I'm looking at getting a Vortex Red Dot Sight. The roadblock I'm running in to is I can't find anything that compares them against each other. The SPARC 2, SPARC AR and Strikefire 2 all seem to get good reviews for a midrange Red Dot, but what makes them different from each other? Is it just the physical size and the MOA, or is there a reason I should get one over the other?

watch psa for the sparc ar

goes on sale alot, and sometimes comes with 10 pmags

Yeah PSA does a lot of good deals on them. Right now it's on sale there for 140, but I would rather see the 10 free mags.

I'm still torn between which one to get. If there is a true difference besides moa no one is talking about them.

The Strikefire II is a 30mm red dot that requires being mounted in a 30mm ring. It uses a CR2 battery. The Sparc II is a mini red dot that has a base with multiple spacers for different optic heights that allow it to be used on multiple firearms. The Sparc AR was designed only for the AR 15 as the name implies. Uses a AAA battery and has a mount with a spacer that can be used for lower 1/3 cowitness or without a spacer for absolute. I have no experience with any of these optics I literally just read the differences on their website as you could've too. 

Umm, why would you think that I didn't know the features of each model after what I said above? I can see simple feature differences, but that doesn't tell me why I would want one over the other. Those features you listed don't qualify anything related to quality, ease of use or reliability. Thanks for giving me a spec sheet, I guess......

Maybe someone that has some actual experience could chime in.

The Sparc AR is the newest of the 3. Personally I think it has better features/battery compatibility than the Strikefire/Sparc 2.

The only reason I'd get a Sparc 2 is if I needed a lower mounting option. The Sparc AR was pretty much made to co-witness AR height sights. So it could be kind of awkward on Shotguns/AK style firearms.

I'd only get the Strikefire 2 if you need a 30mm optic for a clone build, or if you prefer a green dot option.

The Sparc AR also seems to have a cleaner and more stream lined profile to it. It includes armor and lense covers that are all one piece. While the Vortex 2 has lens covers only.  The Sparx AR is also 7.5 oz with the mount, while the Sparc 2 is 5.9 oz without any mounts.

Basically it comes down to aesthetics and weight. Also it depends on the firearm the optic is going on.

Cliff Notes:
I'd get the Sparc-AR for an AR15/Tavor/Scar/Etc

For an AK/Sig556/Shotgun/Etc I'd get the Sparc 2 and use the lower mount.

Perhaps you should have asked a more specific question if you are looking for a specific answer. Your inquiry was vague at best. You inquired about differences and why pick one over the other.  Battery choice may very well sway someone's decision if they are trying to keep all the same battery types around.  You made no indication in your original post that you knew ALL of the specs of all 3 models. If you wanted to know the difference in usability, quality, brightness, durability, you should ask specifically.  Not everyone is a mind reader.

Don't knock someone's reply that is trying to help you. The reply satisfied the question, but didn't meet your expectations.

Keywords in your post OP.  Honestly I'm starting to understand why guys from earlier hate us 13ers. Also *click*

Thanks for the responses. Capt_Destro Your description makes more sense to why you would choose one over the other. It doesn't seem like there is much of a quality difference.  

Alaskan, thanks for the responses. I forget sometimes that what I'm thinking and what I type don't always convey the same message.   When you gave your first response it sounded like a typical sarcastic message board reply. In reality it looks like those are the only real differences.

I think in the end I am going with the Sparc AR since I'm only mounting it to an AR.

I have the Strikefire II RG with both red and green dots. If I were doing it over I'd get the red only as it is brighter. I got it because I wanted the 4 MOA dot. All the others in that price range were 2 MOA. I had to buy the low Mount separately so that was another $25 + Midway USA shipping. It had to go back because a chip at the edge of the objective lense developed, another $17 for shipping. Since then it's worked flawlessly.

I have a red/green strikefire as well. The reticle is completely worthless in the dessert in bright sunlight. Like the cheap truglo on my 15-22 is way better in those conditions. It's a shame, because I love everything else about the strikefire.

4moa dots are more defined than 2moa dots with my astigmatism.

PSA has the strikefire 2 plus 10 pmags for $179.99 now.  I went with the strikefire 2 because I wanted something for a range gun and it was cheaper than everything else at the time.

I have one of the Vortex Spitfire 1 x Prism scopes and I am very pleased with it.  The glass is clear, and I like the etched reticle, so I can still use the sight even if the battery dies.  

Speaking of the battery though, I have to admit that if I were buying today, I'd opt for the Vortex Spitfire 1 x AR sight, which has an oh-so-slightly (4 m at 100 m) greater field of view, infinitesimally (1 mm) greater eye relief,  and uses a standard AAA battery (instead of a 2302).  But the big difference between the AR and the other 1 x Prism sight is that the AR sight has 1/2 MOA adjustments (instead of 1 MOA).  

You can only buy what is available at the time, and I am afraid my budget won't stretch far enough to replace it just yet.

I recently went through this debate myself. A few years ago I would've purchased the Strikefire II but i'm more size and weight conscience now a days. I ended up going with the Sparc AR initially (solidified by the 10 free P-mags ). I then turned around and bought a used Sparc II from the EE. Figured I just have to try them all and see which I like best. I'm hoping the Sparc II ends up being a little lighter than the Sparc AR but we shall see.

I understood what he meant, but your answer was fine until the part about "you could have read yourself." That's where your help derailed and became snobbish, at best, but really more like a first class arrogant jerk, which is all too common on this and most internet forums.  I'm sure you didn't intend it that way, but that's the way it came across in writing.

Back to topic...I've got the original Sparc (two of them), had a Strikefire, and a Sparc AR.  I put a Sparc on a Ruger 10/22, so the low mount option as described previously is gtg for that kind of deal.  I've also got a Sparc mounted on an M4gery, at lower 1/3, and it works great and is very light weight.  The Sparc AR is on a PSA build, also at lower 1/3, and it is GREAT.  The Sparc AR feels more durable and solid because it has one less shim in the mount.  It also has a rubber cover, which I think is nice.  The AAA battery is the champ, though, as it is easy to find and easy to replace, especially in the field where you are trying not to get dust or dirt in there.  

The Strikefire was fine, but didn't really gain anything over the Sparc except bulk and weight, so I sold it.  It performed well, though.

As for durability, I've knocked my Sparcs around quite a bit and they've held zero and had no issues. They do use batteries up while stored, but I bought a large package of 12 or so of them from Amazon for very little money.  I haven't had the Sparc AR long enough to say anything about durability, and I've not knocked it around at all.  I also don't know if it will eat the battery while in storage, but if it does, I can look in a kitchen droor and probably find a AAA laying around.  However, I've seen some videos that show some pretty compelling evidence of the durability of the Sparc AR, including some pretty nasty drops, freezing in an ice block, etc.

The field of view appears about the same, btw, between the Sparc AR and Sparc.  The Sparc II might be worth a look, but I've not seen them for a price anywhere near the Sparc AR.  I did the 199 deal at PSA with 10 Pmags.  Can't beat it!