number of subjects. Great content delivered objectively and backed by experience. Exactly was I was looking for. I subscribed and will definitely be back to watch more videos.
Thanks for watching and for the feedback!
Best video out there on this scope, helped me decide on getting one. Thanks!
I’m glad it helped, thanks for watching!
Thanks for the review. Will be purchasing within the month!
Glad it helped, thanks for watching!
Good review. Thorough, no bull, and enough of your opinion to help make a judgment. Subbed.
Thank you, I'm glad it was helpful!
I’ve had one of these scopes for a while & agree with all your comments. Gr8 review thanks.
Thanks for watching!
Excellent review. Good balance of pro vs cons
Thanks for watching!
It is a great and helpful review, nice job!
Glad it helped, thanks for watching!
Great Review! Thanks!
Thanks for watching!
I have this same scope on an airrifle in Holland. I am very satisfied overall. Good scope for the money.
Glad to hear it is working for you!
I'm thinking of putting this on an 18" AR-10 for a DMR build with an offset closer range aiming system. I appreciate the thorough and helpful review!
I’m glad it helped, thanks for watching!
I have a PST Gen I and the same PST Gen II 3-5x44 and I was absolutely blown away at how much better the FOV is on the Gen II’s. I actually bought the Gen I after the Gen II and I wish I would just spent a bit more and got another Gen II instead.
Vortex made a huge leap in quality and features in the Gen II PST. The first one was on the level of okay, the Gen II is a great scope for the price.
How strange, I have the MPR in 6.5 PRC, a SiCo Hybrid 46, and a Vortex 3-15 PST G II all on order and was just searching the net for feedback and boom, you've got my setup. Only difference is mine is the desert brown chassis. Thanks for the videos!
Sounds like you have great taste! I would have picked up a desert brown version if they were available when I bought mine.
Great review. Thorough, relevant, and to the point! I think we all just need to lobby vortex into producing some of the Viper line in bronze. I want that bronze MPR with a bronze scope on it, but not for $2k extra! :-)
That would be pretty sweet, I wanted the brown MPR, but couldn't find one in stock at the time I bought mine. I could definitely go for a lightweight Vortex scope that matches.
Just bought a tikka t3x .300 win mag for hunting in Colorado. Great video and very helpful. Definitely looking into buying this!
Thanks for watching, the PST II would serve that rifle well.
Hey funny enough I'm looking at that exact setup. Do you have any updates on how you like the setup (if u ended up getting this scope)?
@@AdventureColorado Great Review! Will put this scope on LMT for long range target shooting
Thank you for the review. You answered a lot of questions that I have related to this scope. I am looking at it as a possible choice for a new AR15 6mm ARC build. I have a 5-25 PST, but for some of the reasons you have pointed out, feel that a 5--25 is just too much scope for how a general purpose rifle will be used. Again thank you.
I'm glad it was helpful, thanks for watching!
This goes on my shooting equipment wish list (actually it is already on for like a month).
It's a great scope for the money!
Great review.
Thanks for watching!
Great content!
Thanks for watching!
Its ironic that your shooting a MPR when I came here to see what you had to say about the PST. I have a MPR in 6.5 CM and ordered the Christensen Ranger .22lr for a shorter range trainer as a .22 is similar ballistically at 300 yds to a 6.5 CM at 1000 yds....so says my Streylok pro...lol. Anyhow I want to throw the PST on the .22 and was glad to hear you thought it would make a good .22 trainer scope. I'm running a Steiner t5xi 5-25×56 on the MPR. Thanks for this video.
Glad the video helped out! I just bought a Bergara 22 lr barreled action that matches the Remington 700 action footprint. It will be my trainer and I’ll be posting some videos of it as well.
@@AdventureColorado right on, I'll be looking forward to that. I like Bergaras as well!
I am a new competition shooter and this video helped me make my mind up about the scope. I just bought it! I will be shooting in a British Civilian Service Rifle competition using a Remington 700.. I also intend to do some shooting with a repeating rifle (Marlin 1892 or Henry Repeater). It would be helpful to know what kind of scope or holographic sight you think is best for this kind of rifle at sub-50 yard ranges. Also, what are the pros/cons of First Focal Plane versus Second Focal Plane.
I'm certain you will be very very happy with it. And Vortex ( I have experience ) CS is top notch. Best of luck in comps!
Awesome review thanks. I'm searching hard for a scope for my springfield saint 308 for a gas gun match that only goes to 700 yards. Do you think this scope is the best bang for the buck out of the Vortex line for that application?
Absolutely, you could potentially go with one of the lower end Vortex scopes, but the PST II will have better glass and will last.
I have two Viper PST 3-15 SFP and FFP; FFP just received, it was on sale beating out the local price of $900 by $300.
Nice! I just bought a 5-25 FFP version of the scope to put on a 6.5 PRC.
Dang. Where in Colorado are you?! I would DIE to come shoot with you. I just bought this scope today and I’m about to slap it on my .375!
I'm near Bailey. What .375 are you shooting?
Great review, you have some good info. I have an AR 308, would you consider using this scope on an AR 308 ?
Definitely, it would be a good option.
Great review! I'm new to precision shooting...I recently won a Savage Axis II Precision in 6.5 Creedmoor. I need to pick a scope and bipod. There are some great sales going on right now for both the Vortex Viper PST Gen II 3-15x44 ($599) and 5-25. Here in Maryland not a lot of long range options so I'm leaning towards the 3-15 but not sure if the 5-25 will just be overkill or not. No hunting just target shooting for fun, probably won't do any competition either. I'd like to stay in the $600 range, what do you recommend? Also do you have a bipod recommendation as well? I've been looking at the Magpul MAG933-BLK for M-Lok.
Thanks, Scott
Overall you will be just fine with the 3-15 range and it will help you keep the reticle on target through recoil. Now, if you are only shooting targets and you want to have the center of the target as large as possible, 5-25 would work. There are a lot of shooters that want as much magnification as possible.
Thanks for the reply. I did mention not really long range options here in MD but I forgot to mention...I probably won't shoot over 500 yards, most likely in the 200-300 yard range.
@@scottdenny5274 even at those distances, 3-15 will work just fine. 5-25 does give you a closer view of the target if you are really want to focus on precision.
Thank you for your help!
What about of 3x or low magnification, the reticle is good visible? i have see Brownells MPO with double line reticle feature is really nice.
The reticle is going to appear much smaller on 3X, I find it still easy to use, but I have good vision. I have had several older shooters use the scope that think that it is difficult to see and to use the various hash marks on 3X.
Thanks for sharing this video, do the Hash marks line up perfectly, would this scope be suitable for a 17HMR shooting Rabbits up to 150-200 Yards.
The hash marks are MIL based on this scope, so they line up as half or full MIL marks. You could use it to range 17 HMR, but you would have to plug the numbers into a ballistic calculator to determine what the drop is for the round you are using. It's pretty easy to do with an app like Hornady's 4DOF.
Using MILs or MOA measurements instead of a reticle designed for a specific round will give you a lot more flexibility in the long run.
AdventureColorado Thanks for this info
You're welcome, thanks for watching!
Would you still recommend this scope? I am looking to upgrade my optics and this scope has been on my short list with the Burris XTR.
Absolutely, I’m still happy with this on my Christensen Arms MPR in 6.5 Creedmoor.
Just got the same rifle!! About to shop the scope, what rings did you used?
I used medium height Vortex Precision Matched rings.
@@AdventureColorado Thanks
No problem, good luck!
@@AdventureColorado I just watched your video for the second time and seems i wasn't paying attention the first time, you mentioned the ring type! Got my scope this afternoon and can't wait to set it up. Thanks for your review!!
No problem, happy to help!
Good review...But I'm new to scopes and I have quick question, if you don't mind?
Why have adjustable turrets to dial in the range?
Isn't the whole point of having the holdover marks on your recticle, so you can use them to do bullet drop/windage adjustments instead?
In general, I find that the turrets are much more precise when you are able to dial exactly to the correct value, rather than holding in between lines on the reticle. Having said that, the reticle can be faster, so many shooters will use one or the other depending on their need. I typically dial the elevation when I have the time, then use the reticle to hold for wind. The wind value changes more rapidly, so it I find it more useful to use the reticle, rather than getting stuck on a certain amount of windage dialed in.
@@AdventureColorado Thank you for the explanation...so basically this is just an extra feature, so you can use either or, according to your prefference?
I'm assuming that after you physically dial it in via the turret, you are of course using the centre of the recticle at whatever distance you are dialed for, without further trying to compensate via recticle....correct?
Also...I'm still rather confused about the side paralax adjustement...some reffer to it as "side focus", but from what I understand, paralax is about allignement....so does it actually focus the immage to be crisper, or does it allign the immage so the recticle doesn't appear to be moving at that distance, should you move your head.
And one more question if you don't mind?
Say a scope has a "50 yards to infinity" parallax adjusting setting feature...does that mean that everything after 50 yards has no parallax issues?
If that is the case, why not just make "0 to infinity" setting and eliminate the paralax problem completelly?
Sorry about all the questions, but I can't find answers to them anywhere and you seem pretty knowledgeable.
So the reticle and turrets give you multiple options for adjusting your drop, another great use of a Christmas tree style reticle is using those markings to measure targets or the location of a miss. You are correct about dialing the elevation and then using the center point as your aiming point. Since I dial for elevation and then hold for wind I will use the center cross hair for elevation and then hold left or right along the horizontal crosshair bar to compensate for my windage.
You are also on the right track for the idea of parallax, it is not a "focus," but rather adjusting the focal plane of the reticle to the target so that if your head is out of alignment, the reticle shouldn't move on the target. In general, turning it so that the yardage indicator (200, 500, etc) or until the image is in focus should get you close to the correct parallax adjustment. In order to know if it is dialed correctly you can move your head slightly and see of the reticle moves in relation to the target. If the reticle moves when you do, it is not quite properly adjusted.
A scope that can adjust for 50 yards to infinity, simply has a knob that will allow you to adjust the parallax into the correct setting for a target from 50 yards all the way out to the furthest you can see. It can be difficult to get the settings for long range and extremely close range in the same scope, so typically the closest you will see is 50 yards or sometimes 25 yards.
Hopefully this helps!
@@AdventureColorado
Yes sir it helped quite a bit.
Just to clarify...would it also be possible to simply just move the head left to right while adjusting the parallax, untill thr crosshairs stops moving?
Would it be then safe to assume, that this is also your actual distance to the rarget? (a backdoor ranging feature of sorts)
If it's an unknown range it will get you relatively close, but the markings on the knob aren't really calibrated. A better way to range would be with the reticle and an object of known size. You can get into the math of that with a Mildot master or similar tool.
Bought the same scope for tikka t3x 6.5 cred w rail what rings or mount do u recommend
For rings I used the Vortex Precision rings in medium height: bit.ly/35vYOec. I haven't used a Tikka, but for a rail I would use any known, quality brand. For a less expensive option you could use something like a Warne, this one from Brownells comes in 0 or 20 MOA cant: bit.ly/3cG896G
How has the scope held up for you? Would be able to recommend it still? These are on sale right now for 622 dollars, really thinking about getting one to put on my Sig cross
It's still doing great. I am running that scope and another PST Gen II 5-25 on a CA MPR in 6.5 PRC. I've taken several deer and antelope with the 3-15 and used it in a couple more matches. I think it is a good value, especially for $622.
Do you find the reticle to be hard to see at 3x zoom? And just to be clear, the deer you shot at 25 yards, you had it on 3 power at the time, correct?
The reticle is very fine at 3x, so it can be difficult to see if the background is cluttered or busy. It’s also very difficult to use the reticle to measure when it is zoomed out to 3x. The deer was a quick shot and I did have it zoomed all the way out. The reticle was clear enough to make an accurate shot, but I wasn’t using any of the features at that range, just the basic cross shape.
So it is useable at 3x, but you wouldn’t want to rely on the widest settings if you need to use the reticle for hold offs.
@@AdventureColorado I wonder if you put it up to say 5x and put the illumination up if that would make it doable for lower range shots where you would need to measure a bit
At 5x there would be an improvement and the reticle would more usable. I think at that point it might come down to how good your vision is. I will have to look at it a little closer after work and see what magnification it becomes really easy to use.
I have a doubt, I don't know which scope to buy, the meopta 3-15 x 44 or the 4-20 x 44, considering i use the rifle more for target shooting, I just started at 100 meters with 223 bolt action, would like to increase at 200 or more, someday could use it for hunting too, and if the plex reticle is good also for targets, I don't really like the ballistics reticles
If all you are doing is target shooting, then the higher magnification of the 4-20 would probably be a good choice. You still have a very similar low end, 4 instead of 3.
What are your thoughts on the Vortex PST Gen II 3-15x scope? Do you think it is a good value for the money?
Hey man! I really appreciate the video! Quick question for ya, do you think this would be a good option for a .308 ar10?
It would work great with a 308. You would have good glass and enough elevation to stretch its legs.
AdventureColorado
Thank you for the reply! I really like the idea of this scope, and wanted to see what people were saying about it before I bought. Your video delivered insight into shooting long range, as well as firsthand experience with the scope. Well done man! Thank you again! 👍🏻
Thank you for the feedback! Let me know what you think of the scope once you pick one up.
I never had one but it seems like best riflescope for such price. Planning on buying one. Either 3-15x FFP MOA or 5-25x FFP MOA.
Would this be a good scope for a AR10 with a 20 inch barrel
Was looking at the 5-25 50
The 3-15 or 5-25 would work well. Since the reticle is a christmas tree style MIL or MOA it will work for any caliber. It isn't calibrated to anything specific.
@@AdventureColorado i have 20” AR rifle 223. Thank for your review, great. I have thinked to buy 5-25 but it’s too much magnification? my doubt is also try shoot 200-300 with no enough magnification with 15x (never see optic now i run acog) also i want put microdot for nearest target. help me pls!
The magnification is really a personal preference. I competed in long range precision matches for several years with a 4.5-14x Leupold scope. I was shooting out to 1200 yards without issues. 3-15x would work well with a 223.
@@AdventureColorado thank you so much, the old EBR2c reticle or new EBR7c?
Que tal la calidad en cuanto al vidrio ? , que me recomienda , vortex viper pst gen 2 ffp o leupold vx5 hd??
This or the tract toric 4-20x50
Unfortunately, I don’t have any experience with that scope, I wouldn’t really be able to compare them.
Lets be honest... this thing gives you 85%-90% of the features and quality, for half to one third of the price of those elite scopes.
It is a great value. Once you start getting into the more expensive options they add incremental improvements for significant jumps in price.
@@AdventureColorado You know you make a really good point on the glass quality. When conditions are perfect my Steiner will certainly outperform/be more clear. But in real world conditions, especially NC in the summer, this scope will have way more than enough glass to shoot my .22 lr at any range...even ranges unreasonable for the .22. Come hunting season, depending on how much I enjoy it, but I may take it off the .22 and put it on the 6.5 CM MPR, because of the weight benefit, and the lower magnification for hunting these NC pine forests. I certainly don't need 5-25 in 95% of my hunting areas!
Tbowie13 there are definitely advantages of the higher end glass, but you run into diminishing returns. The prices goes up quicker than the actual benefit. I’ve recommended the PST II to a number of newer shooters as a great scope that you won’t really be limited by.
@@AdventureColorado yes your 💯% correct. Scopes are like horsepower. The higher you go the smaller the jumps and the more money you spend for those small jumps. Ahhh, butbit does feel good to outrun the pack at times, even if just by a bike length! 🤣
You wanted an AMG so you got a PST?
I was considering the AMG, but decided I didn’t want the magnification range and cost.
You are working for vortex right?
No, I don’t work for them. I purchased this scope.
Is your 20 MOA rail on backwards?
On the MPR? No, it’s on the correct way. It’s supposed to angle down towards the front so that you get more elevation at longer distances.
It almost sounds like this video is brought to us by Vortex Optics
Why bother reviewing a scope but never showing what it looks like through the scope.
It’s easy to see what the scope looks like and how the reticle is laid out anywhere else. A scope will never look as good on video as it will in person. Instead of showing a view through it that doesn’t do it any justice, I decided to omit it.
15:28 there is a view through the scope if you really want to see it.
@@fredwayne1746 Thanks. That just wasn't enough for me to make a decision at the time I was shopping. I went with Night Force. I only needed three things: 1) SFP, 2) 10 yard minimum parallax, and 3) MOA reticle with MOA turrets.
@@varminthunterhobbyist4302 Yeah I understand. Like AdventureColorado said it is hard to video through the scope. I know I have tried and never had much success. I am sure your Night Force is very nice.