Vortex Venom VS Vortex Viper

If you’re a gun lover, you know there are a lot of choices when it comes to optics. So, which one should you choose? We narrowed it down to two choices. If you’re torn between the Vortex Venom and Vortex Viper, read on to see the detailed comparison between the Vortex Venom VS Vortex Viper.

Best For Rifles: Vortex Venom

When it comes to the Venom, you’d most likely get the best use out of it when you pair it with a rifle or a long-range weapon. The 3 MOA dot on the Venom allows you to reach targets upwards of 50 yards away and to still get a great shot even from 100 yards out. One of the great benefits of the Venom is that it is extremely lightweight and very compact.

Specifications

Looking deeper into the Vortex Optics Venom’s dimensions, the device stands at 1.02 inches tall, is 1.9 inches in length, and has a width of 1.11 inches. It weighs only 1.1 ounces. The Venom is parallax-free, having a modification degree of 1 MOA, which is understandable as you’d be shooting your target from quite a distance. Best used at a distance of 50 yards or more, the Venom Vortex sight has several layers of anti-reflective glass, giving it great light transmission.

Purpose

Vortex Venom VS Vortex Viper

Red dots are best utilized when they shoot targets 100 yards out and below. The range the Venom usually shoots is 50 to 100 yards, but it still gets a great shot at a 25-yard distance.

Although based on theory, a handgun can shoot a distance of 100 yards or more, it is practical to say that a 50-yard shot is where you might draw the line for a handgun. We think this makes the Vortex Venom more suitable for rifles.

Pros and Cons

There are many things about the Venom red dot sight that are simply great. The small red dot doesn’t block your target. You know what you’re hitting and you can see and make a precise shot. The Vortex Optics Venom is best-suited for rifles and shots up to a 100-yard distance. The brightness settings for the red dot allow for eye relief, but you should know that this may impact the battery life. The device is also quite lightweight and easy to maneuver.

One of the issues that users find detrimental is that the dot is harder to see. Because it’s small, it might be difficult for you to lock onto it right away. In addition, the target acquisition is not the fastest.

Best For Handguns: Vortex Viper

The Vortex Viper is a solid option for handguns. It is best suited for a 25 to 50-yard distance. Powered by the CR2032 battery, the Viper’s power is said to last up to a reported 30,000 hours on a single battery. So, you get your money’s worth. The Viper also features 6 MOA dots for quicker target locking. You can effortlessly locate your target when operating your firearm.

Specifications

Digging deeper into the details of The Vortex Viper, the red dot has a 6 MOA center dot on the glass. You can view targets almost parallax-free and can also adjust it to 120 MOA. Although this seems like quite a lot, it is necessary for the short shot range it was created for.

The Vortex Viper red dot sight is 1.02 inches tall, 1.81 inches in length, and has a width of 1.06 inches. It can mount straight onto a weaver or Picatinny mount and weighs in at about 1.03 ounces.

When it comes to red dots, eye relief is crucial. Although there is no green dot option on the Vortex Viper, we were impressed with its eye relief features. Multiple dot intensity settings let you adjust it to your personal preference, although this may take a toll on the battery life. To put the effects of the brightness of the battery life into perspective, on the highest setting, the battery lasts up to 150 hours. On the lowest brightness setting, the battery can go for up to 30,000 hours. We found this difference quite drastic.

Purpose

Vortex Venom VS Vortex Viper

As said before, the Vortex Viper is made for smaller guns, such as handguns. The 6 MOA dot along with the specifications are quite self-explanatory. The dot is debatably large for a center dot; however, it gets you within three inches of your target from a 50-yard distance.

If we attempt to use the Viper on a rifle, it wouldn’t have good results. A target 50 yards out might be four inches wide to start, making the 6 MOA too big to make it a good match for a rifle.

When we compare this to the 3 MOA dot, the 6 MOA dots are more beneficial to hitting the target. That said, people don’t usually use optics with handguns in everyday life. Handguns are usually used for accessibility. Law enforcement, military, and civilians use handguns when they need quick protection. They don’t usually use them for spot-on accuracy, but often aim for the largest part of the person or threat approaching them.

Pros and Cons

We can narrow down the benefits of the Vortex Viper to four points. It is ultimately the best option for handguns. It is easy to maneuver, and its lightweight makes it easy to manage. It has rapid target acquisition, so you spend little to no time getting accurate shots. Plus, the brightness settings provide eye relief to match your needs.

We found that the issue you might face with the Vortex Viper is that it begins to block its target after 50 yards out. It is not the greatest for rifles as you’d usually use a rifle scope for further distance targets.

Vortex Venom VS Vortex Viper: How They Compare

Similarities

Both scopes are lightweight and similar in size. When attached to any type of firearm, we’d be hard-pressed to notice the difference in weight. The prices are similar for each of the Viper red dot sight devices, averaging $400. They both have powerful battery life, but how long they last depend on your brightness setting for the red dot.

Differences

The Viper has a 6 MOA scope and is best for pistol shooting out to 25 yards, maybe up to 50 yards in a pinch. The Venom comes with a 3 MOA and 6 MOA dot, which we think makes a lot of sense for a scope designed specifically for rifles. The Viper has a spot size of only 6 MOA, making it faster and more convenient to lock on to a target at close range. The Venom is available with a smaller dot, which helps shooters lock on to targets 50 to 100 yards out.

To be honest, there aren’t many differences between the two, but we want to emphasize the main contrasting point between the two. The Venom comes in two different dot sizes and is slightly larger than the Viper, making the Venom a great choice for shotguns and the Viper a good option for pistols.

Vortex Venom VS Vortex Viper: Conclusion

In general, from a purely functional point of view, the Vortex Venom may be more useful for people who prefer to use rifles and need scopes to improve their accuracy at around 50 feet. As you can see, both Venom and Viper are comparable in price, have the same weight, the same battery life, are waterproof and shockproof, and come with a lens cap. We find these specifications and dimensions make these Viper red dot sight devices two of the best on today’s market.

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