Just get one with built in mag.Vortex Spitfire 3x Prism Scope - EBR-556 Reticle

No offense but unless you are going to spend the time proving that the mount returns to zero, before you do the other testing, this method is going to make that set of data useless.

.

Thank you.

I saw other pics you have posted and wasn't sure which was which.

That glass is wonderful on both.  Extremely clear.   Especially from a camera.

I just received a Steiner P4xi.  That glass is very good (in my opinion) but the T5xi and Razor in your pics is a real.step up.  But I guess that's what more than double the cost of the P4xi gets you.  I'm jealous :).

.

I would love to get my hands on a P4Xi to try out.  Looks like a great option.


Truthfully I didn't want to spend the kind of money I did on my Razor when it came out.  I actually bought it because at the time it was the least expensive option that had a reticle that wasn't a complete piece of shit.  Most of the stuff at that time available in a 1-4x had enormous, target obscuring dots for holdover points.  And then there was the Swaro.......

The Steiner reticles are excellent.  The built in drop is matched to real velocity better in the Razor, but the way the subtensions get finer in the Steiner is a very nice touch.

I'm planning on attaching AD mount with Sparc to DD, zeroing then detaching, reattaching and confirming zero a few times.  Then will run tests with Sparc still attached to AD mount.  Whether on a rail attached to board or to the rifle. Either way, the mount, whenever reattached to the rifle should hold zero per AD's website.  
Is that part of the testing something you guys want to see too?  Just figured that would be kind of boring on video.

Yes, very very boring on video, but I want to know you experience regardless.  I love cliff notes!

I have been running aimpoints for a long time, and have a T2 on my work gun, but I just picked up a Sparc AR for a rifle that I built for my daughter.
I find the dot on the T2 to be sharper, but I am not sure that it is $400 sharper.  I also find the adjustments to be a little less intuitive that the aimpoint.  I will say that the SPARC appears to be built like a tank, and if you do manage to destroy it I will be surprised.   Overall I am impressed with mine.  Now if the UH1 would just get released!

I don't know what Summer temps look like for you, but what about leaving it in the car for a day or two to allow it some high temperature exposure?

Let's see what $400 brings from the test.

Hypothetical:

If an AP works 100 times of 100 in an HD situation and the Sparc works 99 times of 100, is that difference worth $400?

I've had a strike fire mounted that fell from a table to the ground landed on the scope itself. I was so pissed at my daughter. Apart from cosmetic damage scope was still zeroed and functional still using it.... I'm  a Yuge fan of vortex products.

Fell into dirt by the way if that affects it or not.

Well next week supposed to be in the 90's.  So maybe 120-150+ in a closed up car.  I can do that.

And just found out my vacation was moved from next weekend until June 22nd-25th.  So I will run some parts of the testing from home then tests/zeroing once I go away on the 22nd.
So let's decide what you all want me to do as far as testing without shooting to confirm zero.  And I will conduct those tests first from home.

Drops and the reciprocating saw get my vote.  I don't even care if its a return to zero mount. I just want to know if it can be zeroed and hold a zero after.

Alabama Arsenal just released a new 16min long review/test on the Sparc AR a couple days ago (June 4th).

Youtube link

They sure did. That's fine.  I will add a few tests to the fire.  Some more drops, a ride in a pickup bed on a bumpy mountain ride, the sawzall test, leaving it on the back dash of car on a 90+ degree day.  The water and freezing tests have been done a good bit...so no need for them for my testing.

That review sucks for 1 reason, since PSA has this on sale with Pmags for $199.99 I ordered 1 just now.

Now to figure out what AR to mount it on

Gideon, that was a great PSA deal, I took advantage of it as well. It was my second Sparc AR, and now I'm planning a build around it.

Found out 2 things, one, I need a go-pro because my camera skills with an iphone are friggin horrible.  
Two, the Sparc AR is tough.  Did the sawzall test for 30 seconds re-mounted was dead on.  Then did it again for full minute.  Dot still dead on. Multiple drops, throws attached to a 2x4.  Still great.

This is good news

I'm new to this thread but is there a big difference between the Sparc 2 and the AR? I'm putting together a 10.5" pistol in 5.56 and love Vortex but don't know the difference between the two.
Thanks in advance

They are different, yes.

The Sparc AR I favor over the two. The built in configurable riser mount and combined with a AAA battery power source, make this a no-brainer.

I love my SPAR AR great red dot. I would also like to see a heat test 120°f plus temps for long periods battery left in and dot on.

I was planning on doing that on my trip too but it only got up to about 73 in the mountains where I was.  Was going to leave it in the car.  I am heading to the beach next week and will leave it in the car all week with the dot on and see how it goes.  As soon as I can string my crappy videos together I will post it here.  That sawzall was shaking the hell out of it...thought for sure it was going to knock something loose.  It kept hitting the steel at 50 yds every time though.  I got one little ding on the top of the housing where the rubber does not cover...other than that, not an issue.

If somebody wants to send one to an APO... I can absolutely ensure it will see 120 degrees for extended times. Plus going through APO shipping across the world is a reliability test in and of itself.

I cant however... ensure it makes it back. You know, things get lost in shipping all the time....

Don't forget it has auto shutoff after 12 hours

If you are going to the beach take it for a salt water bath.

great idea...roll in the sand and a dunk in the salt water.  Now when it is rolling in the sand, are you guys gonna want that in slow motion with some sexy music to it

Maybe attached to the reciprocating saw as well plunging into the sand.

Only if your hot wife, daughter, or sister is the one doing the rolling.

Bonus points for all three.

ETA - Just realized this was about the Sparc AR vs the normal Sparc.....Apologies. However, my rationale remains the same.

This is a valid point.  However, I have to admit to being impressed with some of the ridiculous drag behind the truck on a gravel road sort of tests precisely because that represents a level of abuse that I wont put my stuff through and if it, (whatever is being tested) will survive that, then it will survive just about anything I'm going to do to it.

That is in regards to my own personal stuff.

I'm a firearms instructor for a small municipal police department, and I'm also the department armorer. As a former infantry Marine, I honestly believed that if something were Marine-proof, it was good to go. After being a cop for the past 13 years, I've come to the conclusion that a bored cop is more dangerous and destructive than a bored Marine. Primarily because it's unlikely that a bored Marine will be left unsupervised for 12 hours at a time in a small confined space (patrol car), with all sorts of stuff to finger fuck.

Our rifles, shotguns, optics, and lights are subjected to alot of shaking and bouncing around in rifle racks, (they arent perfect and will keep them from being yanked out of a patrol car, but dont keep them perfectly still), so the optic mounted on a board and hit with a recip saw is a good real world test IMO, but heat and cold cycles are something to keep in mind as well.

Here in StL we go from freezing temps up to 65 F in a matter of hours. In a patrol car in the sun, that can equate to freezing temps up to 90F in a few hours due to the greenhouse effect in the car. In the summer, temps inside the car can easily hit 120F.

I would absolutely stick with the recip saw test, but I would love to see multiple hot/cold thermal cycles going from freezing temps, (maybe down to 0F) and then a temp increase up to 120F (over a 12 hour period or longer so as to avoid deliberately shattering lenses/circuit boards etc). Then checking for zero shift etc. This is something that we do see on our optics and was the reason we got rid of our Eotech optics and replaced them with Aimpoint PRO's.

As a firearms instructor, one of the things I'm dealing with is older officers with eyesight that isnt as good as it used to be, and officers with some vision problems like astigmatism. From what I've been reading, the Vortex Sparc is a prismatic optic which is supposed to minimize issues with shooters who have astigmatism. I only have two or three officers with Astigmatism, but that's two or three officers who are less than 110% confident about red dot optics on the rifles. Since it's my butt they might save one day, I prefer to have everyone at 110% confidence level.

While I dont see my department ditching the Aimpoint PRO's for Sparc's right away, a successful series of torture tests combined with the lower price point of the Sparc's, (relative to the PRO's), could easily mean that when it's time to replace the PRO's (or when I can convince the department to allow officers to carry personally owned rifles), that Sparc's can be a viable optic for our needs.

@VortexSam

Hat's off to you Sir for your generosity in stepping up and stating you'll replace the OP's Sparc if destroyed in the testing. I currently own two of your lower level optics for my rifles and will be purchasing a Viper PST II 2.5-10 scope for my 308 when funds permit. I had already come to the decision to purchase that optic prior to this thread, but seeing your post here validated that decision.